Mayday!! Yet, somehow, peace!

So it's a good thing I already had an appointment scheduled at Stretch To Win this week, because now I've injured myself properly for it.  I was going to just work through a minor lingering calf issue before PF Chang's, but when I stepped out tonight to run, said calf suddenly seized.  (I should have said "said soleus suddenly seized", shouldn't I? Then I would get the Alliteration Crown of Awesomeness.)  Yeah, and I was being all savvy, doing a million (ok 40) jumping jacks in the living room to warm up, to correct my error on the first!  Sure, sure, everything was fine for all that, but the minute I launched (ok stepped mildly) off the curb, BAM! No soup for me!

Well, there wouldn't have been any soup if I were less committed to (ok hell-bent on) doing this Janathon thing.  Plus, (she rationalized) I think I'd like to move to trail running at some point, and if I have some kind of disaster out there, I'd have to cope.  (Never mind that I was inches from my front door.  In my mind I was miles out in frozen tundra.)  So I stretched and tested and limped and stretched and rattled and swore and set off anyway, in a gait probably much akin to a seventy-year-old hobbit's, with a nail in his toe.  Thankfully it seemed to be a good move, because it did loosen up quite a bit and I managed about 3/4 mile before my left side started feeling achy, from bearing the brunt of all the hobbit-limping.  Reeeeaallly not wanting to invite any other injury or imbalance before PFC, so I (ok did my last quarter mile and) headed inside at that point.  I hadn't planned on going any farther today anyway, as I'm trying to alternate longer days with shorter ones so I don't burn myself out too early in the month or before the race; but even with that snafu I found myself going "awwww, I could totally keep going."  And I totally wanted to; the wind was cold, I was warm, everything was working and the music was good, my lungs weren't burning...and even though I kept a pretty Eh Not Bad pace, I wasn't at all tired at the end of a mile.



Maybe you have to understand how sick I was and for how long to feel how I feel about that.


I mean, I've run four half marathons thus far and god knows how many miles training for them, but it never gets old, that sudden recognition that, "hey, I can breathe.  -!"  And after it, I never go "well, of course you can breathe, it's been years and all and you ran 6 miles yesterday duh-mmy..."  Not even close.

I always think "Yeah.  That is Awesome...Let's do it again!...And again!...Another!...".
 
I suppose that's what yoga wants to teach you, but I never found it there.  Though, I love yoga too; I just don't Need my breath in yoga.  I want it, I like it, I look for it, but in running I Need my breath.  And, finally, it's there!  That just never gets old, I tell ya.  I guess that's gratitude for you- you can't force it.


...not like you can force an errant gastroc into submission!  Heal, I command you (ok really I cajole stretch ice knead pray and beg but damn you), heal!! ;)

Maybe I need a plan...

So today's 4mile run felt like no problem--but I realized that I only have two weeks till PF Chang's and I haven't run any farther than that since Vegas.  Mmmmm, I'm hoping to see that taking two weeks off gets me back stronger and better than ever, but if recent times are an indication, that ain't happening.

I've written a bunch of plans before (turns out I'm the Running-Plan Queen- not as much Runner Queen...), but none that involved running every day.  Let's go with: that's why Janathon's a challenge!...(right?)

So I'll probably get right on that, tomorrow.


Update:  instead of making a plan, I surfed the Half Fanatics website; it looks like I qualify for Neptune with Disney, the Women's, and Vegas already, but if I make it to Surf City or Hoover Dam I'll qualify for Uranus.  Ooooh, more things to accomplish!  More planning to run!...

My lungs! They're buuuuurrniiing!

Update: yes, I got out the door, and yes, it's bitterly cold out here. Random article advising an indoor warmup: 1, me: 0. Or- me: 30, which is probably my core temperature right about now. Fuck!

Update 11:28p: wow.  Well, now I know what I'm in for when I miss the prime middle of the day.  Hats off (or on, strapped tightly down) to you'ns in colder climes who are toughing it out in much worse weather than this creampuff Zonie.  I got my mile in [1.1 to be precise!] and called for a ride. (Much love to nT for suiting up and trucking to the store!)  Day 1- check! Resolutions and Janathon thus far preserved!

Janathon!

So.  Never have I *not* wanted to run so much.  It's 38 degrees.  My pants need a wash.  It's 10pm, and I ate too much earlier.  I have a headache!  I gained 10 pounds over Christmas.  AND, there are several unwatched episodes of House and How I Met Your Mother on the tivo.  I am not at all interested in doing this.

