March 2008 Archives

I didn't run all last week. By Friday my foot felt fine again, so I did a short run, and I mean short on Saturday morning. It felt fine. No pain or discomfort during the run. Then as Saturday went on it became more and more tender.

Saturday night I had a dinner date, this is the great thing about not doing long runs on a Sunday morning. I can eat what I like, drink what I want and stay up late doing whoever whatever. After dinner we got a movie, I am Legend, which I didn't think I would like, but I did, except for the dog part, which had me in tears, not so pretty.

Back to topic.

When I put my boots on to go home, my toes (two of them) hurt. Yes the boots are high and pointy, but I swear they are comfortable and even if they weren't they are damn cute and make me taller. So my sexy swagger away was more of a hopeless hobble, not so pretty.

When I got home I inspected the toes, they looked swollen. So I put it down to my sock seam, not the super sexy pointy boots. I am sure there is a sock seam swollen toe epidemic sweeping the nation.

Sunday morning, toes still swollen, and sore to bend. Today, they looked bruised. Which could be linked to the swelling or self inflicted from all the prodding I've done.

I've been trying to say nice things to the foot, talk sweetly to it, encourage it back to the foot it once was ... but ... I hate this foot.

The other night I was at the video store with a friend, while in line they grabbed a bag of microwave popcorn.

"I don't own a microwave"

"What?" perplexed look of shock and horror "How do you make popcorn?"

"I don't"

The video store guy asks if we found everything we were looking for, my friend informs him of my lack of microwave. More shock and horror.

I know this is astonishing to many people. I haven't had one since I moved back to Canada from England 6ish years ago. My mother really can't understand it. She has tried on numerous occasions to let her buy one for me. I refuse. It not the money. I just think the are big and ugly, they take up room and I would only ever use it to make popcorn. Plus I like to cook ... not heat or nuke, I enjoy waiting for water to boil.

There is a microwave at work.

This morning after 3 hits of the snooze button I didn't have time to make breakfast, normally I would grab a bagel at the drive-thru, but inspired by the Biggest Loser I decided to make oatmeal at work.

As well as not owning a microwave I also do not read instructions. So I guestimated on the amount of water and time it takes to make oatmeal. After 2 minute, it still seemed watery, so I gave it another 1 minute. Do you know what happened in 60 short seconds.

My breakfast turned into an oatmeal bomb.

There was oatmeal everywhere. I don't have a microwave and apparantely I shouldn't be allowed to have one either. Drive-thru is so much easier.

** update on le foot **

Sunday I ran just over 4 miles, which felt good. Then Monday I was on the elliptical at lunch and my foot started to twinge. It was on and off, kinda like it's way of giving me a dirty look cause it is pissed off at me. Yesterday morning it was very tender, so I've decided not to run until Saturday morning if it feels better by then.

I love british films.

Not period dramas about royals or writers, but films set in modern day featuring ordinary characters. Ordinary characters that swear, smoke, drink with little to no fashion sense. The type of characters that appear pathetic and hopeless in the first 10 minutes, but soon become charming. Like Hugh Grant in just about everything.

So I am super bloody excited that about this ....

british, funny and marathon training ... you see you don't always need a shirtless-tanned-Matty to make me excited ... although it doesn't hurt!

The Foos, awesome! The numerous amarteau sours before the concert, delicious. The free beers in the suite during the concert, fantastic! The quest for a stinking hangover, unsuccessful, what can I say I have Irish blood, I'm hard core.

I did however, not get very much sleep, so there was still hope for the worst 5k ever.

Having enjoyed the climate controlled gym for 4 weeks, being outside was a bit of a culture shock. It was colder than I thought this morning, I completely under dressed. I showed up shivering in a pair of capris and a long sleeve shirt. Everyone else was sporting full winter gear, including headbands and jackets.

