kicking ass and taking names

Dodgeball Champion

Yes, that’s right, I am a dodgeball CHAMPION!

At great personal risk, I selflessly took a couple of hits to enable the stronger players on our team (those that could actually throw a ball and hit someone) to press on for the win.

I’m so proud.

ALSO,  this morning – after almost three weeks off from running  –  I did the full 25 minute run!   And it was awesome, even with a big dog in tow.  In fact, I felt like I could have gone farther but decided not to push my luck.

Three factors figured into the general awesomeness of the experience:

• By the time I wrangled Daisy and got out the door, it was 6:00 and already at 74% humidity.   But, it was only 67 degrees.  Glorious in comparison to the damp 90 degree days we’ve been having.

• I took a new route down Monument Avenue and kept to straight paths as much as possible.  The wide open space made me feel free and avoiding a lot of turns helped me keep my momentum.

• I left the iPod at home so I could focus on my form.  I’m about half-way through “Master the Art of Running, Raise Your Performance with the Alexander Technique” by Malcolm Balk and Andrew Shields and decided to put some of their recommendations to work.  I concentrated on keeping my head forward and up, running tall, letting my torso rotate and looking ahead.  It made a HUGE difference.  I felt much lighter than normal.  Alexander Technique helped me with my figure skating too all those years ago – highly recommended.

I’m so glad to finally be back with the C25K program.  Looking forward to officially starting C25K Week 7 and catching up to my sisters!

self-destructing in 3…2…1…

About four years ago I landed at the podiatrist with what I thought was a bruise or fracture in the ball of my left foot. Every step I took was painful.  It was not fun.  At all.  Walking barefoot was out of the question unless I contorted my body in a way that avoided the outer part of my foot.  Since I’m not naturally a contortionist (although I think it would be awesome), that kind of twisting for even a short amount of time quickly impacts your entire body – and not in a good way.  Laying off of exercise for a few days didn’t help.   Something had to be done.

image from http://www.footdoc.ca

Thankfully I did not have a break.  But, I did have Morton’s Neuroma, a thickening of nerve tissue between the third and fourth toes.  If it’s bad enough, it can require surgery.  If you are squeamish, whatever you do, do not go to YouTube and look at any “morton’s neuroma surgery” videos.  Seriously.

Luckily my doc just prescribed a metatarsal pad to stick in my shoes.   The pad spreads your toes, thereby taking pressure off of the nerve.  I can’t remember how long it took, but eventually the pain went away and I was back to normal, or at least my plantar fasciitis-ridden version of normal.

Fast forward to last Friday.  I decided to end week 6 – my first 25 minute C25K run – on the Buttermilk Trail, a hilly, rocky, twisty, single-path mountain bike trail with 109 stairs between your car and the starting point.  The last time I did this run it was much cooler and I was in much better shape.  It was fun!  Well Friday started out great but I ran out of gas running up a big hill at 14 minutes and then spent 5 minutes walking and taking a break at a conveniently placed port-a-john.   From there it was flat lands for the final 11 minutes.  Even though I didn’t exactly do what I set out to, it was still a great challenge with no major dramas.

Except.   Sometime late in the day I felt the old familiar pain in the ball of my left foot.  Damn it.  That was Saturday.  It’s still just as bad three days later.  I’m sure it didn’t help that I spent all day Monday standing and painting window trim.  Today I ordered a pack of metatarsal pads that I hope arrive soon.

In the meantime I’m trying not to hobble when I walk and trying to stay off of my feet.  So, I will be doing mat work for my workouts for a little while.  And maybe bike riding.  I did a 50-minute pilates video tonight – accelerated body sculpting.  The good news is that I can tell I’ve been getting stronger – the last time I tried that video (a few months ago) I didn’t make it all the way through.  So yay for that anyway.

C25K + camera = slacking

me and my shadows

Hey hey I finished Week 2 of C25K!

David, Daisy and I hit Pony Pasture again for my last run of the week.  It was a gorgeous morning, sunny and not too hot / not too cold.  Such a pretty day, I felt compelled to bring a camera to record it.

Now, unless you count pushing a button, stopping to take pictures while in the middle of a workout kinda negates the whole idea of continuous movement.  In other words, I might not have gotten the best workout ever.  I hope this does not work against me when I start week three but I suspect that it will.

Since I compromised my health to bring you these photos, without further ado, I hereby present a morning on the trail in pictures (with a few words):

Pony Pasture trail

This is near the start of the trail.  I love how quickly you are enveloped in green, which by the way (since no one is asking), is my favorite color.

This gravel looks petite and friendly but there are sections of the trail with fist-sized rocks.  I’m talking several yards of potential ankle-turners.   No daydreaming allowed kind of pebbles. Not very hospitable.  You get the idea.

poison ivy, and lots of it

Don’t you love how green and lush it is on the trails right now?  So, so beautiful.  I stopped and picked some pretty greenery for a centerpiece.

Oh, just kidding.  The trails are rife with poison ivy and probably poison oak and who knows what other pain-mongers.  So, no going off-path to go after the dog.  Hey, if your dog runs through poison ivy and then you pet your dog does it transfer to you?

Daisy, communing with the James River

The trail runs right along the James River and every now and then you come to a clearing with access to the water.  Usually this spot is full of dogs splashing around and fetching balls.  Today the river was running high – life jackets required – so we didn’t  see a lot of activity.

Despite her webbed feet, Daisy is not much of a water dog.  She shocked us last weekend though when she flung herself off the edge, making a huge splash in pursuit of another dog.  I don’t think we were the only ones that were surprised.  Let’s just say she did not make another attempt to go after the ball.

twisted

There are a lot of cool sites along the way.   Always something new to see.  This vine makes me especially happy.  I even double-backed on the trail so I could run back and take a picture to show you.  That’s just how committed I was to my mission today.  I hope it added to your daily delight!

I have no idea what kind of vine this is or how old it is.  All I know is that I dig the crazy way it twists down to the ground and back up in a tangled knot.  How does that happen?

I think this would be a great location for some portrait shots, don’t you?  I need to come back here with my big fancy camera and some supermodels.  Or the nieces and nephews who are all supermodel-worthy.

Pony Pasture Rapids

During the summer, when the river is calmer, sections of the river are loaded with sunbathers splayed out on the smooth rocks like harbor seals.  Only with beer and boom boxes.  Or whatever it is these kids today use to generate music loud enough for shore-walkers to hear.

Ok, you didn’t seriously think I meant it when I used the phrase “these kids today” did you?  ‘Cause I didn’t.  I still feel like a kid myself sometimes.  Or at least in my very early thirties (which I realize sounds ancient to anyone under thirty).  Certainly not forty six.  No way.  No how.

Anyway, enough about age.  We’ve come to the end of the trail and the end of my little tour through scenic Richmond.  I hope you enjoyed the trip.   Daisy certainly did.  But next time, no photos; otherwise I’ll never make it to 5K.

someone's getting a bath