I'm running some, and think I've found a new 'thing'

Ever since my gym closed a few months ago, I've been kind of adrift and haven't gotten in a fitness groove. I got back into pilates, but the studio doesn't offer enough early morning classes, and I need cardio - so that's not a stand-alone solution. I tried ramping up my running, and that didn't end well. I joined a gym by my office and I hate it. It's the most poorly designed space ever, and it's dirty and there aren't rental lockers so I have to schlep stuff. I went to boxing sporadically. I like it when I drag myself there, but I don't like it enough to regularly drag myself there. Then M said "why don't we try OrangeTheory". I'm generally turned off by chains and things that appear culty. It's not close enough to my house to walk, or convenient for getting to work without hauling bags of stuff all over the city. So I wasn't that into checking it out even though I have a few friends who love it.

As I got more and more disgusted with myself, and wanted to find something to do with M, I decided to do it. I signed up for the free class last Saturday. I've been back three times since then.

It seriously lights up every circuit in my brain. My favorite workout has always been a mix of running intervals and weights. I like having something to measure against. And I like having someone else tell me what to do. I like having other people around me doing the same thing to measure myself against. This totally works for me. 

I can get up at 5:30 and make it to class at 6, then be home by a few minutes after 7 and get to work by 8:30 (with walking the dogs). And I can shower at home and not have to haul all my belongs around the city. 

I already feel like I'm improving. I've had to stop myself from going every day. I think this could work for a while. 

I am not running

The North Shore Half started about 40 minutes ago. I'm sitting on my couch.

About a week and a half ago my foot started hurting. It ached and I had the pinching up the side of my calf that happens when things are not good. I've been taking it easy since then. The pinching is gone. The ache is still there. Both around the surgery and around the spot where my foot got smashed shortly after surgery 2. It doesn't hurt much, but it doesn't feel right. I think things are just irritated and it'll get better with rest, ice and anti inflammatories, so I'm babying it.

And I'm done with long runs. I apparently just can't handle much milage at all. I didn't get much above 15 a week, but that seems to have pushed me over the edge.

I'm very sad. I'm mourning. I really love the whole process of training. I love the time to myself being outside doing something tangible. I love the simplicity and measurability of it. I love how it helped me redefine myself. I love how running showed me different views of so many places I've been.

Of course it's absolutely gorgeous out. 60s, low humidity, light breeze. Perfect morning for a race. Wish I was out there.

Running down memory lane

I had to be in London this week for work and decided to stay for the weekend. Which meant that I had to do my long run here. What a hardship! It was in the low 60s and cloudless Saturday morning. I ran from my AirBnb to Hyde Park, then just zig zagged around the park until my app told me I'd run 10 miles. I took it easy and took pictures along the way and took the tube back. 

I spent 6 months living a few blocks from the park when I was 20. I wasn't a runner then, but I spent a lot of time walking and lounging in the park. And my favorite spot was near the Henry Moore sculpture in the photo above. The last time I went looking for it I couldn't find it, some research told me that it was taken down for many many years, and only re-installed in the last few years. So I wasn't losing my mind! It was nice to see it again. 

I ended up walking another 7 miles after my run yesterday and 7 more today. My legs and foot/ankle actually feel pretty good. I'm going to try to get a short run in tomorrow before getting on a plane for the day. 

12 years makes quite a difference.

12 years
2 foot/ankle surgeries
@15 pounds
not running nearly as consistently as I did 12 years ago

all added up to a much slower Lakefront 10 miler than I did in 2006, which, Athlinks reminded me, was my best race EVER. I somehow did it at 9:15 pace. Yesterday was more like 10:40 pace. But that was honestly better than I expected. I was really happy staying under 11 min miles. Oh how far I've fallen! Anyway... I was thrilled to be on the course. Felt good pretty much the whole time. I did slow down quite a bit in the last two miles, but that was to be expected, since the most I'd run since I got hurt in 2014 was 8 miles last week. I spent the whole time thinking about all the friends who've supported me through my running adventures (most of all Mark), and what running means to me.

