Friday Funday

We have mastered the outsmart-Gunner-in-the-morning plan!

Usually, when I get up to go to the gym after Scott has left, Gunner leaps from the bed, tail wagging, wondering why I haven't put his leash on for a walk. I usually end up feeling bad, and walk him instead. It used to be ok, because I was running him. But with the bum foot, running hasn't been happening.

My coworkers and I have been walking 2-3 miles over lunch, but today we're taking a trip to Chipotle and DSW (don't be jealous that your lunch break < my lunch break). I knew I needed to get a workout in this morning.

Last night Scott and I strategized that I would get up first, at 5, and then creep out with the lights off. When I was gone, he would get up at his normal time (5:15) and then get ready like he does when I'm asleep - stealthy, using his phone light.

So I got up at 5:10 (I hit snooze, wanna fight about it?) and snuck out. Then Scott left later. When I got back from the gym, the lights were off and Gunner was in bed sleeping. Then he jumped up with the "Are we going for a walk?" face. And it WAS time!

We walked for a mile, and then he ate his breakfast and went baaaaack to bed again.

It's a hard-knock life for Gunner.

Workout for today: 30 minutes on elliptical, followed by a 1.14 mile walk with the schmup.

Hellloooooo Chipotle.

Also, Tuesday's step count was over 13,000, yesterdays was over 10,000. If you walk 10,000 steps a day, you can lose a pound a week - who knew?

Lunch Walk

We walked over lunch for about an hour. Boom.

Pedometer is already over 10,000 and it's only 1. Boom.

Over 300 calories gone. Boom.

Sniffy Morning

Gunner and I got up this morning and did our usual walk, but we didn't get as far because A) Mommy started the walk late and B) Gunner had to smell everything. And I mean everything. They say that dogs smelling things in the morning is the equivalent of a person reading the newspaper - they just need to catch up on current events.

We did a quick almost mile and a half. The pace in the photo is from the last bit of the walk, which consists of Gunner and I running up the stairs. The actual pace was about 19:17 per mile. Not too shabby for a walk with Sir Sniffs-A-Lot.

My total pedometer total for the second half of yesterday was 9,184. Not too shabby. This morning I'm already up to 3,671.

We will break 10,000 today. Yes, we will!



Mommy wasn't the only one
whodidn't want to get out of
bed this morning.

 

3 Mile Lunch

Some of the girls at work and I have started walking over lunch. The Capitol Crescent Trail is right outside of the office, so we've decided to take advantage. Sometimes we walk two miles, and sometimes three.

Today was a three mile day. We walked at a good clip, and I got some decent back-of-neck sweat going. :)

Also, my company has started a health challenge program with pedometers. We all signed up.

And knocked out over 6,5000 steps over lunch.

Boom.

The Race That Wasn't



"In Lieu of Racing" Pancakes

Scott and I both ran our respective races on Saturday and we both set PRs and we both won medals.

...said noone ever.

I made a game-time decision on Friday evening to not race Saturday. My foot is still really sore, and I didn't want to chance the possibility of futher hurting it. Emily might never forgive me if I limped down the aisle as her Maid of Honor.

Scott had just gotten back from three sleepless days in the field, but he still said he wanted to run. Which I fully supported.



Me: "That's awesome! I'll do what you usually do the night before my races."



Foot brace!

Scott: "What's that?"


Me: "I'm gonna get a little drunk, and then be super cranky in the morning when you try to get me up."

Scott: "Ha!"



Welp, 6:45 rolled around and someone's alarm went off. Nine minutes later it went off again. And then nine minutes after that, it went off again.

Pretzel dogs.

Needless to say, we didn't get up for Scott's race. But that was ok. After a half hour of the alarm going off and on, I wasn't really able to go back to sleep. So I ended up sitting around in my wedding dress for awhile in the guest room while Scott slept in the bedroom (it's a girl thing, go with it).

When he got up we made "In Lieu of Racing" pancakes. Which were amazing.



We did go down to Clarendon Day just for the fun of it and walked around. I did wear my foot brace all weekend, and I'm wearing it today. It totally helps.



Oh yeah, that's a 19 minute walking pace.

This morning I was planning on hitting the gym in our apartment complex before work, but couldn't find the special key fob we need. While I was looking, Gunner woke up and was prancing around ready for a walk. I walked him two miles at a quick clip instead.

Had to do something to work off the pretzel dogs Scott and I made yesterday. Which I regret noone of because they were Philly-amazing.

