Waiting for that Muscle Memory to Kick in

I am finding running 5 miles very very very hard. Like I can't breathe hard. Like I feel my leg muscles weaken hard. Like I can't make it up that tiny hill without stopping hard. Like I can't believe I ever ran longer than that hard. So...tomorrow, I am going 3 miles flat.
But no worries I think. I haven't been running consistently at all. It's time to start now. My back has been incredible. My ankle is great and best of all the fear that became a part of doing anything downhill has dissipated to healthy levels. Was a bit worried about that for quite a while.

What is one to conclude of feet like this?

In running shoes, my big toes always get blisters.

In high heels, my little toes get the shaft.

Aside from blisters and calluses, my feet are rather nice I think, but they are not easy to get along with.

Running and Stuff

So I guess the Stinson Beach report is a no-go. It's too long ago now. Suffice to say that I had a hard time, wanted to die after a 1/2 hour, for the first time experienced quads so fatigued that my leg would give out now and then, and took over 4 hours to finish. For all that I learned that I am not quite ready yet for a 25K (sad!) and that the trails out at Stinson beach and Muir Woods are very very beautiful. I didn't achieve my Bottom Ten but did place Bottom 20, coming in 12th out of 139 runners. Achievement.

I went over my allotted 5 mile limit for the race and probably ran closer to 9, but luckily my back held up nicely the next day. I had the usual hip tighness and muscle soreness, but nothing more.

Made it over to the Diablo Marathon & 50 mile around 6:30 that same day to help out for a bit. The earlier run was so difficult for me I have to admit I had more fun hanging out at Diablo and just handing out t-shirts. :)

Meanwhile, life goes on, midterms have passed, Chris and I ran 5 miles at Wunderlich on Saturday, and I'm off to a wedding in LA on Friday. Good luck to the Big Basin runners this weekend. Don't get stung.

Stinson Beach photos

PMS fatigue and impending test makes for no race report. Instead, I crawled to my computer and gathered enough energy to at least post some pix.

Stinson Beach 25K

2 Races, 1 Day

Granted, I'm only running one. Looking forward to tomorrow. Race days always make me feel like I'm vacation. I'm easy.

I Got Worked

Remember this plan? Well, as yet another supplement to improving my body strength, I treated myself to 2 sessions with a trainer at Gold's Gym. Mostly, I needed to know how to use free weights and use the machines available to me. I either always seem to hurt myself with free weights, can't fit into the machines, or have no idea how to use them. Well today was my first session with "Scott". He kicked my lily white ass like no other. After only 1 session, I now understand the use of a trainer. There is no way in hell I would push myself so hard doing it by myself. It was truly awesome. I wish I could do a whole plan with him but the student budget doesn't allow for that right now.

I was telling Chris the other day that I felt rather selfish. My life has been very body focused for what seems to be a very long time now. First with ultrarunning and figuring out how to balance it, and now with injuries and figuring out how to heal, strengthen, live strong, and really....go back to ultrarunning. It all feels very vain. What I also keep in the back of my head though is the understanding that as a future healer myself, I will be better able to treat and focus on my patients if my mind and body are well. One positive thing out of all the breakdowns that my body has been through that it certainly gives me a better understanding of pain, healing, treatment, and the experience of being a patient in search of a cure than others who haven't had to deal with injury, both acute and chronic. Would I choose to forego that experience if I had the chance? Mmm, possibly, maybe, likely......

But what I really wanted to say was that after today's workout, it is likely I won't be able to operate my car tomorrow, much less a door knob. If you don't hear from me in the next few days, don't worry, I won't have made it out of the house.

Because you know it's about the food.

The last 2 days of running plans have morphed instead into intensive yard work, and to ease the pain of muscles overused and abused, I went to an Ethiopian restaurant in Berkeley. I don't often do Ethiopian. Actually, that's an understatement. I went about 15 years ago, didn't like it, and have never tried again until last night. Being honored with yet another birthday dinner, Todd, Chris and I decided to be step outside the norm and venture to Berkeley to try out Addis. It ended up being sooo good. I highly recommend it. Also cheap. Only about $50 for the 3 of us with alcohol.

We ordered the Fir Fir which Chris liked more than the rest of us. But it was good and very spicy. The Chicken Tib was Todd's favorite and the Vegetarian Zucchini dish was mine. The guys ordered 2 different kinds of Ethiopian beer but they didn't seem to impress. I ordered the Ethiopian honey wine, which tasted more like mead and was quite nice. Chris ordered one for himself after tasting mine. It all comes out on a big pizza like platter with each dish side by side and you also get a basket full of injera, which is a pancake like bread with which you tear apart, dig into each dish and stuff into your mouth. At least that is how us neophytes ate it.

So, that is your restaurant tip for the day. We hit Piedmont street afterwards and strolled down the avenue, debating whether to get icecream at Fentons (which we didn't) and ended up having lattes at some coffeeshop whose name escapes me.

So, go eat everyone. You deserve it.

P.S.
I am about to go to Chris' mom's in an hour for yet another birthday dinner. Lucky me!

Got this in my inbox from my favorite girl. She's advanced for a 1 year old. :)