Fire and Ice

(p.s. I got this cool pic through google images)

After running a solid 12 miler yesterday (yay!  good route, legs working!) I was planning on an easy 5 miler today.  When I woke up, it was a sunny, crisp, clear morning -- so inviting for a run.  I also wanted to get to yoga because my favorite instructor was subbing this morning. 

I drove over to the studio a little early, set up my mat and signed in, and hit the pavement.  I had just enough time for 2 miles before the class.  Temps were high 40's at this point and just a little breezy -- perfect.  I warmed up quickly and had to really remind myself of how good yoga is for me, because it was so nice out I really didn't want to stop! 

About 2 minutes before class was to start, I arrived back at the studio.  Peeled off my LS tee (tank underneath) and my shoes and hit the mat.  And within minutes I was dripping.  The room was about 95*, our poses were challenging, and it.was.awesome.

And as soon as the class was done and I was feeling all meditated and pliable, I laced up my shoes, threw my mat in the car, and hit the pavement again.  And let me tell you -- going from 95* and drenched in sweat to 50* and a cool breeze was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!!  Fire and ice.  So invigorating!  It was almost like active recovery in an icebath. 

I could have kept running and running and running, but I eventually found myself done the loop and back at my car, with legs feeling good and a sense of satisfaction for a weekend of solid workouts. 

Need for Speed

I was whammied by some sort of a stomach bug/reaction to food I ate on Monday and spent ALL of Monday night in the bathroom waiting for the next round of vomiting.  Ugh.  Practically no sleep -- and really, how can you sleep when you're curled up on the tile floor all night?  Tuesday was all about recovery from that.  No workouts, other than flipping the mattress on my bed when I washed my sheets. 

So despite little fuel in my body, I headed out for an easy 5 miler today.  Legs were fine, but my upper back area and lungs seemed affected by Monday night's rough stuff.  As I ran, I took note that although the rest of my body wasn't cooperating, my legs seem stronger than they have been in a long while.  I say that cautiously -- don't want to jinx it! -- but I started thinking about needing to get some speed back into my workouts so I can show up at my races on April 9th and May 1st with a little bit of race in me.  Most of my running since returning after the calf stuff has been easy paced stuff.  Time to change that, I think! 

I decided to run to the track today -- just to remind myself that it exists.  2 miles to the track, 1 mile around it, 2 miles home.  No speed -- body wasn't ready yet -- but between now and the Florida race I plan to add at least one day of speed stuff into my weekly running.  I won't set any records or anything this spring, but I'm hoping to at least feel like I'm getting closer to the runner I was before all this crazy calf business. 

Airplane Wings

Ever feel like your run is bringing you back to a carefree place and making you feel like a little kid again?  All the worries, cares, concerns of the day disappear and you are just breathing in the fresh air and taking in the sights around you.  Things are working well and you catch yourself smiling mid-run. You're running and running and running and you could easily stretch your arms out to the side like airplane wings and glide along?

That was my run today. 

I GOT IN!!!!!

The 7 Mile Bridge Run in the Florida Keys! 

It took a LOT of coordination -- all applications are through a PO Box, so no Fedex or emailing or online registration.  It's a really popular race, and only the first 1500 complete, correctly-done, paid applications are accepted.  The race usually fills up in less than 2 days. 

Living in NJ, I was pretty screwed.

Until I enlisted the help of some friends.  First Jen (she lives in Florida) was willing help -- thanks! -- but then I realized my friend TH was actually IN the Keys and would have a better shot at getting my app taken care of in one day. 

I had to send a request for the app (with a self-addressed, postage-paid envelope) and then wait until Tuesday, February 8th when ALL the apps would be mailed out together.  I had included a Fedex express envelope for the app to get to TH by first thing Wednesday morning.  In the meantime, I had sent a package to TH with my registration info (as best as I could guess they'd ask), a blank check for the registration fee, and a postage paid envelope for him to return the app. 

Here's the thing:  He lives within a few miles of the post office where the PO Box for the race is, so he simply delivered the app to the post office and put it in a special box they had prepared for these immediate apps.  He said there were about 50 apps ahead of mine -- and that was at noon the day after the apps were mailed out!  Whoa!

I felt confident I'd get in, but I still couldn't wait to see my check clear at the bank or get word my app had been accepted.  I didn't want to book flights (I'll stay at my parents' rental house) or anything until it was definite. 

Today, my check cleared. 
Today, I booked my flight.

Today, I also closed on my refinance of my mortgage -- but that's a whole other story. 
Today, I have a race in my future that I'm excited about. 

