time to step up my game

Today I finished week 3 of my first month with my trainer, Jennifer!! It's been a challenging 3 weeks, between trying to get back into a normal workout routine (and I have yet to get that down), the holidays, attempting to keep a food journal (it's been more challenging than I thought), and mental games... oh the mental games! My sessions with Jennifer have been awesome, she's kept every session challenging by keeping it different each time. I love the use of the TRX straps, brings a whole new element to the workout and forces me to use more of my core. I still need to get better at doing cardio on my own, this has been a struggle for me and I think I will just need to start going to the gym on my lunch break, because coming home never helps me. A couple of co-workers have brought up the idea of attending a Zumba class during our lunch break a couple of times a week, I would absolutely be down for that... but let's see if this really happens. But on a brighter note, I have gotten several compliments from friends that they notice some physical changes on me. The only place I'm really seeing change is in my arms at the moment, they are toning up nicely. But soon enough, I think I will start seeing more changes, just gotta get this food thing down! LOL.

In today's workout, Jennifer set up this obstacle course for me...

So the challenge went like this. I start off in a plank position with my hands in the square, remaining in plank I had to move down the line. Then I had to jump on the step 10x. Then using the TRX strap I had to do 10 squats (brutal). Then finish off with pushing the Bosu ball across the room then run back to the wall. I had to do this 3x, Jennifer recorded every turn and I had to keep trying to beat my previous record. I didn't think I could do that, if anything I believed I'd get slower. But I surprised myself and beat each previous try... 1:11, 1:03, and 0:47. I loved every minute of this obstacle and wanted to do more!! So we did another obstacle, I did not do as well but it definitely was a challenge. :)

The best news I have to report though... I am running again! YAY!!! Little by little Jennifer has had me running a bit on the TM. Last Tuesday I showed up for my session early and jumped on the TM to warm up while she finished up with another client. I did a 10 min warm up incline walk, then did 2 min interval run/walk for about 10 min and it felt wonderful!! Today she had run for about 5 min on the TM, and then half way through the work out had me go outside and run a bit. No issues with my ankle whatsoever! I think I am back!! This only means one thing... Shamrock Run, here I come!

Oh, but now to get my carb/fat/protein ratio down...

my first official session

I had my first official session with my trainer, Jennifer, at  Tri-D Fitness. It has been 3 days, and I'm still pretty sore but I feel great. What I like about this session, and what makes it different from any other personal training session I have ever had, is variety. I'm not just thrown on some cardio machine, and then given some free weights and told to do so many times so many reps. I activated muscles I hadn't felt for some time! I'm seeing Jennifer 2x a week for an hour, the rest of the days I am responsible for getting cardio in. On top of my working out, she has me keeping a food journal onFitDay. It's kind of a pain in the ass to get started but once you get going, it isn't too bad. I was under the impression that I was eating fairly healthy, this because I don't eat fast foods, I don't drink soda, and I cut back on the sweets I eat. But after inputting what I have eaten the past 3 days, it has become apparent that I am struggling with my carb/protein ratio. Too much carbs and not enough protein. So now it's time that I do some adjusting! I went out and bought a food scale...

I've already used it today to portion out my meats (4 oz) to freeze, and I will be using it to weigh out each portion of my meals. I know the weighing will be a pain in the ass at first as well, but just as the food journal, it will get easier and hopefully soon I won't be needing it as much. Next session is tomorrow, and the focus this time will be lower body. I am so ready for it, bring it on...

is ready to begin

Tomorrow is my meeting with my personal trainer/ running coach, Jennifer. It feels like it has taken this day forever to come, but alas it is here and I couldn't be more excited! Tomorrow is just a preliminary meet, talk days and time, I'm assuming measurements and such as well. She wants to squeeze in a complimentary 30-40 minute workout too! I couldn't have picked a better time to start this, I refuse to allow the upcoming holiday feasts cause me to gain weight! So stay tuned...

a test of commitment, perhaps?

In a matter of a few weeks I will be beginning a new journey in my life. I'm ready for this, I'm excited for this, and I need it. But I fear that a part of me may be self-sabotaging before I even begin. I have gone four nights without adequate sleep. Mind you, I have no issues falling asleep, that I can do quickly. My issue is that once I hit REM sleep my mind seems to go into overdrive. By the time morning comes, I can recall 5-8 dreams in pretty good detail. It's these dreams that are causing the problems, they're too vibrant, too loud, too busy that I cause myself to wake up to stop it. It's the constant waking up, the feeling restless even when I am asleep that is causing so many issues. Problem is, I don't know why my mind is so restless. There really isn't any reason for it. This morning my physical body finally had had enough, exhaustion took over, and a migraine set in. My poor eyes hurt so much. So I ask you, am I subconsciously causing my body to betray me?

