1,2,3

Theres been lots of reasons why I've been failing at updating. First. I havent been running as much. The heat is truly kicking my butt. My 3 miles this morning ended up being 2, a hilly 2, but the humidity made it impossible for me to catch my breath. The hill I've become so accustomed to destroying? Yeah that was 1.5 into my route this morning and I was thankful to get 75% of the way through it, took a detour to walk and then ran down. 

What I found on my detour- a Rose Garden! I stopped, smelled the air, and took pictures :)

I also had a "so bad I don't want to blog about it" run last Tuesday. We had 50 minutes and KR and Huck convinced me we could do the 4.5 mile route...and the the people talked for 5 minutes and the pressure was on to do 10 minute miles. Have I ever explained how badly I fail at running under pressure?! I waived KR and Huck on after a half a mile, said I'd wind my way back to the store and started bawling. Yes, some of it was the oppressive heat and (again) humidity, but I still wasn't over the crap race the Saturday before and the news that my dad's once full thick head of hair was coming out in chunks, thanks to the chemo. As much as I try to stay cool and calm, the surface keeps cracking and with less pressure now.

The second and third reasons I've been a running slacker? Well, they make me much happier. I started biking to work, which is only 4 miles roundtrip, but, being Raleigh, you're either pedaling for your life up a hill or coasting down its backside. Along with that crosstraining, I've been following through with my self made promise to get more weights in. Sometimes its just 18 burpees in the lawn, but last night it was 1/3 of the p90x video that made me hate Tony Horton. For the record, we're doing better, Tony and I, thanks Huck :)

The last reason? Well, he's cute and fluffy and 5 weeks old and still mastering the pounce. It's super hard to wake up and not just let my little Wiley man play all day. The first day I had to leave him and go to work?! Slayed me! Now I get the anxiety women get leaving their babies to go back to work! But, we're getting into a routine now, and I'm fairly confident Wiley will live, and he's growing with minimal parasites on/in him :) and like I said, he's mastering the pounce!

I fear I might have to give up running outside soon. When it was 63, the coolest part of the day, and my lungs couldn't keep up?! No bueno! When I get into a real job, I'll probably check out these gyms that advertise for $10/month memberships and go run on a treadmill and take classes, too! Until then, I'll run as much as possible, keep biking to work (after my "saddle" heals some!), and fall in love with Tony. I've already agreed to do the bi's and tri's tonight, heaven help me! (UPDATE: did it. rocked it! WOO, baby!)

Here's to the next TV timeout!

-Syd

Yep...he might be cuter than Lucy, but don't tell the roomie!

to Grandmother's house, we GO!

You know how I like freaking out when one thing throws me off my game? I was bound and determined to not have two bad runs in a row, and when it started to get dark, I figured I'd just throw on my gear and get my 3 done around home, not around the very evil lake with even more hills around the lake. Seriously, that lake is cursed! Anyway, I was fully charged, shoes on, when I got a "I'm on my way" text from Huck. Figured I'd rope him into running around home, but he reeeally wanted to do the trail around the lake and I it was part of the bargain from Monday. Argh... k.

Huck promised me trail, so I thought we were on the other side of the road, but no, we started running on the paved path, across the wooden bridge towards the evil cursed hills. But then we turned. I've gone past this spot a hundred times and never knew there was a trail there. Apparently Huck mountain bikes it often. Sooo it was over the roots, through the woods, splashing through the streams we went as the sun went to go keep people up in Australia. I had a headlamp on me (super awesome Christmas present from my aunt!) so I could better know when I was going up a sheer hill or down a root littered path.

A wider than normal creek bed as I officially couldn't see without light made me yell "okay, I'm done!" but I was promised that we were over half done. Thinking that meant it was shorter to go forward than go back, I sucked it up and kept going. When the shrubbery made a tunnel and Huck got further ahead of me than normal, I freaked. Darkness, woods enveloping me, unfamiliar terrain?! To a girl that's been told by society all her life that the way to prevent an attack is to not be out at dark in strange places,  this situation was CUH REEPPPPPY! Huck told me I was fine, I had nothing to fear, and started telling me "this one time, I saw this guy-" yeah, don't tell girls those stories until you're in a well lit area with lots of people around! Things like this still happen!

