Waaaahhhhh!!!!

• I miss Tracker and my Run for Life teammies!!!!


• I miss being able to run long like I used to. I feel like I'm back to square one!!!


• WTH happened to some of the blogs? Since I've been back from vacation, you need special access to read them. :(


• It's getting too cold out! I hate the cold!


• I so unmotivated at work!


• I need to catch up on housework!


• I need to remember to pay my bills before the end of the month!


• I need to put up my Christmas decorations!
• I need to update my workout log on the sidebar!


• I'm getting fat!

On a positive note, here's another picture of my cute niece at 2 weeks old. It's kind of blurry, but she's just too adorable in this picture! :)

Turkey Day 5K

Ran a Turkey Day 5K this morning - I've always wanted to run a 5K on Thanksgiving Day.

The race started at around 10 am which was perfect since it's early enough in the morning without it being too early (does that make sense? LOL). Weather was PERFECTION!!!! The race was around this river near my parents house and it was just beautiful!

My time was slllooooowwww though. First off, I set out to do this race just as a fun run and was just going to run this race easy so not too aggravate the knee and IT band. Once I was off, I was actually running at a fairly decent pace while still feeling relaxed. For the first 2 miles, I thought I was actually going to finish at a decent time! However, the side stitch that I started feeling around the first mile just wouldn't go away and was too hard to ignore by mile 3. So I walked some. Finished in 30:58 (3.13 miles) according to Garmin.

Oh well!!! Still happy overall since the knee and IT band held up throughout the race. The outside of my knee started feeling stiff later in the day, but I just massaged around it and it eventually loosened up. Of course, I must have massaged it too hard coz I now have this big ugly bruise around the area.

Thank God I did this race since I ended up having 2 Thanksgiving meals! First, we had lunch at my brother's house. With a 2-weeks old baby and all, they really couldn't go anywhere yet. Then for dinner, went to another friend's house for another big meal. I feel like a stuffed bird!

Me and my niece...

Isn't she adorable?

She's only a little bit over a week and still sleeping a lot. She is a really calm baby though. I can't wait when she grows up and I can take her shopping! LOL.

I'm still working on my vacation pictures. We took A LOT! Between my camera, my mom's, and my dad's there's just so much to sort through! So please be patient! I will post them, I promise!

Yesterday as I was driving home from my parents house, I passed by Philadelphia and saw the runners running along the Schuykill River for the Philadelphia Half/Full Marathon...that one that I'm missing. :( I felt a tinge of sadness for only a moment, but it wasn't so bad. For the most part, I am at peace with the fact that I made the right decision. I did honk at them twice as a show of support. :)

The good news is that I was able to run PAIN FREE last night for a grand whopping distance of 3.5 miles! Whoot whoot!!! I probably could have gone longer, but decided to play it conservatively for now. The Turkey Day 5K that I am hoping to run on Thursday sure is looking good! And OMG! I am actually contemplating a 10K next weekend! We shall see how the knee holds up. I WILL GET THROUGH THIS INJURY!!!!

Leslie - Don't worry, I will keep doing something. I've enjoyed wearing size 0/2 for over 2 years now I'm not about to backslide. Thanks for the reminder though. :)

Thank you again everyone! Have a great Thanksgiving!

My first DNS

Looks like I'm not going to do this weekend's Philadelphia Half Marathon. Goodbye $96 reg. fee! My ITBS is still acting up in a big way. I could still run, but really slow and it hurts like a mo fo beotch after a couple miles!

My PT said that I could still do the half if I do one of the following:

• Run really easy so it doesn't aggravate my IT band.
• Run until it starts to hurt then walk the rest of the way.
• Walk the entire thing

Walking doesn't bother my IT band at all, but the idea of walking a huge portion of the 13.1 miles course is just tortuous to my mind. Physically I KNOW I can do it. But why?

My PT did say that the most ideal solution for me is to rest or ease up on the running for a while, until the IT band heals. So that's what I'm going to do...a couple of 5Ks before the year ends, LOL. Am I stubborn or what! ;)

And I don't want to hear this whole BS about DFL>DNF>DNS!!! It is tougher for me to stay behind and not do the race. And in this case, I KNOW I am making the right decision. Besides, I am only 32 yrs old - plenty of races yet in my future as long as I stay relatively injury-free (Please God!).

The good news is that I am back from my vacation! And what an awesome vacation it was! Pictures to follow, once I get done sorting through the hundreds we took.

And THE BEST news of all...I'm a new aunt!!! My beautiful niece was born last Friday, an hour before we landed in Philadelphia! What a nice welcome home present!

