Well hello, Sleepyhead

Is what I said the sun when I saw it stretch its rays over the trees as if he was stretching to get ready for the day. My day had started two hours before when I walked to my daughters room to wake her up for school at 4:30 in the morning. But now it was 6:30 and I was out on the trails.

When I started this blog, there were a few things I said I would never do. I would never get up before the sun and run. I would never run if I felt a slight bit of discomfort. I would never run outside. Well here I was, up before the sun and wogging. Up before the sun and wogging with a knee that is not 100%. Up before the sun and wogging with a knee that is not 100%, on the trails. Whuda thunk it?

As a matter of fact, my goal today is to buy a reflector vest because I want to be able to run in the dark. I still think I am crazy.

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Honey I shrunk the...

Yesterday I was feeling really good so I did my four mile route instead of my scheduled three mile route. I prefer the four mile because I am awarded with the view of the ocean. Whereas, my only reward for the three mile is a small glimpse of the ocean around the corner. Maybe, I should back up a bit. My view is not of clear blue water and white sand. No, it's the Gulf of Mexico for Pete's sake. So it is murky brown and there is no sand in sight. It goes from thicket to water in less than five feet.


So as I coming around the bend to the ocean, I looked up and realized, I look like I have been shrunken and I am surrounded by blades of grass. So I had to take a picture.

Doesn't that look like tall grass? Next time I will have to film all the crabs that crawl near me as I approach the water.

In any case, I did my four miles and didn't worry about my pace. For the first time ever, I didn't wear my HRM. There is such a freedom in wogging when you no longer worry about your pace but just enjoy the time out on the trails. I need to enjoy it while I can because I was one of the "lucky" people that one a spot in the Aramco Houston 1/2 mary in January. But I will save that story for another day.

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Hill work

Some of my fondest memories of being a kid come from Hermann park. I remember they had this slight hill and we would grab a piece of cardboard and slide down the hill. If we couldn't find some cardboard then we just rolled down the hill. Ahhh those were the days. Going to Herman Park was special. Hills were special.

My husband laughs at us in flat Houston. Once while in Galveston, we went to a Pizza Hut that was off of the beach. It was elevated from the sea level on a little mound of land. That little mound of land created a 2 foot hill. You should have seen all the children rolling down for two feet. You see, we are so flat in southeast Texas that any little hill thrills us.

However, my 60 miler is in Dallas and it isn't as flat as Houston so I need to get some hillwork into my training. Hence the trip to the gym yesterday. I did the treadmill and watched TV. I did hillwork during the commercials of America's Funniest Videos and did speed work during the show. I have to say the treadmill is alot more pleasant at the gym and I love that I have my own TV to watch in front of my treadmill.

So my training is coming along. My knee feels better...except you shouldn't try to do MC Hammer hammer time when you are trying to nurse your knee. That is all I am saying, that is all I am saying. Pin It

SHHH I have a secret!!!

I am not suppose to be running. I am suppose to be walking. I am training for a 60 miler...I need to walk. I can't keep running because let's face it, I have not done a 1/2 mary...I definitely am not going to do a 100K before I do a 1/2 mary. But my snobby self (yes I admit it and I am ashamed), won't let me just walk.

And my knee is retaliating. I am icing it 3 times a day and taking ibuprofen but I can still feel it. Driving even seems to aggravate it.

It's just crazy...this need to run. Where did that come from? I don't know but I like it. Pin It

And all that Jazz!

While I am nursing my knee, I think I am going to have to do my wogging on the treadmill. My fear is that something will happen while I am on the trail and I won't be able to get back home. So the dreadmill it is.

I do love a few things about my treadmill. I get to travel light. No water bottle in my hand or phone on my arm. Oh, and I love wogging in 75 degree temperatures and not 90 degree with high humidity. Awkward moment...I am staring at my strange friend and I can't think of another good thing that I love about it. But sometimes it is an evil necessity.

Today as I prepared my to do my run, I went to my On Demand channel on my TV and looked for a good movie to watch. After several minutes...minutes I felt like I was wasting...I decided to watch Chicago. I love Richard Gere. I have had a secret crush on him since American Gigilo. Sure I was only ten at the time and he was thirty but baby, I thought he was hot. So I hit play on the TV and start on the treadmill and off I went. Well I didn't go anywhere, it was a treadmill but you get the idea.

I have never smiled so much and jazzed hands as much as I did during the movie. I really need to start video taping myself because I am sure I looked ridiculous. I think the first time I looked down at the treadmill, one mile was out of the way. Hallelujah! I did a mile on the treadmill without cursing the machine. More singing and jazz hands and mile two is done, then three and then 4 and then....darm treadmill...it stopped for know reason. Ok so the treadmill is over 10 years old but that is no reason for it to stop completely for no reason and jerk my knee. Besides, I promised myself I would not go over 4 miles and it was already 4.6 miles.

So 4.6 miles for this morning. I may get on again today. I really want to but I am suppose to be nursing this knee. Who knows. Pin It

Maybe I should listen to my body

Well considering I was feeling really off on Tuesday's wog, my Wednesday and Thursday seemed to have been affected by it. My right knee is feeling a bit of a strain. So I have been taking IB and icing it and keeping it elevated on a pillow. The 3Day site has some wonderful training advice and says I should do this for a week.

So for the next week, I will only do four miles a week and then resume my training. I hate doing that but if I don't then I will probably become more injured and my goal isn't to run X amount of miles this week. My goal is to be healthy enough to walk 60 miles in November. And being healthy means getting the miles in but not injuring myself at the same time. So while this may really feel like a major set back in my mind, I have to stay focused on the real goal and realize it is small.

I have to remember this is a lifetime change and not just a seasonal one. So I will scale down for a week and start up again next week. Knees don't fail me now! Pin It

I'm Tired The good and the bad

So Saturday I set out for a quick four miles. I was having breakfast with my sister and my dad so I didn't have much time to wog (walking + jogging). So I went out for a quick one. I felt as if I was flying. Despite the heat, I had so much energy. I was keeping up with some others on the trail and really enjoying my playlist. Who knew it could be this easy?

Well on Sunday I think I was scared of the mileage that was scheduled: 10 miles. So I got up before church and did the yard. I am sure the neighbors appreciated the lawn mower so early in the morning but it had to be done and I needed a reason to not do 10 miles. The idea of a double digit run just scares me but I need to do it.

So today I did 4 miles. The good news is that I did 4 miles instead of the scheduled 3 miles. I think I was feeling guilty about missing my run on Sunday. So I went out and got going. As I left the house, my legs felt like lead. I thought they would feel better after a mile or so but no. They just felt heavier. I felt heavy. I giggle at that statement. Fluffy feels heavy. Anyway, as I trudge down the trails I start to sing to myself "I'm Tired" as sung by Lilly Von Schtupp in Blazing Saddles. I even have the accent down as I trudge alone. And I am going slow..to the pace of the song and I look down and my HRM states I need to raise my HR but I'm Tired....Tired of running the trail....just so tired. Pin It