Get Use to It

You guys should really get use to me being gone all the time. In a few weeks I will be gone for three months.

Sorry to disappoint you. I know how much you all (maybe like two people) love me and my bitchiness.

It’s all good though. It’s all good.

Anyway…

Heyo!

Today included me riding my bike to the gym,

 My awesome bike shorts that give me a butt

sweating on the elliptical, lifting weights, running a mile, and then going to the Marine’s office.

There I did 100 sit ups. Killed it.

Did a flex arm hang for 70 seconds. Died.

Then, my recruiter drove me to the track where we had a tea party where I ran two miles in 18:04. Don’t laugh. I know I fail at running now. I did do my first mile in 6:28. That’s something considering I pulled something in my quad and it hurts like a bitch.

I haven’t run in… a few weeks. Seriously at least. I run at least a mile or two daily, but other than that, I have no desire to run so why force it, you know?

This happened before though except for not that long. I just biked instead everyday. Whatever. I better like running soon since I will be doing it all the time at boot camp.

Aye, I got results and photos from Race the Reaper that I did October 1st.

I game in 5th place in my heap, 51 place overall, and 6th female overall. I feel like I could have definitely done better. Whatever.

As you can see, I was pissed. What’s new?

So, I have been meaning to talk about my acupuncture appointments. I have had three acupuncture appointments and all of them were great. The first time I did it, I had a Groupon.

I did have a problem with my right foot again. After the appointment, my foot did feel better. Then, I went to a new acupuncture place that my mom paid for and, afterwards, my foot felt brand new. It helped so much and I was able to run better immediately. Of course, I still iced my foot, wore compression socks, and toe separater(?) socks to increase my recovery.

Even though I didn’t feel like running, I ran to test out my foot and to see if the acupunture indeed helped. It did in my opinion.

Acupuncture isn’t even painful. Basically, you get very fine point needles put wherever you feel some type of pain. The needles sit there for, like, 30 minutes while you sleep.

“Acupuncture, the treatment of pain and injury using thin, disposable needles, has a history dating back thousands of years in China. Although its practice and theory have evolved since being introduced to Japan, both styles share a similar focus: reducing pain and muscle imbalances by treating specific points of the body. Russ Stram, a New York-based licensed acupuncturist at Brill Physical Therapy, practices a mixed style. “Acupuncture follows Chinese medicine theory with the philosophy of restoring balance to the body,” he explains. “A practitioner takes a thorough history and examines the body for tight and painful areas, choosing points based on the meridian point system.” (Source.)

If you are a runner and are experience some muscle soreness or another type of injury, I recommend acupuncture instead of seeing a doctor who will just tell you to stop running.

“But more than recovery from injury, acupuncture’s greatest potential may come in injury prevention. According to Stram, “Running and training hard, whether it is fast acceleration sprints or long distance, takes a toll on the body. This is especially true of problem areas such as the back, hips and legs, which are most affected by running. Acupuncture needles can get directly to deep muscle bands to maximize the treatment effect. ” (Source.)

I loved acupuncture and will be going back once more before I leave in November.

Also, don’t be afraid to try a few different acupuncture specialists until you find one you like. My first experience with acupuncture was just okay so I tried it again and found someone better who knew what they were talking about. It was fantastic. Don’t be afraid of needles either. You literally feel nothing.

So, I’m going to wrap this up with some honorable eats:

 Tamale w/ tofu

Black bean burger

Not that great tasting, but I like that it’s crunchy
 I just started eating this bread. Love it.

Insane in the membrane

Yesterday was insane.

Of course I started my day off with a run.

I sure felt speedy. I slowed down obviously. In the end I was just running back and forth to get to an hour.

I went sleeveless even though it was cold out. Yes, cold in the summer!

Foot update: I have been waking up with less foot pain. Now I have a dull feeling/pain in my heel and the right side of my right foot feels iffy just by the small toe. I wish I could get it checked out, but that’s not going to happen. Whatever. For two days now I get home from the gym and dump my foot in a huge bucket of ice. That helps a lot. I wish there was something else I could do. Walking around barefoot in my house (or with socks) feels ehhhh compared to wearing shoes.