So you see, it's still ALL GOOD! :)

It's finally here!

I'm leaving on vacation! I'll be back in Nov.!

My half marathon in Nov. is looking highly doubtful? Remember my pain at 12 miles of my half marathon last weekend? Well, it's still haunting me. I have an honest to goodness pain-in-the-ASS ITBS. Like, not just soreness of the knees. Like painful enough to stop you on your tracks...and I don't use the word "pain" very lightly.

I was able to shuffle along last Thursday with 4.6 miles. For Saturday's long run, I made it to 5ish miles before I got the pain. I don't know how many times I had to stop and stretched it out. Around 5ish to 6ish I would run a little then walk, then repeat. By 6ish I couldn't run a step and had to walk the remaining ~2.5 miles home. It was the longest walk of my life! Luckily, it didn't hurt at all when I walk.

I'm really bummed. But, I'll keep my hopes open. I'll take it easy, stretch, do a bunch of leg exercises, etc. Last week, my regular physiotherapist was on vacation so I couldn't even get advice.

For now I'll focus on enjoying my vacation. :)

AC 1/2 Marathon Race Report

I know y'all been waiting for this!

Anyways, yes I just ran my second half marathon in Atlantic City today. I'm going to apologize right off the bat, since I know this is going to be novel-length.

I decided to do this race as a training run. I'm going on a long vacation starting next week, so running opportunities may be limited. I wanted to get a 13.1 quality miles before I leave since I'm planning on running the Philadelphia Half Marathon a week after I come back in November.

I had a lot of doubts coming into this race. First of all, I had a hard time finding my motivation after PDR a month ago. For the past couple of weeks, I only managed 2 10-milers as my longest runs. Then Friday morning, I woke up feeling crappy, like I was coming down with something. I hoped that it was only due to the change of the weather, but I didn't take any chances and loaded up on Airborne. LOL.

I felt better today, thankfully. It was still dark when we drove 45 minutes to Atlantic City. I think I got a good 10 minutes nap in the car. We got there an hour and a half before the start of the race. No lines at all when I picked up my race packet, shirt, & chip.

Nothing much happening after that as we waited for the start. I hung out inside the Showboat Casino, stretched, people watched, munched on jelly beans, etc. Even got in 2 bathroom breaks. I headed out about 15 minutes before the start. The weather at that time was sunny and cool. I was actually shivering at the start line.

The course started out on the Boardwalk, which was really flat. The view of the ocean was beautiful! The first half of the race felt like I was facing headwind, which felt really great since I was already getting hot around the first mile.

Around mile 4, we veered right onto a bridge and into the roads. I took my first gel at around mile 5, then continued running until we hit mile 6.5 and headed back. I was counting on the tailwind after the halfway point since we were heading back the same way. But nothing! I was getting really hot at this point. When we ran back to the boardwalk, the sun was shining directly at us...no shade whatsoever! After a while I wanted any kind of wind just to cool me off!

At around mile 8, I started running behind this woman. I would run right behind her then she would speed up. We did this for some time. Then she would break up in song, like really loud! And even flail her arm around! I don't even know if she's part of the race because when I got next to her, she didn't have a bib #. I'm guessing she's local and just went out for a nice run on the boardwalk.

I was doing really well until mile 12. That's when my right knee started getting sore. I decided to walk for a bit, then a woman tapped me in the back and said "Come on, let's go!" I thanked her and took off.

Around mile 12.5, I got a really sharp pain on the side of right knee, in which case I definitely had to walk. People started passing me, but I didn't care since it was hurting pretty bad. I made the Trump Taj Mahal overpass as my marker to start running, which I did even though my knee was protesting. I kept telling myself "Just get it done!". I saw the finish line ahead and it felt so far away! Saw my mom cheering me on as I (sort of) sprinted to the finish.

My clock finish time was 2:11:36(?) - a personal best!!!! I beat my previous half marathon time by 3 minutes!

Throughout the race, I kept looking at my Garmin because it kept telling me I was averaging around ~9 min/mile. I've never done that! It felt like I was running at a relaxed pace. Must be the ocean air.

It also turned out that I set a 10-mile PR as well of ~1:37, which was way better than my ~1:41 from the Broad Street Run.


I'm very happy with my time. But, a part of me is disappointed that I didn't get below 2:10, which was within my grasp if it wasn't for this darn knee!

Speaking of knee, it's really hurts! Not swollen though, thank God! I think it's my IT band since it's on outside of my knee. I'm iceing, taking pain killers, and keeping my fingers crossed. I have PT tomorrow, which will hopefully help.

