Oh blog world, it's been far too long.

And what have I been doing with my life? Not running enough and eating too much. Let's fix this, shall we?

In the past months, I may have been neglecting this puppy, but I continued updating my RunningAhead account, so my miles have been tallied (very few in number, might I add).

Anyway... New England got pounded with a huge snowstorm today. The gym was closed and the roads were terrible, so running was out of the picture. Next best thing? Shoveling snow for three hours. Yes, I said that correctly. Three hours.

About an hour after I finished, some guys my landlord hired showed up with a snow blower. The nerve!

Here's what it looked like (more or less) when I began:

And here's what my butt looked like afterward:

Don't try and tell me you don't like it.

On a side note, since the half marathon in June, I'd gained 18 pounds. Back up to 221. Yo-yoing really sucks. I've been working out pretty consistently and eating well over the past week and a half. Down to 210. Killing it.

Freaking Out!

My ten mile run yesterday went horribly. I planned and prepared for it poorly, and it showed. The first 3 miles were solid. The next 2 miles were shaky. Mile 6 was pretty solid, albeit SLOW. The last 4 miles would have made you want to cry with frustration and despair. It just wasn't coming together. At all. It was actually an 11 mile route, and I ended up walking the last mile, I was just in too much pain to keep going. All in all, the run was pretty disheartening, but let's recap the things I've done wrong:

• last run was a week ago (WHAT?)
• left the house at midday (wayyy too hot)
• misread temperature as 71 instead of 81
• didn't check humidity
• only ate a banana before heading out
• probably some other stupid stuff that I'm forgetting

Blisters are non-existent, which is good, but my back muscles are really sore. I think it's a combination of the distance and the fact that I was wearing the CamelBak my momma recently gifted me (which I love). It makes me sad that something that brings me so much joy (and hydration) could strain my muscles so much.

The half-marathon is two weeks from today. I need to put in some serious work.

Four weeks until the Half!

I am visiting my parents in New York for the weekend, and I could have easily chosen not to go for my long run (10 miles). Here are some of the many reasons not to go for a run that went through my mind:

• I am sort of dehydrated
• I JUST ate
• I ate a lot of dairy yesterday, so I'll probably need to poop and I won't be able to find a bathroom
• I have my period
• I have bad allergies in New York
• My hometown is REALLY hilly (this should be a plus, but everything was just piling up in my mind...)
• I may have a stress fracture in my foot

So, did I run? Hell yes I ran. As I was leaving the house, my mom told me to give her a rescue call if need be. I appreciated it, and made a mental note not to use it. The first 4.5 miles were solid - then I had to go to the bathroom. Real bad. I found a nice wooded area, with a clear view of the street (it was the best I could find), and I took care of business. At about 6.5 miles I started getting sluggish, and the pain in my right foot started coming back. I walked for a little while to try and work it out. I decided it was nothing more than cramping, and I kept running. I couldn't make it up the last hill, at least mentally. I walked it, and then once it crested I started running again. I'm proud of myself for conquering my first double digit run, but I kind of wish it had gone better. Oh, well! I have four weeks to train and get happy with my performance.

When I got home, I kind of felt like I was going to die. My thighs are chaffed something terrible (that pain was the worst out of anything - physically I could have kept going, but it just HURT), and I was a bit dehydrated (I ran out of water at about mile 8). Later in the day my mom surprised me with a new, longer pair of spandex and a CamelBak. I love my momma.

Feel the Burn

I set out this morning for a 4-ish mile run and had a bit of a tough time. Not only did my sports bra greatly aggravate my sun burn, my my calves felt like the were on fire during the first mile. In my mind, I decided it was because I have been slacking off fairly recently, and my body just isn't used to running as frequently as I'm forcing it to. That could be the case, but it's also a load of crap. Running isn't supposed to be easy - if it were, more people would do it. So voice number two in my head just kept me moving. Near the end of the run, I also felt a strong urge to take a short cut home, justifying it by telling myself that I wouldn't have time to get where I was supposed to be by 11:00. Also crap... just run faster, kid!

