There is so much I want to talk about today.
I made that bold, even though it seemed all-caps worthy. But all-caps implies yelling, and I thought maybe that was too aggressive for a Monday morning. Bolded words say, “This sentence is important, but also I like to have fun.”
I could talk about the gymnastics Olympic trials last night. Holy crap that was exciting.
If you follow me on Twitter (which you shouldn’t bother doing, because I don’t make much more sense there than I do here — I have a difficult time conveying my thoughts in 140 characters or less), you know that I was really into the trials last night.
I couldn’t shut up about them, and I know you’re thinking, “But Ali, you can never shut up about anything.”
That is correct. But I was home alone last night (Brian worked until 5:30 AM — he got home this morning as I was leaving for my run, so that’s fun) and I kept screaming at the TV.
I had to hold myself back from doing walkovers onto the couch. I had a feeling that would not have ended well for me, but also for the couch.
OK, enough with the Tweets in place of actual blogging.
So yeah, I could talk about the trials. I’ve been getting way more into them than I expected, and I’m excited for tonight’s run-off and, eventually, for the actual Olympics. That should be fun.
I could talk about my weekend, but it was mostly uneventful.
I went out Friday night for my friend Nicole’s birthday. Her shindig involved playing foosball, watching the X-Games and some dancing.
Do people say “shindig?” If not, maybe we can bring that word back. But maybe it never went away. I don’t know. I’ll Google it later.
I “slept in” until 8 AM on Saturday. I know how to be wild on the weekends. I did a little bike riding in my fancy new bike shirt.
The shirt has pockets in the back, like all real bike shirts, but I didn’t know what to put in the pockets, so I kept them empty. Maybe I need to stash some tires back there, or some fuel, or maybe love notes from Brian.
My ride wasn’t very long and it definitely wasn’t very fast. After last week’s super high bike mileage (for me, since I have nothing to compare it to), I went quite a bit easier this week. I rode again yesterday, still slow, still not as long.
Other weekend events included fine dining at a fancy establishment…
…and brunch at Megan‘s, which consisted of a bunch of girls sitting around eating bagels and brownies and being very #fatfluential. (Hashtag courtesy of Sofia.)
My weekend was pretty relaxing, but yet again, do you notice something that was missing?
Well yes, vegetables or anything remotely resembling “healthy living.”
But also: running.
Where is the running talk?
DON’T WORRY, IT’S BACK NOW.
Yes. All caps bold. For emphasis.
I gave myself a decent amount of time off. After my weird foot thing early last week, I was going to take another week off. But I like starting things fresh on Mondays, and my foot felt totally super fine all weekend, so today it was back in the Brooks.
Break time was over.
Truthfully, I was nervous last night. I really wanted to wake up this morning and go for a good run. I didn’t need it to be fast, but I didn’t want there to be pain.
And guess what?
There wasn’t pain!
There was slowness, and there was no crazy mileage. I think if I’m going to ever run high mileage again, I need to ease into it very slowly. Next week I’ll officially begin New York City Marathon training, so this week is all about slow, easy runs, nothing long, nothing crazy. Lots of assessment, lots of checking in, and a whole heck of a lot of foam rolling.
I hate foam rolling so much.
It was fun when I felt like I didn’t “need” to do it. Now that it’s necessary, I think it’s the worst thing ever.
So, what with this being a “running blog” of sorts, here are a few notes about today’s run:
- I liked “only” running 5 miles. For most of this year, my “shorter” runs were six miles. Maybe that’s too high for me and I need to scale back. So today I went out for five, and I liked it! It didn’t take much time and my route was a snappy two loops of the Bridle Path.
- My foot felt fine during the run and has felt good ever since. I stretched it out and want to start doing ankle and foot strengthening exercises. But so far so good. Here’s hoping the foot pain doesn’t return.
- My hip is fine. Sometimes it’s tight, sometimes it’s achy, but it also feels OK when running. It only hurts when I go from sitting to standing too fast. Yes, there’s a chance I am a 27-year-old chick in the body of a 90-year-old man on the verge of a hip replacement.
- My left IT Band might snap at any minute. So this is new. I’ve never had ITB issues, which I feel fortunate for, but over the weekend I noticed it was feeling a little tight. Maybe from the biking. Maybe because I don’t foam roll enough. I rolled and iced a lot over the weekend, and it doesn’t hurt at all. It didn’t hurt during the run and it didn’t hurt after. It’s just another pesky body part I want to be aware of this early in training so that it doesn’t turn into an actual injury.
Odds half these things are phantom imaginary pains?
