Fri - Off
Sat - 4 miles at Mission Bay
Big day today. Got to raise it up to 4 miles. This means I'm only one mile away from a "legitimate run". I also had the added bonus of running with Lyndsey (It's been so long since I've run with anyone. Kinda pointless to meet up for a 3 mile run). Once I hit the 5 mile mark it may be worth it to hit up some group runs.
I was at Mission Bay to watch the 15K at the bright and early time of 7am (mandating a 5:30 am wake up call. There's something about the difference between getting up when there is a 5 as the first digit as opposed to a 6 that just makes it so much harder.) It was great to see some of my friends have good races, and also just good to be in that runners environment. I've mentioned in blogs before how happy I am to finally be back in a running environment again. Having friends that run and can relate to my gripes and joys in running related topics is something I have been missing since college. Running took a back seat during my three years in law school, and as I slowly make the return to health and fitness I'm enjoying that running is becoming such a big factor in my life again. I also enjoy that being a runner is the norm again. In law school when I'd go for an 8 mile run people would be shocked! Awed! Amazed! Running as VERY solitary for me in law school. Every run was by myself. I didn't really talk about running to anyone and It wasn't until I got injured and lost it that I realized how important it was. So now to be talking about it on a daily basis, I feel a little more me again. I'll be honest, I often felt a little lost in law school. Wasn't really sure what I was doing, my confidence level was all over the place, and I never got too comfortable in my own skin. I really enjoyed my law school/San Francisco experience, but I think I was missing something. I had almost joined a running team up there and decided I "didn't have the time." I regret that decision now.
The point of all that rambling above is that being at that race surrounded by people that share my passion energized me. I still feel on the outskirts of it all and can hardly wait for my first race where I can step up to a starting line with confidence. I can hardly wait to hammer through those miles, pushing myself to the edge of my mental and physical strength. And I can hardly wait to finish the race and go out with my fellow runners to analyze every little neurotic detail of the course, conditions, and other runners.
I maintain my mantra of being patient, but I can't help smiling in anticipation.
Showing posts with label Lyndsey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lyndsey. Show all posts
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Playing catch up...
Sat - Gym - Pool 50 mins
Sun - Pool 45 mins - 3min Elliptical - Yoga
Mon - Gym - Run 2mi
The current downpour outside has inspired me to not leave the apartment all day, except perchance to run out to the grocery store so i can cook dinner tonight. It's rare to take a day and just sit and read and watch movies and pretty much just hang out. I figured I'd take this time to catch up a little on the good ole blog.
Sunday was my third day in a row of swimming, and I def was feeling pretty beat. Part of it may have been the fact that I was up till ONE in the morning both friday and saturday. I know. I'm so proud. The swim was just one of those workouts where you're like, okay, I showed up, I'm gonna do this, but it ain't gonna be pretty.
Decided to go back to Yoga with Lyndsey later that evening. Rocked a solid 3 min on the elliptical as a warm up and then bounced off to Yoga class. This is my third class now, and I bought a mat, so i figure that makes me pretty committed. Once you buy the gear there's no turning back. Maybe I'll even get cool Yoga clothes like Lyndsey that have weird lettering that no one can read.
So I guess that brings us to today. It's absolutely pouring out right now, and unfortunately I didn't beat the rain on my run. It wasn't as bad as it is now, but it was def windy with consistent moisture coming from the sky. I was pretty soaked by the time I was done and as I trudged back into the gym the guy behind the desk looks at me in shock. "Did you run in the rain???" "Uh, yes." "Wow, that's CRAZY!" It cracks me up how used to good weather we are. When I was back east, more often than not my run was either when it was below freezing, snowing, raining, slushing, or just plain miserable out. The worst day in San Diego just can't even compare. And I'm a pretty big wimp when it comes to weather.
Pes didn't feel great, which was surprising to me after almost a full week of no running. Gonna ice and stretch today and see how it feels. The cold rainy weather might not have been the best for it, in retrospect, and its possible things just tightened up and never really got a chance to loosen.