I got dressed yesterday in proper clothes. Insane!

Why am I wearing jeans even though it is summer time? Uh, because yesterday it was in the 60’s and cloudy. No sun whatsoever. Also, I haven’t shaved my legs since… Thursday? Maybe later than that. I was trying to wait until Sunday to shave since it’s tradition for me to wait the day before a race, but I am wearing shorts today. No more monkey hairy legs. You are welcome, America.

My dinner was insane!

That is a mountain of potatoes and a mountain of eggs covered with mushrooms, spinach, and yellow squash. I love eggs just not as much ice cream…

Yeah, I went there. I went to the all mighty Coldstone and got the ‘pie who loved me’. You know what’s insane? That was six bucks. So good.

Let the insane-ness continue…

Last night was traumatic. I normally don’t exaggerate so believe when I say that last night was really traumatic for me… and my two doggies.

I got home around nine PM. I have a German short hair pointer puppy that needs at least three walks a day otherwise, he gets crazy and tears up everything. Therefore, I went to walk him around the block with my dachshund Pete.  I already went down a few streets and I see this guy walking these two St. Bernard’s. I know these St. Bernard’s well. I see them often in the yard. Never have I seen them being walked though. Anyway, he could barely handle them. I just stood there, told Pete to stop barking, and waited for the guy to being walking again so I could continue. I walked some more, went up a big hill, and down a dirt alley and say the guy again. I stopped again because I saw he could not handle his dogs. His dogs came charging at my two little dogs and my dogs starting crying. His St. Bernard literally knocked my puppy to the ground and was ready to bite. My two dogs are crying and then they both come out of their collars. My dog Pete takes off running. I will remind you, Pete is a black dachshund and it’s dark out. He’s running down a busy street and you can barely see him. My other dog Dean takes off in the opposite direction. All this time, this guy with the two St. Bernard’s is doing NOTHING. I start running after Pete then stop because he is too far off and I have to worry about Dean. Luckily, two people come out of their house and help. They grab Dean for me. Did the guy with the St. Bernard’s say anything? No. He stood there. I thanked the people for grabbing Dean and I picked him up. He was shaking. I put his collar back on (my dogs were both on leashes) and apologized. Why did I apologize? I don’t know. I did not do anything wrong. I just took off running with Dean screaming for Pete because that’s when I saw two cars stopped. I thought, “Oh shit. He’s been hit. He’s hit.” I literally just start screaming and crying. I see another car speeding on a road that is 25 miles per hour and another car honking its horn. I just scream, “Slow down! Stop!” I thought for sure Pete was hit.

He wasn’t. This lady gets out of her car telling me to calm down and that my dog just kept running. I am bawling. I run down another street and just keep calling for Pete. Finally, I just think I should run home and tell my mom.

I get closer to home and my mom is yelling that Pete is there. Pete was fine. Dean was okay. They were just both shaken up. My mom asks me what happened and I can’t talk. I’m crying.  I was pissed too. I was pissed at the guy with the St. Bernard’s. If you can’t handle your dogs, walk one at a time or something. He never walks them anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I love St. Bernard’s. They are my favorite breed. I use to have one. It wasn’t the dogs’ fault. It was their owner.

Last night was just insane. What makes it even more insane is some guy at the store (before all of this went down) was in his car and kept trying to talk to me. Then he got out of his car and just watched me. I was so freaked out. He looked like a major creeper too. He had long hair that hasn’t been washed in weeks. Ugh.

Insane in the membrane.

Fortunately, today hasn’t been as insane.

It still included a run that I forgot to re-start my Garmin after 41 minutes. I bet it was around 8 miles though since I still went for an hour.

I’m going to hope that today isn’t as insane as yesterday. It’s gonna rock. How about that?

How about I not make that face again.

Have a great weekend and happy July!

Questions:
– Any insane stories you want to share?
– Best thing to get at Coldstone? 

