Five Things to Look Forward to- July Coffee Date
There’s an old Peanuts cartoon where Linus explains the secret to happiness: having “five things to look forward to and nothing to dread.” Sounds good to me! Grab a coffee/tea/beverage of choice and I’ll tell you five things I’m looking forward to right now. Thanks as always to Coco and Deborah for hosting our monthly coffee date! 1. My next race On Monday I’m running a 5K! For the first time in a long time, I’ve actually been doing some speed work. I’m definitely not going to be setting any PRs, but I’m slowly emerging from the molasses I’ve been running through for the past couple of years. I’m not looking forward to that last mile- 5Ks hurt- but overall I’m looking forward to the race. Races are fun! 2. Having a real holiday Where I work, we’re closed four days a year: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and July 4th. Other than those days, if a holiday falls on a day we’re scheduled to work, we’re expected to be there. Since I work Mondays, I always work on Labor Day, Memorial Day, President’s Day, Juneteenth… all the bank holidays some people have off. So it’s an extra-special treat to have July 4th fall on a Monday and have a real holiday! 3. My trip to Chicago At the end of July I’m flying up to Chicago for a few days to see my sister! I haven’t seen her in over two years. She actually lives in a suburb of Chicago, and I’m not sure if we’ll make it into the city or not. That doesn’t matter to me- I’ll be happy to relax at my sister’s the whole time. 4. Another road trip In the middle of August, my son and I will be driving to Texas again. Last summer we made the same trip prior to his freshman year at Baylor. That trip was bittersweet for me- we had fun, but all the way there it was in the back of my mind that I would be leaving him at school and returning alone. Many tears were shed on my solo drive back! Now that I’ve adjusted to the whole college thing (more or less) I think I’ll be able to enjoy this trip more, AND since the purpose of the trip is to get his car there, I will be flying back this time! I think it goes without saying that flying is better than driving twenty hours by myself. 5. The Ink Black Heart On August 30, the sixth book in Robert Galbraith’s (aka J.K. Rowling) Cormoran Strike mystery series comes out. I’m SO EXCITED. I’ve come to the conclusion that J.K. Rowling is my favorite author of all time. After reading the Harry Potter books twice (now just waiting another ten years so I can read them again), Casual Vacancy, and the first five Cormoran Strike novels, I know that I’ll love everything she writes. I originally put a library hold on this book, but it’s 1000 pages long (yay! The longer, the better.). I don’t want to rush through it in order to return it to the library on time, so I pre-ordered it from Amazon instead. Seriously- I’m counting down the days. So that’s it! Five things to look forward to, and nothing to dread. Linus was right- I do feel happy! How about you- can you think of five things you’re looking forward to?
Mid-Year Reflections
Last week on Gretchen Rubin’s “Happier” podcast, they reviewed their one-word themes for 2022. That’s a good idea! Wait, what was my word for 2022 again? I actually had to think for a moment, but then I remembered my word for 2022 was “Start.” When I chose that word, I thought that it might seem like a great word for January, but not as great for June or July. Guess what? I was right! I haven’t thought about my word in months, so I went back and read my post from January. Oh yeah… boy, did my life suck! A direct quote from that post is, “I spent all of 2021 wishing I were running faster and farther.” Yep, I really struggled with my foot. In November and December I was getting shockwave treatments, and in December I got custom-made orthotics, which I was slowly getting used to. Then, as a final, crowning blow, I got Covid on Christmas and spent seven days lying on my couch. Things pretty much hit rock bottom- no wonder I chose “start” for my word of 2022! So how’s it going? Well, I can honestly say that I’m in a completely different place now. I have a consistent strength training/yoga schedule going, and, more importantly, I’m running four days a week, with a Sunday long run of ten miles, and speed work every Wednesday. I still wish I were faster, but at least now I’m able to work at it. I thought about changing my word to “Continue,” as in, continue on with what I’m doing. But then I decided a better word would be “Appreciate.” Too often I go barreling through life, and only appreciate the good times in retrospect. I’m in a place right now I was longing for in 2021. I’m signed up for races and actually have time goals. I’m able to get out there every Wednesday and do speed work, and every Sunday I’m out on the trails, which I love. My foot isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t hurt while I’m running, and I’m never worried about it limiting my speed or distance. Furthermore, it’s summer! There’s plenty of daylight, both my kids are doing well, and life is good. I don’t want to be like Woody Allen’s character in Hannah and Her Sisters when his assistant reminds him that he was miserable yesterday, and he says “I was happy! I just didn’t realize I was happy!” I’m glad I did this mid-year checking in. My one-word theme isn’t as important now but it gave me a chance to see how far I’ve come, and adopt my word for the second half of 2022- Appreciate. I’m linking up with Kim and Zenaida for their Tuesday Topics! What about you- did you have a word for 2022? Does it still fit? Would you change or modify it now?
