Sunday strolling at CCP

RUN 8 miles in 1:15
Dog walk 2.6-2.8 miles

I thought for sure today would feel like last weekend's second run. That 7 miler had very little energy and life. But today wasn't like that. After a stop at the pool for the Club I drove to CCP, the plan to run then walk the dog. Let her get all muddy because she's getting a bath later today!

Another wonderfully sunny warm day in the 60's, more wind though. Parked at the restaurant for something different, then held myself to the plan of 4 miles out and back. Not 2 miles out n back in two directions, not any variation, just run the dang plan!

It felt good, again a little mind wandery and that feeling of "just want to slow down" but I didn't walk or really need to slow down. Much better than last week.

So my big goal was to hit 40 miles this week, and I ran extra yesterday to that I could hit an even number. What did I end up with? 40.6 miles. And if I had realized that yesterday, I don't think I would have run an extra 0.4 miles.

Goodbye January!

Sunshine, warm temps, Lost Valley loop, half eaten Powerbar

RUN 16 miles in 2:48

Longest run so far this year. The original goal was 15 miles. But since I ran only 6.6 miles Thursday instead of 7, it meant that either today or tomorrow I needed to tack on an extra 0.4 miles so I could have an even number. Yeah...I know...

TV busy with his move, everyone else enjoying this amazing weather on their bikes. No one looking for 15 trail miles!? What?! Haha!

I looped the Mound, realized that I was already overdressed, but continued on. I had my podcasts, the Camelbak without the bladder and just a bottle, a half-eaten Powerbar (seriously, I found a partial PB powerbar in my supplies drawer, threw out the exposed edge, ate the rest today) and a gel. Sooooo simple. Maybe too simple, I got low on water by the end.

The trail was in perfect condition. Soft, little bit of mud, but open and smooth. I wasn't feeling terribly bouncy but I was feeling good. I kept wanting to slow down but didn't. My mind would wander and I'd bring it back. Podcasts were good, kept me entertained. I ran the loop counterclockwise (what is TV's word for this? Googling, maybe widdershins?), when I got to where I'd jump from the back road back onto the trail, I instead continued to the parking lot. My garmin said only 9.5 miles, so I needed the extra out n back.

Once at the parking lot just short of 11 miles, I really ran out of energy. I walked the lot a few mins, pulled out my PB gel (the gel was stored with the bar, I chose that gel over the caramel machiatto because the package on the PB looked worn and about to leak). Instead of heading back to the trail, I opted to cross Hwy 94 and head back on the Hamburg. No more trail. Too tired.

I forgot though that most of the Hamburg trends uphill. Up, and up, and up, slowly but steadily. I admit to walking through here. I did a run last year where I did the same thing, felt guilty for walking.

Got back to the truck just short of 14, saw EC's vehicle and sent her a text, grabbed more water, and set out for another loop of the Mound. Once I got to 15.4 I just kept going, little out n back until I hit 16. Oops :)

I felt good after this, appropriately wiped out but not pained or damaged. Saw EC, talked a bit, headed out for errands.

Just another long run day :)

400!!!

Rest day, BIKE COMMUTE 9.5 miles only

Sort of a celebration day, last night I hit 400 days of No Monster. May he forever lie in peace.

The next one is the Blerch. Yesterday was 3 straight days of killing him too. Soon he will sleep with the Monster?

Such a strange thing to post here. But the goal of this blog is to be able to look back someday and see the progress and changes. These are milestones for me.

For my 400 goal reward, I'm thinking a bee decal for the truck? Float like a butterfly, Sting like a bee?

Feel so swollen and tired

RUN 6.6 miles in probably just over an hour, no garmin
BIKE COMMUTE 9.5 miles

Sluggy! That's how I feel. Heavy, bloated, swollen even. Yes, swollen! My ankles have been swollen for a few days now, I thought it might have been the salt, the sitting at work, ???. But it's been persistent. Can't even see my ankle bones!

Then last day or two I'm feeling like my eyes are puffy. Today it's most noticable, my whole face feels saggy and puffy. I don't really see it in the mirror. On top of it, my whole body feels heavy and bloated. Is it the gluten? A random thing? Or all in my head?

