It Was the Shot
Happy Wednesday! Things are going swimmingly here… ha ha… that’s a pun! Not funny though. After a day off Monday, I went for a run yesterday morning… … and it didn’t go well. My foot is really sore- it seems like it regressed by five months overnight. Ironically, I just wrote an ENTIRE POST on how great my foot was doing… obviously, that was a mistake. But you know when this happened? THE DAY AFTER MY MODERNA SHOT. Yep- I now think it was the shot. I looked it up, and it can cause inflammation. According to this article, “The cells that cause inflammation in your arm after the vaccine also send signals to your body to create antibodies against the spike protein. This process can cause inflammation in other parts of the body, leading to headache, fatigue, and fever after the first vaccine shot for some people.” (emphasis mine.) Here’s my Covid arm: And a possible answer to the question of why some people have a reaction and others don’t: “Research also suggests reactions are more intense in people who previously had Covid-19 since they likely have some level of preexisting immunity.” (from this article.) I didn’t have Covid, that I know of, but it’s entirely possible that I was exposed and had an asymptomatic case. I live in Florida, and most things here have been open since last May. I work as a massage therapist, and we were closed for eight weeks at the beginning of the pandemic, but once we opened again I had no choice but to go back to work- I couldn’t continue to collect unemployment. Obviously we wear masks, but I’ve been out and about in the world pretty much normally for almost a year now. Anyway! Time for more pool running. I’ve just discovered a blog called “Well, I’m TRYING to run…” which is the “one and only pool-running blog.” First of all, hilarious name- I wish I had thought of it first! This woman apparently complements her regular running with pool running, and has a list of big PRs- a 2:57:42 marathon, and perhaps almost as impressive, a 3:15 pool run, which I assume means she ran in the pool for three hours and fifteen minutes- oof. She’s tough. Inspired by her website, I got in the pool for a 30 minute “run” in the afternoon. Pool running is… boring. Sorry to say it. But I tried a couple thing Ms. Pool Runner mentioned in her blog, like doing intervals with my hands tucked into the flotation belt- yep, that was hard! It helps a lot to mix things up, and music is essential. Podcasts don’t cut it (for me) in this situation. So…I’m pretty bummed about the whole thing, but grateful that I have a pool to run in. My intention isn’t to scare anyone away from the vaccine- I’m glad I’m getting it. But I’ll be extra glad when it’s all over- my second shot is scheduled for April 27th. What do you guys think? Anyone else have any weird reactions to the shot? How about pool running- have you tried it?
Weekly Rundown- It Was a Weird Week
Lately it seems like my weeks are either amazing, or everything goes wrong all at once. This was one of those weeks… not the amazing kind. I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Rundown! Here’s how it all went wrong…. er, down. How it all went down… that’s what I meant. Monday Monday is always my day off. After I “accidentally” ran thirteen miles on Sunday, I was worried that my foot would be sore… but it felt normal, which is to say painful when I got up in the morning, but pretty much fine for the rest of the day. Tuesday I had already decided to make this a cutback week, and since I ran a lot last week I decided to give my foot a break and do my running here: I did a pool run, not because my foot was hurting, but just to be on the safe side. I felt very virtuous! I was being sensible! Everything would feel amazing after this… right? Ahem. I followed the pool run with Gauntlet Plank workout. Later that day I got my new shoes, and then… my first shot of the Moderna vaccine! That night my arm started to get very, very sore. I knew this was common, so I didn’t worry too much about it. Wednesday Well, my arm was super sore. It was sore to the touch and it hurt to move it. That was fine- Wednesday was my day off and I had purposely scheduled it that way. I could run, but couldn’t do any weights (oh, darn! Ha ha.) 3 mile run followed by Runner’s Touch exercise. Thursday I wanted to run, but with the way my schedule worked out, it was the best day for lower body weights- squats and deadlifts. I was happy to get them done. Friday Here’s where it got crappy. I just didn’t feel great. Because the kids didn’t have school, I went for a 6 mile run before work. Maybe it was the weights from the day before, but my legs were heavy. It wasn’t a great run and the BEST part… my foot started to hurt. It hurt right in the heel, where it hasn’t been hurting (during a run) in months. What? Why? I’m having a cutback week! I did a pool run! I don’t deserve this! I finished the run- I had no choice since I did an out-and-back- and went to work. As the day proceeded, I felt worse and worse. I don’t know why. Maybe it was because I didn’t sleep well the night before. But something just felt… off. Could it be the vaccine? I know people usually have more of a reaction to the second shot. Anyway, I felt tired, droopy, and my foot was hurting. Anyone who’s struggled with a running injury knows that feeling- when you step down and it hurts, it’s like a knife through your soul. I just wanted this day to end and luckily… it did. That’s the good thing- a bad day always comes to an end. Saturday I’m not taking any chances- my arm was better at least so I did upper body weights (my “ten down” pushup routine) and pullups. I felt a little better and when I got home from work I took a nice long nap. Just like Friday, I had a really hard time waking up from this nap. Sunday The trumpet shall sound! My husband and son are both trumpet players. Anyone who has ever attended an Easter Sunday church service knows that there are always trumpets, which means that every trumpet player has a gig on Easter Sunday. My husband and son headed off at 6 am to play three church services… and my daughter and I stayed home and slept. You know it’s a strange week when all I want to do is sleep in on a Sunday. It felt AMAZING! I slept until 9:40! I did dream about running on a trail though (of course I did- what else would I dream about?) I’m hoping to get out for a short run later on- or possibly a pool run. We’ll see how my foot feels. Happy Easter to everyone! We’re waiting for my son and husband to get home to have a nice brunch, and the kids will find their Easter baskets. Yes… you know if I’m the type of person to have a birthday party for my cat, my teenagers still get Easter baskets! Anyone have a reaction to their first Moderna shot? If you celebrate Easter, do your kids still get Easter baskets? – I’ll probably be sending my kids Easter baskets when they’re adults and have kids of their own!