She said, wearing vibrams and a giant wristtop computer.
Obviously, I'm going.  It's Janathon and I'm doing it.  Is it all about bragging rights or just sheer muscular will?  Or maybe the lingering superstition of new year's, not wanting to see resolutions go south before they've barely begun.  Maybe I'm finally a runner and that explains it...

Whatever!  The sheer lack of specificity in the rules is reason enough-- I can scamper back in the door after five minutes, chittering about my accomplishment even though it barely exists.  That's the kind of bar I like: A Low One.  :)

gluten-free pizza at spinatos! it's like I'm normal!

How awesome is it that we found not only a great pizza joint by us that has gluten-free pizza, but that *they deliver* too?! It's like Christmas and a presidential pardon happening on the same day.  Plus, we met the owner and he was a cool dude in shorts (who says people have actually hugged him in response to the dough in question).  This is a total Win and a major Score in the same move- it's like a Scin...or a Wore...hmm I see why we haven't collectively gone there....I'll just rewind way back and go with Rad.  This is Rad!

Now if I can just get him to carry the dairy-free cheese!... (and the soda-free soda ;) )

Gik! Training!

See what happens when I get used to doing something? I start forgetting to do it. How can it be Thursday already and I haven't run at all since the race??

There's probably some kind argument for "rest" and "recuperation" and other words beginning with R, but I wouldn't know what they are. I do have some vague memory of being sort of stiff on Sunday and addled on Monday, but...ooh look, 12ks of Xmas this weekend! Sparkly sparkly...

Desperate Times, and all that...

So I'm going out on a limb here, and not just by putting lukewarm pickle juice in my carryon bag. Its little bottle *is* clearly marked "1.5 oz", after all...

I'm a huge fan of Clif Shot Bloks, and never use anything else on a run.  I love everything about them and thank god there's ONE COMPANY out there making something palatable using only ingredients I actually want in my body.  The only problem is (and I know this is blasphemy to Sweet-Teeth everywhere but) after about the first hour I am *so over* having to eat anything sugary.  I just don't want that taste anymore so I wind up avoiding them--which is totally stupid and usually means I bonk with food still in my pack.  Wtf.  Anyway, we're heading out in the morning for Beautiful Sunny Las Vegas Nevada for the Rock n' Roll Half Marathon Y'all and naturally this is a problem I feel is best tackled now, before I have to grit my teeth thru another 2 3/4 hours of sweetness and/or actually finish getting ready to go tonight.

I looked around everywhere and the best I could come up with was the suggestion of several people to go for the new margarita flavor, which I did buy and is saltier--but honestly is a bit of an alienating idea when you're running.  I'm never thinking, "mmmm, can't wait for a margarita! -ooh looky, here's a gummy one in my pocket, hooray!".  No.  Plus, paying $1.50 per pack multiple times a week is getting a bit old.  So, I'm exploring the possibility of making my own goo.  Not the first to go down this road, just the latest (and possibly least-well-thought-out).  I did consult several blogs and my mom ( :) ) who all had good advice; unfortunately I am too impatient and bored to take it.  (Hopefully future experiments can be held under more conducive conditions.)

First round draft pick is straight pickle juice and ground chia seeds. Chosen less for its desirability than for convenience: although I did hit three stores before finding a jar of pickles that would meet my lofty requirements (organic, green not yellow, no polys or benzos and less than $8/jar!), I already had the chia seeds, and have already convinced myself of the virtues of both ingredients on their own. Of course, what's good alone isn't always good together, but it's already 9 o'clock and I need to finish packing so off we go. (At my house it's not necessity that breeds invention, it's accessibility, laziness, a time-crunch and the stubborn unwillingness to let a random idea die. I'm sure this is in the DSM-IV under a different label.)

As you can see, the result is less than appetizing.  As expected.  But it is salty and tastes exactly like pickles, due to its lack of any other ingredient! Also, it's blackberry adding the garish yellow tinge and not the seeds themselves, so things are not quite as bleak as they seem.  Shockingly, upon first taste, not as offensive a texture as I might have guessed!  So hope is high.

We'll see how things seem after a day marinating in my luggage.

 
Mmmmmm! I plan to eat you outside Treasure Island! Consider it a date!