running!

December 23 and 24 were good enough to give me 8, count them - EIGHT, miles! Yippie! On Thursday my seester and I were planning a quick 2 miler with extreme pain management plans in place. We just kept on going and going and after 2 miles I decided we should turn around (mostly for the seester, but it was also a smart idea in general:-). NO PAIN. The following day, xmas eve day, E and I went out again and I had secret intentions of beating the previous day's mileage. This run was much more about managing the pain, and both days I ended up walking about .5 of the total... but the total is there. Read it. EIGHT miles.

My beloved also gifted me "the stick". Who gets their beloved a torture device for xmas (and gives it infront of family?)?. I love it. I've already used it 100 times yesterday and will definitely have it on-hand after tomorrow's run. I don't even care how far I run, just that I can. And will.

training for training?

Would this make me run? http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_4/134.shtml
Training for my training plan. Funny, but maybe worth it?

No coffee?!

Today is day 3. I had to ask myself, does coffee really make me feel better? I decided what I like about it is the ritual - the warm cup in my lap while I read and welcome the day. I like waking up and knowing what I'm going to do first, before anything else! Well, it seems as though that warm cup could be filled with just about anything (caffeine withdrawal headache aside...). Years ago while I was doing an intestinal cleanse, I discovered Celestial Seasonings makes a blend of mate and black tea. Wowzers! It's delicious, has caffeine, and doesn't make me feel like sh** after two cups. I think I'm on to something here...

However, I've tried this before. In the past, my non-coffee stints always lead me back to coffee. Which I'm ok with. I just need to occasionally not drink it, to remind myself that my world does not revolve around this highly acidic beverage. I think my body thanks me every time.

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So, the weather's got me down. Rainy, grey, cloudy, wet, grey. I also forgot my yoga yesterday for the first time this December. Shoot. I had hopes of a run this afternoon after work, and am secretly planning a jaunt from home as soon as I get there. 2 miles max. Then I can take a hot shower and rooollllllllllll my ITB till I cry.

December

I still reside on the planet earth. Although sometimes it doesn't feel like it! I have been unnervingly inactive this past month +, so I hesitate to write. Running scares me lately because of the pain. I just want it to go away. The P90x plan lasted a couple weeks and then we just had to let it go. It was great while it lasted, but I won't really do the workouts if E doesn't do them (except for Ab ripper).

I did manage two runs over thanksgiving - one was actually a 1st annual sisterly turkey trot, about 3 or 4 k, I'm guessing. Slight knee pain towards the end, of course. But the run the day before turkey day was 3.25-ish miles with a few walk breaks and I finished super strong. Felt really good, and almost no pain.

Sassy posted a 25 day yoga challenge, which has motivated me to hit the mat, or otherwise stretch in some fashion, every day for the past 10. This has been really helpful in getting my health back on track post-thanksgiving (where things got a little out of hand). I've made a few December resolutions:

• Drink 1 L+ H2O every day
• Yoga every day
• ab work 2x weekly
• 2 weekly runs/yoga
• 2 beers max. per week
• gluten restriction
• sugar phase-out
• no dessert
• sub. coffee for tea
• add fruit/veg to every meal & snack

So, just general guidelines to get me back on track. I try and roll my ITB every night as well. I hope to start adding a few weekly runs this month, and seriously hope to start training again in January. Oh how I hope this will be so.