Three weeks later...

Wow! Time flies! It's been about three weeks since my last post! Twenty days to be exact. I suppose the wisdom tooth ordeal set me back a bit. I had no idea that the pain would last so long! However, it is good to say that as of now, wisdom tooth pulling pain is gone, that can no longer be an excuse! =)

Let's see, what has been happening as far as running is concerned. It seems like it has been slow-going. Last weekend, I will admit, that I did not run on Saturday or Sunday. I know, bummer. We went up to Concord for Alyssa's drum corp rehearsals and failed to run on Saturday morning because we were....too tired. I know, sounds like a cop-out. But, in my defense, we drove for 7 hrs on Friday and arrived at 12:15 am. We had to have Alyssa at rehearsal by 9am. Too tired. Then Mike, Pam, Ryan, Cindy and I hiked for a while at Mt. Diablo, so some exercise at least. Then Sunday morning, same thing, we would have had to get up at 5:45am to fit running in, and we just didn't do it, too tired. That's all I have to say about that. Oh, except the view from Mt. Diablo is stunning!

The new news is that starting tomorrow Mike and I are gonna get up at 5:45am and begin weight training! We have done this before, we do know what we are getting ourselves into! =) The plan is to lift weights three mornings a week, run two afternoons a week and keep running on Saturdays! We are both going off of soda (iced tea here we come!), and eating well. The plan is in motion. We are both very motivated about this as our Daughter Jenn is getting married in September (4th) and we are going on a seven day cruise in September (20th)! We are gonna be looking good by then! =)

Well, it is Memorial day, one of my rare day's off, no work, no school! Therefore, I am going to close this blog and go finish BBQ-ing my chicken and relax!

Wisdom Teeth

So, I got my wisdom teeth pulled last Friday! I am very happy about this as the next step is putting braces on my teeth! The light at the end of the tunnel of all the work needed on my mouth and jaw is now in sight! =) Anyway, I knew that I would not be able to run on Saturday due to the fresh holes in my mouth so, I got up at regular time Friday morning before the oral surgery and ran. This way, I thought I will not really be missing any runs!....Well, somehow I missed the memo from my doctor that I am actually not supposed to do any strenuous exercise for 7 to 10 days after oral surgery! This, I thought was silly, of course I would be back out there running on Monday. As it turns out,I am the one who was being silly! My mouth hurts, it even throbbed last night when I went to sleep. Needless to say, recovery is taking much longer than I had anticipated. Bummer. It is Tuesday, and no, I am not running today. I have pushed all thought s of super quick recovery and planning to run on Saturday morning for a short run.

I guess, when I started this whole running adventure, I never realized how much life would get in the way of progress! I just always imagine getting stronger and faster each week as if all that was entailed was running. But, life gets in the way all the time. So far, I have had a slight knee injury (Mike, my running partner has had an injury also), I have had a bad cold, bad cough, its rained on running days, and now my mouth has slowed me down. So, I must remind myself that it is about the long run (no pun intended), I am healthier that I was a few months ago and as long as I continue I will continue getting healthier. So, I must remind myself of these things and relax, find other ways to stay fit even when life gets in the way of running.....after all, it's all part of the adventure isn't it! =D

The Farthest Yet!

As you may guess by the title, today I ran the farthest yet!! 5.1 miles!! With my beginners running group, encouraged by Don, we ran to the lake and back! Funny thing is, I think I actually could have kept on going! Yay progress! I have become quite a believer in this run-walk-run method.

This past week I was ill with laryngitis, bad cough/cold. But, I still ran. It was challenging as I was feeling a little weak, but, I remembered what Jeff Galloway says over and over again in his books, take walk breaks early and often. So, I applied this to my runs and walked more often and kept the running a little shorter and...I made it through my runs feeling pretty good!

Another breakthrough happened too, my knee did not hurt when I ran on Thursday or today! That is the first time in a month! My friend Pam, who is a Physical Therapist, advised me that my knee was most likely hurting because of lack of muscle strength in my thighs. So, she showed me exercises to strengthen the thigh that aren't bad for the knees (no more squats or lunges). I have been doing the exercises and finally it has payed off! Thanks Pam! =)

This is a fun weekend, I have no paper to write for school, I am meeting my daughter's future in-laws for the first time tonight, and on Sunday, I am spending the day with a group of friends that I have not seen for 16 to 28 years! The sun is shining brightly and life is good! Oh, I am getting my wisdom teeth out next Friday, no running for me next Sat. But, then, I get braces on my teeth by the beginning of June!! =) All good things! =D