Of course, when you type in "gluten = [anything]" you get what you're looking for. When I type in facial swelling, yup. Edema, yup. Yesterday I randomed across an article about non alcoholic fatty liver as a celiac symptom. My gall bladder scans two years ago observed that!??!??!

Geez I could go crazy waiting for this challenge to end. This is my third week, so by my GI doc I'm almost half way there. I've debated going longer to be absolutely certain of the result, but in PubMed I can find people with CD showing antibodies at 28 days, only 4 weeks. We'll see, I might not make it longer than 6 weeks.

As for the run, I was feeling sluggy and not terribly motivated. I happily dropped back to run with BS and IT, I don't get to see or talk to IT much lately. I love hearing BS's stories about qualifying, age group, etc. I love the competitive side! LC is injured, her calf again. What else...I shared a japanese sweet potato and fenugreek sprouts with DT. Forgot to start my Garmin at the beginning, hence the lack of time measure. Walked my Sugar after the run.

BS sent a 'thank you' email to us later in the morning, I want to reply thanking him.

Supposed to get up to 50F today for the high! OOh just checked it's 55F!

Float.... And p=mv

RUN 6 miles in about 56 mins, somewhere in the 9-9:30 range
BIKE COMMUTE 9.5 miles, felt better than yesterday

Yesterday's symptoms have gone away, for now. Hopefully they stay away. Painful bloating, head fog, swelling, no energy, awful tummy noises.

I still wasn't blazing away with energy, but I at least got my challenge exercises done in good order (no delaying), got out the door on time to run, and stuck to my goal of move-it all morning. It was as if once I got into motion, the momentum kept me going.

Momentum. p=mv
The Wiki page on momentum is way too complex. To summarize:
A bee in motion, stays in motion.
Can I say, B=mv? :)

My ProYou podcast had a great opening that inspired me. Paraphrased: If you continue to do little things consistently, that you are ProYou, you will be rewarded. Bad news, the flat tire, that's what came along your path. And what you do THEN is what's important, will determine your peace, your joy, your happiness. Don't dwell on the flat tire. Ask, what CAN I DO WITH WHAT I HAVE.

Anyway, my run started in the dark shortly after 6am. Super calm winds, if any, making the 35F temps feel warm. If 35F can ever be 'warm'. I set out towards TGP, excited to run but not terribly energetic. I was nervous a bit about running in the dark, the recently full moon was visible behind some haze :) otherwise just streetlights for the first half hour, with worry about tripping over a sidewalk or curb or something stupid. So I kept telling myself "float", visualized it, float over steps and speedbumps, and park debris. I had only one bad step -- I detoured into that mini-trail on the NE side of the park that I like to step onto and think "yay trail!" but I most always hit a rock that hurts. This time I had a bad step at the road/trail intersection. A quiet F^CK, recovered, kept going.

Another note -- they trimmed the bird trail section. Another part of the park where I think "yay trail!". Took me a few moments to realize that I wasn't ducking and dodging tree branches (which I enjoy) but instead sailing right through a wide open plane of .... nothing?! Dang trail maintenance.

My bike commute felt much better than it did yesterday. And yesterday on the way home I struggled with the stomach upset, today looking much better.

So I was eating gluten!

RUN 4 miles in 36:40
BIKE COMMUTE 9.5 miles

First bike commute in over a week, didn't feel great but it felt great. Does that make sense?

I just realized that I never added up my miles for 2015. Or did I?
Swim can't even see the slice on the pie graph!
Bike 298 miles
Run 1909 miles
Bike Commute  1239 miles
Walk with Sugar (not the full year) 601 miles

I did the first 0.2 miles of the run with my walkme-walkme-walkme hound who does not do runme-runme-runme. I gave up after a few minutes. I suppose it's only fair, it is her walk, I'm not out there so I can take shit!

I took off after dropping her off. My knee was feeling good but my mental energy a tad low. After feeling so awful yesterday I cracked and asked TV what I was eating. Sure enough, gluten. Now that I know, I can quit trying to explain away my headaches, slugginess, bloating, anxiety with other causes. I know what's going on and I just need to ride it out.

