Winter Is Here (For Now)

Its been a chilly few days. Starting Friday and continuing through the weekend, we were lucky to break 50 degrees...in SOUTHERN ARIZONA. Im not sure if its just me, but when its cold and wet out, I need a lot of motivation to get and run. Sometimes I feel like this:

This especially applies when it is cold! Im from Arizona, I can deal with heat. But I am NOT used to the cold at all.

However, I do have clothes that are temperature appropriate to be wearing in this wintery weather. Of course it is all black, and when it is raining/snowing and the sun just wont come out, someone has to wear something bright. So I end up looking funny (again):

This weekend, Matt and I decided we had to try to run. We set out on our three mile loop and decided if it was too cold or miserable, we would only do three and not keep going on our 6 loop. Around the 10th step out the door, it started snowing. What luck we have!

At mile 2 the excitement had worn off and the cold started to set in. Also, my leg injury started to feel like if I pushed too hard, or too far, it would pull again. So we decided to stick to 3 miles, and thoroughly enjoyed hot chocolate and apple cider when we got home. 

Sunday was also cold, but at least it was sunny. We were super busy because we picked up my brother from college, then made gingerbread cookies with him. After the cookies were made I had an itch to go running. Matthew wanted to spend time with my brother and play some video games, so I took the dogs for a run. I took Zolten for a 3 mile run alone, then I took Storm and Dakota together for 3 miles. For never having run more than a mile on a leash before, they did excellent. And, due to lots of pulling from the Storm and Dakota, I also got an arm and core workout! Talk about multitasking!

Monday warmed up nicely, and we ran on the track at lunch. But it was an evening to rest, so we couldnt take advantage of the nicer temperatures for a long run. Then another storm blew in! This is crazy. We hardly ever get more than one or two winter storms a year, and now we have 2 in a row. This storm was to arrive, and depart, Tuesday night. We were supposed to get a lot of wind, some rain, and possibly even snow. Waking up Wednesday to rain, I knew we wouldnt get much running in at lunch. The temperatures only rebounded to the mid 30s by lunch time.

So Matt and I played racquetball. We used to play once a week or so, but I am a perfectionist and can get a little competitive, so he didnt want to play with me anymore. But this game went well. I didnt keep score, I didnt go for the fancy shots, and I just had fun. It was a good way to spend lunch time. We still got in a little workout, but also had fun together.

Wednesday after work I felt like we had to run. I really need to avoid the holiday weight gain, and I keep feeling like Im gaining weight. Matt thinks Im crazy. I have maintained my weight relatively well, only gaining about 1 pound since Thanksgiving, and I tried the dress on December 2nd and it was loose. So I should really just relax a little bit.

Anyways, back to the run: We (I) decided I wanted to do 9 miles. I also have been feeling bad for the dogs. We leave them crated all day while we are at work. Then we usually crate them again when we go running. When its cool, or cold out, I feel comfortable taking them. In the summer, Im too scared they will overheat. So for tonight, I decided to take each dog individually for 3 miles. Zolten did well again, and it was nice having Matthew to switch off holding the leash! Storm did pretty well too, although she started to get tired about half a mile from home. While we were running with Storm, the sun set, and it immediately got COLD. So poor Dakota only got to go on a one mile run with us. We just couldnt take it. Even dressed appropriately, wearing ear warmers and gloves and long socks to cover the 3 inches that my tights dont cover, we froze! But Dakota probably doesnt know the difference.

Im ready for the weather to be good again! The temps are supposed to rebound for the weekend before another (yes, ANOTHER) storm moves in on Christmas Day. I see running in our weekend plans!!!

Reasons The World Isnt Ending Friday

Lately, there has been a lot of talk about the end of the Mayan calendar coming up on December 21st. My first question is "what time of the day". If the world really does end, I would love to know what time that will be happening, so I can be out running with Matthew and my dogs. Then we can "run through the end of the world". We are awesome like that. But............the world cant be ending next week. First, and most importantly of all, its completely against what the Bible says. But besides for that fact, here are my top 7 reasons why the world cant be ending.