I hung out a bit to watch the winners from the full marathon cross the finish line. The winner for men crossed at around 2:54. Really fast, but not Kenyan standard. This was a really low key race so no elites.

Overall, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this race! It's very low key compared to the Philly races, but very well organized with tons of course support along the way. It was wierd running through the Boardwalk among the regular people, but I think it's part of the charm of this race. There are also lots of CLEAN bathrooms along the course - just walk into one of the casinos! And based on my time, I think there's a better chance of setting PRs on this race compared to Philly. Plus, you get a free voucher for a buffet meal in the Showboat Casino. Of course, I still won't give up Philly.

That's it! Thanks for reading!

Here are some pics!

Before the race, hanging out inside the Showboat Casino:

Still before the race, but outside the casino:

Trying to sprint to the finish line:

After the race, with my medal. Notice I switched my knee brace. That's because I was in pain!

Guys at the gym

So lately, I've been going to my work gym after work for weight lifting and extra cardio. I run in the mornings.

Unfortunately, there's this group of guys that just stink up a storm in the gym! I mean NASTY SMELL! Like beyond B.O. Not to sound racist or anything, but I'm guessing that these guys are the same nationality since they're always speaking to each other in their native tongue, whatever that is. Judging by the smell, I'm guessing it's not just BO but something they eat that permeates out of their pores when they sweat. Really foul!

One time, I was in the shoulder press machine when one of the guys started using the machine next to mine. Since I was in the middle of my sets, I stuck it out, prayed, and tried to hold my breath as much as possible (very hard to do when you're supposed to be working hard). I finally got done and went to another machine farther from the guy when I felt dizzy and had to hold on to the nearest solid thing next to me. It was that bad!

Another time, I had the misfortune of being on one of the elliptical machine and one of the guys decided to hop on the one next to mine. Ugh!

On the other hand, there's a new guy at the gym. From what I can tell, he doesn't smell. And OMG...is he HAWWWT!!!! Like GQ-model hot with muscles!!! I first noticed him today but I was so involved with my workout that I just looked at him, took note of his hotness, and continued with my business.

Well, my friend was there too and she also noticed him. Apparently, he's just been going for a couple of days and when he first came the whole female population in the gym that time took notice. As a matter of fact, one of the gym bunnies that work there was all a-giggly.

So on one hand, I have stinky guys. And in the opposite is Mr McHotty eye-candy. Hmmm...

So that's the only interesting thing going on with me.

Still planning to run the half marathon this weekend. Since my last half marathon, my long runs have been a 6-miler and two 10-milers. I'm in so much trouble!

I can't win!

Hi loyal readers! Sorry I've been MIA from this blog and from commenting on your blogs. I've been sooooo busy lately! Still running and working out. Also, work has been keeping me busy, especially with my upcoming long vacation.

Anyways, I'm still planning on running the Atlantic City Half Marathon. Hopefully, the weather's nice. The website is really lacking so I have no idea what to expect with this race. They have a map of the course but it only shows water stations on the first half of the course!?! Looks like I'll be carrying my fuel belt during this race, which is going to be a pain in the A$$. Not to mention that marathonguide.com gave it poor reviews. I'm just going to have to wing it.

I am having a hard time getting motivated again after my last half marathon. I was able to get 10 miles LSD run on the treadmill last night, so with another long run next weekend, I hope I'll be ready for the AC half in 2 weeks.

I'm still going to PT. ITBS seems to be gone (keeping my fingers crossed), so I'm only dealing with chondromalacia patella. My left knee has improved greatly. Unfortunately, my right knee has caught up. LOL. So now, I'll be wearing matching knee braces. So onwards with more leg strengthening exercises!

My very first half marathon...

Thank you guys for checking in and for all your support. Above all, thank you for believing in me! I am done with my first half marathon and I am happy with it. Here's a detailed report (apologies in advance for the length). I'll highlight my finish time if you want to skip to it. ;)

Pre-race
I crashed at around 9:30 the night before. But I woke up at around midnight with a sore knee. I think I turned in my sleep and must have turned the wrong way on my right knee and it cramped up. Luckily, it got better once I started moving around. I was too tired to do anything so I proped a pillow under my knee and tried to get back to sleep. I was so nervous that I think I woke up at least 5 times before the alarm went off.

I had my stuff ready the night before so all I had to do in the morning was change and eat my breakfast. I was a big ball of nerves though so all I was able to eat was a slice of WW toast with PB and a cup of tea with honey. I was so nervous I was almost sick to my stomach.

