Varsity Redemption

So good news!
Even though I sucked up the last xc meet because of my shin injury, Coach has me running Varsity again this Saturday.
It's at Clinton Farms again, but a different course.
I'm hoping for some shin redemption!

Music Midtown is also on Saturday!!!!!
YAY COLDPLAY (and other bands)!

My "Run from the Cops" 5k went rather well.
I finished in 25:35.
I'm still hoping to get my times into the 24's, but I'm just happy to be running!

We did 5 1,000 meter sprints today at practice and I help my pace well.
This fall-ish weather is treating me nice!
Hope everyone else is having a great week!

Shin Redemption

So I went on a easy-does-it 3 miler today while the rest of the team did speed day.
And the run went without incident! It even felt good.
I'm still going to try and be cautious for the rest of the week though.
I don't want to re-injure myself and end up out for the season.

There's really not much else to tell today.
I just felt like sharing the good news!

Happy Tuesday!

The Cursed Week

I'm convinced that someone put a hex on me last week, because everything was just weird!
My runs were pretty off last week.
I threw up OUT OF NOWHERE.
And then at the Meet this Saturday, disaster struck.

I was about halfway through the race when I landed HARD on my right foot, sending a (for lack of a better description) shock wave up my shin. My shins had been achy all week, but this was the final straw. My right shin was now in major pain. But with a little over a mile to go, I couldn't let myself drop out of the race. So I kept trying to block out the pain and managed to cross the finish line in 28:10.

Although the time isn't stellar, I'm just glad I finished the race.

As soon as I got out of the puke chutes, I essentially buckled. Coach had to come pick me up and get me back to the team's tent. Then the Sports Medicine Coach took a look at me, wrapped an ice pack around my leg and forbid me from moving. I was then told to go see him on Monday to decide whether or not I'd need an xray.

So the rest of the weekend I essentially tried not to move. My shin felt a lot better on Sunday, so I was hoping it had just been some freak occurrence. When I got rechecked today, the Sports Medicine coach didn't mention an xray and just told me to take today off and take it easy-ish for the week.

So while I don't actually know what happened this weekend, I'm just glad I haven't been injured for the season. Taking today off was a hassle, but if it gets me better, I'll deal. I should be up and running again tomorrow, but I'm probably not going to be doing the dreaded speed day. I'll be doing a long, slow run to reassess how my leg feels.

Hopefully I've put in all the 'bad karma' for cross country this season. I'm ready for some good karma!
I hope everyone else had a lovely weekend!

Cruel Summer

Man, this heat is killing me!
I'm heading out in the mornings, and it's STILL hot outside.
But I shouldn't complain. My legs are doing a lot better and I've been doing Zumba most nights.

It's also a great break, not having to go to school every morning.
I'm not racing this weekend because I'm going to a wedding, but hopefully I'll be entering a 5k next Saturday.
I hope everyone's summer is going well!

Camelbak Trials and Tribulations

So I ran another 10 miles today!

I'm beginning to really love these long runs. It's great for meditation and alone time. 

But since the weather is starting to get a lot warmer here in Georgia, I took my never-been-used before camelbak backpack with me. 

It wasn't heavy since the weight was evenly distributed across my back, and I eventually tuned out the constant swishing of water. 

Unfortunately at the tail end of my run I took out the tube to take a drink of water and realized the tip was sealed!

At least I didn't need the water that badly. I fixed it as soon as I got home, so next time I'll actually be able to use it. 

Although, I'm not really sure whether wearing a camelbak is bad for your posture or can lead to injury. 

Anybody know?

Run long, friends.

Back Pains

So I ran 10 miles yesterday!

It's the longest distance I've ever run all at once.

Needless to say that I entered my neighborhood in a very good mood. 

This was soon killed by a very irritated mother.

The moment I entered the house she informed me that there was a lot of yard work to do.

So without any stretching or bananas I went outside and started working.

Woe is me. 

Luckily, moods improved and we actually got a good bit of work done. 

I spent the rest of the evening huddled on my floor in a sweaty, sunburnt, sleepy haze. 

Oh yea, and I watched Ponyo.