I realized how much running has defined my adult life. I started running in my late 20s, as I decided to make changes and push myself to grow and try new things. I was never at all athletic, and running wasn't something I ever thought I'd want to do. I started running as an easy way to get in shape for an adventure trip that I signed up for to bust myself out of a rut. I found that I really liked it. I loved that it was so unexpected. I loved that it was so tangible. I loved that it was so simple. I found my way to marathons, and still remember that I ran my very first 14 mile run the day I met my husband. He missed my first marathon (it was only a few weeks after we met and he had a trip planned), but he Friday night carbo loaded with me before years of long runs, sustained clapping injuries cheering me on at many marathons, traveled with me to a few out of town ones, and lined up beside me for many half marathons and the one full we ran together.

I thought about all the friends I've trained and raced with, the running commutes, the many great cities I've been able to run in, and the faces of people when I tell them I used to run Ultramarathons. And I think about the big scar on my foot, and how it still hurts most days, and how I still limp if I've been sitting for too long.

When I got hurt I had to learn how to do other activities to keep myself sane (and married, the surgeries were as hard on my amazing caretaker as they were on me). Getting back to running was always a priority and I learned important lessons about pacing and moderation through that process, which I'm applying this time.

Its been 3.5 years since my last surgery and I am still actively aware of how fortunate I am to be able to run again. I never tell myself "I have to go running today". Its always "I get to go running today". That kept me going yesterday.

As I turned off Lakeshore Drive on Wilson and saw the start and finish lines and all the people lining up for the race, I got really choked up. And now I always wipe tears off my face as I start and finish races. I couldn't breathe when I crossed the finish line yesterday. It's so emotional for me that I'm able to do this again. I know that the obstacles I've had to overcome are really small in the grand scheme of things, but I could've gone in a very different direction and I'm really proud of myself for continuing to push my way back.

Next up, North Shore Half Marathon on June 3. It'll be easier if I can drop at least 5 of those 15 pounds! And I get to do a long run in London, which I'm really looking forward to!

Half marathon training week 1 done

2 cold, dark early morning 3 mile runs before work, then today my “long” run at the gym. It was too cold and too windy to run outside this morning. I was planning on at least 4 miles, but felt good and did 5, intervals. Ended up under 49:00.

If things keep feeling good I might do the lakefront 10 in a few weeks.

Started half marathon training today

Got an app and everything.

Felt good today. Didn't stop at all except for traffic lights (and most of those were in mile 2 as reflected by pace).

Planning on the North Shore half of June 3. Happy to have a goal and a plan.

In no hurry to end

It’s day 35 and I’m still going. I just don’t feel any specific desire to stop. I feel good. I’m leaner, but probably have another 4 months worth of improvement to go. My skin was great until a little breakout yesterday which was probably the result of a one-night trip to LA and all the time in a plane. This W30 was by far the easiest. I didn’t have that rebellion phase. I never had strong cravings and I never got resentful about having to cook/pack/plan. I bought a container of yogurt while shopping today and plan to start adding dairy and see what happens. I’ve never done that in isolation. So I’ll give it a few days of just dairy. Then maybe wine. I don’t have any specific cravings. I feel good. I’d like to keep going, but I know that’s not sustainable.

I have been experimenting with intermittent fasting. I’m just eating between noon - 8p.m. - so basically it’s just a fancy way of saying I skip breakfast and don’t eat after dinner. I’m getting used to it and I think I’m eating less overall. I feel like I get full faster and snack less.

The only thing I’ve bought so far that was non-consumable was a new kitchen faucet. Ours sprung a leak. I feel that’s acceptable within the bounds of my self imposed silly rules.

The running thing however is not happening. My knees and foot haven’t been feeling great, so I’ve been focusing on lifting and yoga and low impact cardio. And —- very exciting —- a Pilates studio opened in the neighborhood, so I’ve started doing reformer classes again.

New recipes from this time around that I really like:

Wonton Meatballs
Fried Chicken Meatballs (I’ve been obsessed with these for months. I make them all the time. SO good)
Greek Stew
Pork and Kabocha stew (I liked this a lot. M did not like it at all)

I don’t do resolutions, but...

