It does exist!!

The sun that is. It was a beautiful weekend and I made sure to take advantage of being outside. I was getting cabin fever; ready to pull my hair out.

Friday--hit the gym and met the roommates for dinner. It's nice to relax and catch-up since we're so busy during the week.

Saturday was spent at the gym with my regular workout of elliptical, treadmill walk, and strength training. I've also been walking home after work and school (both are about a half hour away.)

And these (above and below) were my views on Sunday. I took a long walk along the Hudson to clear my head, with a 5 min run that my PT had on the schedule. It was okay. Not great and I could definitely tell that my cardio is lacking. I also felt a twinge on my left hamstring, but nothing too dramatic. I made sure to stretch along with the hip strengthening exercises. Feeling good now.

I also made dinner that turned out delicious: haddock, brown rice, and a crisp cucumber and radish salad. Will have to start taking pictures of my cooking adventures as well. A beautiful way to end the weekend. Looking forward to lots more sunshine.

And I raaaaan....ran (not so) far awayyyy....

Bad news are usually accompanied by good news. Which puts things into perspective and I definitely needed perspective. I was a bit bummed after learning some not so great news, but today made up for it.

Today in PT, I ran. Not far or long, but it felt awesome. I've been working really hard getting my hips stronger and felt really good so my PT suggested trying a 5min run on their treadmill. I took my new shoes (Feelmax Osma) and because of their construction (or lack there of) my foot fall was really heavy. I'm bringing my regular shoes next time to see if there is a difference and she'll also check my form. I can workout this evening and tomorrow, but will have to wait until Sunday for my next run. And I hear it's going to be in the 50s, so I'll be heading outside. This may be pushing it, but I'm hoping for a mile at least on March 22. **fingers-crossed**

Out of shape, but not out of it

To say that I'm upset and frustrated would be an understatement. The issue with my hip has made me so out of shape and I can feel it. Don't get me wrong, since I began physical therapy I have gotten stronger and in general am in less pain. In the beginning, I could only be on the elliptical for 15mins and now that's been increased to 30 mins with 15 mins walk on the treadmill. It's slow going and every time I see my PT, I beg for more time. She laughs at how impatient I am and tells me that it's a process and will take time. I know she's right.

Apparently there are layers and layers of problems and we have to correct each one. *UGH* Another physical therapist looked at my hips and thinks that there may not be a tear. Yay for that because I so don't want to have surgery. I'm working like crazy and following all of their advice.

Here are a few exercises that I've been doing to strengthen and stabilize my hips and pelvic:







Running Times has a great article by Mackenzie Lobby (where I got the pics above) about weak hip and the issues they cause to the rest of our bodies.


Hopefully it will pay off because...

I've signed up for a LOT of races and I'm itching to start training. ^_^

Laughing...

My office sometimes has yoga classes during lunch and it's the best! It's a fantastic way to decompress during the day and I always leave feeling calm and refreshed.

The other day, our instructor had a completely different approach to class. She could see that we were all a bit stressed out and had low energy levels. We spent the entire class focusing on breathing and just being there. It's definitely hard not to let your mind wander to everything else you have to do or flashing back on the things you did that you want to change. It took so much energy for me to constantly remind myself of where I was and what it is that I wanted (and needed) to get out from this class. Near the end of it...I was there. I was present and breathing deeply.

And of course this is when there was a change up. Our instructor wanted us to look at each other and laugh. Ummm...what?! We all looked at each other sheepishly. She said "...just for one minute. That's it." She looked me in the eye and started laughing. I started to giggle and before you knew it, EVERYONE was laughing hysterically! We kept looking at each other and couldn't stop...even after the minute was up. It was such an amazing feeling. I left the class content and was so for the rest of the day. I want to laugh more often and be present in the moment for 2010.

Injury (Slight)

So....I have a slight tear in my left hip labral. It's been bothering me awhile now and I finally got it checked out. Until Spring, I cannot run or participate in high impact activities. :-/ This is not going to be fun. And I also have to start physical therapy (for 2 months) and anti-inflammatory medicine (for 1-2 months). After that I'll get checked out again and hopefully will not have to go through surgery.

I had hoped that I would be able to have done at least 2-3 races by Spring. So frustrating, but will have to regroup and make new goals for the year. After speaking with the doctor, I made sure to know what I could actually do. Ugh--to not move for months is my nightmare. To keep my fitness level, I've been working on the elliptical, bike and will try to get in some pool time as well.

It also looks like I'll be needing to make a new mix. The music on my shuffle is geared towards running and my body is used to moving in a certain way when I hear those songs. While at the gym the other day, it was incredibly difficult (and sad) not to get on a treadmill!! I can't wait to get clearance to run again!

The bad and the good

My left hip has been hurting--a lot. A dull ache that doesn't seem to be going away. And I've been reluctant in getting it checked out, but then it started hurting when I would sleep on it. Grr. I've eased back the running and have been concentrating on strength, especially my hip flexors. It's getting much stronger, but I did suck it up to make a doctor's appointment. I just want to make sure that it's nothing serious. *Fingers crossed*

The Running Company group run meet up. Time Warner Center

I started running with a running group and even though it's disbanded for the rest of the year, I'm looking forward to it starting back up in the new year. On Thursdays and Sundays, it's a women only group. Even though there are co-ed groups, and I would love to join them, right now, those are the only days that I can make. The women are awesome. So welcoming and encouraging. It was a wet, cool run in Central Park. We ran up E. 59th, did the top portion of the Resevoir and back down to W. 59th. All in all about 4.5 miles. Part of it and especially near the end, I could definitely feel my hips and low back, but it wasn't too terrible. I just need to relax more and not tense up my shoulders and arms. As long as I continue to do more strength training and watch my form, I think that next year, I'll be able to run more quality races.

Start over

So yesterday, I started actually running again. I took a strength class in the morning and ran after work along new paths. It was awesome to run along the Hudson River all the way from Harlem to the Upper West Side. I've been waiting and waiting for construction to be done and it was well worth it. The feeling of running along the water is incredible and so peaceful.

I do need to get some form of reflective gear now that it's getting darker much earlier. Coming back, I made sure that my iPod was lower and I was more aware. It wasn't too bad, plus there was still enough people running, biking, and roller blading. It's my new favorite path to run and hopefully it will keep me motivated throughout the long winter.

I'm following the Hal Higdon Intermediate training plan with some minor adjustments to the speed work (I'm not great at it and am not sure if I can follow what he has down). With additional strength and core work, I think I can get my time down from last year's 10K. I'm also running the Thanksgiving Day Columbus Turkey Trot (5miler) with my brother. So excited about that!! We've never run together, but I'm sure my competitive streak will be in high gear!