At which point the trail opened up to the asphalt path. "See! We're done!"...except there was still a mile to go around the lake. Huck and I were on different pages of "half way"- half through the trail or half through the lake?! I was scared and off my game, so I ran. No clue how fast, and every now and then I walked, but whatever.

Date night tonight and icing my shins as I prep for a long run tomorrow!

Here's to the next TV timeout!
-Syd

Feet-eeps!

So KR and I went on a walk  last night. The brief "spring" is officially over in Raleigh, and as part of my usual transition to the heat and humidity (THAT WILL ONLY GET WORSE!!!), I have this time of hating everything the winter required. Namely? Socks. If I had barefoot shoes, I would've worn them last night. Instead? I picked my "kicks" that I wear quite a bit during the summer without socks. When my heels started to blister up, despite the fact that it was a mile home on sidewalk, off came the shoes!... and I realized that the calluses I used to get as a kid running around barefoot were sorely lacking :/

Want to know just where the blisters on my feet are now?! Apparently, this is a long term problem, found in the socks I grabbed to wear to Gladiator training tonight (funny story about that when its closer!).

So those holes in my socks are currently stupidly sore spots on the pads of my feet. And yes, pads. I'm part cat ;)

I had some fun running last week, with a verrry special running buddy- my MOM! We did her Couch to 5k program in beeeautiful Charleston, SC. We did the historical stuff, Ft. Sumter (you know why that matters, right?!), saw a rainbow after a storm that flooded the formerly-marshed-below-sea-level downtown, and drove across a bridge that made my mom come super close to hyperventilating. There was tons of walking, lots of yummy eating, and much enjoyment of Southern-ness :)

I also brought along mi madre to the no-bo group on Saturday. We're up to 4/2 run/walk intervals, and we did 12:50 minute miles over the 2.25 miles, faster than Mom's usual pace! During our Charleston exploration, much talking about running ensued, and we talked about pushing your pace- you can't get faster unless you try it sometime! I am quite proud of her :)

Off to bed to rest my hurting feet, but I think I just let in a bug :/ Please don't let it freak out in my room tonight while I'm home alone!!!

Here's to the Next TV timeout!

-Syd

One

I had a random encounter at my running group today that seemed to tie together so many crazy thoughts I’ve had recently. With the help of quite a bit of wine, and without wine since, my roommate has noticed that her life is pretty much stress free at the moment. Her biggest worry was getting her super long hair cut, and that finally happened Thursday. Now? Well, the power and internet have been sketchy today thanks to storms, but we’re safe and sound, so in the big picture, her life is super blissful. She’s gorgeous, healthy, gainfully employed, and has wonderful friends and family.

There are times when I am stupidly intimidated by this, given the lack of permanent job (but huzzah for gainful summer employment OUTSIDE!!!), the last $3 in my checking account before payday this week, and, oh yeah, the molar I chipped about 1 hour after all my insurance-covered dentists were closed for the next 67 hours on Friday afternoon. The tension built up to a physical manifestation in me last night and carried through to this morning. I even woke up before my alarm, thanks to the overactive mind.

In this state, I went off to running this morning. By doing training for obstacle course 5Ks with a group, I’ve gotten to talking to more and more mentors during the pre-run times. One guy, let’s call him Tim, and his wife are both mentors and in the obstacle course prep group. Tim’s wife is off to a cruise, so I naturally ribbed him about watching his wife go on a tropical vacay without him, which is when he told me how they can’t afford a trip, so she was actually filling in for someone who had to drop out last minute and didn’t have to pay for it. We started swapping stories about how we earn a paycheck. I realized just how I look up to elite runners. I think of them as machines- if they can train their body efficiently, push through the pain I hit when I go too fast with KR, then I just presume that they’re college educated, run as their distraction from the corporate world.

