Category: pre-triplets

July 26, 2001

Yesterday was good! Of course, it stopped raining, and by the time we got to the park, around 7:30 pm, it was getting muggy. All of that rain just sitting in the air. Why it can’t just stay in the puddles is beyond me.

Anyway, we decided that we’d go twice around the park (a total of 3.54 miles) to try to figure out how long it’d take us to do the 5K (which is in 3.5 weeks now). So I started my watch after we had walked a bit, so I figure I timed about 3.25 miles. Which took us 45 minutes. So I guess it’ll take us around, oh, 43 minutes to do the actual 5K. Which is okay, because I looked at the results of last year’s race, and the last people finished in 59 minutes. We’d actually be near the back of the middle of the pack. If that makes sense. But then again, we still have a few weeks to get better, and I think the excitement of the race will help. Anyway, I don’t care. If we go too fast, we’ll have a hard time improving the next time around!

I think I may be coming down with a cold. Still. This morning I woke up and felt like my left tonsil (?) was swollen. Now it just feels like a bad post-nasal drip. Eww. So I may not go this afternoon. Or may just walk. On the other hand, it’s raining in a less-pleasant way today, so maybe I should just forget it. We’ll see.

July 19, 2001

Ugh. Today I’ve been in a bad mood. Probably because I woke up today and my leg still hurts. What I don’t understand is why it started hurting yesterday morning, but it didn’t hurt during or after our run on Tuesday night. I really really hope it’s not a stress fracture. This morning, I iced it at work. It doesn’t hurt as bad right now, but that might be because of the ibuprofin I took earlier. Anyway, I’m not running again until Sunday, maybe that will help.

The bike ride yesterday was a complete loss, too. I got to Sarah’s house and took out her bike, but the front tire was kind of squishy, so I attempted to put more air in it with her teeny pump, but I didn’t have much luck with it. Kristina convinced me that it was okay to ride as it was (well, she didn’t leave me much choice, more like bullied me into it) but as we got about 1/2 way around the park, I realized that the seat was too low. So we raised it and it was much better, until it s l o w l y sunk back down, about 3/4 of the way around again. So I raised it again, and this time it didn’t sink so slowly. So Kristina left me to pedal slowly and painfully back to Sarah’s house while she went around the fly. Not too much fun. However, Sarah does have the most amazing seat on her bike. Very springy. Nice. But I’ve sworn off bikes again, so it doesn’t really matter.

Tonight I’m going to the mall to get new clothes. That should make me happy. I hope.

July 18, 2001

Oooh, yesterday we had a good run. We didn’t go until 7:00, so it was much cooler than we’ve been used to. And, we did the 7/3 again! Three times! And this time, it seemed even easier than the first time (and that’s quite an accomplishment, I think, since it was raining the first time, so really it should have been easier then) except at the very end, when I just wanted the 7 minutes to be over. Even though the 5K isn’t for another month, I’m afraid I won’t be able to run 3.1 miles by then. I’m hoping the race atmosphere (and the excitement of it being my first) will carry me through. Or I hope I improve enough. Well, whatever, as long as I finish.

Unfortunately, though my shins weren’t hurting during or after our run yesterday evening, they hurt this morning when I woke up. I thought that was sort of strange. I’m praying that it’s not a stress fracture. I’m sure it’s not (the power of positive thinking).

Tonight at around 1 a.m., it’ll be 2 whole weeks without smoking!

Also, Sportbrain is going down for good tonight. Unless they find a buyer. That sucks! I’ve only had it 5 weeks. Let’s see, that’s $20 a week. Useless!

Tonight we’re going to cross-train because of my leg. Hopefully Gary will let me use his bike. Hopefully he still feels guilty about my arms (which, by the way, feel much better today).

July 17, 2001

I did go running on Thursday, before we went to the airport. I ran around the park once (1.77 miles) and then kept going. I didn’t want to keep going in the same direction, because the first third of the park is sunny (hot) and the last third is shady (cool). However, if I had turned around and re-done the shady part of the track, I would have been facing all of the people coming around. And I’m not quite confident enough to run towards people, alone. I’ll do it with Kristina, but not by myself. So I ran towards the sunny part, then turned around. I ran quite a bit, but I didn’t have my stopwatch, so I couldn’t time the running parts. It was so hot I don’t think I could have done the 7/3 again, but I stayed out for 40 minutes, which was my real goal for the day.

Friday, I was staying at Kelly’s house, and it was raining and I was feeling sorry for myself, so I didn’t go running. I knew I was going to go to the Reily Center (Tulane’s gym) with Ren and Gary on Saturday, so it was okay.

So Saturday I get up too early for a weekend (before 9, but then I had gone to bed early since I had gotten very little sleep on Thursday night) and got dressed, got some coffee and a scone for breakfast, and went over to Ren and Gary’s. Ren and I went to Southern Runner so I could get my eagerly-anticipated first pair of running shoes fitted by a running store. So I got a pair of Nike Air Structure Triax, whatever that means. Spent a bit more than I had budgeted, but they’re great shoes. Hardly any shin pain to speak of after running in them!

Then the real hell started. After fixing Kristina’s bike, we rode to the Reily Center, about 1.5-2 miles away. I should say that this may be the most significant portion of the day. I haven’t ridden a bike since the summer of 1996, when, while riding to Subway with Anne one night, I fell off my bike and landed on the road face first. Nothing major happened, but it certainly didn’t entice me to ride a bike again.

Once we got to the gym, we went around the track for 30 minutes. Nice to run on an air-conditioned, flat, indoor track, except that it was so small, I kept losing track of what number I was on. I probably did around 20 loops, a little over 2 miles. I ran probably half of that, maybe a bit more. Then we moved on to the weight room. Now, Ren and Gary have a routine: arms one day, legs the next. Today was an arm day. So I gamely went along with Gary’s torture. Suffice it to say, I overdid it and today, 3 days later, I’m still paying the price with sore, stiff arms and shoulders. Ah well. After the weight room, I rode a stationary bike for 25 minutes while Ren and Gary swam, and then we went home.

Sunday was a rest day, without a doubt. I couldn’t straighten my arms, much less lift them over my head to put on a sports bra, so running was definitely out. Anyway, I had spent 3 hours in a gym the day before. I deserved Sunday off.

Monday, thought, Kristina and I went to the park and did pretty much the same thing I had done on Thursday afternoon. We went to a movie last night, so we had to go to the park early, which meant it was still pretty hot, so we were still unable to do the 7/3 pattern. Perhaps today, because we’re not going until 6:30 or so. Might not be so bad.

Ahhh…Sportbrain stats for yesterday’s run (I don’t think it’s entirely accurate, but whatever) Distance: 2.6 miles (not a chance) Running Distance: 1.2. So probably more like distance 2.25, running distance 1 mile. Well, not too bad, considering the heat. I think our real improvements are going to happen when it cools off (well, that’s what I tell myself, anyway.)