Off topic! Speaking of ride it out, back to the run. Run it out! I did a simple up to Russell over to Grand back home run, certain that I'd end up with more than 4 miles given when the 2-mile beep occurred. Nope. I had to do a "parking lot loop" to get 4!

My legs were tired on the bike, that's the part that didn't feel great. I'm entertaining the option of doing Triple Bypass (120 miles in Colorado) or RAIN (160 miles in Indiana) or even RAIL-South (acrosss Illinois, by her rivers gently flowing...) so it's frustrating to feel the legs so dead.

Can I blame the gluten for that!? Ugh..........

My 2015 blog book arrived in the mail today :)

Manicky Monday

Nothing! Had to drive to work because of an errand to Maplewood (to get my beef heart and liver) and because the side streets/bike lanes are still a mess. It's warm and sunny today, so they should be much better tomorrow. Poor Puppy! Just parked there in the kitchen, waiting...

Did NOT have a great morning. Is Manicky a word? It is here. I let myself sleep in, but didn't expect to sleep in until after 7am! My head groggy, face puffy, head achy, ...how much of this is due to the gluten challenge? Is any of it?

Yesterday I was terribly bloated after lunch. I ate the Challenge loaf in the morning before my run. I confess I cracked on this challenge. I ate some VWG last week to see if my symptoms would get worse. I think they did? The main symptoms are not GI related though. I'm having panic attack feelings, headaches, brain fuzz, stress, anger swings, lack of energy. That's not to say I'm not having gut symptoms of bloating, distention, gas, mild pain. But those are hard to nail down to just the gluten challenge alone.

TV said he'd reveal the food I'm eating if asked. Do I want to ask? I do and I don't. It's my challenge to ruin, or have I ruined it already? Is there benefit to a week long washout and another two weeks of wondering?

While shopping over the weekend, very little looked good. I turned down all meat from Schnuck's because it wasn't "good enough" (but knowing I was buying some grass fed meat on Monday influenced that). I wandered stores kinda lost, not really hungry but hungry.

I don't think I was hungry for food?
------------------------------------

While driving to work Fight Song played on the radio. Happily it's stuck in my head, could be worse.

Last week I mentioned a Visualization Exercise that I wanted to work with. All excited as I was about it, I've yet to really use it! So.....get going! Just give it a try.

Remember - I am a strong athlete. I'm not sick or sickly. I have a great body that adapts and grows and moves. My running is fluid, light footed, and forward.

My mind hits stumbles but keeps on going. That's the part I need to work on.

7 mile slog in FP

RUN 7 miles in 1:09

The first mile was a stop/start with Sugar. Run a bit, stop, walk a bit, run a bit. I paused the Garmin so the 11 min mile we did was roughly accurate.

Then off on my own. My right knee is still hurting, yesterday didn't help it any! But once I get going it hurts less. I decided on an out and back. Had to keep telling myself, only 3 miles then turn around...

Not a good place to be! But I did it. Very pretty sunny day, calm winds, and about mid-30's during the run.

My goal for the weekend was 20 total miles, and this brought me to 35 miles for the week. Not much of a jump in the progression, but you gotta include the trail aspect. 13 miles of trail, versus 13 miles of road. Trail is much more enjoyable, harder to get to though!

We get to play in the snow!

RUN 13 miles in 2:45 on Greenrock/Rockwoods

DT and I ran this, TV busy with his clowder :)   DT mentioned something TB said to him once on a gravel ride, that we get to play on our bikes. Love it! So it's the title of this post.

There was still a light snow on the ground, but it was the best you could ask for in a trail run. Both crunchy and powdery, fresh and tracked a little, not melting, not frozen. Pretty holographic looking glittery to each side of the trail. This was a golden time to run the trail, it will certainly look much different in just a day.

We started from the shelter and wandered down the hill to Greenrock. I thought we were going south, but in fact went north to Rockwoods! Realized this once I saw the horse jumps. Oh well, this way we got to enjoy the wall or corkscrew or whatever you want to call it.

This was a great run, and reminded me of the 12 miler Chubb run TV and I did about a year ago that wiped us both out and left us hurting. We marveled at how just 12 miles could be so tough. Same today. By 10 miles both of us were commenting on our growing fatigue and pains, calves and quads.