I don’t know quite what I’m trying to say, but running, for as individual of a sport as it is, has drawn me in to more and more people. “I’m a runner” is such a conversation starter, a sort of secret handshake, but we’re all human. The simplest form of transportation and exercise unites the Olympian, flailing grad student, equestrian, interior decorator, project manager and unfulfilled produce man. I get why people who run are drawn to each other, because even thought it might just be something you do for 30 minutes, 3 times a week, it takes heart, soul, strength, discipline to go pound pavement in the calm of the morning, rush hour sidewalk, or hidden trail.

As my right IT band makes my right knee creak (it’s a Powerstroke diesel to the left knee’s 2mph Prius), I remember why I run and long for a run that feels good inside and outside, that feeds my soul and recharges the endorphins. If I wasn’t a mentor for this running group, I would definitely take Dr. KR’s recommendation and just take off 2 weeks from running completely, but I just do intervals on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings. The people are catching up to me as they get better and I fade, much to my chagrin. I hide it cleverly with funny stories, energy during the walking intervals, and the sly smile that asks if they want to run it in when we can see the finish line, but I can feel the “blegh” settling in. Am I still a runner if I’m injured and fading?

I get to see my mom and Charleston, SC next week. Maybe a change of settings with the mom who is just awesome will clear my head and heal me- inside and out.

Here’s to the next TV timeout

-Syd

Still Sick :(

As the title says... I am still sick :[ I swear, this evil little bug KNEW I was planning on finally getting active, going for a run either tonight or tomorrow and so it knocked up the intensity of my cough again! I had the runny nose and body aches, but those are gone. Once again, its this darn evil stubborn cough. The general rule of thumb for exercising is that you should take it easy when you have symptoms below the neck. However, a week of doing that was driving me stir-crazy!!! 

"Don't make me go on this walk!!!"

Hearing my mom's voice in my head tonight, I looked at Lucy, apologized, and dragged her out for a nice walk. Yep, just a walk. Earbud in one ear, gloves on to protect from the "cold" and a nice excuse for her to stop sleeping and me to get out of the house. It was quite a nice ego booster- no makeup, hair hastily thrown back and random clothes to keep warm led to me getting honked and waved at by 3 cars. I wonder if they thought I was someone else?!

 It was nice and light when we left, but by the time Lucy started doing her "oh! THIS IS TOTALLY THE WAY HOME!" trot, the sun was down, the mercury went the way of the sun, and I may or may not have been skipping to keep warm and make the door appear sooner as we neared home.

Being sick is seriously bringing all of me down :( I'm ready to be healthy, to get out and keep doing something- anything! With the cough as evil sounding as what I have now, going to group classes doesn't really feel like an option either. People would fear my germs, and rightly so!

Anyway, at least I got out, did something?!

Here's to the next TV timeout!

-Syd

Heels

 I used to not think of myself as a shoe person, but over time, I realize I have a finely cultivated collection of heels. First up?

The ones I wore for Fred and I's first date, exactly 364 days ago. Not that I'm counting. So yes, it was early February, and yes, even though we live in the 70% of the country NOT hit by this week's snowpocalypse, it was still cold. Did I mention the short black skirt I had on, too?? Oh, and clearly the heels (and skirt) worked :D

   

After a night of wearing heels like that, I wore shoes like this A LOT the next few days!  And yes, the heels seem to be torn up. This is on purpose. I have size 10.5 feet, as does KR. Its how we became friends, true story. As a result of this mammoth, and thus, unusual, size, lots of the cheap brands- payless, targay- don't make 10.5. Its 10 or 11. Pick. So I picked smaller for these, clipped out the heel, and thus spared my Achilles tendon many many blisters.

 The next two pairs are my usual go-to during the winter. If I'm going to be walking around a lot, I go for the Sperry's, aka boat shoes, aka most versatile things ever. I wear them with socks in the winter, barefoot in the summer. They go with jeans, dresses, and even khakis if I'm running late for Sunday morning church. According to NC natives, they're the official shoe of the state, and base on how many pairs of them I see on campus, I tend to agree. 

