10 Mile High

Obviously today's run was a 10 miler!!  And it was great!!  The weather was chilly but good for running.  By mile 3 I was hot but still kept my long sleeves on since there was a slight breeze.  It was mostly flat, all on the trails downtown.  I saw some parts of the trail I hadn't been on, and wouldn't run alone on! They were behind some of the 'transitional' neighborhoods on the East side.  That being said, it is a very pretty stretch of the trail and you feel like you are not in a city!!

I was very happy the run went so well because I had some shit-tay runs this week.  I am tired because of the new job, still adjusting to the new schedule and working hard to prove myself so even though I am not getting up ridiculously early I am exhausted.

Also, I HATE THE GYM.  I am so over it.  I got this LED band for my arm at REI that lights up and a screaming highlighter green shirt so I am going to attempt to run outside either before work and see what the 'scene' is by my apartment. Or go to this neighborhood on my way home that I run in sometimes and run after work since it is well lit.  The bad thing is since I don't get off until 5:30 now I won't get home until 7 if I run after work.  But again, something has to change. I only ran twice this week, 30 mins each and they sucked and were soooooo boring.  Cold is not an issue, even in the 30's in the morning like it was today I still only wore my half tights and long sleeve shirt over a tank.  I'll keep you posted.

Regardless, I was proud of myself today and am really liking our little group. There were a few gals that hadn't run with us in a while today but we still only had a total of 7 in our time group.   Next week is another 10 miler but I'll doing with my dad in Atlanta. He will KICK MY BUTT but it will be good. Then I think we taper in the 7-8 mile range for a few weeks.  The race will be here before I know it!  Then I have to figure out a schedule to keep going!

Have you seen the little piggies...

No, I know I eat like one and am starting to resemble one but that is not what I am talking about.  We will get to the title of this post later.

After several craptastic runs this week I was a little nervous about the 7 miler this morning with my usual time group.  I was basically exhausted all week, probably because of the adjustment to the new job, even though I am enjoying it, and having to run in the morning in the gym.  I did go to REI and get an arm band with an LED light on it though so I am going to attempt to run after work at some point this week on the trail. Even though it'll be dark I am hoping not dark enough to where I can't see, and with the band at least people can see me.

Back to this morning.  Our group was smaller, only about 6 of us. Our coach Grant said people start to fall off around the holidays and actually I like the small group.  It was a FANTASTIC run.  Through the South Congress/S. First area and through St. Edwards University, a private school in South Austin.  It is gorgeous, and the views of the city are stunning.  All of us felt great and supported each other. There were some hills but nothing like last week.

After the run Grant treated us to some Torchie's Tacos at the S. 1st trailer park eatery and we joined the 10:30 mile group as well. It was really fun actually getting to know each other better.  I was telling them about my injury and shockingly people noticed I was missing a few weeks.  I was telling them about last week and my coach Grant goes, 'Well, I think you are totally back and will be fine'.  That felt good.  I am not as nervous now about the 10 mile run next weekend.

The BEST part of our run however was through some of the cute neighborhoods downtown. We were about a mile from 'home base' when we passed this house and in the front yard was this HUGE pig, the biggest pig I have ever seen! (not that I have seen that many). We all thought it was a statue at first but then it moved. Just hanging in the front yard. No leash, nothing.  WELCOME TO AUSTIN. ha ha ha.  It was a nice little ranch house too! 

Because it wasn't far from our meeting place I drove back by there on my way to the taco trailer and took some pictures. The owner was out there and she even let me pet him!  She said this happens ALL the time and the pig is used to the attention. His name is Thomas and he was soooo sweet. He was even oinking, ha ha ha.  So I got to the trailer and shared the pics because apparently the group before us that we ate with had taken a wrong turn and missed him! Grant had me text him the picture so he could send it to his wife, and she agreed with me that he was adorable.

Here is Thomas the giant neighborhood piggie:

Tread-hell

My new work schedule is from 8:30 to 5:30 so it's dark when I need to get up to run and almost dark by the time I get off work. So, I have to get up at 5:30 am and hit the stupid gym.  I am going to check out some running in the dark gear, maybe a lame ugly reflective vest or light so I can run after work.  There isn't a safety issue as far as people etc on the trails after work, just an issue of TRIPPING.  Yikes!