Since I didn't post this weekend, here's a late Happy Valentines Day to everyone. I always find it to be a funny holiday. Single girls hate it, girls in relationships pretend to hate it, and I'm pretty sure you'll be hard pressed to find a guy anywhere who really cares one way or the other. But as I was walking into a movie chatting with my mom on saturday, I couldn't help but to reflect on all the wonderful people I have in my life, and it was just nice to think about those people on a day that is supposed to be a celebration of love. I consider myself pretty lucky to have such amazing friends, and while its sad that so many are spread out all over the country, it's still wonderful to know they are there, just a phone call away. So Happy V-day to all of you and thanks for being a part of my life.
Ok, that's enough mush for now.
Sun - Pool 45 mins - 3min Elliptical - Yoga
Mon - Gym - Run 2mi
The current downpour outside has inspired me to not leave the apartment all day, except perchance to run out to the grocery store so i can cook dinner tonight. It's rare to take a day and just sit and read and watch movies and pretty much just hang out. I figured I'd take this time to catch up a little on the good ole blog.
Sunday was my third day in a row of swimming, and I def was feeling pretty beat. Part of it may have been the fact that I was up till ONE in the morning both friday and saturday. I know. I'm so proud. The swim was just one of those workouts where you're like, okay, I showed up, I'm gonna do this, but it ain't gonna be pretty.
Decided to go back to Yoga with Lyndsey later that evening. Rocked a solid 3 min on the elliptical as a warm up and then bounced off to Yoga class. This is my third class now, and I bought a mat, so i figure that makes me pretty committed. Once you buy the gear there's no turning back. Maybe I'll even get cool Yoga clothes like Lyndsey that have weird lettering that no one can read.
So I guess that brings us to today. It's absolutely pouring out right now, and unfortunately I didn't beat the rain on my run. It wasn't as bad as it is now, but it was def windy with consistent moisture coming from the sky. I was pretty soaked by the time I was done and as I trudged back into the gym the guy behind the desk looks at me in shock. "Did you run in the rain???" "Uh, yes." "Wow, that's CRAZY!" It cracks me up how used to good weather we are. When I was back east, more often than not my run was either when it was below freezing, snowing, raining, slushing, or just plain miserable out. The worst day in San Diego just can't even compare. And I'm a pretty big wimp when it comes to weather.
Pes didn't feel great, which was surprising to me after almost a full week of no running. Gonna ice and stretch today and see how it feels. The cold rainy weather might not have been the best for it, in retrospect, and its possible things just tightened up and never really got a chance to loosen.
Since I didn't post this weekend, here's a late Happy Valentines Day to everyone. I always find it to be a funny holiday. Single girls hate it, girls in relationships pretend to hate it, and I'm pretty sure you'll be hard pressed to find a guy anywhere who really cares one way or the other. But as I was walking into a movie chatting with my mom on saturday, I couldn't help but to reflect on all the wonderful people I have in my life, and it was just nice to think about those people on a day that is supposed to be a celebration of love. I consider myself pretty lucky to have such amazing friends, and while its sad that so many are spread out all over the country, it's still wonderful to know they are there, just a phone call away. So Happy V-day to all of you and thanks for being a part of my life.
Ok, that's enough mush for now.
Friday, February 13, 2009
25 going on 45
Thurs PM – Yoga
Friday – Swim 45 mins
I had my ass handed to me in Yoga last night. I went without Lyndsey as my safety net so was a little intimidated from the get-go. I did however get to see her teaching her spin class with a cool microphone on, yelling at people. :-P The yoga experience was different from my other class, where I struggled with some more of the strength exercises. Here, the strength was hard, but I mostly struggled with just getting into the poses. I believe the phrase "I am the least flexible person on the planet" actually passed through my mind about a hundred times. It was brutal. The instructor had to keep physically forcing my body to bend into certain positions. At one time, it actually crossed from discomfort to pain, but I couldn’t say anything because I was so contorted I could barely get air into my lungs. When he released me my body snapped back so fast it was like a rubber band snapping in two. I actually had a vision at one point of my neck snapping and couldn't help but ponder the tragedy if I was the first person to ever accidentally kill themselves in yoga. The class however, just reinforced the notion that I have to work on my flexibility. And the Pes is feeling surprisingly good today but that might just be chance and the lack of running for several days now.
