My new favorite thing...

...is running! I am having a hard time believing it too, but even in crappy weather, or when I'm tired, I can still find the joy in it. I surprise myself because until this year, the run was the worst of three disciplines for me, a necessary evil. Some of my angst with running is probably due to the fact that I was plagued by injuries last year (ITB syndrome, Baker's cyst) and poor running form! But since Ironman Florida, something has clicked. Even during the hardest parts of that Ironman run, it didn't suck nearly as much as I thought it would! (And man, did I think it was going to suck!)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not all of a sudden running 6 minute miles (FAR from it) or banging out 30+ miles a week. I leave that to rr. My speed is what it is right now, which is a very consistent 10 minute/mile pace. My tempo on long runs is perfect for me--I can pick it up to get across streets quickly, and I have just enough gas in the tank to sprint out the last 1/2 mile. My form has improved dramatically from 2004, when I first started running tris. I used to run rather haunched over and remember very specifically at mile 22 of my first marathon how much my abs hurt. (I know that my core strength has improved significantly since then.) I now can run my half mile repeats in about 3:46, and my timed mile (which usually for coach Marco Diablo came after repeats or a long run) were just over 8 minutes. I'm fine with that. I know when we start our tempo workouts later this month I'll be pushing my pace and heartrate.

My normal running route takes me down towards the James River, through a very quiet neighborhood where I can let Sophie off the lead to traipse through the woods. While I run that same road at least once a week, the scenery never gets boring. Earlier this week when there was still snow on the ground, you noticed what lay farther back in the woods--woods that are hidden most of the summer by lush greenery. During peak foliage time, it is quite magical too, raining leaves and glittering gold and red. My 6 and 8 mile routes take me along that part twice, with the way home a one mile climb back up the hill. I have started leaving the ipod at home more, and nothing beats running in the rain, listening to the water hit the leaves, pavement, and brim of my visor. There are days when I'm tired and need the music to motivate me (like today), and sometimes it's nice to find a catchy tune that pushes me up the hills or through the last painful mile. Today's song was

what i like about you
you keep me warm at night
never wanna let you go
you know you make me feel alright
keep on whispering in my ear
tell me all the things that i wanna hear
cuz its true thats what i like about you
thats what i like about you

I am looking forward to the second half of this year, when I start training earnestly for a fall marathon. Nothing like a morning run in the crisp fall air, with leaves cascading around you and crunching underfoot. Bliss.


On an unrelated note, I want to bitch about something....people who chat chat chat away during spin sessions or who obviously don't have enough tension on their trainers. Hello?! It's a workout. If you're still chatting through the intervals, your trainer needs to be tightened up. I can barely put 3 words together and am gasping for air. Social hour comes during the warm up or afterwards, not during the "hardest gear! stand!" part of the session. Hardest gear to me means it better be damn hard to maintain even 60rpm standing. I'm talking sweat dripping down, being focused on form to pull and push HARD. Still doing 80rpms in your hardest gear does not do you any favors once you get outside. And seriously, isn't that the point of coming to the workout? Thanks for listening, I'll step off my soap box now.

Swimming to Florida

It appears that my taper workouts will have to change. At this point, I am swimming (or more specifically PULLING) my way to Florida since I'm having issues with my hip. I was very lucky not to have fractured/broken any bones in that bike crash two weekends ago. I did, however, really whack my hip when I hit the pavement. The evening after the accident my hip was really swollen. The bursa in my hip are still inflamed--with blood. The sports medicine doc was going to give me a cortisone shot in the hip to alleviate the pain yesterday, but instead ended up drawing off a few cc's of blood. Yeah, I almost passed out seeing that syringe! Her Rx: ice the area for 30 mins 3xs a day to get the swelling down; no biking or running; use a pull-bouy in the pool. We will reevaluate by the end of the week. If I can get the swelling under control, I can then go in Mon/Tues for a cortisone shot before I leave for Florida.

My PT and my coaches say I am trained and will still be ok for the race. I am trying to remain calm, follow doctors orders, and focus on getting all my stuff ready for the trip. But then there's that nagging little voice in the back of my head, screaming "WHAT???? You've got to be f*%#ing kidding me?!" I turn my bike in on Saturday to ship, and won't see it again until maybe Thursday or Friday next week. That would mean the last time on my bike would have been this past Saturday, and the last time I ran...well too long ago. Don't panic, don't panic. Just make like Dora in Finding Nemo: "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim." (Right, Marit?)

Graduation Weekend!