I have to admit that once I got to the start line, my cunning plan of running super slow and blowing the competition out of the water in the Shave Your 5k Challenge kinda disappeared. Damm you Vanilla! I suddenly wanted to run. I haven't wanted to run in over 4 weeks. Today surrounded by all the other runners, it all came back, that love of running.

About halfway through the first km, the love began to diminish. Holy crap, the elliptical and bike are not the same as running. Then I had half a km of up hill. Serious, I could taste my lungs. I kept thinking I've gone out to fast. I got to excited. Then as I passed the 1km marker I glanced at my watch expecting to see 3 mins maybe 3.10. Nope! My watch said 6.58.

WHAT.

Then I realized I had been spending the last 7 minutes worried about my pace, my lungs, my pounding heart. I hadn't been concentrating on my foot. My foot wasn't hurting. It was numb from the cold, but there wasn't any pain.

We were running down hill, so I decided to pick up the pace. I started to feel better, and found a comfortable grove. My second km was 5.35. I started passing people. I held that pace til the 4k mark, the last km was hard. I was determined not to stop. I was even more determined not to puke. My foot was throbbing a bit. Not painful, more in shock for the impact of the last 25 + minutes.

I crossed the line in 29.40!

Very happy with that. That's only 2 minutes slower that my 5k PB. So I may actually have to do some work to win the Shave Your 5k Challenge!

After the race we went for lunch, I do miss hanging with my running buddies. So far knock on wood, my foot feels good. It's tender but not sore. I'm going to have a rest day tomorrow and then try this running thing again on Sunday.

A very good friday!

Vanilla raised an excellent point in his comment.

"Once you start running in that race your competitive instincts will take over and you won't be able to slow yourself down."

How many time have I started a race with this plan ... start out slow, then pick it up ... it never works.

I need more than a broken foot and a lack of cardio endurance to slow me down. What I need is a hangover!

Here is the new plan.

I am going out right after work, this is when the drinking will begin. Then after a few hours and an obscene amount of alcohol I am going to see these guys live in concert

FOO FIGHTERS!

Where l will sing so loud I will lose my voice and my ears will ring til the easter bunny is long gone. Then after the concert I am going out on the town.

Before I go to bed, alone or maybe not! I will not drink any water, I will not take a blurry amount of tylenol and I probably won't removed my already smeared makeup.

After all that, I will run 5k. There is no way I am going to PR. No Way!

I run again. That's right folks I am going to test out the broken foot.

Am I going for a short run around the neighbourhood ... no

A controlled run on the treadmill .. no

A 5k race ... yes

That's right, my first run is going to be a 5k race. Yip should be memorable. Last week my foot was feeling well nothing, which equates to great. No pain. No tenderness. Nothing. Wonderful lovely glorious nothing. Then just like in life, when things are going swimmingly, reality bitch slaps you. I put in 40 minutes (torture) on the elliptical tonight. My foot is now sore.

So I am wondering if my foot is really sore, or is this something my minds created so that I can have another week off and a sleep in on Friday. My mind is crafty like that.

I'm still going to do the run, notice now I insist on calling it a run rather than a race, crafty brain again. Anyway, worse case scenario, I run walk it.

The bonus of this plan is that I'll probably post my slowest ever 5k time, I can squeak in and enter in Vanilla's
Shave Your 5K Challenge

The next time I run a 5k, I'll be speedy, fast, supersonic. I'll win! ha ha ha ha! The world will be mine!

I love going out for breakfast. It is probably, no, almost definitely my favourite meal to go out for.

Yesterday morning, I met a friend for brunch. Two single girls and endless coffee makes for hours of talk about … boys and dating.

I like to think I’m single, because I choose to be and I haven’t met the ‘right’ guy. I’m not really sure that’s true.

Maybe it’s because I am picky. I believe in chemistry. I think you know within the first 10 minutes if you want to know more about someone. I’m not talking love at first sight, I don’t believe in that, but I believe in the click. I used to be worse, if I didn’t feel the click then no second date. After numerous lectures from friends and skeptics of the power of the click, I resigned to be open to date number two. Just for the record, the click has never appeared on date two, if it wasn’t there on date one.