Last night was pretty rough as well. I can function pretty well on 6-7 hours of sleep a night, as long as I go to sleep and then wake up in the morning. Any disruptions totally mess with me. A couple of weeks ago a car alarm went off for about 15 minutes around 3am and I kept getting out of bed to make sure it wasn't my car (even though I never set my car alarm). I was out of if for the whole next day. Last night was another of those unfortunate events. Around 1:45am I heard music. At first I thought it was a passing car, because my neighbors have always been quiet and I've never heard music from my bedroom before. But it didn't go away and finally at 1:55 I got up and pushed my ear to the wall. Not from that neighbor. I figured it had to be the new guy (just my luck) that moved in last week, so I blindly stumbled into my living room, shuffled into the kitchen, and laid my ear on the cold gray wall. I could hear the music but it wasn't coming from that guy's place either. It was def louder in my living room though. "Fuck it" I muttered and went back to bed. Unfortunately I have NEVER been able to fall asleep with party music playing. It was a huge problem in college. I would have a race the next day, the guys below me would be blasting some shitty dance music and I would get so stressed out that I couldn't fall asleep and then wouldn't be able to fall asleep till their party ended bout 4 hours later. At this point, some chick was singing to the music, and the thought of getting up in 3 hours to swim was raising my stress-o-meter. When the thought "well if I don't get enough sleep I just won't swim" started running through my brain, I kinda got pissed off. It's Thursday. I have to work tomorrow. I'm too old to deal with partying in the middle of the week in my nice quiet apartment complex. Almost without thinking I was rolling/falling out of bed, grabbing fuzzy slippers and something that felt like a jacket. I stepped out into the chilly night air. The muffled sound of music floated in the atrium of the complex. Follow the music. Down the stairs. Getting louder. I stopped in front of a door. The place below me. Figures. I knock. I hear voices. No one comes. I knock again. Finally some chick who may or may not have been the girl I met who actually lives in the apartment, I couldn't really see, cracks open the door as if I was some axe murderer intent on killing her. She seriously looked terrified. Freeze Frame. At this point, let's review the general appearance of the crazy chick that just knocked on the door. I'm standing there, pink pinstripe pj pants, faded Brown t-shirt, bright red Brown XC jacket (damnit, doubled up on the university gear. If it wasn't 2:15 in the morning I would have been a total tool) large fuzzy slippers and hair literally sticking out in every direction. I've been wearing a headband every day for a reason. I haven't quite figured out how to tame my hair yet. And after a couple hours of sleep, I look a little like I just stuck my finger in an electric socket. Add to that image the black smears of mascara I missed when washing my face the night before and it's really not too strange she didn't open the door more than two inches. Resume Story. I mumble something about turning down the music a smidge (I believe I also may have mimed the action of turning down a dial. I'm not sure.) As I stumbled away I couldn't help but think, wow, I'm pretty sure she was older than me. I'm the dork that just broke up the party cause I have to get my precious sleep. I felt kinda guilty until I returned to my blissfully quiet apartment and passed out within seconds. And I was able to get up to swim.
However, it is now almost 3pm and I'm starting to feel pretty damn tired. My whole plan of staying up until midnight tonight is looking grim. Wow. When did I get so old?
Friday – Swim 45 mins
I had my ass handed to me in Yoga last night. I went without Lyndsey as my safety net so was a little intimidated from the get-go. I did however get to see her teaching her spin class with a cool microphone on, yelling at people. :-P The yoga experience was different from my other class, where I struggled with some more of the strength exercises. Here, the strength was hard, but I mostly struggled with just getting into the poses. I believe the phrase "I am the least flexible person on the planet" actually passed through my mind about a hundred times. It was brutal. The instructor had to keep physically forcing my body to bend into certain positions. At one time, it actually crossed from discomfort to pain, but I couldn’t say anything because I was so contorted I could barely get air into my lungs. When he released me my body snapped back so fast it was like a rubber band snapping in two. I actually had a vision at one point of my neck snapping and couldn't help but ponder the tragedy if I was the first person to ever accidentally kill themselves in yoga. The class however, just reinforced the notion that I have to work on my flexibility. And the Pes is feeling surprisingly good today but that might just be chance and the lack of running for several days now.