I got to the race area in good time. My dad dropped me off near the Art Museum while he and my mom went to find parking. I met with some friends then headed to the nearest port-a-potties. The line went on forever! One of my friend was kind enough to save my spot while I ran to get my bag checked in.

Race
It was a really close call. We were in line for so long that we were still there when the race started. Luckily, we got done quickly enough that most of the people were still walking towards the starting line. I just kept walking through the crowd until I saw most people around me had "13" in their bibs, which indicate our corral #.

I passed by starting line and everything was just a blur from then on. I remember looking up at the starting line and seeing Philly's Mayor Street standing on a platform, cheering the runners on (can't miss the hair, ya know. ;)). I heard my mom calling me so I waved at her.

We weaved through the streets of Philadelphia. The sun was in my eyes the whole time so I cannot even tell you where we were because I was looking on the ground the whole time. My dad later asked me if we passed by City Hall and I couldn't even tell him!

I had my first drink of water at around mile 3. I usually don't need it until mile 5, but I decided to play it conservatively since this is my first half marathon. At around mile 4, I remember seeing a runner with a shirt that says that he beat open heart surgery. I thought that was really inspirational.

At around mile 4.5, I saw my parents and slowed down a bit so my dad can take a picture of me running.

Shortly after that was a water stop. The next water stop was supposed to be a little bit after mile 5, but I figured it must have been off a bit so I decided to go ahead and take my first gel then. Thankfully, it was the right decision because the next water stop was a couple of miles later.

We ended up around Kelly Drive, with the Schuykill River on the right hand side. At around mile 6, I remember looking across the river and seeing all the fast runners already making their way back to the Art Museum.

The entire course was fairly flat, until around mile 8.6 where we go a little bit uphill to a bridge to get across the river. Normally, this wouldn't even be considered a hill but at that mile, I definitely felt it in my glutes. Luckily, it didn't last long and it was all downhill once we crossed the bridge.

At around mile 9, I remember being passed by a girl who I was running on her toes! I swear her heels didn't even touch the ground. And she was obviously a serious overpronator. But whatever she was doing, it must be working for her because, like I said, she passed me.

I took my 2nd gel at around mile 10 and kept telling myself "only 5K more!". Some girl passed me with some serious B.O., and for the first time I was happy for someone (her in particular) to pass me. If I had some energy in me, I would have yelled at yer to "Run like the wind!". With my luck, I would have gotten her backdraft. LOL.

I really started hurting at around mile 12. It was bad enough that I had to walk a couple of times to ease off some cramping in my legs. At this time, I knew I was well under my goal time so I decided to take it easy until the very end.

I picked up my pace at around mile 13. However, everybody had the same idea because it felt like a big wave of people passed me. However, I was determined to get a good finishing picture for once! My last one at the Broad Street Run was horrible! I was blocked by a big guy on all the shots. So this time, I made sure nobody was around me, even though I was still running in the low 9 min/mile pace. I made sure I was smack dab in the middle of the finish line banner with my hands held high! Now, if I don't get a good picture from that, then I'm definitely cursed!

My finishing time? I signed up for this race after the Broad Street Run with a goal finishing time of 2:20. I was in a post-race euphoria then and injury-free. Since then, I have suffered from chondromalacia patella and ITBS and my training has had its good days and bad days. So I revised my goal to just finish in under 2:30. I finished in 2:25 on my last 13.1 training run, so I know sub 2:30 was doable. But I'm happy to say that I smashed my goal and finished in an official chip time of 2:14:46!!!

Post-race
I got my chip cut off and quickly got my medal. Luckily, my parents were able to find me among the crowd of people. I quickly got my bags in truck #10, which was lucky indeed since truck #9 had a line to Timbuktu! I was cramping up and needed banana pronto! So I'm sorry to say but I cut the long line to the food and snuck some goodies in between people.

We got some pictures taken around the Art Museum. I even got a picture taken with Rocky. Rocky was very in demand so I had to fight my way amongst runners and tourists to get the picture taken. I also got my free Spenco sandals after that, which was way too big for my 5 1/2 feet!

Walking back to the car was slow. But I wasn't the only one suffering. We were joking about needing some cortisone shots because our legs were sore.

My overall impression of the PDR is positive. I'll definitely do it again! Fast & flat course, great weather, what else could you ask for? The only thing is I wish they had more entertainment along the course. There were miles around Kelly Drive where it was dead silence except for the pounding of the feet and conversations from fellow runners. Luckily, I had my iPod. And just for the record, I had people almost bumping into me, and ALL of them did not have earphones. So it's not the iPod people!

Oh yeah, and running skirts rock!!!

