Early AM Workouts Are Killer!

So today, temperatures were 106 degrees.  And tomorrow they will be 108.  Heat is making it extremely difficult for me to function so I switched all my workouts to early morning workouts.  I primarily run from 4am-530am prior to work, depending on the mileage.  On weekends, when I run usually at 4-5am, hitting mileages from 12-20 depending on which week it is.  I am exhausted.  Today, I pulled out my bed and got in it at 7pm.  For those who know me, I would never have imagined myself getting ready for bed that early, despite having very early hours at work.  I am really tired!  I want to sleep for three days straight :/

Also, I started Cross Fit workouts which have been pretty cool.  I recognize that I am very weak and need to work on upper body strength.  I really want to do well in the Academy and I feel that over-preparation will not hurt.  I intend on spending the next three months doing a lot of weight lifting and push ups (I suppose a bit like GI Jane but with both hands

I am awaiting my new Merrell Pace Gloves tomorrow.  They’re teal green and mighty nice to look at  I have an upcoming race on Saturday which I’ll break those beauty’s in.  Stay tuned for a race update from this weekend and I promise not to disappear for two weeks again :/

-M

Reflections of the Past Year

So I turn one year older tomorrow.  Ten years ago, I graduated from high school.  I am officially old.  However, I am taking the time in this post to reflect on the past year and write my anticipations for the new year.

I moved to Tucson with desires and hopes of making a difference in the community.  Granted, substance abuse/addiction clearly is not my passion, I would hope to think that in the past 10 months, I made *some* impact on select individuals on my caseload.  I decided that Tucson would be the right fit for me after two trips to Arizona last year.  I was willing to take a job in just about anything related to social work just so I can immerse myself with the vast beauty of the mountains.  And so here I am.

10 months ago, I could barely run a mile.  Seriously.  I met Karen, a good friend, on a run out here and was practically dying during the group’s 3 mile run.  I was so upset and determined that I could do better next time.  Now I am running marathons and training with extensive mileage.  I would’ve never guessed that I could run a marathon a year ago.  I have two additional marathons planned in the next 4 months.  I can’t wait.  I’d like to thank Karen for taking me in as a friend and I’d like to think of her as a sister in a way.  Our therapeutic runs after work are the solution to my stress level after work.

I also was given the opportunity to meet one of my closest friends out here in Tucson: Angelica and her family.  These people took me in when I had absolutely no one to turn to.  So for that, I give gratitude and love to people who allowed a strange Midwestern girl into their home.  I’ll never forget the first time I hung out with her outside of work.  I wasn’t driving because I was too darn scared and was taking the bus.  It took me 3 hours to go 5 miles down the road.  I think back to it and should’ve ran to the location instead of rely on public transportation.  I love you, Angelica and Ron, for being good friends and looking out for me.

I take this time to reflect on my progress as both an athlete and a struggling, burnt out social worker.  I realized that after almost a year in a job that isn’t my passion, I know exactly what I want to do.  I want to help people in ways where I didn’t think I ever would.  I anticipate greatly my fall semester, as I am taking an EMT course, a wildland firefighting course and a Hazmat Course.  I cannot wait to take that step.

Here’s to a great past year of public service, education and brave moves.  I had a good year of being 27 and doing things that I would’ve never dreamed of doing.  To a new year filled with friendship, love, adventures with Roxy,RUNNING, and following my dream

Long crazy month!

So it’s been quite a month. I am sorry I’ve been non-existent these last few weeks but its been one hectic month. First off, I got myself a new truck. I decided on a Chevy S10 so that I can do many adventures in/near mountains and not worry about reliability. I love, love, love my truck! I went to the Catalina Mountains last weekend with my friend Karen and had a blast. Here’s a picture of Catalina State Park:

I also got approved to finally take my licensing exam for social work.  However, after a few weeks of studying, I decided to take a different route and go back to school in the fall.   I have the option of taking the exam within one year so I can change my mind later if I want to.  But so far, I am excited about my choice.   I decided I was going to finally be a firefighter (my childhood dream!!!) and combine my love of social work with my love of physical/adrenaline pumping activity  I am really excited! I am going to defer my student loans for the two years I am in school and pay my tuition cash and not accrue any more loans.  Yay for great decision!