The time seems long! But I didn't stop the Garmin when we stopped at Rockwoods to grab a bite to eat (a potato for me) and we did seem to walk a lot more on the way back.

DT is fun to run with! He loves the sports :)

----------
After the run met TG and TH for lunch. EC couldn't make it. Really needed to talk with people, catch up on news, and feel connected again. Why is it so hard for me to reach out?

Last day of PT for now

Ugh, nothing but more driving!

And another day of closed interstate. This time I just rescheduled PT from 730 to 1030. Be-bopped into lab, got some stuff done, then PT. Got two errands done in the meantime, since I wasn't sure how long it would take to drive out there as the highway was still closed!

PT was fast, H had to leave early. Answered questions about my home exercises. Told her I needed more guidance than "dial it back if you feel fatigued". Cuz I'd run myself into the ground or get bored of the same everyday. She divided the exercises in half to alternate days.

Discussed the nerve Dr M thinks was damaged, supraspinatus nerve. It's at C5/C6 and not at C7 where the radiologist in the ER thought there was a chronic fracture or something-or-other. Poor images, so nothing firm.

I did make a lot of progress in PT, but have a ways to go. I'm much better with driving, pulling around my seatbelt. But still lack full range of motion for external rotations, and quick fatigue for lateral and front raises with 1 lb weights. I'm motivated to keep going.

So what else is going on? I found a recipe for moroccan beef heart, so I called the local butcher and reserved one for next Monday!

Just finished the book Unprocessed. Returned it yesterday and picked up four more books (like I can read 4 books in 3 weeks...): Wild Diet (goes with the podcast I've just started), Twinkie Deconstructed (the reason I was at the library in the first place), the Dorito Effect (impulse grab), and a sustainable kitchen guide book (another impulse).

Read something great in the Wild Diet book, a 30 second visualization exercise:

Everyday, find a comfortable place to sit, take a deep breath. Close your eyes, relax, and imagine your body at its absolute best. You can see and feel your flat stomach, toned muscles, and athletic figure fitting perfectly into your favorite clothes. You feel comfortable in your own skin. Feel the strength build in the muscles in your arms, back, trunk, and legs, ready to burst into action at any moment. You are confident and feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment.
Hold the image of yourself at your best in your mind for a few moments, as long as you'd like. Then take a deep breath and open your eyes.
Feel good? Use this took to focus your progress and keep on track. If you find yourself in a tempting situation, stop, relax, and take the 30 seconds. The temptation will fade. The more you focus the image of your body at your best in your mind, the more your subconscious will strive to achieve that state of being. Train your mind to expect impossible things and it will make them happen. 

From his podcast, I also learned about the Why-dentity -- another focusing tool that asks you why, what, when, who for your goals. Why do you want this goal, what will be different, when will you take action, who will see the differences. This has been percolating in the head, forcing me to think about goals.

So while my visualization will be different than from the book, it's the same idea. See It, Bee It.

CS's birthday run

RUN 7.1 miles in 67 mins.

No bike commute again! The bike lanes and side streets aren't clear enough for safe travel yet.

Monday was CS's birthday and I joke with him that the hilly golf course run he sometimes tries to get the group to do should be his birthday run. Since we never want to run the hills in the dark, we end up doing this in the spring. That's why I thought his bday was in the spring!

But with snow on the ground we were able to see better. And DC and LC weren't there today, so I think CS took advantage of this :)  Was a great run! CS's route had us at 5.8 miles, DT and I rounded it up to 7.1 miles. We have a great group built up for Thursday, we probably had 10 runners today? I don't even know all their names yet.

About a block from the house I realized that I had forgotten my beloved purple windshell jacket! I just had two tech shirts on. I thought for certain that I'd freeze, thought I'd turn around to get it, then thought I'd just run from home and save myself the time and energy. So Glad I didn't! I was cold, but not THAT cold. Lesson learned. :)

Dr M appt, another busy day

RUN 4.1 miles in 41 mins on fresh snow!

The plan was to run 6 miles, but the fresh snow bothered my right knee. I haven't mentioned this pain yet, it's on the outside of the knee, kinda where that bone is. I think the top of one of the calf bones? It hurts mostly when just starting to run, taking stairs. I think I've had this before?