Last night was pretty rough as well. I can function pretty well on 6-7 hours of sleep a night, as long as I go to sleep and then wake up in the morning. Any disruptions totally mess with me. A couple of weeks ago a car alarm went off for about 15 minutes around 3am and I kept getting out of bed to make sure it wasn't my car (even though I never set my car alarm). I was out of if for the whole next day. Last night was another of those unfortunate events. Around 1:45am I heard music. At first I thought it was a passing car, because my neighbors have always been quiet and I've never heard music from my bedroom before. But it didn't go away and finally at 1:55 I got up and pushed my ear to the wall. Not from that neighbor. I figured it had to be the new guy (just my luck) that moved in last week, so I blindly stumbled into my living room, shuffled into the kitchen, and laid my ear on the cold gray wall. I could hear the music but it wasn't coming from that guy's place either. It was def louder in my living room though. "Fuck it" I muttered and went back to bed. Unfortunately I have NEVER been able to fall asleep with party music playing. It was a huge problem in college. I would have a race the next day, the guys below me would be blasting some shitty dance music and I would get so stressed out that I couldn't fall asleep and then wouldn't be able to fall asleep till their party ended bout 4 hours later. At this point, some chick was singing to the music, and the thought of getting up in 3 hours to swim was raising my stress-o-meter. When the thought "well if I don't get enough sleep I just won't swim" started running through my brain, I kinda got pissed off. It's Thursday. I have to work tomorrow. I'm too old to deal with partying in the middle of the week in my nice quiet apartment complex. Almost without thinking I was rolling/falling out of bed, grabbing fuzzy slippers and something that felt like a jacket. I stepped out into the chilly night air. The muffled sound of music floated in the atrium of the complex. Follow the music. Down the stairs. Getting louder. I stopped in front of a door. The place below me. Figures. I knock. I hear voices. No one comes. I knock again. Finally some chick who may or may not have been the girl I met who actually lives in the apartment, I couldn't really see, cracks open the door as if I was some axe murderer intent on killing her. She seriously looked terrified. Freeze Frame. At this point, let's review the general appearance of the crazy chick that just knocked on the door. I'm standing there, pink pinstripe pj pants, faded Brown t-shirt, bright red Brown XC jacket (damnit, doubled up on the university gear. If it wasn't 2:15 in the morning I would have been a total tool) large fuzzy slippers and hair literally sticking out in every direction. I've been wearing a headband every day for a reason. I haven't quite figured out how to tame my hair yet. And after a couple hours of sleep, I look a little like I just stuck my finger in an electric socket. Add to that image the black smears of mascara I missed when washing my face the night before and it's really not too strange she didn't open the door more than two inches. Resume Story. I mumble something about turning down the music a smidge (I believe I also may have mimed the action of turning down a dial. I'm not sure.) As I stumbled away I couldn't help but think, wow, I'm pretty sure she was older than me. I'm the dork that just broke up the party cause I have to get my precious sleep. I felt kinda guilty until I returned to my blissfully quiet apartment and passed out within seconds. And I was able to get up to swim.
However, it is now almost 3pm and I'm starting to feel pretty damn tired. My whole plan of staying up until midnight tonight is looking grim. Wow. When did I get so old?
Monday, February 9, 2009
Yoga Commentary from the Unenlightened.
Last night Lyndsey took me to a Yoga class, something I've been meaning to do to get some added strength and especially flexibility, but just haven't gotten around to doing. She once again took care of me by bringing me a yoga mat. Everytime I try something new with Lyndsey I am grossly underprepared and everytime she's managed to save my ass (goggles? Why do I need goggles to learn to swim?).
My feelings on Yoga are somewhat mixed. I enjoy the stretching, strength, and mental concentration, and I also see how it is something you must practice and really treat as a discipline rather than just a gym class. I like focusing on a pose and attempting to quiet my ever-racing mind, a near impossibility, of various to-do lists, stresses, and plans.