No Hatin’

Hiya! Before I even start this post, I want to be a Negative Nancy opposed to my Positive Polly self. Well, I just want to voice my opinion for a moment so call me Voicing Victor. (??) Alrighty. Too many names.

The reason I don’t do WIAW is because I don’t want your comments on what I eat even if it is enough for everything that I do. I don’t want to read “you eat too much of that” or “no wonder why you’re hungry all the time” type of comments.

I should have known by posting my review of workouts this week that I would get shit. “Oh, you do so much. You are wasting your life. Take a rest. You need rest.”  First of all, who said I was working out all hardcore on the elliptical after my runs? It’s how I cool down. Who said I am even pushing myself to oblivion on my runs? Blogs are one dimensional. What I do and what I post can be two very different things.

As for rest, I take rest days when I know I need them. I understand athletes take rest days, but not all of them take them every week. They take them when they feel they need it or they take active rest days. 

If my workouts, what I eat, or how I post celebrity workouts bothers you, then whatever.

Yes, I said it. The end. 

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So, on Monday I successfully did a long run with my friend on the trails. We did approximately 11 miles.  I think my Garmin lost a signal at one point so it may be 12. Let’s just say 11. It was slow though. I’m not saying this to beep my own horn, but I was faster than my friend and she told me to go ahead. So I did then I would wait for her. I felt bad. I hate when you run with someone and you really have to slow down your pace.

But it was nice to run with someone. Besides, I love the trails. I could be on them all day. Holla for 11 miles!

That’s obviously how I run.

I had to refuel somehow and I wasn’t going to pay six dollars at Whole Food’s juice bar for a smoothie.

 Veggie pizza

Baskin Robin’s baseball nut and Reese’s ice cream

Seeing that I did 11 miles on Monday, Tuesday I just stuck to the elliptical and a strength & conditioning class.  My foot was feeling iffy. It doesn’t hurt, but it just doesn’t feel like my left foot. Perhaps it’s still getting used to running. I don’t know. As long as I don’t feel pain, I’m fine. No pain.

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I had work today at 7 AM, which meant I had a 5:30 wake up call. I don’t know how I took a shower and got dressed in under 20 minutes, but I did. Oh wait. I don’t shave my legs nor do I layer on makeup so that explains it.

Work has been going very well lately. I talked to the boss about working in the afternoons and it seems like they are looking into it. Also, I get to work immediately after my half marathon on Monday. Work it, girl. 

It may have not been the best idea to run 11.41 miles today. I didn’t plan it. I just kept going and I wasn’t thinking about anything. You ever have those runs when your mind is clear and you just listen to the sound of your breathing? That’s what happened so I kept going.

I did stop at New Seasons Market to pee and eat their free samples. Duh.

I don’t know why, but my half marathon that’s in like three days keeps slipping my mind. It’s not real to me yet. Not that running a half marathon is the big deal, but racing one… that’s getting to me. I’m such a perfectionist that it is making me nervous. What if I do not do that well? What if my foot gives out finally? Ahhh.

Remember when I said I see a marathon in the future? Well, I filled out form because I am interested in this one:

I love Tosh.0. I even saw Daniel Tosh live.

If you don’t know, I am a huge comedy fan. There was a time when I wanted to be a comedian. I would still like to be a comedian, but… I’m not  funny.

I could be a model though. I mean, look at me. I have so much in common with Jillian Michaels and Audrina Patridge.

Time for honorable eats: 

Questions:
– Do you run the day before a race?
– Who is your favorite comedian? 

Hey, slow poke!

Workout: Ran 5.46 miles in 38 minutes + a random cardio/weight/Plyometric based class at my gym (~48 minutes)

Gosh that is slow! Don’t laugh at me.  I am just getting off a foot injury again. That’s my excuse. I have new shoes. That’s another excuse.

2nd workout: 20 minute trail run. I was a sweaty mess and it was only twenty minutes. Lots of hills though.

I have until July 4th to get my ass in gear for the half marathon.

The good news is my foot is hurting way less and the Adidas shoes seem to be working out. I still may buy the New Balance 1190 since I have a coupon for Road Runners.  Who knows though? I do see some new Nike tempo shorts in my future. Might as well add to my collection. I really want some blue ones for the 4th of July.