Lastly, on Monday night, during my run, I did something very stupid.  I took a different route than I normally take since it was a short 4 mile run.  At mile 2, I tripped over the curb (after missing the first curb…and yes, there were TWO curbs) and landed right on my ankle and my jaw (this time, no broken teeth).  I was frozen in pain for a good fifteen minutes, clutching my ankle by the curb.  Finally, two really nice guys walked by and let me use their cell phone.  I was so shaken up they had to dial the number (which I am thankful I had my road ID on that day).  My best friend, Angelica, came to my rescue and took me to the urgent care.  I have such a good group of friends out here, it’s ridiculous!  My friend, Karen, has been walking Roxy until I am given the okay from the doctor.  Tomorrow, I get to see the orthopedic specialist, who will inform me of what kind of severe damage I have.  Good news is my x-rays came back negative for breaks!  Yay!

Water Bottle Review and Happy Mom’s Day :)

I really love hydration packs and running with my hands free.  However, I realized shortly after that my back is hunched over and I have a more difficult time breathing.  So I switched to a handheld system.  I have run maybe 2 weeks worth of runs with the Fast Draw Ultimate Direction Handheld and here is my critique.  I really love the pocket: I am able to stash a key, my mp3 player if I am running with it and my inhaler.  I cannot fit my cell phone in there which isn’t problematic.  It holds 20 ounces, which is great.  I can usually stop by a gas station and refill if its a longer run.  Two thumbs up.  I actually am realizing that I like it more than my hydration pack.  It’s really nice.

I’ve been MIA lately because I’ve been sulking about my car.  I have no car which bums me out.  I was starting to be adventurous and hitting all the mountain ranges with my car.  Well, my brakes have completely rusted out and I have decided the repair is too costly and not worth it.  So I am in the process of either buying a Subaru or a Ford Ranger.  Stay tuned to find out what I decide upon

Runs for the upcoming week:

Monday- 6 miles

Tuesday- 5 miles

Wednesday- Cross/Yoga

Thursday- 7 miles

Friday- 4 miles

Saturday- Off

Sunday- 10 miles

Total of 32 miles.  Not too shabby.

And  a special shout out to my Mother on Mother’s Day.  I apperciate all the work values and ethics you have instilled in me.  I love you and miss you from afar.

Hope everyone has a good week!

Roxy Run and Monday Blues…

I am glad that Mondays are just a one day a week annoyance.  At the end of my shift, I was excited to climb on my bike and ride home.  I sat on my couch for a good thirty minutes before getting antsy and decided to drag Roxy out on a 4 mile run.  We had a great time, after we got past mile 1.  Roxy was having a hard time figuring out the pace during the first mile but managed to figure it out.  I discovered that we have many running similarities.  We both like running on the trail portion instead of the pavement.  We both love downhills but have a more difficult time going uphill.  We both pant (well, I wheeze) as we run. We both have amazing smiles and smile at everyone running/cycling by.  All in all, success.  She has certainly convinced me that she will be my short distance running partner.  Here’s a picture at mile 3.12 of us:

Also, here’s a schedule of my crazy week:

Tuesday- 7.4 mile loop at Sabino Canyon

Wednesday- Cross Train: Yoga

Thursday- Rest (ChiRunning Clinic)

Friday- 6 miles

Saturday- 4 miles

Sunday- Phone Line Trail (9 miles)

Total:  30.4 miles

I am really excited to run Phone Line Trail with Karen on Sunday.  Here’s a description of the sweet trail: http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=839 .  And of course, I’ll have many pictures to share with you all as well!

Sore As If a Train Ran Over Me!

Oh.  My.  God.  I decided to get up early this morning and take a spinning class at this locally owned, awesome spin studio in town.  Although I ride my bike almost everywhere and I am an avid runner, I was out of breath within 2 minutes, sweating profusely like a pig and felt like my muscles were on fire!  And I am freaking sore!  I can barely move right now.   Spinning is torture.  Absolutely horrid.  However, as terrible as I made it sound, I am hooked!  I love the burn, the lack of oxygen and the soreness.  I am finally working the muscles that have grown accustomed to running.  So despite my complaining, I will be frequenting next Sunday for another round of 90 minutes of Yoga/Spin.  Whee!