Day After
OMG! I'm in pain! My legs are so sore! The good news is that it's sore enough that it's making the knee issue secondary. ;) I'm also experiencing some pain on the outside arch of my right leg. I think it's from the horrible cambered roads along the course. I used to do the AIDS Walk along the same path years ago and experienced the same kind of pain. I'm going to ice and massage which will hopefully help.

I have a massage scheduled after work, which I am looking forward too. I also bought The Stick at the expo so I've been using that continuously.

Pictures

The elites (Kenyans) lining up at the start of the race:

And the elites are off! See me running with them? Didn't think so. ;)
Still smiling at mile 4.5. :)

Can you see me? I'm the little lilac dot in the distance. This was taken towards the end of the race and I was hurting! I don't know what I'm doing here. Either I'm looking at my Garmin and hoping for the end, or looking at the ground and praying for it to swallow me. LOL
Posing in front of the Art Museum, proudly displaying my finisher's medal! Don't you just love my knee brace!

Gotta have a picture with Rocky! I had to fight my way through other runners and tourists to get this taken. ;)

Trying to get a formal picture done. Don't know what that idiot next to me was doing.

Final Countdown

10 more days guys! I'm so nervous! I'm switching between wanting the half marathon to be here and over with and wanting for more time!

My training is going. I expected my weekly mileage to be up to 30 mpw, but the most I have done I think is about 25 mpw. I hope that's enough. I was supposed to run yesterday but was just too exhausted! This morning I ran ~3 miles. I was supposed to run more after work but I currently have a migraine. Taper starts this weekend, so down to 10 miles for my weekend long run. As you can see, not much mileage going on. But I am getting my long runs in, which I hope will help get me through.

Physical therapy is going well. My ITBS is greatly improved, although there are still some tightness in the leg muscles. Chondromalacia patella is still there, although better. The leg strengthening exercises are really helping. Today was supposed to be my last day, but my therapist wants to re-evaluate in another 2 weeks. I still have to keep up with the exercises though.

That's it! Nothing much going on but I just wanted to give an update of my boring life. ;)

Injury and Physical Therapy

My training last week sucked...BIG TIME! I only got in a 5-miles run. For the first time, the pain in my leg flaired up. It actually hurt just to walk. So no running at all for about a week. :(

I had my first PT appt. last Friday. All my therapist did was evaluate my leg and told me to do a couple of stretches for my IT band 5x20 seconds, twice a day. His conclusions: really tight IT band, knee tracking a little bit off on the right and a lot off on the left, weak leg muscles esp. the adductor, and some kind of biomechanical imbalance with the way I walk (aggravated when I run long distances of course).

I am falling apart, people! LOL.

After Friday's PT session, I was sooooo sore all weekend! Who knows what a few stretches could do? So I bagged my long run this weekend. Hope it doesn't put much of a crimp to my half marathon training. I did run 13.15 miles the weekend before after all!

My 2nd PT session was last Monday and we did more strength training as well as deeper stretches for my IT band. My leg felt so strong and knees stable afterwards that I actually ran 3.25 (mostly pain-free) miles when I got home, LOL. I could have ran more, but I didn't want to overdo it since I was off for a week.

Bottom line, my therapist didn't forbid me from running. He just said to be careful and we will work on strengthening my legs. :)

I did have to re-evaluate my goals for this upcoming half marathon though. My mantra is now "Fun and Finish". I'll just enjoy the moment and worry about beating a certain time later on...like maybe next year or something. The PT sessions are helping tremendously and we will really get into strength training in the upcoming sessions so we shall see.

I am psyched that there is now a runner's team in BFL tracker. For a time, I felt kind of out of place when I visited the site since most of the posts are geared towards losing weight and training for a figure/bodybuilding competition. Don't get me wrong, both are very worthwhile causes, but you could say my goals just wasn't fitting in. So now, I'm back to posting there on a more regular basis. :)

This weekend is going to be kind of busy for me. Of course, long run in the morning. Then I'm going to my college friend's daughters' b-day party. The little chipmunks are turning 1 and 2 :o). My other college friends will be there as well so I can't wait! Then I'm taking my mom to see "Wicked" in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon.

What else? I'm contemplating a trip to Portugal next year. I used to go to Europe at least once a year, but haven't been able to for the last couple of years. It has just gotten way to expensive to go there, which I think is due to the increase in air fare (gas!) and the increase of Euro to USD. So I'm still thinking about it. It all depends if I can pull it off budget-wise.

That's it! Later!

Nothing like a dirtbag to ruin a good thing

A friend of mine forwarded me this email that she got from another friend of hers.