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I can’t believe I forgot to do a Father Day’s post yesterday! Shame on me. First I run too slowly and now this? Who am I?

I do love my dad even though I rarely show it.

He’s my biggest fan when it comes to sports. When I play softball and basketball, he practiced with me. I still shoot hoops with him. When I have a race, he times me and waits for me at the finish line.

I can be quite the little jerk to him though. I only see my dad maybe once every three months because of his job and I rarely call him. He irritates me sometimes, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for me to not talk to him. I love him. I do. It’s just his personality that aggravates me. It could be worse, however. I could not even have a dad. True.

I think I owe someone an apology. After all, if I didn’t have him, I wouldn’t have a number one fan.

Questions that need an answer:

Are you and your father close?

Who is your number one fan when it comes to running/swimming/sports/etc?

What was your workout today? 

 By the way, go see Hangover 2. It may be exactly like the first  one, but it is nonetheless hilarious.

Running on Empty Review + Vitamins

Not too long ago I received Running on Empty from Matt.

I finished it! Yay for reading books!

I have to say, it was definitely a lot different from what I expected. I have read several running books from Dean Karnazes to Pam Reed, but Running on Empty by Marshall Ulrich was raw. Karnazes’ running novels are simple and make you feel like he can run forever without any problems. Same with Pam Reed. She makes it seem like she just runs and runs without any challenges. For Ulrich, however, there is raw intensity when he runs.

In his book, he shows his struggles and all the bumps in the road he had to overcome to run across America. It seems like one problem after another with injuries (I feel ya) and his sidekick quitting. Ulrich also adds raw intensity when he reveals that he runs most likely because he is running away from his upsets like the death of his first wife and failed marriages. In addition, his book doesn’t seem to purely focus on running. No doubt it is a book about running, but something about it adds a whole new level. He’s honest and throws out a few curse words, which I love. (Hey, I’m Italian. I swear.) To put it in plain terms, Ulrich is a man who runs and still faces everyday challenges just like the rest of us runners. He doesn’t come across as a superman runner like Karnzes, but there is no question that he has superman qualities to never stop running across America. He seems more human and more of  runner like you and I.

“As for me, sure, there’s an underlying compulsion: survivor’s guilt and a need to punish myself, to prove myself, to face down my own mortality, to defy death. But my running is also a reflection of my upbringing, a work ethic, a personal challenge. My love of history gets interwoven, too – the feats of other people in other times – coupled with the alluring possibility that I might be able to go farther, faster, today.”
I highly recommend it if you love running or just reading. It’s summer after all. Go read a book. 

———————————————————————————————

It seems like all I do right now is research foot pains. I know that the first time I hurt my foot, it had to be plantar fasciitis. Then, I did some more research and came across cuboid syndrome which is a subluxation or disruption of the cuboid bone which lies on the outside of the foot.

 

 

 

No matter what I have, I have been strength training. I’ve been working on strengthening my calves, quads, and glutes. When I get up in the morning, my foot hurts so I do some stretches. Currently, as in right this very moment, my foot feels fine. Like, I’m really surprised. Knock on wood. 

In addition, to strength training, I bought iron. I had a little light-bulb in my head go off. This may be TMI, but whatever. I don’t get a period. A lot of athletes don’t either so don’t give me that shit that I’m too skinny. It’s not uncommon. Anyway, I don’t get a period so ding ding ding, maybe I am iron deficient. I think I hit it on the money. I told this to my mom and she agrees. We went to Target and bought some iron vitamins.

Everyday, nonetheless, I do take vitamins.

I take:

•  Vitamin D to support my teeth, bone and immune health.
• Calcium magnesium zinc to help build strong bones and teeth as well as reduce the risk of osteoporosis and  support healthy muscle contraction.
• B-complex to help convert food into energy, maintain nervous system health, and help red blood cell and protein formation.

Perhaps taking Iron will help my injury heal faster. I will do anything at this point. You guys would too since I bet you’re sick of hearing about it.