Weekly Rundown- Live and Don’t Learn
Ah, what a week! It was a good week- except for the latest Core Incident, but we’ll get to that. Thanks as always to Kim and Deborah for hosting the Weekly Rundown! Let’s just see how it all played out. Sunday 10 mile run! I ran this partially on the streets and partially on the trail. I really enjoyed this run, but the last couple miles got pretty hot. When I got home I went directly to the backyard to hose off my hydration pack, and suddenly realized… we have a POOL. Why am I not in it? I rectified that situation immediately, and for the rest of the summer, all my long runs will end with a plunge into the pool. Monday Yoga Monday! I did a 30 minute yoga flow, on Peloton with Denis Morton, as always. I decided to get more consistent with my core classes this week, so I did a 10 minute core class as well. Tuesday I started the day with a three mile run… And did a 20 minute glutes and legs strength class with my fave instructor, Matty Mggiacomo. Followed with a 5 minute core class. Wednesday Speed work! I did a mile warm up and then repeats of 400s and 800s. This workout went really well, and I felt like I was FINALLY able to lock in my 5K pace. Practice definitely makes progress! I came home and did a 10 minute core class. Ah! I can feel my core getting stronger already! Before you know it I’ll have abs of steel! NOTHING could go wrong this time! Thursday I started the day with a 10 minute core class. This is the same class I’ve been taking all week, with Rebecca Kennedy from 3/14/22. It’s a great class… BUT… this time, in the middle of the single leg v-ups, I somehow wrenched my neck and caused a huge muscle spasm going down into my shoulder. At first I was in denial (“no, no, that didn’t really happen, it won’t be too bad”) and I finished the class. Then I started to do pull-ups, but after one set I had to admit that it really hurt and I was just making things worse. I decided to do a 20 minute yoga flow- that worked as long as I moved slowly and deliberately. Sigh! Let me tell you, going to work was not pleasant. There’s nothing worse than giving massages when you’re in pain. Not only because it’s a physical job, but also because you’re massaging people’s necks and shoulders and thinking “This must feel good! I wish I were getting a massage!” After work I did Matty’s “lunge-a-palooza” workout from 7/29/21. I was a little worried about even picking up the weights, but since it was a lower body workout, it didn’t hurt my neck. Friday Started with an easy 3 mile run… and then, after careful deliberation, did a 5 minute core class. I picked one that I know very, very well. There are no v-ups, and I was able to complete it without aggravating my neck. Victory! After work I did another yoga class. Yoga helped my neck, and so did the self-massage I was doing. But in the end, it just takes time for this to go away. Saturday Started the day with the same 5 minute core class, and then did Matty Maggiacomo’s glutes and leg strength class from 8/1/21. This is the companion class to “lunge-a-palooza” and I don’t care for it as much. It’s all squats and deadlifts, and gets kind of monotonous. At least with lunges there’s a lot of variations. I followed it with another 30 minute yoga flow. Every time I do a class that has camel pose, my first thought is, “I can’t do camel today! My quads are too tight/neck is sore/back hurts (insert other excuse here)” In this case, I thought I couldn’t do camel because of the neck/shoulder situation. But, as always, I did it… and every single time, it makes me feel amazing afterwards. Yay for yoga. Sunday On tap for today… another long run. A few weeks ago I decided there wasn’t enough shade on the trail, and said I was going to find different routes for the summer. But now I’m more comfortable in the heat and I miss my trail runs- so I’m going to try it again. Fingers crossed for a cloudy morning. Overall it was a good week. I did three lower body strength classes, ran 20 miles, did yoga four times, (!!!) and did six core classes. Yes, I practically dislocated my shoulder, but in spite of the title of this post, I really have learned my lesson. I’m going to modify any core moves from now on that I know cause me issues. Onward! How was your week? Are you acclimated to the heat yet?- One thing I’ll say about Florida- at least the heat is consistent, giving you a good chance to get used to it.
