zen runner

and while running is never effortless i have been revisiting an old copy of chi of running and  trying a couple things out.  my knee still bothers me and i probably can attribute it to being heavier vs my shoes.  meeting up with kate this morning for an easy 3 mile trail run .

Running for Me

It's been quiet around here for awhile.  I had to get a grip and figure out a few things...an ongoing process  for sure.  the one thing i know is that there is an inner athlete in me but true to form the conventional path is always a rocky one for me.  Running for the sake of running hardly seems blogworthy....but i'm figuring out that i don't need to be training for a race or building my mileage or working on my freestyle to feel good about exercising.  i tend to be high strung and with a stressful job i need some form of activity to blow off steam...the last few months i've been running just to unwind and it's ok.

meeting up with Monica this morning for a swim in a new place...Keller beach in Richmond..my leg s are sore in a good way, the knee felt fine during last night's trail run, only the slightest bit of pain after. swimming today will help.  Monica did the pac grove sprint on sunday so i'm  looking forward to catching up with her today. 
 
M seems to be liking high school and her attitude is back, a good sign that she's not depressed over the boy so much. when it comes to parenting and the big important stuff, i do quite well.  but i really fall short with the day to day snarky teenage attitude and i'm NOT feeling so momtastic lately. there's a teeny tiny chance of camping next week...i requested time off and i won't find out about the time off until the last minute....i really need some girlfriend time with no kids!

pain management

during my run around ceasar chavez park the pain on the lateral aspect of my knee shifted towards the patella.  about a 5:10 on the pain scale, noticeable but tolerable. within a mile or so it was more a 3:10 and after the first loop around the park, the pain was barely noticeable and i felt good enough for a second loop before doubling back.  i bought new montrails...there so awesome, the trend in running shoes appears to be lighter and for trail shoes these are rugged but not nearly as bulky as my last pair.  after the second loop the pain started to ramp up to 6-7.  i made myself continue running until i got back on the paved part of the trail and i mostly walked the last mile or so home, i should of taken shorter walk periods because after walking for a while running again was too uncomfortable...weird. . i'm icing, self-massaging with tiger balm and taking ibuprofen. 

smarter not harder

i've been in taper mode for about a month.  running here and there.  i'm not even going to comment on the lack of swimming or riding.  i'm struggling with a couple of bull shit injuries neither of which have been dibiitating just annoying and putting a damper on comfortable movement. i canceled the last swim lesson w/morgan and had her give me a massage instead after i hurt my back.  overall, my experience with her coaching was awkward.  i think i was in my head too much.

i'm burned out and giving half-assed effort all across the board. i've decided to drop the tri next month and focus on taking better care of my back and get a handle on over-eating and food choices. a family reunion and too many potlucks at work, need i say more?   training for a tri would seem consistent with the aforementioned goals but honestly i don't want to commit to the swimming.  i like swimming i just don't like having to work so hard at it. it's just not how i want to spend my time.  i like to run after work now, it's a great way to unwind and it's so convenient and i'm just going to admit i need convenience right now.






  



 



  






 

eat drink and be regular

i will make time to hydrate today
i will spin and or do yoga today
i will make time to hydrate today
i will include veggies along the way

session #1 with Morgan Filler

as i sat on the beach waiting for Morgan to arrive i stared out onto the lake watching the mist hover just above.  the sun sparkled on the water and the morning was idyllic. despite the serene surroundings i was a bit tense.  i was nervous about not being a good enough swimmer to merit coaching.  is that not the dumbest thing ever? 
she arrived with her surf board...and i made a note to myself to ask her about SUP (stand up paddling) at a later time.  today was about the task at hand and was going to require all my concentration.  we didn't waste anytime and she led me outside the ropes..that was a first for me. she had me swim a bit first offered feedback and then the lesson began.  i mostly worked on catch, pull and rotation.
about halfway through the session i started to get dizzy and nauseous. and
let me emphasize, i'm swimming in frikin lake placid...the only sign of activity are the ripples on the waters surface generated by the ducks on shore and myself.  the same thing happened last night during my run, at the time i chalked it up to not enough time between my last meal and the run.  it got progressively worse and at one point i had to get back on shore, just as i crawled my way to the trail, to discreetly wretch my guts out... some guy and his dog show up and want to talk.  i sort've fumbled through the chit chat, took a few deep breaths and swam back out to Morgan who was sat patiently on her board waiting for me. 
we had about five minutes left and i zagged my way back to the beach.  she said she'd video tape me on next session....i was taped once before towards the end of training last year and found it to be really helpful but i only got to view it once...she'll email it to me which should prove to even more so.  i haven't had alot of experience with 1:1 coaching and what little i have had has been uncomfortable...Morgan said it well " feels weird with the all the focus on you? i agreed.
so it wasn't the best first session (no reflection on Morgan at all) she was very nice and i felt safe with her. as for the nausea and dizziness, i foolishly still tend to under hydrate. such an easy fix but just as easily overlooked.  i got quite a few tips despite the gloomy sounding post.  one thing i have going for me is i roll really well.  i need to glide on my side longer and time the switch better.