Anyway, in the end, I was quite happy that I stuck with it. Although, that pain in my right foot returned near the end of the run, located just below my big and second toes, which I suppose is the ball of my foot. I also felt some strain in my second toe. I'm going to pay extra close attention to that little guy.

I shall leave you with a lovely view from my run:

Coes Reservoir

Happy Tuesday, all!

I'm through accepting limits!

Oof... a month and a half? Sorry guys.

On my EIGHT MILE run this morning, I couldn't get Kurt from Glee singing Defying Gravity out or my head. I guess it became my anthem, in a way. Any time I wanted to quit, or I thought it was too hard or painful, I just sang along with Kurt in my head. I may have looked a little loopy near the end, but I got through it! Only near mile 6/7 did I really start to hurt. My right foot was killing me. I narrowed it down to two possible things: 1) I need new shoes or 2) I'm obese and that's a lot of weight I'm repeatedly forcing on my foot. It could also be a combination. I've never had pain before, but then again, this is the furthest I've ever run. Any other ideas, folks?


Please note that I am still happy at this point... somewhere around mile 4 or 5.

It was a good run - still slower than I'd like to see, but it's a long run for me, so I can't expect miracles. Plus, I took some time of my pace from my last long run, so that's good! I took a fairly scenic 4.0 mile out-and-back. Uphill the whole way out, downhill the whole way back. I'm fairly confident that was the best idea ever. Here's the hill profile:



After my long trek, I was sweaty (like REALLY sweaty), tired, and a bit dehydrated:




All in all, I would say today's run was a success! After my run, I ate some tasty greek yogurt to get in some much needed protein downed water like it was my job. Then I showered and ate a real meal. Mmm, bagels! I would eat bagels every day if they were healthier. I then put my thesis on complete hold (did I mention classes are over? My thesis is due tomorrow? After that I have ONE final, then senior year is over??) to go frolic in the sunshine. I put on a dress, grabbed a blanket and my book, and I set out for the campus green, wherein I allowed myself to incur a most righteous sunburn. Woops! This one may sting for a couple of days. I would show you a picture, but I've already offended you with my sweaty sports bra picture, I won't subject you to any more gross stuff today!

So much has happened since I last posted! I suppose life just got the best of me. A couple of friends and I won a $1500 grant to start an urban garden on campus, so I got to play around with that today. Watering the five raised beds we have took be about an hour... that counts as some strength work, right? The watering can is 2 gallons and gets quite heavy! In other news, my conference was ace! I knocked some people's socks off (they thought I was a PhD student... nope! I'm an undergrad), and put one PhD in his place. I was proud of myself for not being too shy about that! I just can't wait for it to be all over, you know? Then I can REALLY focus on my training.

Run hard, friends!

A Traveling Runner

Spring break has ended, and now I must put my nose to the grindstone and continue along with my life. Second half of my final semester is upon me, and I am sure that it will pain me. But before I look ahead to hours up neck-cramping time in my lab making maps of trees, let me recount the glory that was my road trip!

My friend and I set out for Washington, D.C. two fridays ago. We only stayed a night (with another very gracious and hospitable friend), and time did not allow me to take a running tour of the city. I was saddened, but only momentarily because I realized I will be back there in a month! I am returning to D.C. in mid-April to present my research at an academic conference, so I will run the city then. It'll be much warmer in April, anyway. Also, let me note that EVERYONE runs - runners were simply everywhere! I even overheard people talking about running. Weird.

After we left D.C., we headed for Savannah, where we stayed with my friend's cousin, who attends the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD, for those in the know). We stayed two nights, and I was fortunate enough to get a chance to take a nice 4 mile run around this beautiful city, but I wish I had had more time! My friend called me about 20 minutes into my run, and so I turned back a little while later to as to not hold her up. Oh well! It was still a lovely experience.