Now on to honorable eats:

 Greek yogurt + protein powder + grapes + Nugo bar in a jar

Fish and falafel
Lemon coconut cake
Tofu 

Ever heard of cuboid syndrome?
Do you take vitamins?
Read any good books lately? 

In case you missed it:
Running Shoes > Regular Shoes 
Working Chick

Running Shoes > Regular Shoes

I wish I had miracle news and could say my foot is all better, but it’s not. I did roll it out today, did some stretching, and iced. I am hoping for anything at this point. This is the second time and I am sick of it.

Whateva, whateva. Time goes on. No need to call the waaahhhhh-bulance.

I’ve been doing some shoe research and narrowed it down to these bad boys that may help my plantar fasciitis:

   New Balance 890 

“Engineered from the ground up, the neutral 890 is a new kind of lightweight shoe, each part designed with purpose. The full ground contact outsole is just as compatible with midfoot and forefoot strikes as it is with a traditional heel strike. Innovative diamond shapes cut in relief from the extra-durable REVlite midsole provide as much function as fashion, and the coordinating diamond motif on the outsole helps with grip and transition.”

I like the fact that they have flat laces that slide through uniquely flat lacing holes, locking them in place and preventing top-of-foot discomfort. I actually really, really like these.

Women’s Saucony ProGrid Guide 4

“The perfect everyday training shoe, the ProGrid Guide 4 is the next rendition of the award-winning ProGrid Guide 3. Ideal for light stability runners, the Guide 4 offers a dual density midsole for motion control and support throughout the entire gait cycle – ensuring a great run every time!”

I’m somewhat iffy on these.

Saucony ProGrid Mirage 

“This shoe combines midsole heights often associated with a racing shoe, but provides enough cushioning and protection for daily running. The result is a light weight trainer that provides a smooth ride and with a touch of support, the Mirage works well for neutral runners or mild over-pronators.”

Those are it for now. What running shoe works best for you? And, if you suffered from a running injury such as plantar fasciitis, what running shoe helped?

——————————————————————————————

Good thing I got a job and a second interview for another job on Tuesday because I have a huge wishlist.

I definitely want an iPhone.

Another pair of Vans. I have like ten or so. If I’m not wearing running shoes, I am in a pair of Vans.
 Hello! I need summer clothes. More shorty shorts and rompers please.
 And I need to load up on protein. I wish I could find all the awesomesauce flavors you guys get like cake mix or whatever.
Well, the rest of my Saturday is going to be spent at the mall and eating food that may include Dairy Queen’s blizzard of the month. But I don’t want to get ahead of myself.

Have a good weekend!

Honorable eats from a shitty phone:

Starbuck’s egg white + spinach + feta wrap

Iced coffee
Sushi x 4854

Question of today:

What’s on your wishlist? 

Working Chick

I mentioned not too long ago that I got a job. Basically I move senior citizens to retirement homes. I pack boxes, unpack boxes, and walk to and from rooms in retirement homes. It’s simple honestly. You know me and the old people… we are like bffs except when they get all crabby because they don’t like change and never want to part with any of their shit antiques.

I work every day next week and I worked two days this week already. I now have some more money. Holla! I’m just exhausted. I wake up before six, shower, eat, clean the house, go to work, come home, workout, come back home, clean, eat, and hopefully get to bed before 10:30. I don’t want any sympathy because I understand this is life. People work. Get over it.

Fortunately, yesterday I attended a little seminar on running. It covered the foot and injuries as well as barefoot running. The more I learned about running injuries, the more I think I have plantar fasciitis. However, my heel doesn’t hurt. It’s more the side of my foot and the top on the right side. It is not necessarily painful, but it doesn’t feel right. You know? This time it’s the right side when a month ago I believe it was the left. Again, I’m icing and not  running even though I have a half marathon on July 4th.

I am doing these stretches for my foot that the seminar recommended. It just pisses me off to no end. How come last week I had an amazing running week and then BAM! It’s over.