I had to have a few "settle down" moments with Gunner this morning because he absolutely LOVES walks and gets a little nuts. He managed to snag an entire tree branch from the side of the road this morning and was thrashing around in all of his puppy glory. He lost it a little bit. So we had a "sit" moment while mommy whispered in his ear. That seems to bring him back to reality.

Walking again over lunch, I think it's a three mile day.



It's BACK!

Ok, so only two of you noticed it was missing, but my blog was deleted yesterday for some insane reason.

I mean, people depend on me. Ok, so noone depends on me, but they could. And that's what matters.

I have no idea what happened, but I posted on the help forum like, "nuh-uh, not cool."

And today, it's back.

Hello again, friend.

To Hell in a Handbasket

One mile walk with the pup.

If you've been following me on social media, then you already know how the week has been. For those of you under a rock (like my brothers), here's the gist of it.

My week went to hell.

After Monday's early-morning cardio sesh, my week slowly went downhill. I went home early that day with a migraine (probably dehydrated). While I was home, and walking around barefoot in the dark, I stepped on a toothpick. Leaving me with a deep puncture wound in...you guessed it...my right foot.

I yelled and screamed and ripped it out. Then I taped a cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide over it. Tuesday, I came into work and it was swollen and painful to walk. After doing a quick and alarming Google search, I found out that things like that are nothing to mess with.

So...Scott took me to emergency care. They x-rayed (Yes, Gram, I know that's not a verb, just go with it.), gave me a tetanus (which hurts like the Dickens, btw), soaked it, wrote me a prescription for antibiotics, and then - this is the best part - taped a band aid over it.

Gunner loves when Mommy goes
to work, because he gets a peanut
butter Kong.

I wonder how much that band aid is going to cost.

I've been taking my antibiotics and soaking it at night like the doctor told me to, and my toe is starting to feel better. I walked the dog for a mile this morning with no pain from the wound (still the normal foot pain).

I'm going to aim for a 3-mile walk with the pup tonight, just to make sure I can still move my body three miles.

Because...we have a race this weekend. Remember? Oh yeah, that race. The one that was supposed to get me back into running shape. Yeah, that one. Due to foot trauma (that's a real thing), I managed to get myself placed in the 5K event, while Scott will still be running the 10K.

Merry Monday!

The alarm that didn't have a
chance to go off.

Happy Monday, folks!

Too perky for a Monday? I'm sorry, I'll reign it in a bit. The endorphins will wear off soon enough.

I had one of those mornings where I woke up ten minutes before my alarm and went to the gym for an hour. I had my clothes all set out the night before, and I packed my lunch last night as well.

It made for a very productive and expedient morning.

I did 45 minutes total on two elliptical machines, and I forgot how absurdly boring it is. I much prefer running outside to the endless gym drudgery, but as winter approaches and my feet continue to be a pain, to the gym I must go!

My feet didn't hurt at all during the workout, so that's a good sign. I might try to get in a mile or so on the treadmills over the next few weeks, see if the softer ground eases the pain. I'm beginning to think it's tendinitis, because it's happening in both feet now.

Planning on walking a few miles over lunch as well.

Have a great day and an even better week!

7 Ways to Avoid Injury

My recent pain with my foot and "not this again" aggravation led me to do some research on how to prevent these injuries.

I know how to treat it: wrap it during the day, ice morning and night, and no running for three weeks.

But I wanted to know how to keep it from happening. And I figured my other running (and non-running) friends could use some advice as well.

And if you're wondering why this is a list of seven and not five or 10, then you don't know me very well. I'm a forward thinker people!

8. Get a great support system. Ok so that won't really help
you with avoiding injury, I just love this photo.

1. Get the right gear. We're talking about your feet here. You need them. Why not treat them well? You need kicks that are built to fit your specific feet -- high arch, no arch, pronation, width, extra toes, etc. Get them from a local running store -- Virginia Runner is a great one for those of you in the D.C. area. These stores have professionals that will do an analysis of the way you run and will help you pick the correct type of shoe. Some people, like me, will need inserts. Treat your feet like a lady, and wine and dine them with the proper, albeit expensive, shoes.

2. Don't run every day. I used to be guilty of this myself, so don't beat yourself up! Basically, running takes a hell of a high-impact toll on your body, so it's good to take some days off from running and schedule in the occasional (*gasp*) rest day. God took a rest day, you should too.

3. Do non-running things. That's right, leave the stop-watch at home and go for a hike, or do some yoga.  Even swimming is a great option - it lets your joints stretch out and breathe a little. Or maybe you just hop on the elliptical and watch some trashy TV. Cross-training is an excellent way for you to work out other muscles that running doesn't hit, while giving your knees a break.