It’s New Year’s Day, so obviously I’m doing Whole 30. I’ve done it every year I’ve had this blog, and I think a time or two before that (as well as a few mid-year months) - so this is probably my 10th? Anyway... this year I didn’t even wait until after my birthday to start. I had a crazy few months of travel plus so many new breweries opened in Chicago that I had to try... so I was feeling quite terrible and didn’t want to wait. I rescheduled my birthday to the 22nd, had a fabulous dinner that night, checked out one last new brewery on Saturday, and started on December 24. So here I am on January 1, day 9, feeling good.

I learned a hard lesson with this start. Do not start when you are not at home. We did a 4 day trip to M’s family including 2 days of driving. Days 1-4. Not good. I was carb-crabby and hangry. His family was awesome in indulging my brand of food crazy, but it just would’ve been much much easier in my own home. I did a September W30 which included a trip to London when I stayed totally on plan, so I thought if I could handle that, I could handle anything. Well I handled it, but probably shouldn’t have put myself in that situation.

It’s been brutally cold here, today’s high was 1. So incidental walking has completely dropped out of my life until tomorrow when I go back to work. I’m trying to run more and find races to sign up for. I think I’m shooting for the Lakefront 10 on April 21, and then maybe a half. This month I’m focusing on dropping my speed for 3 miles. My plan is to run 3x week, two of those 3 miles at once, and the other intervals between lifting sets. Here’s my plan:
January: get speed down on 3 miles. Run 3x/week including 1 interval run
February: traveling a ton, so gym access will be limited, but I’ll be able to run outside where I’ll be - so Feb will be about building mileage to 6 miles. Run 3x/week building distance - one base, one interval, one build
March: more focus on speed maintaining longer distance - get time down on 5 mile run and do one longer run every other week up to 8 miles. Run 3x/week building speed
April: get comfortable with longer runs - short/mid/long run each week til race.

So we’ve got two non-resolutions going on - W30 (which will really be W45 - I think I’m going to keep going until I go out of town in Feb), and running. Plus one more. Which is totally not fitness related, but I’m writing about it here anyway instead of starting yet another blog.

I’m not buying anything non-consumable for myself this year. No clothes, shoes, jewelry, bags... No gadgets. No house stuff unless we really really need it. I have so much shit. I do not need more stuff. I do not need to spend time shopping for stuff. I have everything a person could possibly need for any kind of event I’m likely to encounter. I’d have even more things to wear if I lost a few pounds and could fit in everything in my closet. This is not about not spending money - although it would be good to save more. This is about not getting more stuff I don’t need. I can buy toiletries and food and things that get used up. I can’t buy the new glasses frames I’m already fixating on that I really really don’t need and only want because the ones I love are at the opticians getting new lenses and I’m wearing ones I don’t like. Plus I have 4 pairs of glasses. If I need to replace something critical that breaks or falls apart I can. I can’t imagine what that might be, but if somehow my big down coat disappears or isn’t usable, I can get a new one. If my phone dies I can get a new one. If a new model comes out that I just want I’ll have to wait. I can buy gifts for others. I can buy services (yoga classes, massage, trainer sessions...). Just no more stuff.

That said, I do have three packages of stuff I ordered last week that haven’t arrived yet. Running stuff. Sweatpants (I spilled nail polish on the ones I wear out of the house, and it’s freezing and getting new warm pants to wear to yoga seemed important last week, but according to my new rules really isn’t important). A few basics to replace ones that I really shouldn’t wear in public (t shirts, a blouse...). Then done. Nothing else.

I want to put money in my savings account each month and then next year, if I want, buy myself whatever I still want after a year of not buying stuff. I’m curious to see what stays on my list vs. what’s just fleeting. I also will donate more.

Oh yeah - one more thing. I want to get back in the Headspece habit. I was good when I first started my job in September, then got swept up in being busy. I can take 10 minutes after my workout to cool down and do a mindfulness exercise. I’m not that busy.

So I guess I have a few resolutions. I should also resolve to write here more. I’m already halfway to last year’s total of 2 posts. So that’s encouraging.