1. I am a Costco shopper, so I have a surplus of some items of food. I was looking at some of those items and noticed they have an expiration date for sometime in 2013. Now, if the world was ending, why would my food last longer than the world? I think it would have been a pretty good trick if the food companies put Dec 21 12 as the expiration date on all the food though..........

2. There are presents under the tree and in the stockings. Christmas is 4 days after the "end of the world". Why would anyone have done any Christmas shopping, let alone all the wrapping, if no one was ever going to get to open them?

3.I have already registered and PAID for a race in January. Enough said.

4. I have not yet ran a marathon. I am certainly not going to run one in the next week. I probably wont even run one until December of NEXT year. Running a full marathon is something that we are (probably myself more than Matt) very motivated to do. So, the world cant end before that happens.

5. I am getting married to my best friend next year! The wedding is planned, the dress fits, everything is paid for. Therefore, the world cant be ending.

6. We booked and paid for our honeymoon Monday night. Im looking forward to going to Hawaii with Matthew and doing things that I am afraid of (para-sailing) and things that he is afraid of (snorkling, swimming in the ocean) and just spending time with him in general.

7.I already have the first 4 months of next year's workouts planned out. Creating a training plan takes a lot of work. I certainly would not have bothered with it if I thought I would never see the time to put it into action. Matthew has learned this about me: once I write something down that I am want to do, I am going to do it. Rarely are there exceptions, and usually due to injury or illness related. 

All over facebook right now there are funny posts and pictures explaining either why or why not the world will be ending. While I think most rational people do not truly believe the end is near, people wouldnt be making such a big deal of it if there wasnt a hint of fear or belief. But, just as when our calendar ends we go to a near year, I believe when the Mayan calendar ends, we will start a new cycle. All I know for sure, next year is going to be a wonderful year for Matthew and I. A wedding, honeymoon, and hopefully even a marathon.

Winter is Coming for a Visit!

Its been hard to get in the holiday spirit this year. I dont know if its because it has been in the mid 70s daily, or because Matthew and I have both had recent travels for work, but its just been difficult. I usually put up the Christmas tree, hang stockings, and even put up lights around the house all around Thanksgiving. But this year has been slow. And also unlike most years, this year Matt and I get the honor of having Christmas dinner at our house! Partly because we are having relatives coming to town, and partly because my parents are leaving town shortly after...but the reason doesnt truly matter. I am very excited to have Christmas dinner at our house this year. Long story short, I had to get the decorations up!

 Luckily, the weather has decided to put a little winter spirit into Southern Arizona. Its going to be cold for the next few days, and it might even snow! So it seemed like the perfect time to make my house look like its ready for the holiday season. We got the tree up last weekend, but neglected to fluff and decorate it until yesterday after work.

But, alas, it is complete!  We even finished wrapping all of the present and put them under the tree. With the amount of stuff under there, you would think we have a bunch of kids...but no. Most of it is clothes that we have bought and wrapped just to feel like we are opening presents. Of course, there's a few special secret things under the tree, and stuff for family members and the dogs too.

 So now that we are in the Christmas spirit, and the weather has gotten cold and cloudy, it was time to go for a run. Earlier this fall I had bought some running capris and even a pair of tights. I have been wearing the capris for my lunch time workouts, mainly because I dont want to walk out of my office wearing running shorts; I get enough funny looks for "working out", I dont need more for wearing short shorts. But I have never worn these articles of clothes for long runs, so I am excited about the weather being cold for a few days!

Today, I wore a warm long sleep shirt (also new), a tee shirt, a pair of funny colored capris (not so new), and shorts. Why the shorts over the capris...because they hide the inevitable wedgie that running tights give you. And even though I LOVE these capris, they are quite funny looking without shorts over them. I dont think color fade clothes will regain popularity...if they ever had it. Sadly, the picture Matthew took does not show the funny colored pants, but maybe thats a good thing!