Note: I changed some details to protect the affected parties. :0)

From: ParvatiPatil@hogwarts.com
Sent: Friday, August 10, 2007 9:33 PM
To: Bones, Susan
Subject: Woman attacked on Shrieking Shack Trail

Susan~Here's the account of the attack I told you about. Be careful!! Parvati

Hi Everyone - My friend's daughter was attacked yesterday on the Shrieking Shack bike trail. She was jogging in the late afternoon wearing an iPod and a man wearing a mask came up behind her and started hitting her with a heavy stick and trying to drag her off the trail. She fought very very hard and he gave up and ran off. Some other people then came along and called the police and she was taken to the hospital where DNA samples were taken from under her fingernails. Luckily, she is okay. The police also found the stick. But the man is still on the loose so I wanted everyone to be extra careful and vigilant if they go on the trail. I believe the attack occurred in Hogsmeade, past Madam Puddifoot's.

My choice of names asides, this email is for real! Yes my friends...the trail in question is where I do my weekend long runs. In fact, I pass by this specific area all the time! :(

I'm trying not to be upset about it and trying to put things in prospective. The said attack happened on a late Thursday afternoon. Typically, the trail is not as busy on the weekdays especially at this time. I run at peak time (Saturday mornings) and there are tons of people at the trail at all times. There are times where I'm alone, but it's no more than a minute before someone else comes along.

It does bring the message home to always be alert, no matter what. And even though I run at a busy time, I will now be scouring the net for pepper spray.

I think I'm going to be okay...

....for my first half marathon this September!!!

I just ran 13.15 miles yesterday! And I still have over a month to go! I even went well below my goal time for the race, albeit a very conservative goal time. ;-). I had to due to my knee.

The fact that it was a lot less humid helped a lot. I even went over the first five miles without walking or needing to hydrate. I could have gone longer but I have to force myself to take a break and remind myself that it's a long run and I have to take my sports gel. Normally, I have a routine going where for long runs, I take walk breaks every 2.5 miles so I can sip water and/or take my sports gel at the 5-mile markers. But I felt really strong during the beginning of my run that I didn't want to break the rhythm.

Legs are kind of sore today. The knee is the same. But otherwise I feel fine.

Now, if I can only work on speed. I'm thinking good thoughts though. Yesterday's run was on a trail, which was mostly gravel and your feet sinks to the ground quite a bit. And since I didn't need water too much, my hydration pack was almost full till the end.

I also threw in a hill at the final mile. It's up this bridge one way, then on the return route. What was funny was when I was on top of the bridge, I noticed all the other runners around me disappeared. I looked down and realized that there was a path under the bridge that is obviously flat and they were all taking that route. Well, if only I have know....;-D

Here's hoping my knee stays put and I at least finish at a decent time during the race!

Oh, and I hit a breakthrough of sorts in today's morning yoga class! You know when you do the sun salutation, and you go from plank, then down (sort of like a push-up), then upward-facing-dog, then downward-facing dog? Well, I can never do the push-up part without having to put my knees on the floor. Today it finally happened! I did it without having to put my knees down! And it was so effortless, I didn't even realize I was doing it! Yay me! LOL.

Next poses to master - crow pose and wheel pose. Did I mention I suck at yoga? These poses are supposed to come naturally to women, especially the wheel pose. But, not for me. Some things to work on, I guess. But I'll get there! =)

Diagnosis

ITB Tendinitis and Chondromalacia Patella.

I finally went to the orthopedist today and that's what he diagnosed for my knee condition. But, they're fairly mild enough that he's not too concerned at this point. He didn't even recommend an MRI. Although if it does get worse, I probably will have to get one sometime in the future. Anyways, he recommended to continue wearing my neoprene knee brace and to take over-the-counter pain killer if it becomes too bothersome. The naproxen that my family physician prescribed gave me stomach pains, so I stopped taking it after the first time (big waste of $10!).

Oh, and I'm to go to physical therapy 2x/week for 3 weeks. Bottom line, I DO NOT have to stop running! :)

Got my running skirts finally! They fit fine...I think... but it seems you can see the outline of the spankies more. Maybe I gained weight that I now have more junk in the trunk? Or just the color of these two (mangopink and lilacplum) made it more obvious? The first 2 I got (navywhite and choqua) were a lot darker than the 2 new ones. I got them all in size 1 (0-2, XS) and they seem to fit the same way around the waist. Who knows!

Oh...I forgot to mention that I have a big vacation planned later this year. I'm going back to the Philippines to visit relatives! This will be a real incentive for me to be in the best shape since the last time I went, I was traumatized by my relatives when they kept telling me how fat I got. Well, this girl is fat no more!!!!