However, I think part of me will never be able to fully embrace Yoga because, quite frankly, I'm not a very spiritual person. I'm not talking about religion, because I believe that one can be non-religious and entirely spiritual (and vice-versa). But I have never in my adult life considered myself to be spiritual. I have known plenty of people that I would put in that category, people who seem to understand and co-exist with energy, forces and emotions outside of the fact and fiction scientific world to which I am tethered. I gravitate towards things that are explainable by science, physics, etc., even if it takes a much smarter individual to understand these theories. I do not identify with things which are not at least subject to explanation (perhaps this dates back to the discovery that Santa was not real. I learned my lesson in believing in something that defied rationalization!). I need to know why, or at least know that there is some rationalization, even if it hasn’t been fully explained. It's why my pet peeve is when someone tells me everything is going to be all right, but then doesn't back it up with any sort of reasoning. I can't accept that things will just work out. I need evidence. I need a memo outlining the justifications. With citations. I cannot just have faith that things will be okay. And I know plenty of people that live and breathe in the world of scientific fact that I would consider to be very spiritual people, thus I'm not designating a line between spiritual and scientific, though that's may be how I'm coming across (probably because my lack of identifying with the spiritual in the first place results in me not truly understanding what it means to be spiritual). I think that some people are more in touch with themselves emotionally than others, and it is through this connection and openness that they can experience a more spiritual existence. I am still working on making that emotional connection with myself, something which I assume comes easier to those who are able to be more in touch with their spiritual nature. Thus, I believe the spiritual nature of Yoga shall, at least for now, elude me.
For now, yoga acts to stretch and strengthen my body, and temper the reasoning and constant analysis running through my mind. It calms me and forces my brain to slow down, but I don't know that I'll ever reach the sort of higher enlightenment that some people seem to find through their practice. And that is acceptable to me, I just believe that I will always have an unintentional self imposed limit on what I can attain from the practice.
Part of my original purpose in this soliloquy was to apologize in advance for my commentary on any Yoga experiences I may share. I understand the spiritual importance that many gain from such practice, and while I may never attain such a level of proficiency, I do respect it. That being said, I cannot fight my innate tendency to comment on the appearance and behavior of those around me, as well as my own personal deprecation for considering myself a strong runner yet not being able to hold downward dog for more than 2 minutes without crumbling into child's pose (aka curling up on the floor and crying). So tune in next time for some reflections on a Non-Yogi, infiltrating a Yogi world.
However, for now I have rambled on for far longer than anyone truly signed on for when they clicked the link over to read my blog (most likely on accident). Additionally, this has strayed quite far from my training into the realms of personal exploration and philosophy. Apologies and I promise to attempt brevity in my future. Unless I'm actually funny.
My feelings on Yoga are somewhat mixed. I enjoy the stretching, strength, and mental concentration, and I also see how it is something you must practice and really treat as a discipline rather than just a gym class. I like focusing on a pose and attempting to quiet my ever-racing mind, a near impossibility, of various to-do lists, stresses, and plans.
However, I think part of me will never be able to fully embrace Yoga because, quite frankly, I'm not a very spiritual person. I'm not talking about religion, because I believe that one can be non-religious and entirely spiritual (and vice-versa). But I have never in my adult life considered myself to be spiritual. I have known plenty of people that I would put in that category, people who seem to understand and co-exist with energy, forces and emotions outside of the fact and fiction scientific world to which I am tethered. I gravitate towards things that are explainable by science, physics, etc., even if it takes a much smarter individual to understand these theories. I do not identify with things which are not at least subject to explanation (perhaps this dates back to the discovery that Santa was not real. I learned my lesson in believing in something that defied rationalization!). I need to know why, or at least know that there is some rationalization, even if it hasn’t been fully explained. It's why my pet peeve is when someone tells me everything is going to be all right, but then doesn't back it up with any sort of reasoning. I can't accept that things will just work out. I need evidence. I need a memo outlining the justifications. With citations. I cannot just have faith that things will be okay. And I know plenty of people that live and breathe in the world of scientific fact that I would consider to be very spiritual people, thus I'm not designating a line between spiritual and scientific, though that's may be how I'm coming across (probably because my lack of identifying with the spiritual in the first place results in me not truly understanding what it means to be spiritual). I think that some people are more in touch with themselves emotionally than others, and it is through this connection and openness that they can experience a more spiritual existence. I am still working on making that emotional connection with myself, something which I assume comes easier to those who are able to be more in touch with their spiritual nature. Thus, I believe the spiritual nature of Yoga shall, at least for now, elude me.