It doesn't help that my period has started and all that I have been craving is the crappiest of sweets! All I want to do is gorge myself with the highest caloric and highest sugar foods. My self-control, my will-power is pretty much non-existent at the moment. I don't get it! Well I do, but I'm frustrated. Times like these I hate that I am a woman. Men truly do not understand what we have to deal with. I'm sure they have their own body battles, but they don't have the extra hormones that we lovely woman have to battle with.

All of this could potentially make someone give up, but not me. I look for inspiration everywhere. I find motivation everywhere. I keep wanting to eat healthy, and learn about newer ways to be healthy because of my roommate, Leada. Reading blogs about other people's experiences, especially a friends (Connie) blog inspires me. Knowing I have a place (DailyMile) to go and share my workouts, ups and downs, motivates me. Knowing that I have someone who is with me (Jennifer) every step of the way keeps me positive. Mind over matter. Mind over matter. Mind over matter. I got this!

I rather believe that I am being tested. And this test, I will pass...

time to start over

I know it has been quite a while since I have posted anything. Unfortunately, I haven't had much to type about and sadly no success in the running department. It turns out what I thought was just a bad rolling of my ankle, was a tear in some tissues. I'm still dealing with inflammation and some discomfort. My walking abilities are fine, jumping and moving around are ok but in no way am I able to run very long or even wear shoes that allow my heel to be higher than the ball of my foot. This has been a very frustrating time for me. The lack of running and exercising has made me lazy, and though I have managed to still eat fairly well and not gain a bunch of weight back, I still feel inadequate! You know that saying, "you have to hit rock bottom"? I think I came pretty close, self-doubt, lack of self-esteem, frustration, etc etc, it all set in. Yesterday I noticed my ex-running coach had posted a success story of one of her clients. There were before and after photos, stats, and the means of how this remarkable lady accomplished her goals. I saw this, and for a moment became very upset because I knew deep down there is NO reason why I can't accomplish what this lady has!

After some deep thinking, and several chats later, I contacted my running coach, Jennifer, and told her I needed her help!! Jennifer is an amazing woman, and talking with her alone is motivation! She does more than coach in running, but is also a personal trainer. I've seen several of her clients success stories, and those of her co-workers, but for some reason this particular client struck a chord with me! Starting in December I will be training with Jennifer twice a week until I reach my goal. Everything in my life will be changing, and for the first time I feel that I'm finally at a place where I know I will reach this goal.

As for running, I still have every intention on getting back into it. According to my Dr. I need to strengthen my ankle and start out slowly, but there is no reason why I can't run again. I know with Jennifer's help, I will be able to sign up for the Shamrock 8k in March of 2011!! And I am determined to do this with accomplishing a personal best! So stay posted, come December, I'm sure I will have lots to post...

therapy hike

This morning I woke up and decided I have had enough! I'm so tired of not being able to do anything active because of my ankle! So I got dressed, quickly created an awesome playlist, gassed up my car, and took off. I had no specific destination, I just figured I'd head for the Gorge and figure it out from there. The drive out there alone is an enjoyable one, but I really love driving on the Historic Columbia River Hwy, so I headed there. I love how the roads wind and are shaded by big beautiful trees. My first stop was at the Vista House on Crowne Point, sat on a ledge, plugged in my iPod, and just stared out at the beautiful river and mountains.

My view...

As I sat there, I started to remember that all the times I'd driven from the Vista House to Multnomah Falls, I'd always see these other smaller falls and areas for hiking. I figured the weather was beautiful and I had nowhere else to go, so maybe I'd stop at one of these places and go for a nice hike, by myself (certainly a first for me). Now granted, I'm still dealing with an injured ankle and this may not be the wisest decision but as I stated earlier, I have had enough!! I can't run yet, and a friend did mention to me that maybe I should take up bike riding for the meantime. But for those of you who know me well enough, know that is a dangerous idea, that's an injury waiting to happen. So since I haven't had much issues walking, just the occasional tender spots when I turn my ankle funny or step down weird, I thought that maybe a good hike could do me some good. Not to mention some alone time away from everyone, the city, and the burbs could potentially be a healthy decision for me right now. And so I jumped back into my car and continued on my drive in search of a place to hike, I ended up stopping at the Latourell Falls. Mind you, I made this decision without reading up on how long this hike is, what it's elevation is, or what the terrain will be like (a non-wise decision on my part). But in the end, I had a wonderful experience and lived to tell about it!