Maybe I’m protecting myself, it’s safer to be single, you are far less likely to be let down, heartbroken, found curled up in the fetal position, playing the same soppy love song over and over and swigging gin from the bottle.

Maybe my expectations are unrealistic. I blame Julia Roberts society, you see I am stuck somewhere between independent woman having watched way too many romantic comedies who wants perfection, complete with butterflies and fireworks, and the psychotic rational of a desperate horny woman who doesn't want to die alone surrounded by cats.

I’ve been on two dates last week, both with great guys. Great, because they have many of the important qualities on my “potential suitor list”.

Ali's Potential Suitors List

Employed, this used to include acceptable careers but I’m desperate and trying to be PC

Smart, but not a cardigan toting academic

Has opinions but is not an arrogant ass

Loves his mother (appropriately) but is not looking for another one

Likes to go out for a beer, but doesn’t get the shakes if it’s been a while

Mature, no longer play wrestles friends or gives wedgies

Has one recipe they can make, I don't care if it's chilli or bbq they don't have to be Jamie Oliver ... however, if they are I will love them more

Young at heart, can still have fun, be spontaneous, talks about getting a tattoo even though they probably never will

Owns something, besides a gameboy, playstation or porn

Sporty, watching from your sofa is not what I mean.

… and it goes on

Tuesday night-date-guy had everything on the list, he even worked at one time for Sportsnet. He made me laugh, which is normally an aphrodisiac, but no click, nothing nada.

Friday-night-date-guy had lots of great on the list qualities, none of which I can remember because I was obsessed with how much facial hair he had, I’m talking long, which made me wonder what was under it. Giant welts? Boils? rules to a secret religious cult he was heading?

Then there is the guy that has nothing on the list. I refuse to date because I don’t think he is the relationship type, yet they make me happy, they click.

So, is it better to hold out for what you think is ‘right’ or be happy with something know is wrong?

I met my running buddies for coffee this morning, after they had braved the elements, and I had slept in and showered. It was so great to see them all. I do miss all the social parts of running. Lee asked me if I felt frustrated at not being able to run. Honestly, no. I feel a bit guilty saying that. But really I don't.

Here is just one of the reasons why.

The view from my balcony at noon today. They are predicting 20cm by tomorrow morning. Chances are the roads won't be plowed until late morning or whenever this stops.

The thought of not being able to run 16 miles in that tomorrow does not make me frustrated, it makes me giddy with delight.

The other reasons besides the weather for my lack of non-running induced frustrations, which I have experienced every time I have had to take time off, are the gym and no pain.

The gym has been my savour the past two weeks. Trust me when I say, I never thought I would say that. I am keeping my cardio up with spin classes and the elliptical. I've thrown in a couple yoga classes and some weights to balance things out. I am enjoying the variety and the indoors!

No pain. I have run with pain for the last few months. It has made me dread lacing up my shoes. Taking away the pressure of having to training is a relief in many ways.

All that said, I really do miss all my running buddies. Once the weather changes and I am pain free, I am guessing I'll be dying to get out there.

Here is what I've learned in my first week of non-running

1. What seems like a lifetime on an eliptical trainer, in real time is actually 3 minutes 27 seconds.
2. When you are having a tough run, you still have to get back, you either suck it up or walk. At the gym you simply get off the machine.
3. I am better in a class, where I feel trapped for an hour and can't leave
4. 3 cycle classes in one week, makes you wonder what sadistic bastard designed the seat.
5. Your appetite does not decrease with your decrease in mileage.
6. It is really difficult to do cardio and not use your foot.
7. CNN repeat the same information 457 times each hour.
8. Wearing tights to run makes you look like a runner, wearing them at the gym makes you look like a freak.
9. I like the variety of cycling, cardio machines, swimming, weights, yoga and pilates
10. No matter how fast the cute guy runs on the treadmill he is still within reach