Dusty

1997-2012

And some of this has come out of my own mouth...

Shit runners say. Embarrassingly, I've said a number of them.

The best part

Every night follows a similar pattern. Come home from work, pull together a meal, clean up, work more or go to an extra-curricular. Rinse, repeat. The best part of every night is the few minutes we cuddle up together on the couch. Even better is when Allie-cat, Albert, joins us.

The worst part? Not getting a damn run done because it's way more warm and cuddly to stay on the couch.

To be entirely honest, physiotherapist LC, said no run tonight until the calf settles. But... I could have spun too...

An aggressive cuddle post ride

This is Albert. She (yes she) is an aggressive cuddler, especially after I've been spinning for 48mins and not lying on the couch with her.

I watched episode three of season two of the British show Misfits, my favourite episode so far. Lesballs: you need to find it and watch it over there. It's so! good! As a reward for spinning, I've decided I get to watch an episode per spin which guarantees me at least 45mins on the bike.

And the aggressive cuddle is a pretty nice treat after watching Misfits and spinning on Ginger.

14 Sat - 9km run with @FitBoundy and HS
15 Sun - 9.8km run with @runnergrl
16 Mon - 48min spin (about equivalent to an 4.8k run)
17 Tues - scheduled: volleyball, soccer.

speed wobbles or fumbles, I'm not sure which

Yesterday I officially signed up for the Ottawa Marathon on 27 May. I've got two good friends that are also training for it, plus another friend who is training for Around the Bay. Between the three of them, @runnrgrl, my sister-in-law when she's in town and various TV shows on my BlackBerry Playbook, I have no shortage of people to run with. Despite my support network, I'm still really worried about getting the training in. It's not just about motivation anymore though. It would seem that 2012 is going to be the year of the injury.

We are on day 12 of  2012 and I've got one busted index finger and now a strained calf that will not settle down. It's been tight/sore for about three and a half weeks, according to my training log. No particular traumatic injury to it, just a note "R calf tight, feels strained" in my log after a long run. Yesterday, over my lunch break, I did a 5.4km run and the calf is now very sore. As in, walking down a flight of stairs is better done leading with the left leg exclusively. No alternating because that just makes the calf hurt more. Maybe because I was so speedy (ha!) on my run yesterday I got the wobbles and made the injury worse? Or, more likely, it hasn't really had a chance to heal and I've fumbled this injury.

So, I guess this means that I need to book many physio appointments in the near future. An 18 week training plan for Ottawa would have me starting next week. A 16 week plan would give me some more time to heal. That would also help me narrow down the training plan choices...

workout roundup:
5 Thursday - off? I think so, can't actually remember and I don't have my log with me.
6 Friday - off.
7 Saturday - off.
8 Sunday - off.
9 Monday – off.
10 Tuesday – 60mins volleyball, 50mins soccer
11 Wednesday – 30mins run
12Thursday – 50mins soccer scratch that, likely spin instead for the calf.
13 Friday – spin and strength or rest and strength
14 Saturday – ~8km in Eastbridge if the calf feels better.
15 Sunday – long run of about 14km if the calf is ok. If not, spin.

I think I'll just run it off

Last night after the day of the fat finger, I thought I might maybe take a day off. That worked until the movie, Two Weeks Notice, ended and my distraction tactic disappeared. Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock did a great job of keeping me distracted but unfortunately, the movie isn't all that long. Coinciding with the end of the movie was Albert the cat's disappearance from my lap to one of her many snooze locations. Suddenly both my legs and mind are free and since ME was out at hockey my thoughts immediately turned to "I want ketchup chips."

"Wait. That's a bad idea there Porkchop. You overindulged all holiday season. It's time to lay off the chips a bit."

"Good point Self. I should go for a run."

"Yes you should...Porkchop." My inner Self, such an asshat.

Forty minutes later I'd done an easy 5.6K at 1% incline on the hamster wheel with plenty of warm up and cool down to encourage the tight calf to relax. This morning the calf is only slightly tight. A good improvement. During the run, the finger ballooned up but was soon sorted with some Advil. Apparently I can't just run this one off.

Keep your fingers crossed for me as I wait for the follow up call from my doctor, because I certainly can't.

4 Jan - ran 40mins, 5.6KM, 1% incline.

so much for in like a lamb

I've been a busy girl the last few days. Let me give you a quick run down of my year thus far:
1 Jan - 17.14km run with @runnergrl
2 Jan - sore calves so easy 35min spin and upper body + core strength session
3 Jan - 50mins of indoor soccer and possibly broke my finger.
4 Jan - two hours of doctor's office and xray visits. One splinted finger.

I'm cursing words with f, t, g, v, b, and r in them today.

NYE 2011: a quiet one

You know that saying about March? In like a lamb, out like a lion? My feeling is that years happen in much the same way.
2011 we rang in with a bang, a wild night of shenanigans and then in early February an engagement. Nothing like a whirlwind to fling us through to a wedding in August. The first eight months were crazy but I wouldn't have traded them for anything. I married my best friend and we went through it all together with a sense of humour and the support of a great group of family and friends. The back half of 2011 settled down. There was a renewed focus on our relationship as we dealt with some scary health issues. A crisis weathered but it has been reinforcing just how important we are to each other and how lucky we BOTH are to have what we have. So, 2011 went out quietly, a night in on the couch, watching movies, doing nothing together and it was awesome. Wine glasses of champagne at midnight because we have no idea where any flutes are but that moment just added to the charm of the night.

Today has been lazy, spent on the couch snoozing. Chinese food for dinner and likely some more champagne. Very quiet and very lamb-like. I did get a 17.14km run in with @runnrgrl and then had to have a long nap this afternoon. 2012, you are sneaky. Nice and quiet but I have a feeling you've got a lot in store for us.

New Years Resolutions
1. Love my husband.
2. Be more consistent in all facets in my life.
3. Qualify for Boston.

I've got #1 in the bag.