Thursday, February 26, 2009

Back to the Track

So I did end up going to the track on Tuesday. I ran with no expectations...just jogged around the track and said hi to all of the good peeps there. My hammie didn't blow up and my mood lifted. Running actually felt relaxing and soothing to me. I need to slowly come back.

I run to and from the track. It's almost exactly a mile each way and is a great warmup/cooldown. Running home was wonderfully soothing in the dark. I love to see the glow of lights in houses and think of all the happy people cozy in their houses after work. Everyone attending to their lives. I ran past where one of our small streams plunges under the street and heads out the bay; it was rushing and tumbling like a small river after all of our rains. It was safely after commute time by the time I ran home from the track so I took to the middle of the streets and ran in virtual silence home. I startled one house cat with my headlights (a little clip contraption on my hat). I guess she thought I was a three-eyed monster.

I haven't run since. But I'm not beating myself up about it. We had another storm, and I was busy with the kids and their school functions. Maybe tomorrow I'll run again, or maybe Saturday.
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I did a great yoga dvd this morning. It's an intermediate level Rodney Yee class. I've had the dvd for a while but felt a bit intimidated by the description of it. It has inversions..and I'm fairly nervous about going upside down. I didn't get to a total handstand, partly since I couldn't find a proper bare wall to hoist myself up to, but even just doing the preliminary excercises really had a positive effect on me. I also practiced inversions on a "chair" that I have that is specifically for yoga inversions. It sets you right up on your shoulders with your head hanging freely below. Inversions do seem to help the psyche...and the back! I felt wonderful after my morning session. I didn't get to finish the dvd, I ran out of time. So tomorrow I'll do it again to completion and report when I actually do that full handstand by myself. (I might ask The Mister to spot me on one tonight.)

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Motivation = Zero

I have no desire to run. It's all come to a screeching halt. I find it stressful to think of going out for a run when I have so much to do at home. The housework is neverending and shuttling the kids to fro to different activities is tiring and stressful too. I've been getting many aches and pains all over in the last few weeks that just makes the thought of running, well, ugh. Yoga makes me feel better, and calm, so that's what I'm going with right now.

I will force myself out for a jog at the track. No expectations and no speed work since I'm totally off the training wagon. I actually don't want to go at all...but I think I'll feel better if I get out to do it. I'm tossing my 5k goals out of the door...I think that any goals or expectations about my running at the this time are just counterproductive and too stressful for me. Running becomes a job and not an escape. I can't pile another stressor on at this time. So running with no goals and just for fun is for me now.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Chuggin' Along in the Rain

I finally got out for a run today. Nothing fell apart and my leg didn't sieze up. I'm going at this very cautiously. I'll continue the Yoga religiously from now on. I don't think that I can expect to continue to run without it. I'm just so tight and bound up. More than looking forward to running again I'm looking forward to gaining flexibility from Yoga and maybe feeling more like my younger self. From now on caution and balance in all things are the name of the game. So maybe my sub 20 min 5k won't happen this year...or maybe it will. Either way I'm not going to fixate on it or make it a priority in my life. Health and balance will be the priority.

This weekend we're enjoying a big rainstorm that is much needed. Running in it was refreshing and fun actually. It's been steady all day long and is expected to continue all night and into the morning.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

I'm Still Here

Had a cold...so running wouldn't have happened anyway. Still doing Yoga. The hip/leg are better but it is still tight. It will probably take months to loosen it up so it's a long term project fo' shore.

It's back to workin' on the house a bit too. I'll report on the hammie when I get out for a run. Probably this weekend peeps.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Cabin Fever Hamstring

I haven't run in over a week. The last time I ran my hamstring tightened up and then gave me a nasty sharp poke. I decided to take the warning seriously and just stop. Totally.

I already feel fat. I know that I'm not, but I mentally just feel the flab gathering....

So I've started doing yoga. Religiously. I got out one of my Rodney Yee DVDs and gone to town with it. I have a number of yoga DVDs from different teachers so they'll keep me busy for a while. And I'll try to get to an actual class at some point, it's just really tough with the kids. I'm ridiculously tight in the hips. Obviously this is why my hamstring revolted. I realize that I'm going to have to keep up the yoga forever now if I ever hope to function the way I want to. It's not such a bad thing really, I DO like yoga, it's just that it was easier to be lazy and not do the stretching and yoga that I need and should do.

Maybe I'll try a very, very easy run on the weekend. We shall see.

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In other news, yet another good friend is moving away from the area. He's headed to Tacoma, Washington for a new job. He was laid off a month or two back and luckily landed a great gig up there. But again, one less friend/relative around here. It's getting lonelier and lonelier and there are fewer people here that we feel comfortable with. It's become very "privileged" in our hood and well, we don't measure up in the earnings department. We're only here because we've always been here. Home has picked up and left when we weren't looking. I'm ready to go look for where it went.