I switched back to super old shoes (that have hundreds of miles on them) because my Green Silences

killed my knee. I need new shoes again. I am not running until I get some. Hey! I have a job now so…

Any shoe recommendations for plantar fasciitis OR just shoes that work best for medium arched runners? No Nikes please. 

I’m also loaded in the bank currently thanks to getting money from my godmother and brother’s girlfriend. Then, I get money for every A on my report card. I have 5 A’s and two B’s.

Perhaps I’ll spend the rest of my money (yes, I’ll save some) on an iPhone. I’ve been wanting one for so long. I don’t know if it’s worth it though since I don’t text a lot.

As if I’m not busy enough, I applied to two other stores to work at and they haven’t contact me back. I’m bummed. I really want to work at Lamb’s Market. I also called about being their cake decorator, but they told me it’s for experienced decoraters only. How awesome would that be if I was a cake decortor? I could only dream.

Speaking of cakes…

Honorable cakes of the week:

Strawberry cake
Caramel cake
Banana cake  

By the way, the newest issue of Runner’s World is great.

The stories are all incredible. I apologize, but I liked Lance’s interview the most. I know he’s been in the news lately and he’s been accused of doping, but I don’t think he actually did any steroids or what not. I think he’s too compassionate about his sport and running to cheat at them. I don’t know though. What do you think?

Graduate

I got three words for you:

high school graduate

Graduation itself may be long and boring, but whatever. I’m not a high school student anymore. I feel like I am done with school forever except – sike – not really.

For graduation, my mom, dad, brother, and godmother went to the Corbett Fish House. They claim they have healthy fried fish. This is there little paragraph on their menu:
“It’s no accident we have Portland’s Best Fish & Chips. Besides top quality fish and the best French fries on the market, we use 100% rice bran oil. The tastiest of all the cooking oils, it’s not hydrogenated and contains no trans-fats. We filter the oil twice a day to keep it clean.

We simply bread the fish in brown rice flour, not a batter, so our Fish & Chips is Gluten-Free.

The combination of clean, high-quality oil and a light dusting of rice flour creates a delicious and healthful serving of fish. This process actually seals and steams the fish. Done correctly, deep frying is a dry cooking technique that produces elegant, greaseless foods with crisp coatings and succulent interiors.”

 I end up trying oyster shooters for the first time. They were okay, but I would not get them to me. They don’t have that much taste. I also got a salad and walleye fish and ‘chips‘. The chips were sweet potato fries.

The Corbett Fish House was so delicious! They were semi cheap, had great food, and were just really quaint.  Next time I am going back I am getting the clam chowder my dad ordered. It was the bomb.

Afterwards we went home and had some Dairy Queen ice cream cake that I picked out. It was German chocolate. Best thing ever.

By the way, Dairy Queen’s blizzard of the month is brownie batter. I will be making a special trip for that soon.

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My week is jam packed and I just started summer vacation. I have a job interview tonight, I want to run my puppy on the trails, I have another job interview this week, and then work coming up. It’s all making me anxious and overwhelmed. When can I fit things in? Yes, by ‘things’ I mean working out. Does that mean I am obsessed with my body? No. It means I enjoy being healthy and getting a good sweat in. I’m also just anxious because I wanted to start swimming lessons. After all, I do have some $$$ to spend after graduation.

I will be adding some new strength exercises in my routine because my foot started to hurt again. Well, it’t not exactly painful, but I know it doesn’t feel right. I think I have been dealing with plantar fasciitis. Any ideas on how to correct this problem? I have been rotating my shoes to see if it’s just my shoes. I don’t think it is. It’s difficult to even tell. I still need to wear my Vibrams more. I think that will help significantly.

Any suggestions would be lovely.

My godmother did get me these:

They are awesome and everything, but they’re too narrow in my midfoot section so I don’t think I will be wearing them any time soon.

Now onto my favorite part… honorable eats!

 Coconut donut
Asparagus + mushroom + goat cheese bread pudding
Vegan chocolate peanut butter cake
Crab cakes
Lemon meringue pie
 Goats milk yogurt!

Do you like/eat fish and chips?

Ever tried goats milk/yogurt/cheese?