Matt dressed much more like a normal person. Except the head lamp. Good one Matt! I guess it is my fault, I told him it would probably get dark on our 7-10 mile run. It didnt get completely dark, but another mile and it would have been. Better safe than sorry. (I stored mine in the nifty backpack).

The run went OK, I guess. I got in a 3 mile run at lunch today, and had some strange aches and pains, but nothing too bad. My foot is better, most of the time. Instead of hurting on these runs, it just goes numb. So I wont complain about that now! From the first half mile of this evening's run, I knew it was going to hurt. My old injury flared up, and just kept getting worse and worse. But I am stubborn, and I needed to run!

Running with Matthew by my side is so much better than running alone! We were talking throughout the run, even singing at one point of the run. It almost didnt matter that my leg felt like a brick every time it hit the pavement, I was just so happy to have my running partner back by my side. I finished 7 miles, slightly slower than I would have liked, but considering how much it hurt, Im just happy to have finished it. Matthew went on to do an extra mile (to burn off the donut he ate at work).

Im starting to believe that running is almost as much of a mental game as it is physical. And a large part of that is about pain management. There are times when running is amazing. When there is no pain, no boredom, no frustration. But lately its been the opposite for me. Ive been hurting since the first half marathon, and especially since the second one. Ive been battling a few injuries, running alone, and getting more and more frustrated with every run that doesnt end well. But I need to manage my expectations about running, just like I need to manage pain during the run. I have gotten pretty good at running through aches and pains. It hurts, but my mind is far more stubborn than my body. We have only been running for 8 months now. We are still beginners. I should not expect for every run to be easy. If running was easy, I dont think I would like it nearly as much. It has taught me a lot about how strong I am, how much I can do if I put my mind to it, and has brought me a lot closer to Matthew. Since I dont want running to be easy, I should accept that there will be hard days. There will be days where running is the last thing I want to do, but I need to get out and do it anyways. And someday, there will be a day when I can no longer run, so I need to be thankful for the incredible gift that running has given both Matt and I, and just go along for the ride.

Old Man's Disease

The past few weeks have been pretty terrible running wise. Matthew was out of town for two weeks, I was sick, then was battling a leg injury. Then, Matthew finally came home and I was ready to get running......

But my big toe had a different idea. I have dealt with Gout for the past few years, and while it has always been a pain in the toe, it has never really gotten in the way of anything I truly wanted to do. But this Sunday I was ready to get out and run 8 to 12 miles with the best running partner ever (Matthew!!!), then I walked out to check on the temperature...and BAM. I felt that semi familiar feeling deep in my toe. Lots of curse words went through my head, but I sadly told Matthew about it. He didnt allow me to run at all!

I do have medication that is supposed to stop the attack from getting full blown aka walk on crutches for a week, so I started taking that yesterday. And last night, I discovered the lovely side effects, nausea. TERRIFIC. I got a crappy night of sleep, and woke up tired, grumpy, and still in pain.

I struggled through the morning at work and was excited to get to the gym. My toe shouldnt stop me from core and upper body strength training..........but severe nausea can. :(

So after many weeks of feeling crappy about running, I have to wait even longer to get started again. Im worried that I have lost too much fitness  that I will have to start over. I hate feeling incompetent as a runner and as a person. I cant wait to get back out on the road and training for another half marathon. I know its just a matter of time and effort until I healthy and able to run again. Until then, I need to get in the holiday spirit. My tree is up but undecorated, the stockings are up but empty, and the presents are piled up but unwrapped.

On a happier note: I am getting a garmin forerunner 410 for Christmas. I know I am not supposed to know my own presents....but when a fiance asks if thats what I really want, then see the tracking number....I just know. Now I just cant wait!