July Runfessions- The Chicken of Depression
Well, it’s almost the end of July- which means it’s time for Marcia to open her runfessional. As always, I’ve got a few things to runfess. Let’s get started! First, I would runfess that I have YET ANOTHER… issue. Let’s not use the other “I” word quite yet. When I went to visit my sister last week I did some hilly runs and walks. I was being super careful of my shin, which had been bothering me the week prior- I didn’t want to aggravate it on those hills. I guess I was focusing so much on that shin that I failed to notice my hamstring was getting aggravated… until the last day when I had to cut my run short. I took a couple days off, tried to run yesterday, had to abort that mission and well… this is all causing me to be visited by the chicken of depression. It’s funny- everything else is going so well! I’m enjoying my leisurely summer schedule, work has been good, my son is home, both kids are happy, I’m still doing my other workouts…. it’s just that one thing- not being able to run- that’s really getting me down. Sigh. Go away, chicken! In other news, I runfess that although I can get a free massage once a month at work, I don’t get them as often as I should. This week, with my sore hamstring and also a sore lower back (left hamstring, right low back) I finally went in for a massage. When the therapist started working on me he asked “Do you have a little scoliosis?” Um… no, actually I don’t. At least not that I know of. He decided it was just that one side of my back was extremely tight. Ahem. I really don’t think it’s a good sign when your back is so tight, your massage therapist thinks you have scoliosis. On the other hand, maybe I have developed scoliosis at the age of 56. At this point, anything seems possible. One last runfession, which is actually a “strength-fession.” Once again, I’ve rage-quit my pull-up routine. Three times now I’ve started working on pull-ups, vowing that THIS TIME I’ll keep at it until I can finally do one unassisted. I work at it for months, get discouraged and finally decide that I hate it, and quit. As my son said, I have a bad relationship with pull-ups. Instead, I’m been doing some much more fun Peloton upper body strength workouts with Matty. Not that every second of these workouts is actually “fun” but I don’t hate it like I hated the pull-ups. The good news is I’m getting a more well-rounded upper body workout with chest, back, shoulders, biceps and triceps. The bad news is, if I’m really being honest with myself, I think working on pull-ups would have given me strong back muscles which would help me more in the long run. Oh well…c’est la vie! That’s it for now… if you want to hear more about my hamstring, come back on Sunday for the Weekly Rundown (I know how excited you must be!) Do you get regular massages? Lately have you been visited more by the Bluebird of Happiness or the Chicken of Depression?
Running, Blueberries and Cats… Trip Recap
Remember when flying used to be fun? I’m not talking about pre-Covid- I mean years ago, when it seemed exciting and luxurious. HA! Those days are sure over. Last week I flew to Chicago to see my sister. The flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Midway wasn’t too bad. At my sister’s request, I wore a mask. She and her husband are “Covid virgins” and they would like to keep it that way. I would say maybe a quarter of people in the airport had masks on? Maybe less. But as I was waiting I could hear an announcement for a flight to the Bahamas that was boarding, and they said “To board the plane your masks must be on.” Apparently they still take Covid very seriously in the Bahamas! The flight was uneventful. I had a window seat and read the whole way. The flight home was a different story- but we’ll get to that. Running I mentioned in my last post that it was hilly where my sister lives (a south suburb of Chicago.). Not hilly by Colorado or Utah standards, I’m sure (I mean, there are no mountains in Illinois) but definitely hilly by South Florida standards. I was slightly concerned that all the hills would bring back my shin pain, so I was monitoring that closely. I did a three mile run on Friday and a hilly walk on Saturday. So far so good! No shin pain. On Sunday I headed out for a planned five mile run. It was cool- by Florida standards- and rainy, and I felt great. It was so fun to be running in a different town, different terrain and different climate. It was the best run of the whole summer! I ran faster! I felt invincible! I— wait… what is that horrible pain in my HAMSTRING? GAAAAAAHHHHH! Yep- I was so focused on my shin that I failed to notice a nagging pain in my hamstring until it really hurt. Right around that time I was passing by my sister’s house and I heard thunder and saw a flash of lightning- and reluctantly cut my run short at three miles. SIGH. Cats But wait! There were lots of good things- all vacations should include cats. My sister and her husband have two of them. One is elderly (they think she’s almost 20) and because she’s nearing the end of her life, they really baby her. One thing she loves is to drink water from the bathroom sink. She’ll meow and meow until they lift her up, put her on the sink and turn on the tap so the water is just dripping, and she drinks right from the faucet. While she’s doing this she purrs loudly. We also went to the “cat brewery.” This place has a real name, but Luther the cat lives there, so they just call it the cat brewery. Luther wanders around happily, saying hello to everyone and getting lots of petting. As a souvenir, I got a “Luther” glass which I will be using for iced tea (and beer of course) from now on. Blueberries As I also mentioned, we went blueberry