Beginning of  hike...

The fall that can be seen from the hwy...

Same fall as photo above...

Art in nature...

Myself.

My little adventure came to an end a couple of hours later. Once I got home, I looked up the facts on Latourell Falls and this is what I learned:

• Distance: 2.1 miles roundtrip
• Elevation: 650 ft
• Hike Time: 1.5 hours
• Hike Type: Loop

My ankle did well, did turn it funny a few times but the terrain on this hike was not paved, it was quite rocky and plenty of dirt. The path in many areas were very narrow (even for one person), and there were times where I had to squat or sit just to work my way down. From time to time I'd catch up with someone else on the trail or cross paths with someone, but otherwise I was solo for the majority of the time. You could hear the water from the Falls the whole time and birds chirping. At one point something jumped on my left shoulder and then off, it happened so quickly that I didn't really get a chance to see what it was or get scared, but I think it was a small frog. I feel better, mentally and physically.  I will treat my ankle well with some elevation, icing, and ibuprofen tonight (thank you ankle for not giving out on me!). I think I will definitely check out another hiking spot next Sunday! Hiking is a great substitute for time being...

sanity still intact

Yup, I'm still sane! I haven't gone for a run in 4 weeks and as frustrating as it is for me, I'm oddly calm. In all honesty there is an important factor to why I'm surviving this, and I really should thank him. I'm going through a learning process of channeling the mental energy I'd use for running, into other aspects of my life. Not as easy as you'd think. Remembering to eat better and cutting back on indulgences is hard to do, I can't run that extra mile to burn off that extra caloric intake. Blah. Running has also become my therapist of sorts, it's my session to work on things that may be weighing on me mentally. I was hit with something a week ago that a good run could have helped me a great deal, but thankfully I have good friends that were a healthy substitute for running. It may not have been exactly the same thing, but I'm still fortunate enough to have that, and I know it. So to my lovely friends, Jen, Krystle, Amanda and Natalie- Thank you for giving me your time when I needed it (even when you didn't realize how helpful you were). And to Ken, while I'm struggling with the inability to run, you have helped keep my spirits up by making me happy. I can't thank you enough for that. You're a wonderful person, and I am utterly thankful to have you in my life. :)

August is a week away, and the Crawfish Crawl is 3 weeks away. Given that I haven't gone on a run in 4 weeks, and it will be at least another week or two before I can even go for a moderately paced walk, I don't think I will be participating in this event. The next event on my schedule is in September, and I am hoping that I will be able to do that but if I were to be completely honest with myself, I don't think that is going to happen either. Ah! So what is a girl to do?! I think my main focus at this point is to get back into core training and upper body weight training this week, next week at the latest. And to keep with the therapy with my ankle so that it is back in working (running) condition. 

I think the most important thing I need to remember is to live, love, laugh...

on the mend

Good news! My ankle is getting better... yay! I still have some lateral swelling, slight pitted edema around the lateral malleolus, very little swelling in the medial side of my foot. Bruising is almost completely gone, and while wrapped and wearing shoes I can walk pretty normal now. Without wrap and barefoot I limp a little, I think it's partly my guarding it and that I have slight discomfort on the lateral bottom of my foot when I walk. Still not ready to go for a walk yet, but I'm hopeful! The downfall of all of this is that I have to be careful with what I eat, cut back, as my physical activity has plummeted! I've been doing so well with losing weight that I refuse to go backwards! So now it's time to veg out on more greens and no sugars. Now I just got to keep thinking positive thoughts, positive thoughts, positive thoughts...

oh the pain! oh the frustration!

So yesterday was my first day back to work since I hurt my ankle. I wrapped it, took some Ibuprofen, and wore supportive shoes. The first half of the day seem to go by just fine, very little limping was going on. At some point I took a moment to sit down and look at my ankle, an area of my heel wasn't wrapped and I noticed that it started to bruise. When lunch time came around I asked one of the chiropractors I work with if he could look at my ankle and give me his professional opinion. When I unwrapped it, I was shocked by how much bruising had occurred in the few hours I had worked! He palpated my ankle and foot, and we discovered that I had pitted edema (a form of swelling), and that my ROM has decreased quite a bit. The majority of the area doesn't hurt to the touch, but in certain areas I could gauge eyes out! He determined that the likeliness that anything is broken is slim, especially since I'm moving about just fine. But he's afraid that I may have a dislocation or two, not the ankle bone itself (the joint where the leg and foot connect) but among the little bones in my foot. He can't do any adjustments until the swelling goes down, and because he's afraid he may loose a limb or two- LOL. So in the meantime, he said that I need to ice it often, keep it elevated as often as I can (and when I sleep) and try not to be on it all that much. He proceeded to adjust my lower back (as that is a whole other mess) and I went home for lunch, iced my ankle, elevated it, and took some Ibuprofen. (I'm blessed with a 2 hour lunch break) After lunch, he had the other CA do therapy on my ankle, she electric/ultrasound therapy, it helps with swelling. This was the first time I had this done and it was quite interesting, the tingling feeling tickled at first but after a while it just numbed the area. My foot felt great for a few hours, but by the end of the day all I wanted to do was get off of my feet. By the end of the any day, my ankle/foot aches, throbs, and my hips are just flat out tired. This is how my foot looked this afternoon:

It's hard to see in the photo, but it's my right ankle, you can barely see the lateral malleolus (ankle bone that sticks out), and what's left of the bruising in the lower part of my foot. There is some swelling still in the medial (inside) part of my foot too but that has decreased quite a bit too. I can wiggle my toes with no problems now, and move my foot around (slowly) with barely any discomfort. Standing for a few minutes is fine, but prolonged weight on that foot is no good. Walking is possible, but with a limp and becomes quite tiresome. As of right now the throbbing has begun, I will need to ice it again before heading to bed. 

So what does all of this mean for my running? Well, I'm told that I should wait at least 2 weeks before attempting it. I think it's silly to even think I would even try at this moment. But once the swelling is gone, and we've adjusted (if need be) the joints that may be dislocated, I can begin walking/running. I will probably need to keep it wrapped for support for about 4 weeks, but afterwards I will need to not keep it wrapped to help strengthen the ligaments again. Thats about 6 to 8 weeks before I'll be back in the game, ugh, far too long for my liking, but I will do what I have to. I will keep you all posted on the progress of my healing. If anyone got any tips, feel free to throw them my way...

out of order

Went on my first camping trip with friends for my 32nd birthday. Wasn't sure exactly what to expect, I was full of excitement and was quite nervous. I knew that there was no way I would be sleeping out in the wilderness, intoxicated most of the time, without coming back unscathed. I just didn't imagine I'd come back with a severely swollen right ankle...

It happened the first day there, not sure exactly what I did, but I must've stepped down funny. One minute I'm walking, the next I'm on the ground laughing through the pain. That whole night I felt nothing, and was walking around just fine. Next morning, it was hurting pretty bad. Standing up from my tent was one of the hardest things I think I had to do in a long time. Thankfully my friend, Krystle, came prepared with a first aid kit and I was able to take some Ibuprofen! I iced and elevated my ankle a few times a day, but refused to just sit there and do nothing. I know nothing is broken, but the swelling in the above photo is at its worse. I'm walking funny, so now my right hip is sore. Today I stayed off of it for the majority of the day, kept it elevated, and took Ibuprofen. I go back to work tomorrow, so this will be interesting. As for running? Well that obviously is put on hold, which is very frustrating. There's a 5k I want to do in August, and I really need to get some miles in. Send me some healing vibes everyone, I could really use it...

allergy hell

I'm living in allergy hell at the moment. I was probably one of the few people in Oregon that was happy that summer came around late. We had a rainy start to June, and because of it my allergies were put at bay. But now the sun has come out to play, and don't get me wrong I love the sun, but whatever it is that my body doesn't like is out to play too! My eyes are miserably itchy and red (thank god for Patanol), my nose won't stop running (constant drip, drip, drip...) which then causes me to have this constant sore throat. All this gives me absolutely no motivation to do anything but stay in somewhere cool. Give me a cold wet towel to throw over my eyes and I'm good. Unfortunately I can count in one hand how many times I ran in the last 2 weeks, and that's no bueno!! I wanted to go for a run today, at least a good brisk walk, but I woke up finding that I am having breathing issues. Ahhh, yes, that's right I get allergy induced asthma!! Lucky me, all of my inhalers have expired and so now I have to focus on my breathing and keeping myself relaxed until I can get a hold of my doctor. That means no running (or walking for that matter) for me today. How am I going to survive camping next week? Time to go blow my nose...