Ran to TG park, using the streets instead of the sidewalks. Risky thing to do. The run in TGP was OK as that road was cleared and no traffic. But the route to and from the park? Yuck.

No bike commute again! More driving, this time a 75 min drive to Dr M appt, loooooong because of accident that closed the interstate. So my morning was messed up all around.

Dr M said my suprascapular nerve branch is probably what was damaged. The muscles will respond as the nerve re-grows, expected rate of 1 cm /month! But I didn't have total loss of the nerve and muscles so mayhaps things can progress quicker. Either way, no more PT for 3 weeks. See what I can do on my own with strength training, then re-evaluate.

Gotta stay positive at PT, gotta get snowy on the run

RUN 4.1 miles in about 38 mins
No bike commute, had to drive

PT at 730, GI appt at noon. Busy day! And everyone was talking about the 1-4" (gasp!) of snow we were expecting...

My back bothered me today in PT. I was more worried about that than my shoulder. Heather worked on it a bit extra. It was tight, uncomfortable, not painful, but I was aware of it. It was distracting, as it had me worried about regressing symptoms, problems from last year still lingering?

The GI appt went good, she's OK with my gluten challenge test. One week in!

To fit this in with early PT sessions, I didn't head out to run until 5pm! By then it was snowing :) All day long people were nervous about the snow. I think I was the only person out tonight that wanted to be there. The peeps at the bus stops, walking, doing there thing...didn't seem to be enjoying it so much. Ran my "new" 4 mile loop, going south to Chip then west to Grand. Not a great route....could optimize this for safety!

Afternoon run with TV

RUN 4.3 miles in about 38-40 mins

Met up with TV at 1pm for an afternoon run. Typically I avoid afternoon running, it just disrupts my schedule, but this one worked. Got my cook up done in the morning, didn't eat too much beforehand!, and was in a great mood for the run.

25.3 miles this week, good rest week.

Frozen Buns Run 10K Race Report

RUN 6.2 miles in 45:20, a 7:20 m/m pace

First race of 2016 and I had a hard well-pushed win! Second place overall female, 18s behind a teenager. She "won" the race, but I won my goals.

Brekkie of bacon, egg, potato. It's a 10 am start which is kind of late for me. But this worked perfect, not hungry at all in the hours before the race and I didn't feel underfueled at all.

To my surprise I lined up at the front, stood with DC jumping around to stay warm. He said his plan was to hang on my tail then reel me in towards the end. Knowing how he can run, I expected this to happen!

The race starts with a slight uphill, and today into the wind. It was a looooong run on Delmar and it was a surprise to me that I was holding sub 7:30 paces for these miles. I commented to DC that I wasn't planning on running this hard! I wondered when I was going to blow up.

DC and I ran together (for the most part) until 3 miles. I later learned he paused at the water station. I keep looking for his yellow vest! At that water stop, Club member Betsy said I was maybe in 2nd place. Oh great, just want I needed to hear....   I had been watching a female in front of me, pink shorts, gray tights, pony tail, wondered where we were in the field...now I knew.

The way back to the finish is the faster part of the run, I think it trends downhill. At some points I was only a few seconds back from ponytail, until around the 5 mile mark when a volunteer said something to her. She peeked over her shoulder and seemed to take off a bit! I never caught back up to her and around the 6 miles sign she really disappeared. I congratulated her on the finish, it was a great run!

The power of a start and finish line! Wow the switch in the mental energy that comes on, the ability to push and push and make yourself go and go faster. How many times in a run you think "oh I need to rest a bit", and how many times you do it? But not in a race, it's magical.

Heard Garth Brook's Fever at the finish line :)

That's the sound of sunshine...

No training, and no bike commute. Just PT.

The Sound of Sunshine song played in the background while doing some pulley work. Like! Adding to songlist.

My shoulder was tired today, could be from harvesting neurons yesterday from 18 mice? Lots of tube holding and such with that.

Exercises that are dang near impossible: standing with pulleys to my right, using left arm to pull across the body and do external rotation; same stance pulling across from hip to ear.

Exercises that are tough: 1lb weights lateral and front raises.

