No Single Approach Will Work...

While away at my work conference I'm determined to try different approaches to stay consistent with training; especially since I tend to eat a lot more than I normally do when I go to conferences (free food that tastes great tends to do that to me). So this morning I was up early and in the resort gym for some cross training...

I tried to take a "gym selfie" as workout proof but they all made me look awkward. Or, more accurately, I might actually look that awkward while working out but there's no need to post those Kodak moments here so this is the best I can do...

(They had free apples so of course I ate one)

Ten Days To Go & Trying to Stay Motivated...

My Sarasota Half Marathon Relay is coming up in 10 days!!! and this is the medal I can look forward to...

(I know...so pretty right?!)

It hasn't really been a great training week. Actually the past few weeks haven't been great. I've tried to run a few times and I swam a few times, but mostly I've been doing strength training. I'm learning how to squat. It's a struggle and I'm not that great at it (you know how the whole "try not to fall over with the 45lb weight bar" thing can be a challenge). I hope I get better though because I don't want my trainer to think he's wasting his time, and the strength training is supposed to help me stay injury-free. That's the goal at least.

This morning was a swimming day...

Weekend Recap...(oh and Happy Monday!!!)

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I'm feeling very accomplished (as I type this at 5am) because I already finished my swimming workout for today...

5Ks & Weights...

Since I ran on Sunday, Monday was a mandatory rest day. And then apparently so was Tuesday. I was tempted to take another "rest day" yesterday (not because I needed it, just because I didn't feel like doing anything) but I got up (at the crack of dawn) determined to do a 5K run. When I got outside yesterday morning and started my warm up walk (1/2 mile lap around my complex) I saw that most of the street (sidewalk?) lights were out. I immediately got nervous. It's weird because sometimes I'm out there running at crazy early hours in the morning and I feel fine. Like I'm invincible. Like I dare anybody to come mess with me! (I'm totally kidding, that's not an invitation). But yesterday I was nervous. Whenever I get that gut feeling that I should not be outdoors, running, in the dark, alone, I stop and go back inside. I live in a safe neighborhood but still... you just never know.

So instead of a Wednesday morning run I ran in the evening...

(Why can't all my runs be like this?)

The Week Behind & What Lies Ahead...

In the past week I've been to my Chiropractor three times and my Sports Medicine fellowship trained Orthopedic Surgeon once. They both have given me the "ok" to run (yay!). My Chiropractor said "just don't overdo it" and when I responded with a blank stare he clarified and said "start with 3 miles and slowly increase from there". My Sports Med doc said "no long runs". He didn't catch the blank stare so he offered no further clarification...but he did say I could run every other day.

In addition to mileage reductions I have to start "intense physical therapy" for my current injury diagnosis: Right Trochanteric Bursitis and IT Band Syndrome. That starts on Wednesday of this coming week. And there was also a change in my prescribed anti-inflammatory medication. Sigh. It sounds like a lot doesn't it?

I'm approaching this whole thing with renewed focus and determination. I will be running in the Chicago marathon this October. End. Of. Story. In keeping with my renewed focus I was trying to find motivating stories of marathon runners to keep me from getting discouraged and came across this one...

**If Fauja can do it at age 89, then I can do this at age 35 right?**

The Year of The Full: Chapter Six - What the Doctor Ordered...

Nowadays I try not to over think my aches and pains. That's not true... I totally over think them. But sometimes I wonder if I went from one extreme (assuming the pain is not a big deal when it actually is (which is how I was last year)) to the other (assuming every ache and pain is an issue when it isn't). I guess in the grand scheme of things it's better to assume the worst and find out nothing is wrong, than to assume nothing is wrong and end up not being able to run for a long period of time...

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Last year I ignored my hamstring pain and I ended up with months of physical therapy and even more months of regret. Not to mention the cost of therapy, medication, the registration fees I lost etc...

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A Change of Plans...

As much as I really wanted to run my 10 miles this morning (or at least walk them) my ankle was not back to 100%. It wasn't even in the high 90s. So I decided to be a good athlete and take a "running rest day". It wasn't a complete rest day because I went to the gym instead.

I absolutely loved the motivational messages that were posted around the gym this morning...

 I was calm... but I don't use free weights so that was probably why ;)

Going to Bed Satisfied...

{I wonder how many people clicked on the blog title thinking this post was going to go in an entirely new direction? Hmmm...}

A while back I posted that I was going to implement a new bedtime for myself (read all about it HERE). It isn't going well. The bedtime still exists, I just find myself distracted with a million things and as a result end up going to bed way past it.

And of course the likelihood that I will skip my gym workout is directly proportional to how late I stay up the night before. Needless to say I was up late last night (blogging and reading other blogs) and completely skipped the gym this morning...

Going to bed satisfied means waking up determined

In Thirty-Five Words or Less...

BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER!!!!!

My birthday week is coming to an end (sadly) but I had the most amazing 35th birthday! The past week has been busy and so I've been kind of M.I.A. from blogging. But, in honor of the big 3-5 I'm going to do a day-by-day recap in 35 words or less...

Monday:
Eve of my birthday eve. Felt sad about not spending it with my twin sister. Decided to change that. Because life is too short. So I cancelled all Wednesday plans. Booked Tuesday evening flight home...

What are you training for?

"I'm always training... that doesn't have anything to do with whether or not I'm registered for a race"

I'm a planner. I've always been a planner, but as I got older the need to have a plan became more and more important. I'm not just a normal "let me try and give my day/week/month some structure" type of planner though. I'm a "this is my training plan for the next 18 months therefore that family vacation we want to take has to have a running route because I'm scheduled to do 12 miles that Sunday" type of planner.

I know what you're thinking (probably out loud) but the silver lining is that I'm somewhat flexible with my training. So if I need to do the "12 mile run" the weekend before then I'll adjust my training plan accordingly. At least I didn't cancel the trip right? 

A few months ago I was talking to one of my running friends about training. We would occasionally train together although she and I have very different race goals. She likes the obstacle course races, while I very much prefer not to crawl through mud. Ever.
Anyway, she asked me (something to the effect of) "When does your training (for Chicago) start?" To which I replied "I'm always training"

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Finally! A Friday Morning Victory...

There has been a raging battle between my desire for more sleep in the morning and my desire to get up and go to the gym. Sleep has been winning. A lot. But this morning the gym finally had a victory...

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I was up early (really early by recent standards, but at the "regular" time based on my typical gym sessions)...

But I wasn't the only crazy person in the gym at that time. It only looks that way in the pictures because they don't really want you to take photos or videos in the gym (so my compromise is: No photos with other people in them)...

Keeping things in perspective...

Nothing has changed at the gym since the last time I went. Not the equipment and not the usual "regulars" that get there before the moon drifts off the sleep (I think some of them might not have left since the last time I was there). Well, there's comfort in consistency I guess.

My workout for today...

(yes, I did the leg press 3 times...it's one of my favorite weight machines)