Relatively high I suppose.
I’m excited to be running regularly again. I’m hoping to incorporate time on the bike in my marathon training, and generally I’m just hoping the speed comes back to me so I can comfortably nail my time goal (sub-4 marathon) and remain injury-free.
So yes, moving forward, I think I’ll be talking about running some more.
I hope you’re up for it.
Also, Tyler:
WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS: You know I like to play this game on Mondays. Tell me about the best part of your weekend.
43 Responses
Glad to hear that your foot is better and good luck with your NYC Marathon training!
WAY TO train! And thanks for chatting with me on Twitter… totally need to write to the committee now so we can party in Rio! Wish we had the community you have in NY here in KC! Have you thought about trying ART for your IT Band or Hip? It’s AMAAZING. My tendonitis went away with 2 sessions and we thought my foot was broken the pain was so bad 🙁
I was in the most beautiful place on earth over the weekend (Newfoundland), going to blog about it shortly, but it’s the most beautiful place on earth, hands down, no questions. As for what to put in the pockets of your bike jersey. Cell phone, food (i bring food on all rides over an hour), more food, spare tools if you need them, etc..
a) the only gymnastics i ever did successfully (or was required to do) was during preschool graduation. we had to somersault and walk across a low balance beam in front of family & friends as ‘entertainment’ before receiving our diplomas. interesting choice of activity, Tiny Tots PreSchool.
b) best part of weekend = running on something called the Shining Sea Bike Path (it’s real) on the cape.
Yes, shindig is a word and should be kept in circulation! I say it all the time, but I’m an Americanized German living in the UK, so I get away with it. Will endeavour to drop it in my conversation today. Well done on the run. Best part of the weekend? 5k race to kick of half-marathon training season and QT with the new hubby. 🙂
I am having knee issues, I am thinking of running to my chiro in the morning
“Her shindig involved playing foosball, watching the X-Games and some dancing?!”
More like “Her rage involved footsie, x-rated dancing and some games.”
Hahaha yes, totally. Thank you for more accurately describing the fiesta.
I do happen to follow you on twitter & was thoroughly enjoying your live-tweeting of the gymnastics, haha. It made me wish I was watching it!
Weekend highlight? Becoming a fatfluential ambassador. Definitely. Also, watching Anthony and Brian enjoy each other’s company more than ours. Yep. I think that happened.
I think you’re more than just an ambassador. I think you’re our leader.
The best part of my weekend was mile 9 and 10 of 11 on Saturday. First of all, it was supposed to be 75 and rising when we started at 7am, but when I got up it was 65 and cloudy. Hooray! Secondly, miles 7 and 8 were right up a long, big hill but then I got to turn around and run down the same hill and that’s why 9 and 10 were awesome.
Best part of my weekend was celebrating Canaday Day in the capital (Ottawa)! So much fun (except when the cops politely asked us to dump ALL our beer, even the closed ones in our bags!)
1) I’m glad you had a great run this morning! I’m heading out with co-workers at 5pm for a run and hope to survive 4 miles in the heat.
2) The best part of my weekend was dancing the night away at our friends’ wedding! I wish we could have wedding reception dance parties weekly!
Power to you for running at the end of the day! The heat has been knocking me out lately, so by 5:00 I can’t resist the couch. Nice work!
It was great hanging with you @ Nicole’s party on Friday night. Glad to hear you’re back running and you didn’t have pain! Yay! I also hate foam rolling! The highlight of my weekend was seeing college friends at a wedding on Saturday night 🙂
I feel really cool because you just commented on my blog. Let’s hang out more, please!
The best part of my weekend was running 9 miles. I haven’t run that “long” since September last year and on top of all the glory it was completely painless.
I celebrated with foam rolling and icing at home. (better to be on the safe side, right?)
Best part of my weekend was knocking 2min off my 5K time in my Race for Life Run yesterday. Yay!!!
OH this weekend was fantastic!!! Foam Fest 5K (basically a 5k on trails with lots of wierd obstacles, walls to scale, nets to climb, and foam to run through), too many margaritas, and recovery from said margaritas yesterday…. I really can’t drink like I use to. Note to self, stop drinking when you feel the effects, so you feel fine the next day… GAH! 🙂
THE BEST PART OF MY WEEKEND WAS MY FIRST SIX MILE RUN EVER AND OFFICIALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH RUNNING! THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT BUT I ALSO LIKE TO HAVE FUN TOO!!!!
Happy Monday!
I WAS SO EXCITED THAT I WAS GRAMMATICALLY SEVEN YEARS OLD!
