Run Julie Run

I ran today!  Hallelujah!!!  Finally... It felt good, if running ever really feels good.  I did a lot better than I expected.  I did 3 miles, average 10:09, which is pretty darn good even when I was running every day.  My goal, before the last 2 weeks was to try to be below 10 min as often as I can.  So, 10:09 after 2 weeks off makes me pretty happy.

My foot is still not healed.  It definitely feels better, but that's not surprising since I haven't run in two weeks.  I'm sure as soon as I start back up, we'll be back where we started.  John went online with Dr Google and found some treatment plans, so I bought a boot to wear at night to help with the pain when I get up.  I also found a compression sleeve made for Plantar Facisitis and I'm supposed to take Alleve morning and night.  So I'm going to try those things and see if that helps.  I'm also still toying with the idea of getting a bike.  I'm going to borrow one again, a better one, and if it works out I'm going to buy my own, because I think I'll like biking.

I'm very happy to be running again.  Which is so totally weird...  Gotta get running this week, because it's Zombie weekend!  Saturday is the big Zombie 5K!  Very nervous....

No run, week one

It's been 7 days since my last run.... and I don't think my foot is much better.  It might hurt a little less, but not much.  I think the only thing that's saved me, is the first 4 days I was battling a cold and so I didn't feel like running or exercising or doing much of anything.  What I find to be really strange... is now when I see people running I'm actually a little bit jealous.  I feel a sense of longing, like "aahhh.. they get to run."  How weird is that...

I did manage to Erg one day.  I sweated, I huffed and puffed, but I'm not actually sure I really know what I'm doing on the Erg, so I'm not sure how beneficial it is.  It said I burned about the same about of calories as I do on a run, so I guess I'll consider it a success.

I also attempted to ride a bike...It was not a success...  I borrowed my friend Patti's bike... and well....  First of all, the whole concept of gears is gobbledegook to me.  Is the low number harder or easier,  which set of gears should I be changing and oh did I mention you have to brake with your hands... All I kept envisioning is me trying to stop, panicking and catapulting myself over the handlebars and into the street. So, I did what any self-respecting, modern woman would.. I googled it.  CLEAR.AS.MUD.  Not to mention the fact that my ability to retain information seems to be inversely proportional to my age.  I read the articles, I printed some off and still about 10 minutes into my ride I couldn't remember a damn thing and I looked at those gear shifters like they were written in Korean.  Then I started changing gears willy nilly, up... is that easier or harder?  Down... Is there even a difference.  I finally just decided to leave them in the middle and not worry about it.

By the way, did I mention the hills.... I don't like the hills going up OR coming down!!!   It was torture going up the hills, but I did it.  Coming down the hills totally freaked me out... too fast and the pedals
were just spinning so fast I couldn't keep my feet on them.  That cant' be right.  I'm not sure who was in charge of the ride, me or the bike. Actually, pretty sure the bike was in charge... in fact, I'm pretty sure that the bike was changing it's own gears when ever it damn well wanted to and that it was trying to buck me off into the path of oncoming traffic.  I definitely need to go hit my "bike guru" Jennie and get some Bike 101 before I try it again.  I also need to make sure I have a friendly working bike!!!
I'm not giving up, I certainly think I might eventually like biking.  I was a crazy workout for my legs, they were shaky and a little sore, so I know it will be a good workout... I just need to make sure I'm doing it right.

Day One....

Today is the first day of my 2 week break from running.  John talked to a PT for me at his clinic and pretty much the only way to get this blasted foot to heal ( Dr Google and I have diagnosed it as plantar fascitis) is to take some time off. 10 days to 2 weeks.  ARGGGGHHHHH!!!  I don't want to, but I'm also really tired of the pain.  I can hardly walk in the mornings, I limp all day long - it's not fun at all.

So... it looks like our Erg and I are going to become Besties!!!  Although I find it hard to believe that erging will offer me the same kind of calorie burn and workout as running.  Zack thinks it will be even better... I guess we'll see.  He's going to come down and check my form and give me some pointers.