By the afternoon of Thursday, February 10th, the race closed.  And,
I got in! 

Red Face... and, What the Hell Happened to My Honey?

It was warm, like a sunburn, and when I looked in the mirror, I realized my face was red-ish.  I noticed it had more color than, say, my arms.  And there was a little bit of a tingly buzz to it. 

And it made me smile.  I know it's only (probably) windburn or something from my 12 miler at the shore (into the cold wind) this weekend, but in the middle of this cold, full-of-snow winter, my face looks like it got some sun.  LOVE IT. 

I tried taking a picture to show you, but -- quite honestly -- I looked pretty haggard and wrinkled in every one I took.  It's been a long, busy week+ and close-ups weren't being friendly.  So you'll have to just take my word for it...

And,

what the hell happened to my honey?

 

It got all cloudy and thick and almost impossible to squeeze out of the bottle.  It's not clear and oozy anymore.  When I finally get some out it's like the sugars crystallized.  This is the first time I've ever had a bottle of honey in my house (don't laugh) and I don't know what happened to it.
 
What happened?

Dinner by Wegmans

Busy, busy days this week.  The other night, after work and running, I still had to do my grocery shopping for the week -- just adding to my already long day.  So after loading up on tons of fresh produce, I ventured over to the prepared foods and let Wegmans cook dinner for me that night. 

Grilled lemon garlic chicken (although, thankfully, it was not at all garlic-y).  Perfectly cooked and seasoned.

Butternut squash and baby spinach with craisins.  Perfectly cooked and seasoned.

Harvest vegetables.  Cut stick-style. Perfectly cooked and seasoned. 

And the guy that waited on me was VERY generous with the servings when I asked him to load up the veggies.  All this for $6!  All I had to do was cut up the chicken breast (I do that for even heating) and heat up the whole dish.  YUM.  I'll let Wegmans make this dinner for me once a week.  It was really delicious. 

And on an only slightly related note, tonight I was making my salad for lunch tomorrow.  I was filling a  tupperware bowl with mixed greens and spinach.  Now, you already know my love for, but hesitation with, baby spinach.  Well, no frogs tonight, but I did find this:

A giant spinach leaf.  GIANT.  What is that giant spinach leaf doing in a baby spinach package?  The little leaf on the right is the normal size of a spinach leaf in a baby spinach batch.  The gigantic leaf, bigger than a chapstick, bigger than my ipod, a billion times bigger than that dime, was covering half of the top of my salad bowl! 

It doesn't belong in a baby spinach package, but I guessed it has a lot of nutrients and stuff in its enormity, so I picked it up and ate it right then and there.

I Chose the Cold Rain

This morning's forecast was for an icy, freezing rain in the early morning, switching to rain later in the day.  I went to bed last night thinking I'll suck it up and get a short run done on the treadmill at the gym and then hop in the pool for a swim. 

Then I woke up and it didn't look too bad out.  I got dressed to run outside. 

Then I went outside and it was slippery, so I got dressed to go to the gym.  Packed up all my stuff and got in my car. 

Then I drove right past the gym and drove to the shore and ran my long run in the rain there. 

I chose a long run in the cold, drizzly rain over a short run on the treadmill and a swim. 

Right choice -- the fresh air, the run along the coast, legs working and the elements soaking me, was perfect. ('Though it's not helping me improve my swimming!)

Return to the Hills

Tonight was the first group run from the new store.  My sister and I decided to do the run, which worked well for me today because my head was brewing a serious headache as I left work.  I was able to take my migraine meds and even catch a little nap before the run.  By the time I picked A up, my head was fine and I was looking forward to the nighttime run. 

This was going to be the first time I did some real hilly running since last summer.  I wasn't sure I'd make all the hills, so my sister and I decided we might cut out one of the steeper ones.  By the time we got out of the flat part and started toward the hilly part of town, A was thinking about her run tomorrow and even said she'd be ok with cutting the run short.  My legs were feeling ok, so I said I wanted to keep going, but it's ok if she turned back.  She didn't, so on we went. 

We ended up not cutting short any part of the course.  At about mile 4, we picked up one of the older (faster!) guys and chatted with him the rest of the way.  While we got a little wet from the puddles and had to watch our footing once or twice with the snowy, slippery slush, the temps were warmer and the run was good.

And when we finished, my calf was ok.  A teensy, tiny bit feeling the hills and faster pace, but overall ok.  It was a solid run, and a good feeling to return to the hills.