All else seems OK. I'm looking forward to updating those exercises with good news!

Some days you lose you win and the waters as high as the times your in.So I jump back into where I learned to swim.Try to keep my head above it as best I can.That's why;
Here I am,Just waiting on this storm to pass me by.And that's the sound of sunshine coming downand that's the sound of sunshine coming down...

Another Thursday run

RUN 6.6 miles in just under 55 mins
BIKE COMMUTE 9.5 miles

I sat here a few moments trying to come up with a better post title. No luck. I hate to call it "another Thursday run", it was a great day and deserves more. I'll keep thinking on it.

Great run, kinda warmer at 39F. I ran first with JA, then RE, then DC, out in front and we kept dropping the group a little. Even when we slowed a bit, either we sped up again (likely) or we just didn't wait long enough (also likely).

It was one of those days like I used to have where the doubts of "can I keep going at this pace? I should slow down..." kept crossing my mind. Like an old habit.

But unlike before, the urge to slow was never really there. Just the thought, flitting around my head before being swatted away.

It was CS's bday (on Monday really) and LC brought donuts. The chocolate cake ones were better, or so I was told :)

A brick workout in the bricks!

BIKE about 12 miles? in 40 mins, variable gear sets on the trainer
RUN 3 miles in 26:47
BIKE COMMUTE 9.5 miles

Sticking to my plan to used planned workouts, I selected an easy peasy 40 min trainer ride to replace the Wednesday run. It's a rest week, and already I'm over the 'budget' for the plan, and I have a race this weekend! The sets felt good, can feel some muscle fatigue in the hip muscles that pull the pedal up and over.

The run was true to the weather patterns so far this week - cold. 22F ain't terrible, but again it's the wind! I ran to BP, north a while, then to the local track near me to measure it. It doesn't look like a quarter mile. I measured to be a quarter though! But it's not cinder like I though, instead it's asphalt. Just looks like cinder from a distance. So it's like running on a street. Will work for some sessions, but I'd rather go to the SLU or WashU track like yesterday.

I thought my shoulder would hurt more after yesterday's PT, but nope. And no gut symptoms yet. But I don't know what I'm consuming for dinner, so there might not be any. And there might never be any! That's why were doing this.

I can feel it, coming back again...

RUN 5.5-5.7 miles in about 51 mins, track with LC

Even though I had PT later in the day, I managed to squeeze this one in. PT always lengthens my day, but for this one Tuesday (for awhile anyway) I wasn't zipping off to PT at 7am. So I asked LC if she was available. Thankfully she was, not sure I would have done this alone!

It was COLD, with a big wind out of the WNW. We ran the track so that the interval segment (3/4ths of the track) was into the wind, and the rest segment (1/4th of the track) was with the wind. We did 10 repeats like this, then cooled down to round out the time.

Yes, our faces froze! And LC heard a song when she got back to her car called "I Can't Feel My Face When I'm With You". I listened to a few moments, no it will most definitely not be on the songlist!

However, speaking of songlists, on the way to FP to park the 2012 CD was playing Lightning Crashes, "oh I feel it coming back again...". This was my first real "training" run in 2016 and dang it felt good. So I can feel it, that urge and drive and motivation I've been missing.

What is not coming back so fast yet is my left shoulder. Last session she popped something in my neck, the thinks that might have contributed to my improvement, but I also think my confidence is helping. That a mental block was stopping me. Either way, things are progressing all except the external pulley exercise where I pull the weights from right to left with the left arm. It just....won't move! Frustrating! But I can fix it.

Also started my gluten challenge tonight. Having thought about it so much, I'm over the worry and stress and mental planning. Just do it.

Reviewed 2014 to prep the 2015 book. Opened my eyes. But don't look back.

BIKE COMMUTE 9.5 miles

I know, that's not really training. But it's all I did today!

Last night before bed I pulled out my 2014 blog book so I could set the print dates for the 2015 book. I started reading through January -- the start of the MiTi training block and my goal setting period. What a shocker, and like a different life than I live now.

I had goals, a specific training plan, lots of thoughts and progress and go-here go-there stuff to do. Having three sports to train for does that! But I was also mentally driven, physically and mentally healthy, ... yet I seemed sort of ... obsessed.