...and so things have changed

As I knew my life was headed towards change, I didn't expect it to change within hours of my last posting. Yesterday I was offered the job I was after, and I happily accepted. This new job brings a lot of excitement and some frustration. The positive aspects are better pay, more hours (which could also be a negative), health benefits, paid vacation, weekends off (that's a first for me), and a change of pace. The frustrating part is that I had to back out of the Cascade Lakes Relay Race, and although my teammates are very supportive of my new job and very understanding, it doesn't rid the disappointment I feel of not being able to participate in the relay. After completing my first 10k, I was all pumped up and ready to take on this relay. I suppose now I will just have to wait until next year. And now that I will be working more hours, there will be no getting out early in the day which will effect my afternoon/evening workout sessions. In fact, I will no longer be able to attend Nia on Monday nights anymore...eek! Thankfully Kelly M. is flexible and so our core workouts will stay intact, but I will either have to start getting up early in the mornings to run, or settle for evening runs. The goal is to not fall off track, is to stay focused and continue with my training. Different aspects of my life seem to be coming together nicely, I am curious to see how the next few months will pan out...

change is coming

I do my best to stick to a regular schedule to ensure that I stay on top of my trainings. Typically my week goes like this:

• Monday- Run & Nia
• Tuesday- Core
• Wednesday- Walk & Tri-D or Run
• Thursday- Core
• Friday- Run (sometimes Nia)
• Saturday- Run
• Sunday- Rest (or makeup day)

But as life would have it, I don't always get to follow this schedule and so I have to rearrange things to make it work. For the most part though, I tend to get everything in and I feel pretty confident that I am doing well enough at the moment. The key words being "at the moment". See, I've been in the process of finding a new job. The downfall to leaving the job I currently have is the freedom, the ability to be able to fit everything I want to do in. I work an average of 32 hours a week, which usually means I'm out fairly early and have a ton of time to play, but I don't get paid enough. The downfall of getting a new job is that I will have to be wiser with my time, as I will most likely be working a normal 40 hour week. The plus though, weekends off, benefits, and paid vacation!! On the other side of the spectrum, I'm also learning to balance my active lifestyle with my personal life- so far I am managing well. Change can be good, but change can be challenging... sometimes very challenging. I think I'm up for that challenge...

in need of help

Now that I was becoming a more serious runner, and was going to begin training for the Cascade Lakes Relay Race- a 216 mile race that involves 12 runners running three legs- I was going to need some serious help preparing myself! So I jumped on the interweb again and did some research. I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for but I knew that somewhere out there in the world wide web I'd find it, and I did! I found myself a Professional Running Coach, Jennifer Burningham. After meeting up with her and learning about what she has to offer, I instantly knew I was headed in the right direction. She's been a constant source of positive reinforcement, and has been there for me every step of the way (no question is ever too stupid). Because of her I was able to tackle on my second race, the Drop Top 10k. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would run for more than a mile, then I did a 5k. But I honestly never envisioned myself doing a 10k, and that had to be one of the hardest things I had ever done in my life. Jennifer got me on track, between meeting with her one to three times a month and constant contact through email/text/call, she helped me be prepared. (I highly recommend her!!)

Next goal:
Cascade Lakes Relay.

• Leg One: 3.9 miles (slight uphill)
• Leg Two: 3.3 miles (slight downhill)
• Leg Three: 2.6 miles (flat/picturesque) 

With Jennifer's help, I think I can do this! Hell, I did do 6.2 miles already... 

an introduction

Welcome to my running blog!! This blog will be so much more than just about my running, but about all things that contribute to it, change it, and whatever else life decides to throw my way. Here I will brag about my personal bests, vent about my struggles, share my learnings, and hopefully educate some. At the end of my running career, I would like to be able to look back at this blog and remember all that it took me to get to where I am (will be). So sit back, get your reading glasses on... and enjoy!

A brief history: I started running back in August 2009 as a way to start losing weight after plateauing. In the beginning it was the most frustrating thing I had ever took on. Before now, any attempt in running was futile and so not for me. I jumped on the interweb and started to research on what to do and what not to do, but it wasn't until I found dailymile that I started to really learn, thanks to all the great people who befriended me. To this day, I rely on my dailymile friends to get me through all of my running obstacles. Six months in I was approached by a friend/co-worker (Robin H.) about being a part of her relay team. I had never really put any thought to actually racing, especially since I had a habit of progressing too quickly and burning myself out. But after some thought, I figured having something to train for could help me, so I agreed to join. I then became a new member of the Herbs and Spices. We will be running our first relay race at the Cascades Lake Relay Race in late July 2010. Seven months in of learning to run (which means, learning to breathe, moving my feet correctly, learning to stretch, etc etc) I participated in my first race, the Shamrock Run 5k. I was fortunate to have a friend, Krystle S., keep me company during the race. She ran when I ran, walked when I walked, and urged me on when I wanted to give up. But there are no words to describe the feeling of crossing that finish line, especially your first time! And so the addiction began...