Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Knees

As I am sitting on my couch that is already 8 years old and still VERY comfortable, in my jammie pants (don't judge, my jeans were so tight I couldn't sit down after my El Charro lunch), sitting Indian style, I can only think 1 thing- KNEES- OUCH!

While I am in the treacherous act of running, my knees don't actually HURT.  They crack and pop, but don't hurt.  They don't even hurt after I am done running.  They don't hurt when I am in bed at night.  They just hurt when I am...... walking, standing,bending, kneeling, crouching, stooping, jumping, etc. My knees just throb for most of the day, except when I am actually running. UGH!

I went to Zumba last night for the first time in forever! I was, of course, 20 minutes late, so I couldn't even push my way to the front.  As I am wayyyyy in the back, behind the man that was dripping sweat on the floor, and next to the young woman who was going the opposite way from everyone else, I see a brand new instructor get her music ready.  My knees were a little sore at this point, but I was OK to keep going.  During Zumba Kym's second song, when she decided we would samba at warp speed, my knees start aching, and by the end of the song, they were throbbing. I literally had to stop, and rub my knee caps- as if that was going to help!

I woke up this morning and went for a run in the beautiful weather we have had recently, and felt great.  Until I went up the hill of death in my neighborhood, at a pace that even my handicapped mom who uses a cane could walk, at which point my knees felt like they were going to pop out of place. I only finished 2 1/2 miles out of the 3 1/2 or 4 I had set out to do!  So much for my knees not hurting WHILE I run.  :(

 I really hope this is a temporary issue, and I haven't done any long term damage, because I am thinking about doing a half marathon in a couple of months.  OK- thinking about it is over! As my brother says- you only run that far and fast if you are getting chased. Now I shall rub my knee caps, in hopes that it will bring me good luck. Until I blog again, my bloggy world friends!

Friday, August 12, 2011

How sad for you

I just realized you haven't had the pleasure to hear about my antics for almost two weeks. How sad for you.
No, for real.  I feel like so much has happened, but none are The Real Me blogworthy. So I will tell you what would happen in my perfect world, as if I was still living my normal life.

In my perfect world:

At dance camp, we received the Camp Champs trophy- opposed to the "Most Improved" award, which is given to teams who walk away with no other awards.
The girls who tried out for staff received an application- they were the only two who tried out who did not, and they are VERY decent dancers.
When I wake up in the morning, my hair already looks nice, and I remember to brush it everyday.
When my son wakes up in the morning, he says "Mom, I am awake," instead of crying for no reason.
My husband did a great job at his first adult league soccer game of the season, and did not injure himself.  In truth, he can't move his right shoulder and is in a ton of pain because he fell on that side on a slab of concrete.
Li'l Guy missing his two front teeth don't bother me at all :(
The 5 boys in my house right now are playing quietly with one another- HAHAHA!
My house stayed clean for more than two days after it being spotless.
My nephew's team won the final game before the World series 3-2, instead of losing 2-3.
I ran 6.45 miles and didn't think I was going to puke.
I ran 5.05 miles and didn't think I was going to puke.
I ran 5.01 miles and didn't think I was going to puke.
I get didn't come in dead last when I ran with my friends the other day.  (Oh wait, I didn't come in last- the girl who took five weeks off due to a pretty serious injury and has only been running again for a week came in one minute behind me. Hey, I'll take it!)
I don't change my allotted calories on my calorie tracker everyday to allow for my fast food lunches and out to eat dinners! (No joke- I will manually change the amount of calories I can have so I don't see that I have gone over for the day. No wonder I'm still gaining weight!)
And finally, I enjoy getting dressed in the morning because I love my clothes that much!!!!!!!!!!!! Again- HA!

Monday, August 1, 2011

8K

An 8 K is 4.97 miles. Since that is hard to map out, everyone just rounds it up to 5.  5 miles of running. For a novice runner, like me, if I can even call myself that anymore, 5 miles is no joke. For an avid runner, 5 miles is a warm-up. I have gone 5.05 miles before, and that is the absolute farthest I have ever gone. I was mentally preparing myself for the 8 K we were supposed to run/race Saturday morning.

I was actually a minute or two early for the race on Saturday morning. I was the second person there, right after my good friend who self-proclaims herself a wackadoo! Even the team captain, at whose house we were meeting, opened the door to see two people at her doorstep.  I was a little nervous, but it was no big deal.

Once everyone arrived, our fearless leader gave us maps so we could study them and know where to go. We were running on the main road, down to the "beach", and back through the neighborhood. I calculated a run similar to this two days prior, and came up with a mileage closer to 6.2 miles.  Since we weren't going back on the main road, but through the side street, what she mapped out must be a shorter distance.  We were all there, we knew where to go, our mp3's were blaring and our pedometer's/gps trackers were turned on.  On your mark, get set, go!!!!!

I stayed with the group for a total of 30 seconds.  First hill, I slowed down, and everyone else kept going!  I was a step or two behind, and that's where I'm used to and comfortable being, so I made no effort to try and push harder.  My goal was to walk the bare minimum, and have an 11 minute average pace.

I was actually enjoying myself as I was singing every third word out loud to my song. I'm the annoying one in the back that woo's and hoo's.  Contrary to popular belief, this is so I can catch my breath, not so I can go back to my cheerleading days by being obnoxious and peppy! I was a really good actress back in my cheer days, because peppy people kinda irk me!

 I was happy as a clam with my music blaring into my ear drums, and then I realized there was no one around me.  I was so far behind that I couldn't even see anyone anymore.  Finally, I was at the top of the hill, and a few people were at the bottom of the hill, so I could see that I was going the right way!  Before I even hit 3 miles, I had to walk to catch my breath!  Usually my tracker chimes in at each mile to tell me my stats, but she must have been on vacation, or I was breathing too heavy to hear her!  I was breathing more slowly now and I started to run again.

I ran past a man who was watering his lawn, and I sure did ask him permission to run through his sprinklers.  I looked kinda dumb, but it felt great.  Had he not been there, I would have lapped the water up like a dog!  I get to the "beach" (its more like a part of a lake with sand) and feel like I had been defeated.  There is no way we only have 2 miles back to her house.  My tracker already said over 3.

3 or 2, whatever, I still had to keep running.  So I ran flats, and walked hills.  I was just plain tired!  I pushed my tired self through the neighborhood and onto the main road.  I whip out my phone and look at the tracking device- 4.15 miles.  OK- now I know, and I am getting mad!  Her house is definitely more than a 8/10ths of a mile away. By this time, I am at a slow crawl when I am actually running because the sun was shining and the humidity you could cut with a knife.

Walk-run-walk-run.  OK- I know her house is right around the bend, and over this HUGE hill!  I look at my tracker again, and I am at 5 1/2 miles.  Some 8 K huh?  I get to her house, which I think is the finish line, but OH NO!!!, you have to go to the stop sign and back.  For real!  I get back, get my officially time, stop my tracker and see that it says 6.19 miles.  DID I JUST RUN A 10 K?  And my pace- ha- 11:04.  I finished up 15 minutes after the first runner, and 7 minutes after the one just before me.  I was DEAD last- by a lot!

Even if I was dead last, I felt pretty accomplished that I could even finish a 10 K and I was able to walk the next day.  I guess I am making some progress after all!