So, this morning I did my scheduled 30 mins. The crappy thing about getting up early and running is I am not feeling awake until the 20 min mark, even after a 5-10 min warm up.  And I don't have time to run longer than the 40 min total because otherwise I would have to get up even earlier.  Regardless, the run was fine and my knee felt good. It was a little sore yesterday and I iced last night. We'll see how it does today.  I plan to hit the gym tomorrow and Thursday morning unless I can get some 'night gear' tonight after work.

However, running on the treadmill is better than not running at all!!

The hills are alive...

...with the sound of runners cursing them!

This morning was my first Saturday back with the group and I was excited and nervous. I had three so so runs during the week because of the stress of ending my job and starting the new one.  The job is going to be great once I know how to do every thing.  But I just have to be patient (and not be so hard on myself) and it is a lot of learn as you go. Luckily it is very similar to my job at the firm in Atlanta that I worked at for three years and so I am not completely in the dark.  Just learning how they do things.  By Friday once I RELAXED things were going better and I think it'll be a good fit.

Back to this morning.  I decided to run with a slower group because I was nervous about my knee and the longest distance I have run since the crisis was 6.5 miles.  9 miles  intimidated me.  Especially after they told us about the course and how hilly it was and this would be the hardest run of our training.  I started out fine with the slower group and by mile 3 I was regretting not running with my usual 10:45 group.  We started out on the trails and about mile 3 is when we got in to the hills. Once we got in to the hills I was fine with the slower pace. Ha! We ran up through this gorgeous neighborhood right off the lake but it was steep hills and rolling hills for 3-4 miles!!!!  I ran them and felt good but dang...sometimes I think I could have walked faster up them.  Lots of gorgeous homes and scenery to look at however. 

There were only about 5 people I was running with once we started the hills.  One girl was from the 10:30 group who had lost her group when she stopped in the restroom while still on the trails. This was a blessing. The two of us went on up ahead of the others and actually got a good workout for the last 4 miles or so and caught up with my 10:45 group and ended up finishing with them. I was soooo happy and this restored my confidence!!

My knees felt grrrreat during the run but of course my calves were and are tight from the hills.  I plan to stretch a lot today and tomorrow. My knee is a now sore and I will ice and rest it until my next run on Monday.  I hope I can walk on it tomorrow or I will be so upset.  It's not that bad but tomorrow is when if it's f-ed up again it will be hurting.  Doing laundry and watching football today so I can keep it elevated/iced etc.

Next weekend is just a 7 mile run and I plan to go back to my regular group. If the knee is okay, I will be just fine.  Praying the knee will be okay tomorrow.   

As bad as the hills were...they felt amazing afterward and I have a great sense of accomplishment from today even if I was slow.  The purpose was to run it and finish it, and I DID IT.   

I deserve some WINE.

Cold. Sore.

This post will be mostly me bitching about my hideous cold sores.  But first, I will discuss Monday's run.

I went to the trails after work.  The knee feels great. My legs feel great. The rest of me was screaming 'why god whhhyyyyy'.  I don't understand!!  I ran 45 mins and made it just fine but felt like I was going to die.  I hope that I get my grove back soon.  I am running tomorrow morning and then Saturday will be the first group run I have been to since knee crisis. I am very very nervous. It is a 9 miler. I know I can do it but think I will have to go to one of the 11 min miler groups because the way I have been feeling the past week (out of shape) I don't know if I can do the whole 9 with my 10:45 min mile group.  I am sort of depressed about it but my goal is to run it all and so what how slow. I still have almost 2 months before the race to build up speed.  I hope the slower group accepts me. I like my other group but since it's been 3-4 weeks since I have been they probably forgot me.  sob sob.

Now, on to the cold sore. I have been cursed with these stupid things since I had mono at the age of 19.  I got them with the virus and now get them when I get stressed and pms.  Sometimes it'll be a year between them and sometimes I'll get them every month for 3-4 months in a row. I have meds to help but if I wake up with one there isn't much the meds can do except dry them out quicker. It's gross and I feel like I look like a leper or a whore.  Ahhh.