In retrospect it makes sense. If I knew what was going on subconsciously and wanted to avoid that knowledge, a good way to do it is to throw yourself into something and stay distracted. But I'm not giving him credit for my success in 2014. Ain't worth the whiskey, so to speak. Besides, I threw myself into Kettle training last year and succeeded, so yeah, no credit.

Nowadays I'm training, but wouldn't say that I spend a great deal of time thinking on goals and workouts. I'm following a plan that's too vague for intervals. Having only one sport makes it easier because (as evidenced by this past weekend) it's a real time save to just roll out the door in running shoes.

Nowadays I feel sludgy, isolated, and out of place. My physical and mental energy don't seem to be what they used to be. I even walk slow! My mind is just as loopy and distractable. Sometimes I wonder if my dietary changes lead to my feelings of weakness and lack of strength. Maybe even my mental fuzz.

I'm through the distractions of last year, now facing new ones. Between the shoulder injury (on the mend), my GI issues, bone issues, and continuing Disney saga my mind is still full. I'm occupying my time better though, reading 3 books right now (TV's Berlin, Low Carb book, and the fun Unprocessed), I've trained my dog to 'be sleepy', 'find your tail', and 'pick up your toys'. Yesterday I finally finished the guest room closet shelving system.

But I still feel ... weak. Out of sorts. Not myself. What can I change?

Well first off, my mental attitude. Gotta SHIFT, yo. Stop thinking of myself as weak and isolated and out of sorts. I made that my goal for today, and so far it helps. I had a good brekkie, got out the door on time, remembered to brush my teeth before getting out the door, kept focused at work and got started on my assay right away. All good!

I also saw in 2014 that I attempted a LifestyleWhole30 for January. Sadly many of the goals I'd set in the month I'd also set for this Whole9 thing I'm doing right now! Nothing changed?! To be fair, 2014 and 2015 had lots other stuff going on, but it's still kinda sad to see a lack of progress.

From one of my favorite podcasts:

COLD! But short.

RUN 4 miles in 37 mins

Really had to psych myself up for this run. Weather app said it was 11F and "feels like -8F. Brr!! I waited until the sun came up, and hope both that I would and wouldn't hear from TV about a joint run. Hoped I would because he's fun to run with (and he's helping with the gluten challenge I'm planning) and hoping I wouldn't because then I'd have to drive somewhere. So much faster to run from home.

After walking the dog, I set out planning on 4-6. I ran towards BP then went south for the first time to see what the 'hood looked like in that direction. I intended to find something different, but ended up on a route that I'd run a few weeks ago in the opposite direction! I need more routes.

33 miles for the week!

Cold and rainy 12 miler

RUN 12 miles in 1:52

While the morning was expected to be 'warm' in the high 30's, the temps were supposed to drop fast along with a 1-3" of snow. The temp drop happened, the snow did not. Bad forecasting!

TV was busy today so I was on my own. I tried to motivate myself to drive to a park and take advantage of the fact that I had extra time, but I really hate driving. So I ran from home. Home to BP to LP to TGP and MoBot, then home again.

The run felt good, it was raining when I started out but not heavy. Around 6-7 miles in it changed to snow! For awhile it was big heavy flakes that landed with an icy splat, but after a brief change back to rain all precipitation ended for the day.

Everything felt good once I warmed up! I came in the back door so I could shed wet clothes and shoes on the back deck. My hands couldn't work the locks and it took about an hour in front of a space heater before I was ready to shower. Geez, and it was only in the 30's! What will I do tomorrow and the fest of winter!?

Only training was PT

Does that count as training?

'Fraid not.

H noted lots of improvement from just 3 days ago at my first appt. It helps me to have more confidence in moving the arm. It's not injured, torn, or broken. It's  OK to  move and stretch, so that's what I have been doing.

Nice day, had to drive but got a walk through FP via a stop at the CWE library.

Thursday run, more casual today

RUN 6.5 miles in 60 mins
BIKE COMMUTE 9.5 miles

Ran with BillS today and got my much needed catch-up on website and communications for the Club. I kept toying with the idea of getting an alias FB account for my coordinatorship, he says don't. But at the same time he admitted that peeps like me make his life harder. Humph. Not at all my intention!