So instead of waking up this morning feeling like P. Diddy, I woke up feeling like an 80 year old main with severe back pain.

But I'm ok with that, because guess who has a date for prom?

This kid does. 

=).

Run long, friends.

Achy Shins

So I'll be posting an entry about my race two weeks ago as soon as I find my camera. It's gone missing...

But I ran another race yesterday afternoon and placed third in my age bracket!

I did a lot better than I expected, considering that my legs are still on the mend from last week.

It was a fairly challenging course, with the second miles being almost completely uphill. It was also pretty hot, being at 2 in the afternoon. 

I finished in 25:58. 

Not splendid, but not too bad either. I'm hoping my legs will regenerate soon because my run today was a bit of a struggle, but I'm feeling good about the times I've been putting out recently. 

=)

Parental Control

This morning I was talking with some of my classmates before the bell, and one guy was complaining about his boss. He kept talking about how he was such a horrible guy, and his main example was this: 

His daughter, instead of being grounded, was being forced to run a certain number of miles. My classmate went on to say that the father forced all of his kids to stay active in sports whether they wanted to or not. 

This was my response: "Good!"

The classmate seemed shocked that I would support the father's actions in forcing their kids to do a sport, or punish them with physical activity. Maybe I'm callous, but I think that's one of the best parenting strategies that I've seen. 

Some people may say that making decisions like that for your kids is unfair or cruel, but I simply see it as a parental role. It's not a parent's job to be liked, it's to raise their kids to be the best people they can possibly be, and if that means you have to make most of your kids decisions until they're legal adults, so be it. As someone who has struggled to get their eating and exercising under control, I see health and fitness as a vital piece in making you the best that you can be. 

I don't want my kids to end up like this.

My classmate countered by saying, "But what if the kids grow up and rebel by dropping all the sports and rules their parents forced on them?"

That's their responsibility. Parenting can only go so far, once you're an adult, you have the control, and that includes the responsibilities of choosing between an apple and a Twinkie ( or a trip to the gym vs. an all day Jersey Shore marathon). 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if I ever have kids, I fully intend to keep them involved in some sort of physical activity. I can only hope that they take those skills and keep them once they're out on their own.

My Road to a Healthy Lifestyle

So I know it's been a LONG time since I posted. I just couldn't really keep up with everything going on in my life. 

But I feel like trying to pick my blogging up again, so I figured I'd pick things back up with the story of my "healthy turnaround" this past year. 

I guess I should start with the beginning of the summer. I was dating a cute boy, but we didn't have anything in common, other than the fact that we were dating out of boredom. 

I've struggled with my body image all my life, and dating a tall, thin guy only made me hate my short, soft figure even more. I went through a diet rollercoaster, eating obscene amounts of junk food and then throwing up. Horrible, I know, but I wasn't in a good place.

Me before my turnaround.

Near the end of the summer, we broke up and I turned my focus back to running, something I was set on doing, but not very good at. My diet and extra weight was holding me back. But luckily, I have one of the best coaches on the face of the planet. I was going to the Summer practices, and Coach (seeing my commitment) promised me a spot on the Cross Country Disney trip. 

That was just the push I needed. I wanted to prove that I deserved that spot. I started to turn my diet around and run more often. School started, but I could still barely push past a mile without huffing and puffing. 

But I stuck with it. My distances increased, my times decreased, and the fat started disappearing. I ran the Disney 5k, and although my time wasn't that hot, I was proud of all that I'd accomplished, and I had a great time. 

Getting healthier.

Once the season ended, most of my running buddies dropped the activity for the year, but it was just the beginning for me. I've been steadily bumping up my mileage, and I'm up to about 30 miles a week. I've continued to drop weight, and I've added yoga and strength training to my schedule. 

I rarely crave junk food now. I can't remember the last time I had a Dorito (an old favorite). I love fruits, vegetables, whole grain, and fish. I weigh every week just to make sure I'm not losing too much weight, but I try not to let the number on the scale influence my body image. The important thing is that I feel healthy and happy. 

 Feeling a lot better.

 I plan to continue training, and want to work my way up to a half-marathon.