For now, yoga acts to stretch and strengthen my body, and temper the reasoning and constant analysis running through my mind. It calms me and forces my brain to slow down, but I don't know that I'll ever reach the sort of higher enlightenment that some people seem to find through their practice. And that is acceptable to me, I just believe that I will always have an unintentional self imposed limit on what I can attain from the practice.
Part of my original purpose in this soliloquy was to apologize in advance for my commentary on any Yoga experiences I may share. I understand the spiritual importance that many gain from such practice, and while I may never attain such a level of proficiency, I do respect it. That being said, I cannot fight my innate tendency to comment on the appearance and behavior of those around me, as well as my own personal deprecation for considering myself a strong runner yet not being able to hold downward dog for more than 2 minutes without crumbling into child's pose (aka curling up on the floor and crying). So tune in next time for some reflections on a Non-Yogi, infiltrating a Yogi world.
However, for now I have rambled on for far longer than anyone truly signed on for when they clicked the link over to read my blog (most likely on accident). Additionally, this has strayed quite far from my training into the realms of personal exploration and philosophy. Apologies and I promise to attempt brevity in my future. Unless I'm actually funny.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Don't try and show off in the Pool.
Pool – 50 mins
I shared my lane this morning with an young aqua jogger and had the urge to tell him the entire time "I'M A RUNNER TOO!!!!" as if two land mammals attempting gracefulness in the water should automatically bond over this fact. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to inform him of our shared bond as I was busy attempting to not look like a spaz and/or sound like I was dying. See, I have no trouble flailing about in front of the usual senior citizen, baggy speedo wearing clientele of the non-competition (read: non-hardcore) pool. But throw in a 25-year old attractive male and not only do I actually care whether or not I look like a spaz, but apparently I also forget how to swim. I think I made several new and interesting gurgling noises, and added to the fact that the goggles give me these dark circles under my eyes which give me a striking resemblance to Uncle Fester from Adams Family, it was all in all not a good day for Julie.
I'm noticing that my increased activity is taking a toll on my energy levels, particularly in the evening. Despite not wanting to be a loser like Lyndsey :-P (Note: Lyndsey, I am going to tag you everytime I mention you in my blog so that you can easily find the posts. But please remember to inform me after you read the post, otherwise you are totally a stalker.) I may have to start heading to bed a bit earlier in the evenings, at least until my body adjusts to the increased activity.
However, I still plan on maintaining my pizza and beer consumption levels.
I shared my lane this morning with an young aqua jogger and had the urge to tell him the entire time "I'M A RUNNER TOO!!!!" as if two land mammals attempting gracefulness in the water should automatically bond over this fact. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to inform him of our shared bond as I was busy attempting to not look like a spaz and/or sound like I was dying. See, I have no trouble flailing about in front of the usual senior citizen, baggy speedo wearing clientele of the non-competition (read: non-hardcore) pool. But throw in a 25-year old attractive male and not only do I actually care whether or not I look like a spaz, but apparently I also forget how to swim. I think I made several new and interesting gurgling noises, and added to the fact that the goggles give me these dark circles under my eyes which give me a striking resemblance to Uncle Fester from Adams Family, it was all in all not a good day for Julie.
I'm noticing that my increased activity is taking a toll on my energy levels, particularly in the evening. Despite not wanting to be a loser like Lyndsey :-P (Note: Lyndsey, I am going to tag you everytime I mention you in my blog so that you can easily find the posts. But please remember to inform me after you read the post, otherwise you are totally a stalker.) I may have to start heading to bed a bit earlier in the evenings, at least until my body adjusts to the increased activity.
However, I still plan on maintaining my pizza and beer consumption levels.
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