I'm also going to give Zack's bike a try.  My neighbor Jennie just finished biking across Iowa or some such craziness, so I'll hop on the bike and give it a try.  Since I haven't ridden a bike since I was about 10, I'm not sure how successful I'm going to be, but I'll keep an open mind.  I'm sort of fantasizing that I'll discover I love biking and will be able to do it well enough that next year I might try one of those Spring Triathalons.  They are roughly 750m swim, 20mile bike and 5K run.  The only thing that might be tough is the swimming, but I could do it if I tried and trained... I think... Anyway, first step is riding the bike and then we'll see.  Actually first step is surviving not running for 2 weeks.  Who in their right mind would EVER imagine that I would be whining and crying about NOT being able to run!!  I really have become someone else!  Heal, damn foot, Heal!!

The Happiest 5k in America, pretty much lived up to its hype!

We had the most awesome time at The Color Run. 22 of us, mostly from Crew drove down, stayed in a hotel and then met up in the morning to do The Color Run.  There were tons of people and it was pretty exciting.  The race went well, it wasn't exactly 3.1 miles, more like 2.9 but it wasn't time and it was just supposed to be fun anyway.  I did it in something like 29.25, which was average 10:09 mile.  That's fine for me, considering most of the time you had to weave in and out of people and then slow down to a walk at the dye toss stations.  The most fun was at the end.  I'm so glad we took the kids because if it had just been me or adults, we probably would have run the race and then gone home and skipped the whole "after party" thing.  But not with kids, they raced over and planted themselves in the front row of the stage and danced and yelled and threw dye packs and caught free stuff and just in general had a wild time.  Since we had some younger kids with us, Laura and I went up front as well to keep and eye out.  It was a hoot!!

Before and After

#9

I think we are still scrubbing the dye out of crevices and cracks.  It was definitely the funnest 5K so far!  9 down, only 3 more to go.  Next up the Zombie 5K in October.  Trying not to freak out about that one!

It's almost 5K #9

Zack and I and 22 of our friends are hanging out in Richmond today and doing my 9th 5K!  The Color Run.  It's supposed to be the Happiest 5K in America...

 I guess we'll see!

Re-living the College Life for a weekend

I made a quick road trip down to see Brenna last weekend.  I didn't really have a reason, but I had the hotel reservations and I figured it would be fun to get away for a couple days - just me and my girl.   It was a lot of fun, we really didn't do anything but hang out and eat.  I pretty much carried a food baby to term all weekend long.  The only saving grace was a did get a run in both Fri and Sat morning.  She has a great running path by the river, so I enjoyed that.

I got to meet all her roommates and their dogs!  They had the Club Fair on friday, I hung out at her table and watched Brenna strut her stuff. She's the Co-President of The Wildlife Society. She was awesome, talking to everyone and trying to recruit for the club.  I was a very proud Mama.  I think maybe I've rubbed off on her just a little bit.

Hanging out in her Galapagos hammock on the front porch!  With one of her bestie roomies - Fallon.  So cool!

 

Breakfast at our favorite little diner, before I head back to the real world.  It was fun living the college life for a little while, but I'm too old to do it for very long!

First Days all the way around!

I got it, I did it... I am now a working woman!!  I got the copy job, I am officially Woodbridge Senior High School's Copy Girl!!  I've only been campaigning for this job for 3 years.  So, Zack and I headed off to school together this morning.

I can't believe how grown up and "manlike" my boy has become!!  Time is passing by way too quickly!  He was a good sport this morning, putting up with my pictures.  He also had to make his own breakfast this morning... 4 scrambled eggs, bacon and cereal!

I can't believe he's a sophomore!! He has a great schedule,  I couldn't have picked better teachers for him.  He also has friends in both lunches and in most of his classes.  I guess I can relax a little bit now!

My first day was awesome!!  I walked into the office to the sound of cheers and applause!  I guess the secretaries really hate making copies, they've been taking turns until I was hired.  I guess they didn't expect me today, so it was quite gratifying when I arrived.  I asked if they would welcome me that way every day?  Found out I'm on Team Library - which I love,  cause everyone knows how much I love the library.  Then, I got a grand total of 7 MINUTES of training on the machines and they left me to my own devices!!  Fortunately, the machines are brand new and pretty self-intuitive and I was able to get going pretty quickly.  I also had to change the staple cartridge in both machines, emptied the hole punch container and learned how to program jobs all by myself!  I have my own little room, I have a desk and nobody else will be making copies so I can do whatever I want.  Zack and I went school supply shopping tonight and I got stuff as well.  Just like when I was a kid, drawer organizer, frames so I can take pictures in, desk calendar and snack basket (so I can feed Zack whenever he gets hungry).

25,000 copies later... it was a great day and I can't wait for tomorrow!