June Runfessions
Guess what time it is? It’s time for Marcia to open her “runfessional!” That means it’s almost the end of June… time is flying by. Let’s start this one off with the ever-popular “Left Foot Update.” Let’s see… not much has changed since the last update. My foot still hurts but not usually while I’m running. I’m super happy I’ve been able to continue with my Sunday long runs and weekly speed work- two things that made it flare up painfully in the past. So, it’s better than it was. BUT… It’s still hard to step down first thing in the morning, and anytime I sit for any length of time. At this point I feel like I might have plantar fasciitis (and my extra-special deluxe “lateral column syndrome”) for the rest of my life. I runfess that I’ve been thinking about an article Wendy sent me a while back. A study was done that shows promise for a new plantar fasciitis treatment. “We take a small amount of fat from an area of excess — like the belly, inner thigh or love handles — and then inject the fat into the bottom of the foot near where the fascia inserts into the heel bone,” explained study co-author Dr. Jeffrey Gusenoff. REALLY??? They would take fat from my BELLY and inject it into my heel, which would then relieve the PF pain? It’s a win-win! Unfortunately, since my insurance didn’t pay for shockwave treatments, I’m sure it wouldn’t pay for this. Especially since this treatment is brand-new, and the article mentioned that more studies need to be done. I volunteer! Take all the fat out of my belly you need. Take extra, just in case. Moving on! I’ve declared this the “Summer of Strength.” I used to refer to myself as the “reluctant strength trainer” but now I’m all in. I’ll never love it like I love running, but I completely understand the necessity of getting strong, and I’ve finally found a collection of Peloton classes that work for me. But, I’ll runfess (strength-fess?) that I had yet another core class fiasco. THIS time, I wrenched my neck and caused a muscle spasm down into my shoulder. I can’t even explain how it happened- I didn’t have my hands behind my head. I was doing supported v-ups on alternating sides, and somehow I just twisted the wrong way. ARRRRG! This is the third issue I’ve had- the first being the terrible DOMS in my throat where I thought I was going to need a feeding tube, and the second being the skin rubbed raw around my tailbone which made sitting uncomfortable for days. It’s one thing after another, and yet I continue to do core classes. Why? Well… I’m pretty sure if my core were stronger I wouldn’t have these constant mishaps. I was mentioning this to my co-worker (who was noticing that I couldn’t turn my head to the side, sigh) and she said when she does a core class, she substitutes a different move when there’s one that gives her trouble. Hmmm! There’s a concept. From now on I’m going to do that, rather than barrel through the workout, doing every move the instructor does no matter what. I think I’ve proven that doesn’t work for me. Really… I’m having a great summer. The muscle spasm in my neck will go away (eventually) and looking on the bright side, if I still have plantar fasciitis in a couple years maybe I can use it as an excuse to have the fat sucked out of my stomach. That’s something to look forward to! How is your summer going? Do you have anything to runfess?