And while there, we have a small side trip planned, which is why I actually agreed to this whole trip in the first place. More details later, but here are some hints...

A short break

Oh wow! I didn't realize I've been off from blogging for 2 weeks now! I've just been sooooo busy these last couple of week!

First, I'm still running - still training for the half marathon. Although, it has gotten stale lately. Let's just say everybody else seems to be getting faster while I'm still stuck at 10 min/mile pace and it's making me green with envy! I should be just be happy with the fact that I can now run after not thinking I could for years. But now, I guess I'm yearning for something more. It's something I've got to work on I guess.

Today, I was supposed to run my longest run yet - 13 miles. Alas, it wasn't meant to be! Due to the heat and humidity, I was only able to make it to 11 miles. I was still a mile away from my car at that time, but my legs just said ENOUGH! So I walked the remaining mile. I'm not too disappointed though. I did 12 miles a couple of weeks ago and 10 miles several times already. Technically, Hal Higdon's novice half marathon training program only calls for up to 10 miles as the longest training run. Also, I still have about a month and 2 weeks to go so plenty of time to improve. Hopefully, the knees cooperate though.

Speaking of the knee, my x-rays came back negative! My orthopedist appointment is this coming Thursday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's nothing serious and that I can keep on running.

Oh, and runningskirts.com is having a sale! 50% off!!! So I bought two - one in lilacplum and another in mangopink. Here's a picture of the mango/pink:

Cute, huh? I'm eagerly awaiting for these skirts to arrive! I already have two - navywhite and chocqua - and I love them! I wore my chocqua one last week and it's so perfect for this hot, humid weather. I'm still not brave enough to wear them on the long runs for fear of chafing between the thighs since it only has spankies underneath. Although, I did wear the navywhite one on my 10-mile race and it was fine. Maybe when it gets cooler. I'll probably wear one for my upcoming half marathon this September and just bring some band-aids just in case, LOL. Crazy, huh? What a woman would do just to look good, LOL.

The last couple of weekends, I've also been helping my brother and his wife with their new house. Last weekend, I helped them paint. They got the house at a real discount, but it was FILTHY and just outdated. However, with just some cleaning, scrubbing, and painting, the house now looks 1oo% better! The previous owners were just pigs and had no taste! The house was just badly painted and it looked like they never cleaned since they moved in!

Supposedly, the previous owner (the guy) had health issues - only in his early 30's and already had kidney transplant. Incidentally, the new kidney is not working and he has to go back for surgery next month. However, his wife is fit and able. I can understand them not being able to do some home improvements, but basic cleaning? Anyways, their realtor stopped by the other day and was shocked at the improvements! He told my brother that he wanted the previous owners to paint, but they just wouldn't. Just by what the realtor saw, which was the living room and dining room, he said he could have sold the house for $30K more!

The house, although small, is really nice and has a lot of potential. The entire floor is hardwood, although the 2nd floor is covered with carpet. I think my brother plans to tear out the carpet and re-finish the floor. There's nothing wrong with the house structurally and all the major utilities are in good working order. Basically, they just need to work on the aesthetics. Also, the location is really great. It's in a very peaceful neighborhood and just a hop and skip away from the city!

Today, we helped them move in their stuff. With the walls all painted, the house clean, and their furnitures all moved in, the house looks really homy and inviting. I'm just so happy to see them all settled in! Especially since they're expecting their first child. Yes, I am going to be an aunt for the very first time!!!!

That's it for now! I'll be checking up on the other blogs for the next couple of days, I promise. :-)

My take on HP and the DH

Don't worry...I'm not going to give out any spoilers. =)

LOVED LOVED LOVED IT!!!!!

I finished it yesterday. Since I started on Saturday afternoon, I only stopped reading for dinner, sleep, and Sunday morning yoga class. Oh yeah, and the occassional bathroom break. :)

When I have the time, I will probably re-read it just because there were so many things going on that I'm sure I missed some relevant details. It was like an emotional roller coaster, with many twists and turns. There were times where I think something is going to happen and I'm already crying reading into it, then it turns into something else. I'm so glad I didn't get spoiled from the beginning. Otherwise, I would have been cheated out of the experience.

I cannot wait when they make this book into a movie because it will be like non-stop action packed from start to finish. I just hope they make it longer than the last movie. If you think about it, HP fans are die-hard enough to stay in line for hours and hours (days even!) then spend hours more immediately afterwards reading the book non-stop. I'm sure making the movie a little longer won't stop them from seeing it. Hey, it worked for Lord of the Rings, I'm confident it's going to work for the HP movies. I just felt like the OOTP movie, although pretty good IMO, left a lot of details out and I hope they don't cheat us out of the experience for the 2 remaining movies.