I am well and truly done. Graduated. It was a great weekend, despite all the stress and fun of the previous week. My in-laws came in Thursday night from California, and #1 son Jim was able to fly in from New Orleans, since he was back (relatively healthy) from Thailand. My uncle and aunt also came up from Williamsburg for the day on Saturday to represent the Cunningham side of the family! The only person missing was my sister...next time, Molly. There were 8 of 16 grad students that walked including me, so we were fairly well represented. How many people can say they processed to the Uulating Mummies? It is the School of the Arts, folks. This is the first time I've had my name called and walked across the stage (missed H.S. and undergrad graduations, and 1st master's at Georgetown was just a stand-up-you've graduated-sit-down affair) and I'm so glad I finally was able to hear my name called. Sorry for the fuzzy picture, but that was taken by Joey.

Later that evening, we all went to Can Can for dinner. Lots of wine, great company, and a chocolate peanut butter bomb for dessert. Joe was a dear and took the kids and his parents home, allowing me to continue the party for a couple more hours with fellow grad students Molly and Vanessa, and TriGirl Lynn. I was yet again sidelined for minor medical reasons over the weekend so I was unable to run the 10k planned on Sunday with my husband and father in law. This week I jump back into training, along with getting a few quiet days with my dog at our new beach house--(re)decorating, hanging drapes, and moving furniture.

Thank you all for your warm thoughts and support for Joey. He has bounced back from the seizure and was able to enjoy his time with the grandparents. I am so over medical problems and emergencies. Let's all pray that from here on out, our 2008 season is a healthy one! Congratulations to all those bloggers and friends who ran races over the weekend--come July I will be out there with you in body not just spirit--and best of luck to my TriGirl and Maramarc friends leaving this week for Ironman Brazil. You will rock!

Sigh...of Relief

Yesterday's MRI showed a much thicker than normal ITB, and no meniscal issues. Yey! So, now let the healing begin. Yoga, PT, biking, swimming--all these are ok. Running, no. But maybe I can convince Kent and Michelle to let me "run" on the elliptical, even if it is boring as all get out.

Speaking of running, my friend Sarah ran today's Monument Ave 10k in my stead, and posted a new PR for me! My goal was to beat last years time, which she did by a whole minute, and I didn't even have to break a sweat. Thank you Sarah, and I'm so glad you had fun.

The remainder of the weekend will be spent hammering out my thesis project floor plan, and getting my Sketch-up model in good shape so next week I can start my renderings. I'll need to have 6-10 good drawings to include on my presentation boards, which go to the printer by the 16th or 17th at the very latest. I'll have a bit of a respite tonight: date night with Joe. The venue tonight is a black tie fundraiser to raise money for MMD (myotonic muscular dsytrophy) research. One of Joey's best friends and classmates lives with MMD, and like Joey's diabetes, it is an everyday, all day disease.

Not a pretty picture

This is my IT band. Nice, huh?

The view from the sidelines

I've spent a lot of my life watching from the sidelines. In middle school, I was always one of the last girls asked to dance, and that was only because in the Mexican version of cotillion everyone (even the unpopular kids) had to dance. (For those that don't know, my family was living in Mexico at the time.) I've watched most sports from the bleachers and was usually picked last for a team in PE, never mind the fact that I didn't want to play much since I was deathly afraid of any sport requiring a ball. It wasn't until much later in life that I discovered that sports can be fun, and I can play/do some of them decently. I didn't start running until 2004, and I still have a hate/love relationship with it. (Read on.) But there's no denying that the view from the sidelines is never as good as it is from the floor or field.

Fast forward from middle school to this week. I have been diligent in my phyiscal therapy for IT band issues, putting up with various forms of torture that Kent and Michelle dispense with great enthusiasm. Among these: ice baths, foam rollers, the stick of pain (see photo), Kent's thumbs, various rubber bands, monster walking, and "saddling up" to drag 90lbs on a sled sidestepping down a long hallway. I figured I was doing well, and I had followed their orders not to run for a while. I was a little nervous on the no running front, considering this weekend is the Monument Ave 10k. Last year I PR'd, with a 52:36. At the beginning of this year I was confident I could shave time off that--and was aiming to beat 50mins. So I decided on a trial run. Miles 1-3 felt great. Mile 4 and 4.5 not so good. Then I had to get to school. The four flights of stairs down from the parking garage were downright agony. Uh oh.

This morning I 'fessed up. Kent and Michelle scolded me. Dr. Cutter scolded me, then checked me out. My good knee had more swelling than the bad one, which was clicking in a certain place. He has since ordered an MRI, to make sure it's nothing worse. So now I wait. Luckily I'll have my answer on Friday--do I have worse meniscal issues, or just severe ITB issues? In the meantime, I'll try to be good company for Cyndi and Marit, two serious triathletes who are dealing with their own injury demons, and go cheer on the other TriGirls running this Saturday.

I found a great quote from Jon Kabat-Zinn, who wrote Wherever You Go, There You Are. "No one can listen to your body for you....To grow and heal, you have to take responsibility for listening to it yourself." Hear hear!