Friday Fun
Happy Friday! On Thursday we had a big day- it was our cat’s first birthday! Muffin and her brothers and sister were found abandoned in a dumpster one year ago, (sob!) rescued, and only Muffin and her sister survived. We got Muffin from her foster mom in July, and it’s ridiculous how much we dote on her. Exhibit A: Okay… it’s harder than you might think to make a cake that looks exactly like your calico cat. But I tried! This cake was for the humans in the house, but Muffin got lots of treats and presents. Also, since it was a special occasion, we had lobster rolls for dinner… VEGAN lobster rolls! I used this recipe. Instead of lobster you use hearts of palm. It’s really delicious- kind of a decadent dinner, but we were celebrating a birthday, after all. In running news, I wore my new shoes and loved them! A quick word about them- I used to wear the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080s, but then they changed them and made the toe box too narrow (arg!). That’s when I switched to the 880s. The 880s were a slight step down from the 1080s, but they felt comfortable to me. Now, the newest model of the 880 has the same Fresh Foam technology as the more expensive shoes. I think they’re a great shoe, and they’re a good price at $129.99. My first run in them felt fresh and springy! One last thing! Strangely, I lost my Koala Clip which I was using all the time to carry my phone while running. I can’t figure out how I lost it- I still have my phone so obviously I didn’t lose it on the run. Whatever! I pulled out my old Nathan Belt. I forgot how great this is! I’m not sure why I ever stopped using it. It fits my phone, and for my long runs it fits a gel as well. It would even fit more than that but that’s all I need for now. What do you use to carry your phone/gel/keys while running? Anyone else celebrate pets’ birthdays? Happy Friday everyone!!!
New Day, New Shoes!
Happy Wednesday! It’s been quite a week around here so far. As the saying goes, “You’re only ever as happy as your unhappiest child.” On Monday both my kids were sad- for unrelated reasons- and even my cat wasn’t feeling well (cats definitely count as children!) I felt that I deserved some serious retail therapy on Tuesday. But first, this happened… An early morning pool run! Last week I ran a few more miles than planned, so I decided to give my legs (and foot) a little break. We have a pool (it’s a Florida thing) but it’s too expensive to heat, so this is the first time I’ve been in it this year. I have a flotation device and “run” in the deep end. It’s really not so bad… every once in a while. And then… a trip to “Disneyland,” aka the running shoe store! I’ve only found a few shoes that I like, because I need so much room in the toebox- I practically need clown shoes. I tried on a few pairs just for fun, but in the end bought the same shoes I already own- the New Balance 880s. Extra-wide! While I was there I tried On shoes. (ha ha… that was a weird sentence. I don’t mean “I tried on shoes” but I tried “ON” shoes.) They were comfortable, but kind of odd feeling. I don’t think I’d like them for running, but they’re so cute! Since I now wear running shoes all the time, I’m contemplating splurging on a pair of On just for everyday use. And then some treats!!! They had my favorite gel ever, the Hammer espresso flavor. I’ve never had a gel not agree with me, but Hammer is my favorite, and the espresso is delicious with a nice shot of caffeine. My husband likes the Gu’s better, and then I also just had to try a new flavor. Cola Gu? Bring it on! I also got some Nuun. I used Nuun all the time last summer, but recently my husband bought LMNT. It seems like it’s on everyone’s podcast these days, but… I don’t like it. It’s so salty (which I guess is the point) but it made me nauseous. So I’m happy to have my Nuun back! Today is a new day! The tides have turned (as they always do) and everyone feels much better, including the cat. I love that first run in new shoes. Life is good. Anyone run in Ons? How about LMNT? Anyone tried it and liked it?