Normally I just deal with it but tomorrow I start my new job and the law firm. I am excited but nervous too because I want to impress them and not have them regret seeking me out and hiring me the same day of my interview without interviewing anyone else.  LOT OF PRESSURE. I have to kick ass!

So I have like 3 cold sores and that is going to be a great first day impression and they may not want me around clients now or even LOOK at me!  Ugh.  I know, I am being ridiculous but they are really disgusting.  First day impressions are every thing!!  Apparently my MS shots make them increase...my father-in-law who is a doctor and also suffers from them explained but I won't go into that.

I am going to go running before work since I don't have to go in tomorrow until 8:30 when the other legal assistant gets there and can train me. Right now I feel fat (from not running during the knee crisis, slow running now, eating crap),  and ugly (cold sores, bad hair) . I need to pull it together and be confident on the outside even if I am not on the inside, which I can do with grace and dignity.  Hopefully the morning run will help.  It's all in my head, I know this!!  Waaa, waaa.

So, to make myself feel better I looked up pictures of celebrities that have cold sores!!  I don't like any of these people but it is making me feel better!!!

Posh Spice, with a big one!  And she's still pretty.

Katie Holmes, dang girl...those are worse than mine!

And Paris Hilton, not too bad...but she IS a slut.

I'm in shape. Round is a shape.

This morning, in the mirror after gorging myself on awesome food and drink over the past four days.  Okay, I am not hairy or a cat...but you get the idea!!!






I had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had our festivities with some friends and their families who were kind enough to invite us over so we wouldn't be alone.  It was a blast, and always fun to be around family drama...that isn't yours! Then we went out Friday and Saturday night with various friends and ate, drank and were merry merry.

I did run Friday.  I ran 3.5 miles and it felt wonderful.  My knee was fine, I felt good and in shape.  I was totally lazy on Saturday though. They didn't have a formal group run and so I slept in and ran errands, did laundry etc.

Today, I got back on track.  Because I am just getting back into running since my injury I was a little nervous that I have lost all the distance I had gained. Even though I had three great runs last week.  Not the same as getting back up in the miles again.

I decided to run an easy 6.5, easy as in SLOW.  I had a great pace the first 4 miles. It really felt awesome.  It was about 60 degrees when I went out around 10 am, which was a little warm but even so, very good.  I sort of lost steam between the 4-5.5. miles. I didn't stop though, my goal was to do the DISTANCE comfortably and not walk.  I picked it up the last half mile.  My knee is a tad sore but not bad at all. Actually, my hams and calves are more tight than any thing.  I stretched and stretched and plan to do some later as well.

Over all I am very happy and excited to see how I do next week and want to put some of the speed work back in.  Nervous however about the next group run, which I think is 8 or 9 miles...I may have to go back a time group until I really build back up the speed. I haven't been to the group in three weeks due to the knee crisis. Then, I can focus on the weight issue.  Ah!!!   I am trying not to get discouraged, today really helped that!!

I hate the gym.

I had to run some errands after work yesterday and didn't get home until it was too dark to run outside.  I debated on and off about not exercising and just opening the lovely Torrontés I had bought to have with dinner.  But, the guilt hit me and I went to go to exercise at our apartment gym. 

It's a fine little gym but I thank god no one was in there when I went, which is odd because it was only 6:15 pm.  Usually if I have go to the gym it's before work at 5am. I was going to do the ellipitcal because my knee was a little sore from Monday's run but with no one in there and the treadmill free I decided to run.

Yes, the treadmill is not ideal for my knees but I needed to run!!!  So, I did a little warm up at 11 min mile pace. Then started my 30 min run at a 10:50 mile pace gradually increasing every 10 mins until I ended at a 10:30 mile pace.  I felt awesome.  Mind you there were no inclines or outside elements to deal with to slow me down but wow, I felt awesome.  And they have stupid mirrored walls like in most gyms but hey, I looked pretty muscular in the mirror...when running. I stop and it's back to the flabby reality.

My knee is actually okay today. I stretched a lot last night and iced. I will run again tomorrow morning.  Hopefully I can build back up the mileage.  But even if it wasn't the best scenario to run in the gym, I NEEDED that after the past two weeks.

And of course, I popped open that wine after dinner and drank away. After water and gatorade of course. hee hee.