Oh, and I think Molly Weasley had THE BEST line in the book. :)

That's it....

A weekend date with HP

12 miles LSD run - CHECK!!!

Very painful run, particularly the last mile. I commend you all runners who have run 1/2 and full marathons! I don't know how I'm going to squeak out that last 1.1 mile - maybe on my hands and knees!

HP and the Deathly Hallow - CHECK!!!

Picked it up right after my run. Probably treated the bookstore workers with a whiff of my sweaty self. Hahaha!!!! Man, this book is huge!

Kleenex - CHECK!!!

J.K. Rowling made no secret that 2 main characters are going to die in this book. I also saw an interview where she said that if you cried on the last book when Dumbledore died, you will DEFINITELY cry on Book 7...sniff, sniff...I have my suspicions of who are going to die. And it totally sucks if one of them comes true!!!!!

5K Race - Yes another one :)

I did another race last Wednesday night and it went a lot better than the Tex Mex one. The primary goal of this race is to get some speed work in, and hopefully to finish in under 30 minutes.

I was dreading this race because we were having a severe thunderstorm as I was driving to the event. Thankfully, it cleared up as soon as I pulled into the parking lot. Perfect timing!

The weather was very humid, but not as hot as Tex Mex. Still hot though. We lined up and I remember seeing a group of young girls, probably from some school's cross country team, lining up in front of me. All I can think of was these girls better not run together or if they plan to do so be way ahead of me. :)

We heard the gun shot and we were off. I ran at a comfortable pace and reached the 1-mile mark in 9:10, which is really good for me! Unfortunately around the 2-mile mark, I experienced some burning on my right shin. I had to take two short walking breaks before everything was said and done. I probably could have pushed through but I didn't want to get shin splints for real to add to my knee issues and to hinder my half marathon training even more. The downhills were also quite uncomfortable on my knee.

But, I finished in 29:27 at 3.11 miles, according to Garmin!!! I was pleased with this since I wasn't going all out due to my knees (only towards the finish) and I was just gunning for under 30 minutes. I looked like a drowned rat by the time I finished. I don't remember ever sweating that much!

The post-race buffet was pretty good. They had turkey sandwiches, chicken wings, fuits, etc. I loved the chicken wings!!!

I'm not sure what was up with the shins during the race. The shoes I wore only had 230 miles in it, not even close to the supposed 300-400 miles lifespan of an average running shoes. I did go for an easy 4-miler the following morning wearing my other running shoes and no shin splints whatsoever. Hmmm...must be because I'm a heavy plodder that I wear out my shoes a lot quicker. :o)
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HP follow up:

I pre-ordered Deathly Hallow from a local bookstore. No, I'm not planning on going to any midnight release parties. I don't want to be spoiled! I'm going out for my long run on Saturday morning, but earlier than normal so I can pick up my book afterwards and still have plenty of time to read it this weekend. I didn't order the book online for a reason. If it happens to come to my house early enough before I'm out for my run, there's a good possibility that I won't be able to leave the house. ;-)

For all you HP fans, Happy Reading! Or Happy Listening (in Katiefeldmom's case)!

Depressed

I make no secret that I'm a big Harry Potter fan. Well, I've been reading a lot of reports that the book has been leaked. And those that had the misfortune of being spoiled are not happy with the ending. :-(

I haven't read the leaked story and have no intention of doing so. But I'm kind of dreading Book 7 now.

As long as J.K. Rowling doesn't kill Harry Potter (of course!), Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Ginny Weasley I'll be a happy camper. :0)

Unbelievable! I'm getting all worked up over a children's book!!! LOL!!!

Breakthrough!

11.04 miles in 2:06:47!!!!

I finally broke through the 10 miles barrier!

I know it's turtle slow to some. That did include several loooong stops waiting for the traffic light to change. Nevertheless, I am pumped!!!!

Knees are okay. I still haven't gotten the x-rays because of craziness at work. BUT, it actually feels better! It's more of a sensitivity now than actual pain (although it really wasn't that painful to begin with), and I've been very mindful of it and taking it a little bit easy on my runs, but I still plan to get it taken care of.

So now that I'm done with my long run for today, I'm off to take a shower (ewwww!!!), eat lunch, go to the running store coz my 2-bottle hydration belt is no longer sufficient, do some cleaning and laundry, then dinner and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie!!!!

Have a great weekend!