Great day otherwise, feeling tired. Decided to plan a gluten challenge with TV's help. Not fully committed, but in planning mode. Can still back out.

Yesterday I did my first at-home PT exercises. Lying on the left side and lifting my forearm hurts my shoulder, lifting my left forearm off the ground lying on my tummy is limited, and the external rotation while standing is limited. I know I gotta start somewhere, guess I have my baseline!

Finally getting around to my annual printed blog book. Such a frustrating platform to use, it drags the process out.

Getting back on track after yesterday

RUN 6 miles in 54.5 mins, just over 9 m/m pace
BIKE COMMUTE 9.5 miles

Now I'm not trying to characterize yesterday as a bad day or a failure, but it was my goal this morning to avoid the tired and cold, upset and anxious feelings I had most of yesterday. Was it the appt in the middle of the day throwing off my schedule? Sometimes it sure seems that way.

Yesterday it started with an over-fruity pre and post run, did that set me up for mood/energy swings and cravings the rest of the day? I was terribly unsatisfied after brekkie, to the point I was late for work because I just kept munching.

Also once my tummy is upset, my anxiety goes up and for some reason I think about food more?! Doesn't make sense, I guess I kinda dread the next meal?

Doing better today, although I ate some chocolate brittle from the bakery :) Couldn't bring myself to throw it out.

First PT appt for shoulder

RUN 4.5 miles in about 41 mins

No bike commute today, had to drive in for PT appt. The run was great, hate to say a little boring? I was going to run 6 miles but my tummy was not cooperating, waited and waited for...nothing...so I was running late.

Then the rest of the day just seemed off. Ended at night with dinner in which Blerch won all points. Nuts.

As for the PT appt, she found muscle wasting in infraspinatus, pectoris minor, supraspinatus, maybe a few others. But the pattern didn't fit anything she could really define. She called it a puzzle. Tired of being a puzzle.

Was frustrating to see how weak the arm is. But good to set a baseline and get working on it!

No training, just typing

BIKE COMMUTE 9.5 miles

I signed up for the FBR 10K and the Berryman 50M. Also scoping other races as prep and fun events. Damn these races are expensive!

Looking at the Poto 30M :) Of course, right?!

Tested my new run commute

RUN 10 miles in 1:32. First 4.5 in 42 mins.

I'm really looking forward to getting my long run Wednesday back in the schedule, but I need to test routes and times. This will be at a minimum a 9 mile run, I got some extra today by weaving around TGP and the Grove. All felt good, no pains or problems.  Another day of running into a cold-ish headwind then warming up on the way home. 

Listened to TJM and was inspired to plan ahead to another 10x10 challenge as a RECOVERED week. The podcast ended with the last song to be added to my 2015 songlist (even though I heard it in 2016) because it goes right along with my Fit and Vicious t-shirt. This played as I was running through TGP, the beat was perfect and got me going. 

I'm not trying to pull you

Even though I would like to

I think you are really fit

You're fit But my gosh don't you know it

Tummy test with 6 miles

RUN 6.5 miles in 60 mins

My tummy held up good, yesterday I couldn't even jog across the street with the doggie!

I ran west to TGP and did a simple loop. Happily I can still keep TGP in my "6 miler" pattern like I did from the previous house!

The weather was pleasant, ran into the wind outbound then got a little warm on the homebound. No complaints!

My hip feels good, my shoulder feels weak. And by the end of today it ached, but not sure why.

Welcome to 2016!

I did NOTHING!
My stomach still recovering from a week of traveling. So I rested :)

Don't have solid goals yet for 2016, but here's what I'm thinking.

A 50 miler in May, hopefully the Berryman.
More ultras as prep races and fun races, like the 6hr Dark to Dawn race.
Maybe the four 70.3 triathlons in Illinois?
A race close to home, maybe the Potawatomi 30M again.

Get healthy. Healthier anyway. My health problems abound but most are under some sort of control. Need to work out the diet, bone issues, and shoulder problem. The hip think is done and over.

I haven't been in the pool in about a year. My poor Frea has been racked since B2B in Oct 2014. I'm itching to get back to it!