My other go-to shoes are my boots! I bought these on a whim, totally expecting to return them. Instead? Love. Adoration. Worship. I only wear them with jeans, and always under! Well, unless it dumped 6" of Boxing Day snow on you, but that's a rarity.  They're comfy enough to stand in, make little noise, and give me an extra heel to make me feel even more intimidating, if needed :)

 These I talk about often. I log my miles, wear them religiously only for running, hit heel first, pushing off with the ball of my foot. The amazing Mom got me contraptions to basically turn them into slip-ons, but I haven't done it. Yet.

And last, but certainly not least, are the actual heels that slip into all of these. Yes, I have a tattoo. Its easily hidden, obviously, not offensive, recognizes 3 years of my life, and makes the occasional great conversation starter. 

But back to the heels... These things have been dragging recently. The token example came this past Saturday when, about 1/2 mile in, I lost it. Couldn't breathe, broke down crying- well, as much as I had the water/energy to- and could feel any and all mental resolve to keep pounding the pavement slipping away. With 3.5 miles to go. It had nothing to do with running, everything to do with my life off the road, but when you're that stressed out, the mind-body connection takes over. That same drive that tells you "YOU CAN DO THIS!" can also tell you "what's the point?!" It sucks to listen to that, but its like a Patronus charm in Harry Potter- you have to have a stronger positive thought to overcome it. At that moment, I had zero happy.

Runs like that make you dread everything from figuring out a route to lacing up again. Tuesday morning, 2 days of no running, and I couldn't even figure out a route, much less a distance. I ended up walking out the door and running about 1.4 miles- up a long evil hill, then back down it. I'd never run up it, always taking the shorter, more compact hill , so it was a nice mental victory, pounding out the long slow hill. No clue pace, and that's how I wanted it to be. My podcast was weird. Really weird. I changed it at the top of the hill. Seriously, who talks about selection for the perfect astronaut by talking about "flautus" for 10 minutes?!?! 

After runs like this and the general feeling of this quite often, after this Saturday's race (omg so excited to do it, then tell you about it, and most importantly, NOT PUKE!), I'm diversifying. I'll still run, but more yoga, pilates, weights, cardio classes. Less "run x in y miles." Run when you feel like it. Stretch it out often. And as always...

Here's to the next TV timeout :)

-Syd

I still exist!

I do still exist, I promise. Its just that, as KR put it, I 'have blisters on my fingers from the thesis' and all the mind-melting that comes as a result. I won't bore you with those details and other stresses, except to say that worrying about that has definitely not been awesome :/

I'm finally un-bruised and un-sprained, but I got so out of the rhythm of any sort of work-outs between injuries, traveling and the thesis that getting back into that habit is definitely not easy to overcome. I should get over that this week. Running always made me feel a bit more clear in the head, which is definitely something I need! Hmm... gave me an idea :)

My usual running routes outside intimidate me because Raleigh got Illinois cold! FOR REAL! Its currently the same temp in Raleigh as in my hometown- and we've had an extra hour of sunshine!!! 22* is not human running weather. All that time I wanted it to be colder? Ugh, I officially have thin Southern blood :(

For as awful as the thesis/no-running has been, I've definitely been super lucky to be surrounded by people who really support me. I've got some crazy deadlines and scary life changes happening, if only I knew how they'd end up, but through it all, the roomie, KR, Fred, my mom and so many others have been my sometimes-lacking confidence! The roomie has positive affirmations in her office-space, which I used to mock- and first-time visitors always question- but I took a page out of her book yesterday and put up my own post-it notes on my work computer. We'll see how those help me out.

On two random not-related to anything subjects...

With the cold + Christmas decorations at the house, Lucy's usual cage spot was overtaken by the Christmas tree (Lucy stays in the cage when nobody's home. All she does is sleep, and this way, if she's home a little bit too long, the mess is easier to find and clean up). Finding a new spot that wasn't too drafty was a couple days figuring out, but the roomie figured out just how to make sure the spot wouldn't be too drafty or cold for Lucy.

Yep, even Lucy's giving the roomie the "Mom, what are you doing?!?" look!