picking. It was super fun and we may have gotten slightly carried away. It was hard to tell how many we had picked until we were finished, but we had twelve pounds between the three of us. Since I could only carry a small amount home, my sister and her husband were a little concerned about how they’re going to eat all those blueberries. Obviously we had to have a blueberry pancake throwdown. We made two different blueberry pancake recipes and compared them. When I got home and told my son about it, he was laughing at us because he knew that we would have made two “healthy” pancake recipes. He was right- in addition to being vegan, the pancakes had ingredients like oats and chia seeds. And no sugar. I could tell he didn’t think much of our throwdown. And… that flight home… Ahem. I flew home on Sunday (note to self- don’t do that again) so Midway was super crowded. This was also the day that I hurt my hamstring so I was cranky to begin with. Sitting on the plane for hours didn’t seem like it would be helpful. The flight was delayed, and then when we finally boarded it was so full they didn’t have enough room for all the carry on luggage so I had to check mine, ARRRRRG! Of course by the time I boarded all that were left were middle seats- but I’ll admit there was a silver lining. I ended up sitting between two slender women who were both wearing masks. So it wasn’t all bad. The plane landed, I grumbled my way to baggage claim to retrieve my “carry on,” my husband was there to pick me up, and then I was home! Back to my family, work, hamstring rehab… you know. Regular life. I was sad to leave my sister, but it’s good to be home. I’m linking up with Kim and Zenaida for their Tuesday Topics. Ladies, thanks for hosting and also tolerating my meandering topics every week! Did you fly anywhere this summer? Did your flight go smoothly? Are you a cat person or dog person? – I like dogs just fine, but have always had cats.
Weekly Rundown- Not Like Other Weeks
Hello and welcome to the Weekly Rundown, hosted as always by Kim and Deborah. This week started off normally, but mid-week I traveled to Chicago to see my sister! I haven’t seen her in over two years, so it was amazing to be with her and her husband again. HOWEVER… This presented a challenge, workout-wise. My sister and her husband don’t run, do yoga, lift weights, or own any exercise equipment. They enjoy walking, working in the yard, and taking the occasional bike ride. They eat delicious food and are both a normal weight. They don’t wish they could run, or walk farther or faster, or that they were stronger. They’re happy just the way they are. I know- it’s baffling. Knowing this, I tried to frontload my workouts to the beginning of the week as much as possible, and planned to adopt a “when in Rome” attitude once I got to my sister’s. Well, more like “When in Rome, do as the Romans do, assuming Romans like to run.” Let’s just see how it all worked out! Sunday 4 mile run! I was super happy to complete this run with no shin pain. Monday It was yoga Monday- plus a couple bonus workouts. I did a chest and back strength class with Matty (all classes on Peloton and Matty is my favorite strength instructor right now) and a core class. Tuesday I started the morning with a glutes and leg strength class (with Matty of course!) and a core class, with a 2 mile run in between. Wednesday Wednesdays are my day off from work, so I figured I would squeeze in the next four days’ worth of workouts. What? It doesn’t work like that? Oh, darn. I started the morning with a 3 mile run… … and then did an arms and shoulders strength class (hello again, Matty!) and another core class. Thursday Leave for Chicago!!!! But first… I got in one last strength class, my favorite glutes and legs class with Matty. And, yes… core. Friday One extra little thing- it is HILLY in the Chicago area! At least, compared to South Florida where it’s completely, totally flat. In my sister’s neighborhood I feel like I’m always running up or down a hill. No wonder they get a workout from walking! My sister calls their hilly walks “butt walking” because you use your glutes so much. I went out for a 3 mile “butt run.” In the afternoon we went BLUEBERRY PICKING!!! That’s something we can’t do in Florida. We spent the afternoon at the blueberry farm- we picked blueberries, took a break for a picnic lunch, then picked some more. We kept popping blueberries into our mouths while we picked, and I thought of the line from Willy Wonka: “Violet, you’re turning violet, Violet!” I imagined myself turning into a gigantic blueberry. Saturday I could say that I got up early and did a bodyweight strength class… a standing core workout… planks and pushups… but that would be a humongous lie. No, I slept late and then we made blueberry pancakes (obviously.) After a leisurely breakfast we went for a long walk, then in the afternoon went out for a beer, then home to grill fajitas for dinner. To be honest, I didn’t miss working out at all. Sunday On tap for today…. a hilly 5 mile run (wish me luck!) Then more blueberry pancakes (my sister and her husband have a lot of blueberries to get through) and then… flying back home to Florida. SIGH! It’s hard to have a vacation end. I know- I was right near Chicago and didn’t go into the city. I didn’t see the Art Institute or Wrigley Field. I didn’t go an an architecture river cruise or see The Bean. Other than the blueberry picking adventure, we hung out at my sister’s house, went for walks, watched movies, and talked and talked (and talked… I think her husband’s mind starts to spin at how much my sister and I can talk.) It was a great trip. How was your week? Did you do anything unusual? Have you ever been blueberry picking?