I signed up for the Morgan Valley Marathon in Utah, which takes place in July.  I found a 16 week intermediate program because I want to knock at least a half hour off my original time back in February.  Bring it, hills!  I will be staring you right in the face.  You don’t scare me Next week, I bump up my running mileage from 20 miles to 28 miles.  And although that doesn’t sound like a lot, add to that my crazy routine of riding to work, yoga and swimming….an extra 8 miles is craziness.  I embrace and can’t wait because I was just talking to my friend, Karen, about how I needed a goal!  26.2 miles, round 2.

A friend of mine asked me a few days ago to talk about beginning running and how to safely start running.  The very first thing I encourage is to get fitted for running shoes.  Because if your not comfortable when you run, your not going to be as committed or “into” running.  The second thing is not to expect to run a full mile straight the first time you run.  When I moved to Tucson in August, I could barely do half a mile without gasping for air and almost falling over.  Shout out to Karen for being gracious and good natured by sticking with me through those tough few weeks!  I also encourage people to look into the couch to 5k program.  It’s super simple and helps people get used to running a consistent program.  Here’s the link:  http://www.c25k.com/.  And lastly, make sure to stay hydrated.  I know that the Midwest isn’t as dry and desert like as Tucson is, but making sure to keep your fluids down is super important.  Drink h20! It’s natures bounty.

Anyways, I had an excellent time at my Street Yoga event all weekend and I am flipping exhausted.  I am going to go stretch, get ready to get back to the grind at work and eventually hit the sack for the night!  If anyone has any specific questions in terms of beginning running, please email me and let me know.  I LOVE to talk about running….I am passionate about it!

-M

Long time, No post

Wow…it’s been a tiring last two weeks since I last blogged.  I rode my bike every day to work (except for yesterday) and although its only 2.5 miles away, it has completely wiped me out!  This is a schedule of what I did this week:

Monday- Ride to work; Ride to pool/swim

Tuesday- Ride to work; Run 5 miles

Wednesday- Ride to work; Yoga (and I almost fell asleep during the meditation part…How embarrassing!)

Thursday- Run 7 miles

Today- Planning on running to the pool and swimming

Saturday- Planning on running Sabino Canyon (7.4 miles) and yoga retreat

Sunday- Planning on an awesome class at the spin studio (yoga/spin) 90 minutes; yoga retreat

So truly, it is exhausting to combine two workouts.  How do triathletes do it?  According to my friend, Charles, you don’t do two workouts in one day.  However, I hate to drive so I plan on spending as much time off the roads with my car which is why I have been running/biking to places instead of driving.  Yesterday, I ran 7 miles with Karen and had a better grip on my breathing.  The trick: 2 puffs of the inhaler 20 minutes before I exercise and 1 puff 5 minutes before.  Wiped out my wheezing completely.  Also, we plan on running a marathon in July, right before Ramadan.  That way I can justify taking two weeks off of training without feeling guilty

I have a yoga retreat this weekend.  Should be a good time and I am hoping it will completely relax me!  Also, I had a request by a friend for a post on beginning running which I plan on posting Sunday.  Keep your eyes peeled for it

I promise not to go so long without a blog post ever again!  Off to the pool I go!

Trail Run, Asthma and Baked Tofu

So I ran Sabino Canyon today (which isn’t really a trail since its paved).  I had a blast.  My running pal, Karen, ran with me for about 30 minutes and had to head back due to a busy day.  I continued on without her.  It was hot but so worth the 549 gain in elevation.  Doesn’t sound like a lot…but it does a number on the lungs. Sabino Canyon ended up being about 7.5 mile round trip.  Here’s a few pics from my run today:

Speaking of lungs, I went to my doctor last week and spoke about not being able to catch my breath and constantly wheezing only when I am running.  She suspected that I have something called exercise-induced asthma and gave me an inhaler.  Let me say how amazing that little hand held instrument is!  I can breath so much better and plan on utilizing it on every run that I go on.  Ironic, isn’t it?  The thing that is supposed to be real good for your body (running) can have a terrible side effect to it.  I blame AZ for the sand, wind and crap floating in the air.