Finally, in the spirit of Christmas, I will warn you that this will make you cry. The video explains most of it, but Dax's mom and grandmother are closely tied to my church back home, so I read along with the blog as Dax underwent two bone marrow transplants. Julie, his mom, is such a loving woman and was born to be a mother. My mom sent this to me, but I saw it posted on a friend's Facebook wall this morning, so I thought I'd pass it along. The warning my mom sent definitely applies- have a few tissues handy!

Here's to the next TV timeout

-Syd

Ouchie!

Title courtesy of the roomie. What you see to the left is what happened to my knees after I fulfilled one of my biggest fears when running and tripped, sprained my ankle, and came crashing down on the paved trail. That kneecap is all nice and swollen- a great look for the skirt I was hoping to wear for an interview on Friday! The knee's not the biggest problem though, its the ankle. I did pretty much the same thing in August, only I was on a wooded trail and I didn't go all the way to the ground. At least I don't remember the palms of my hands hurting like this. 

I was lucky enough to snag a doctor's appointment for this afternoon. X-rays confirm the bones are fine, but with the way that I step (supinate) and the fact that I've done this before, I'm not supposed to run or stress the ankle until I feel 100% on it :( Definitely not what I wanted to have happen today or at this point. Since its high in the ankle, it might take a while to heal, probably closer to the 6, not 1 week rehab time. 

Super bummed about this because I was getting back into the "alright, run with a goal" mindset. Maybe I can bike during this time? I liked my nice defined legs! I'll definitely have to do more abs/arms stuff!

Here's to the next TV timeout!

-Syd

Thing 3

Bad things come in 3's- right?! If this is the case, then I'm great for a while. After the losing of the keys and the breaking of the iTouch, I came out of the 3rd thing much better than the first 2! I was sitting at a light yesterday, when someone 2 cars behind me didn't stop in time, so he rammed into the car behind me who then ran into me. We pulled over into the parking lot of a gas station and the driver of car number 2 immediately got out of his car and started screaming at the at-fault driver. I called 911, got frustrated at their inane questions, waited for the men to stop screaming at each other, and tried to figure out if my jello legs were from running the day before or nerves from the shock. 

The nice ambulance that took away the injured party

All in all, there were 2 cop cars and an ambulance and fire truck that came to asses the situation. We got a driver information form, I realized the cop that responded was the same one from my crash 2 years ago, the ambulance took away the passenger from the middle car (I turned down a ride to the hospital in the ambulance), and then I was on my merry way. It took a couple hours, but I got over it, and the lab tech invited me out to dinner with her husband, so it wasn't that bad!

Campus was crazy due to the open house this morning, but once I snuck to an out-of-the-way lot and made it to the gym, I had a nice easy 30 minutes on a bike to loosen up the legs. Nothing hurts from Thursday's run or yesterday's crash- major YAY! I'm on track to run Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday this week- a BIG week!

Here's to the next TV timeout!

-Sydney

Rain Delay

24 hours ago, I thought I'd be working right now, having just done the 2nd workout on the Couch to 5k plan. When I got to the gym, I finally understood what my running friends mean when they complain about "tightness in the hip" and ew. Just getting started was the hugest step, I realized, so I started walking, started zoning out to SportsCenter and the first 10 minutes breezed by. To push myself, I kept amping up the speed on the treadmill and what had been a standard run speed Sunday was close to my fastest walking but it all felt good. The creaky joints wore down around the time ESPN dedicated itself to baseball and bleeeggghhh! It was all in my head, so I had to keep chugging along. The end push was at 11:00 pace.

While watching Monday Night Football (GO BEARS!)I'd told my friends KB and Mr. Clean that I was trying to run, you know, get myself some encouragement, advice, and potential running partners, so KB called yesterday afternoon and asked if I wanted to go running with her for this morning. First of all- what am I supposed to do on the 4 days not on the plan each week? Yoga? Bike? Or is it allowed to keep doing runs of some random pace/length/time those days? Anyway, KB and I were supposed to go running this morning at a county park but its raining soooo raincheck. Literally. Back to my original plan from 24 hours ago, and still feeling good :)

Here's to the next TV timeout!

-Syd