Any Running is Better Than No Running!
Hello once again! Boy, Sunday rolls around fast some weeks, doesn’t it? Last week I was battling a nagging shin pain, and took some time off running. The goal for this week was to get back to it ASAP. As always I’m linking up with the amazing Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Rundown. Let’s just see how the week went… Sunday I started off with a 10 minute core class and then a 20 minute glutes and legs strength class- all classes were on Peloton as usual! Then…a 40 minute pool run. Yes, I’m super lucky to have a pool! But… I haven’t found anything that keeps me in shape for running other than actual running. On land. I was hoping this would be my last pool run. Monday It was my usual Yoga Monday! First a 5 minute core class and then a 30 minute yoga flow. Tuesday My shin had improved from a constant ache to an occasional twinge, but I decided to give it one more day off. I did a 10 minute core class, and then two classes with Matty Maggiacomo- a 20 minute glutes and legs class and a 20 minute arms and shoulders class. The arms class had a finisher that Matty said would make me curse his name and “reconsider the nature of our relationship.” Ouch! After work I did a 20 minute yoga flow. Wednesday Running! It was the day that was either going to be the best day or the worst day ever- if my shin felt good, I would be elated, and if it hurt I would be devastated. I was nervous, obviously. I walked for one mile and ran for one mile. Success! For the most part. I felt a couple twinges but overall it was okay. I followed this short run with a short 5 minute core class. Later in the day I did a 30 minute yoga flow. Hey- I’m on a yoga roll this week! Thursday I remember hearing somewhere that when you’re coming back from an injury, pay close attention to how you feel the day after you run- if the area hurts when you get out of bed, then the muscles/tendons weren’t ready for the run. I stepped down with great trepidation… and my shin felt perfect! Victory!!! I did a 10 minute core class, a 10 minute chest and back class with Matty, and one of his 30 minute glutes and legs classes. After work I did a quick yoga flow- I couldn’t break my streak! Friday I started with a 10 minute barre class. I picked one that was all standing, which was a great warmup for running. The Peloton barre classes are a super effective glute activation, and because it was standing I felt like it warmed up my lower legs and feet as well. Then, a 2 mile run!!! You can see I’m proceeding with great caution. I can’t say that my shin was 100% pain-free… but let’s say 98%. Later in the day, a 20 minute yoga flow! Saturday This was the first time I did a Peloton strength warmup class- I did a 5 minute upper body warmup before doing one of Matty’s 20 minute arms and shoulders class. It was nice to have a little extra warmup first thing in the morning. I also did a 5 minute core class. Later in the day I did a 20 minute glutes and legs strength class and… oh darn- I broke my yoga streak. C’est la vie! Sunday On tap for today- a run!!! Probably 3 miles, but if everything feels good I might go a little farther… just a little. And yoga- must do yoga. The two short runs I did this week left me cautiously optimistic, and I’m happy with my ramped-up strength training. I figure no matter what happens, I won’t regret getting stronger! If you do Peloton, do you like to stick with the same instructors or mix it up? – I mixed up the core classes a little this week, but I’m loving Matty for strength and Denis for yoga these days (well, I’ve loved Denis for a while now!) What’s your favorite cross-training? – I can’t really use the word “favorite”… but if I have to, I’ll get in the pool.