4. Warm up and cool down. I hate this one, because I detest the warm up and I'm too busy for the cool down. I almost never do it, but we all should. Warming up your muscles before a run lets them get loose and pliable - less likely to tear. You don't need to stretch before, just hop around a little and work out the kinks. You should stretch after you run, while your muscles are super-warm, to improve flexibility and to help with soreness.

5. Change up where you run. If you're a road runner (beep, beep), try hitting some dirt trails. Is there a high school in running distance of your house? Head on over and do some laps on the track. The bottom line is: the harder the surface, the harder the recoil when your foot hits it. You'd rather punch grass than concrete, right? Your feet would, too.

6. Gradually increase mileage. We have all done it. You're building for a race and you're feeling good on your long run and you tack on another mile and a half just because. It's ok. Just don't make it a habit. As a rule, increase mileage by no more than 10-15% a week. Jumps any higher than that can be a shock to your system. You marathon trainers, pay attention to this one.

7. If you don't use it, you lose it. If you haven't trained in, oh I don't know, 8 months or so, don't hit the road trying to run the same distances and pace you used to do. I made that mistake two months ago, and I now have the lovely nagging foot injury to thank for it. Start slow, rebuild. My coach in high school used to tell us that it takes your body two weeks to forget what you spent months teaching it. I'm all for the hiatus, I took one myself, just be realistic about getting back into the swing of things.

There you have it! Read them, learn them, love them. Also, rule of thumb (or foot?), if it hurts, don't ignore it. My brother was training for a half marathon last year and his knee was killing him from an old soccer injury. And he kept running on it. I tried to tell him to see a doctor, but he spent months in pain trying to push through.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a foot to wrap.



Thankful Tuesday

Notes from today's run:

1. Gunner is cracked out on 'roids. The pup is in the middle of a course of steroids for his allergies -- which make him ultra-hyper. Which means he forgets how to run with a person, and gallops and strains on the leash. When he's not doing that, he's stopping to smell things and eating things of the ground he's not supposed to, making mommy have to pull him along. It was either drag or pull this morning -- there wasn't even a second of him running next to me. Needless to say, we only completed one mile of running -- which was peppered with little "sit" sessions. We walked another mile, then I let him loose in the tennis courts where he ran laps and barked at mommy.

2. I think I need to start wrapping and icing my foot again. Same foot, different area. I limped from my car to the office today because the pain is so sharp. It doesn't hurt during the run, just after. We have a 10K coming up next weekend, and I think it might be the first race where I'm the spectator cheering Scott on instead of the other way around.

3. It's a good day to be thankful. Scott's company is laying one of their own to rest today -- a day that's already a heavy one for Americans, especially those who serve in the armed forces.

Even though I had a bad run with the dog, I'm still ALIVE to run and healthy enough to attempt it. I'm marrying my best friend and the love of my life. I've got a great job, and I'm polishing off an awesome degree this year. I have amazing friends, and a fantastic family. We have an awesome little bugger of a pup, who is a great dog and companion.

Today of all days, we should all be thankful for the little things we may take for granted. The weather, a good commute, a friendly smile, a baller latte. Never forget how quickly things can change, and never forget how quickly things can go from bad to worse.

Sweatember

Gunner and I did two miles this morning - one walked and one ran.

A few takeaways from this morning:

1. September is being sneaky. It's dark at 5:30 a.m., which lulls you into thinking the air is going to be crisp. Then you walk outside and September breathes its hot humidity in your face, making you feel sticky. I came home completely drenched from two miles. I'm definitely ready for the crisp air that comes along with morning runs in the fall.
2. Songza has awesome workout mixes. I punched into a rock-mix this morning, and it was so energizing that I was dancing a little when Gunner stopped for potty breaks. I definitely cranked it up.
3. There are other people on the planet. Cranking up your music and paying attention to a dog means you won't see the random man dressed in dark clothing walking by you until he's right next to you. You'll then physically jump away and squeak "Dear Jesus!" when you notice him. You won't feel bad, because even though he's probably just a man walking, there's still a tiny chance he could pull you into a creepy van.



Today's sweat is brought to
you by Sweatember.

4. Thank God for Gunner. Running in the pitch dark makes me happy that I have a protective running buddy going with me. Especially on the unlit parts of the street. Even if I did get pulled into a van, Gunner would still run for help, right? Right.
5. Oy, my foot hurts. Ok this one doesn't really fit in with the rest of today's takeaways, but it does still hurt. I think it's b/c I walked a few miles in flip flops over lunch one day this week. I paid money for my shoe inserts for a reason, I guess.