After Savannah we journeyed to visit my sister in New Orleans! After driving for so long in a car, all one wants to do is MOVE. The first couple of days in NOLA were quite rain (as is expected in that city), so we tried to refrain from doing things that required prolonged amounts of time out-of-doors, instead choosing to do things like visit the French Market in the French Quarter! Fun shopping :)

On Thursday the weather gods informed me that I would get the chance to run in mid-70 degree weather, with lots of sun. Oh, and 93% humidity. Take it or leave it. I clearly took it. I ran four miles around through Tulane and around Audubon Park (which is lovely! and the egrets were out!) before I got a call from a woman at the transportation office telling me I was parked in the wrong location and had to move my car. Why is everyone interrupting my scenic runs through beautiful cities? Oh well, at least I got a chance to run in them!

Saturday I was in Asheville, NC, but the weather was kind of poor and I sadly had no chance to run :( I would have loved to have done some hill work there - so beautiful! The Smoky Mountains on the horizon would have been a lovely component to any run, but I suppose that will have to be saved for a later date.

After walking/running all of these cities (I literally can't count my all of my blisters, some of which have their own blisters...), I've developed a bit of pain in my right shin. I'm going to give it a couple of days rest... I am REALLY hoping it's just mild shin splints and not indicative of a stress fracture or anything. I'm going to take it easy, though, and we'll see how it goes. Hopefully by that time, this Massachusetts weather will clear up - cold and rainy is no good now that I've had a taste of beautiful weather!

Ouch!

So, I am sorry to say that I did not live up to my personal challenge. The first day, Sunday, I was unable to hit the gym. WOMP. What a bummer! I mean, come on... the first day? Well, I decided that I'm going to keep going with it anyway. It's a good challenge to push myself to complete. Yesterday I ran the first mile and felt a bit winded, so I slowed to a walk before running another mile. Two miles! That's pretty good, and, at the very least, makes up for a little bit of the mile I missed on Sunday.

I left all of my gym things in the locker room (I didn't want to bring smelly gym clothes to meetings, class, and work) with the intention of swinging by before the gym closed at 10:00pm to pick up all of my stuff. Woops! Next thing I knew, it was passed midnight and I was still in the lab, trudging through my work. I went home and tried going to bed, but my roommates distracted me until almost 1:00am! That's pretty early for the normal college student, but I like to go to bed early and then wake up early. I set my alarm for 8:15, hoping I would have the will to get up and run. I did not.

Instead, I lazed a bit and then went to class. My hardest class! Oh, woe is me... we were getting our last assignments back and I was so nervous! This was perhaps the hardest assignment yet and I only got a B on the previous one. It's also worth noting that the majority of the class works in pairs, while I somehow ended up working all by my lonesome. Anyway, at the very end of the class, we got them back. I got an A! Not only an A, but the highest grade in the class and the only A my professor has given out so far this semester! Rejoice. I could sing. I could dance! ...I coud run.

And so I ran. I impulsively headed for the gym, needing to let out my happiness somehow. I put on my dirty, smelly, and still wet clothes from yesterday's run and ran. The idea was a nice 2.0 miler. But then I said to myself, "I feel great! Let me try for 3.0!" At this point in time, I started to get a twinge of pain in my right foot, just below the ball of my foot. Weird location for a pain, I thought, but I tried to ignore it and I just kept running. As I came closer to 33:00 on the treadmill, I decided to up it to 35:00 (a nicer number, don't you think?). I got closer to 35:00, thought to hell with it!, and pushed the button until it read 44:00. I was running about an 11:00/mile pace, so that would put me just over 4.0 miles. Then the pain started to worsten. It felt like burning, stabbing perhaps. I kept running. Screw pain. YEAH.

Bad idea, turns out. Talk about behemouth blisters... this was no little guy. I expected to have a small blister that had popped while running. Nope I had a huge blister that wasn't even peaked yet. It even hurt to stretch after I was done. Woops! It's about the size of a quarter. With a penny next to it.

Well, it was bound to come sooner or later. It almost makes me even more proud of myself in a way. Kinda weird, but I have my first runner's blister, my first run over three miles (and longest run time-wise, both on and off treadmill), and I have the best grade in my hardest class! Seriously. AWESOME day.

I wonder if I should lay off the foot for tomorrow? We'll see how it goes.

Miles: 4.05
Time: 44:00