I AM ALL-CAPS EXCITED FOR YOU.
My gymnastics coaches used to call me rubber band bc I was really flexible. Running destroyed that. The vault was my least favorite event. It terrified me to run and go flying headfirst into it. for some reason the balance beam was my favorite. Maybe bc it involved relatively simpler skills than the floor made harder by doing it on something skinny and high up.
Glad you were painfree! Keep it that way!
Best part of my weekend was finished my 9 mile long run (longest since the USA half back in March!) without dying or without my IT band snapping. I’m pretty sure we both suffer from the same ailments…. my idiot hip is always so achy and my IT is a mess. Like how is that possible that it’s so sore all the time? I foam roll and stretch the shit of it all the time. WAH.
Between the body pains and the Crohnses and the pneumonias, we are destined for bed rest. We should probably live in the same city. You can bring Matthew Cat. And Elliot. I’ll see if Tyler can come hang, too.
I say shindig. I also say PAR-TAY. Recently I through a dude in a sentence and sorta liked the throwback. The best part of my weekend was that the heat/humidity didn’t kill me but made me stronger. Oh and gymnastics.
Ha – I get phantom pains and illnesses all the time. Last week I thought I was having a heart attack, it was just indigestion!
Highlight of this weekend was camping in the Sierra foothills. It was HOT, we ate marinated steak and I snuck in a run when everyone was asleep. Heaven!!!
Thanks for starting my week with a good laugh: “ELOISE AT THE PLAZA.” Haha! You are hilarious Ali! 🙂 Instead of shindig, I’m going to start bringing back “paint the town red!”
my weekend included lots of quality time with good friends and a sister. And lots of watching the olympic trials, which simultaneously inspire me to go be crazy active/ athletically talented, and remind me why I competed in public speaking growing up….
Best part of my weekend: running from my apartment to the home of some folks I was house-sitting for… and being told to “eat whatever you want” from their pantry. Nom.
Also, I use shindig to describe nearly any function involving three or more people having fun.
best part of my weekend? discovering that a 5:30 am run on saturday morning means being done by 6:30 then going back to bed without your husband realizing you left. then sleeping in until 11 and not having to get up and run. #SLEEPFLUENTIAL
Haha! Love the hashtag.
Well that’s easy…Kale Margaritas and BYOB dinners. And checking out my brother’s new house. And waiting for my other brother’s twins to be born! (Any day now. Ohmygosh.)
Anyway my real reason for commenting…the IT band thing. Because the IT band thing is how I got piriformis syndrome, and so now I tell all runners with IT band problems to SERIOUSLY stretch. It’s easy. Check out runner’s world for a few super simple ones..like so simple and non-embarassing that you can do them while waiting for a red light to change. (Walking, not when driving.) Also foam roll, but you already do that. And then if your man ever comes home from work, make him knead his fist up and down the bad band. It hurts so good.
SO MUCH STRETCHING. I promise to do it. I have been stretching and rolling nonstop since yesterday. ITB stretches are really attractive, by the way.
I ran 5 miles this morning too, only I was praising myself for doing such a “long” run on a work day. Ha! Best part of my weekend was seeing DMB play at the most gorgeous, comfy and well-organized outdoor venue I have ever seen. Also, the french toast buffet the next morning.
1. I used to do gymnastics too. I was terrible. I’m also 5’9. I just avoided bars altogether. Which is funny, because now I do trapeze!
2. I’m currently visiting the homeland (New York) and each time I go running, I’ve been on the AliOnTheRunLookout. I keep thinking I’m going to say “HEY! ALi on the RUN!” But then I do know I’d sound like an idiot. And I also run in late morning. I’m not as hardcore as you. But New York. I’ve been running by battleships and taxis and other fast runners. I love it here. And I love your blog. Best blog personality ever.
Ahhhh hopefully we’ll run into each other! Where have you been running?
I also got pumped for gymnastics and attempted some handstands and cartwheels last night. Unfortunately on my second cartwheel, I’m pretty sure I pulled my groin muscle. WAMPS.
Best part of my weekend was pain free running. Watch out for that ITB it can get out of control real quick!
Two things:
that fish pic just blew my mind and almost made me gag on my coffee
that gelato pic also blew my mind and made me wish my coffee was the gelato
cheers to being back on the beaten path! when does NYC training start?
NYC training will officially start next week!
AHHH Eloise 🙂 When we visited NYC this past December for the first time that is the first thing I thought to myself when we passed by the Plaza Hotel too 😀