Lastly, I baked some tofu!  I made this recipe:

http://www.runnerskitchen.com/2009/02/124/.  And it turned out fabulous!  This is a picture of my awesome dinner and light lunch tomorrow.

I roasted some carrots, wilted some kale and baked the tofu in the marinade in the recipe.  It was fantastic.  Next time, I am adding some shittake mushrooms!

On my wish list: A juicer.  I want one that I can throw carrots and spinach.  I have been scouring craigslist every day hoping to find the perfect unit.  Now that its hot out, I don’t crave food but dream of cold juice/smoothies.

Hope you all have a fantastic Monday!  And if you live in Tucson, consider biking to work all week for bike to work week!  Get in shape, do something better for the environment, end the dependence on foreign oil and have a good time in the process

Merrell Pace Glove Have Stolen My Heart!

I ran for the first time in a week.  My ankle is definitely sore but its better than it was last week.  I was going to run 6 miles, but I scaled back to 4 miles after my ankle started feeling not so pleasant after mile 2.  I wore my Merrell Pace Glove Trail Runners and I have to say how much I love this shoe!  They are perfect for the heat in AZ (my other shoes: VFF and NB W101 were the opposite; I could feel the heat from the ground).  They also were AWESOME in sand, pebbles, rocks, etc.  I even stopped at a playground and sunk my feet in as deep as they would go and I had no annoying pebbles/sand stuck in my shoe.  When I pulled my shoes off, I was amazed at the fact that there was no debris.  Nothing!  I used to take my shoes out to my patio and shake them out there because I had a bunch of sand collected from the trails out here.  I will never go back to any other shoes.  Merrell, you have turned me into a turn fan and avid supporter!  AWESOME shoe design!

I also cooked an awesome dinner tonight, which came from this great blog called: http://www.smittenkitchen.com.  Here’s the link to this great and light dinner (perfect for the heat in this inferno-like state!):

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/08/zucchini-and-almond-pasta-salad/

It turned out like this (I added roasted yellow cherry tomatoes and it was delish!):

Next time, I am doubling the tomatoes and throwing in a can of chickpeas.  Yum!  Enjoy friends

Running can resume in T-4 days!

Friday, I noticed a blue bruise on my left ankle. I decided to call my doctor and schedule an appointment. I dismissed anything significantly wrong with my foot, figuring it was all the use and abuse of my feet.  My feet have been bruised and battered (it feels like) for the last three weeks, but I didn’t think anything of it nor did I care.  Along the same manner was my right thigh.  It was KILLING me (felt like deep bruise) but there was no mark. It was extremely sore.   I went about my business (including some cycling and a 9 mile trail run on Sunday) and woke up with my ankle feeling super bad.

Went to the doctor’s appoint on Monday, and I must say how much I love my doctor.  She said nothing but good things about me and even said she could learn a thing or two from me (in terms of dedication to physical fitness)!  The thigh she dismissed as fatigue or a muscle strain right away.  She touched my ankle and when I winced, she decided it might be serious.  Full range of motion.  Able to walk no problem.  But she was concerned that I had a small stress fracture growing.  This devastated me because not only did she put me on rest (no cycling, yoga, running, walking, anything that consisted of moving my two feet) but I was worried that it would put me out of running for a few months to recover.  I crossed my fingers as I got my x-ray taken and waited patiently by the phone for about two days.

Today, I received the awesome news!  I have no fracture and possibly tore a ligament.  Same treatment of cold/heat therapy, some naproxen and 4 additional days off my feet.  But I was told I can run on Sunday which overjoyed me!

I also received a exciting package!  My new running shoes which I couldn’t wait to try on and hanging on the edge of my seat to run in this weekend.  Here are some shots:

The toe box is roomy, super comfortable all around.  I chose the Merrell Pace Glove, which is designed for woman and trail running.  I’ll let you know this weekend how the first run goes.

I also wanted to share my simple dinner tonight.  I made some awful (meaning not like mom’s) falafel with some jalapeño hummus and tomato slices.  Anything tastes better when you slather it in hummus