A Runner's Nightmare - Nursing an Injury Before the BIG RUN!

I am a little more than a week away from my first half marathon.  Anyone who has been reading my posts knows that I have been training and the excitement that comes with this race.  Yes, I'm doing it for the sticker on the back of my car but it really is about more than that.  I'm a runner and it has changed my life.  I read somewhere on a runners' website that "If you want to change your body exercise.  If you want to change your life RUN".

Anyway, the last three or four weeks I have been getting sharp pains in my knee and my right leg.  Excruciating sharp pain but I'm stubborn as hell so I just keep pushing through the distance.  At first it was only when I was running but now it's when I'm walking and even sometimes when I'm sitting still. :(  This is a nightmare.  Trying to nurse an injury right before the race is a runner's nightmare.  Especially, if it is a race that you have trained so hard for.  So, far I have tracked 210 miles of my training.  This is as close to accurate as I will get.  THERE IS NO WAY I'M NOT RUNNING THIS RACE.  I will grit and bare through the pain then take my lil' stubborn ass to the doctor afterwards.  Sounds crazy huh? Well, I find it logically which probably means it's not logical. I've already paid for the race.  I've already put in 210 miles training and I really want that damn car sticker.  Right now, I'm taking it easy and only plan to run an additional 15 miles before the race.  No, not at one time but over the course of three days.

Things I know I did wrong while training:

• Not stretching adequately pre and post runs.
• Not properly cross-training
• Not wearing walking shoes when I walk to work.  Wearing flats and walking shoes are two totally different things.  The hills on Peachtree Road are deadly.
• I wear heels to work and out! 

This could be a lot worse and I could not be able to run at all.  The worse part of it now is my time will most likely be more than I would like it to be.  I wanted to finish in 2:15 but I'm sure we can add several minutes to that now.  So much for my average of 10 minutes per mile or less.  But I have to remember: MY RACE MY PACE!

When the Hero becomes a Coward

Sometimes people really aren't worthy of hero status but they are more like cowards.  Growing up, I would see people in some of the most difficult situations and admire their strength and determination to get through whatever it was.  I would think to myself damn I admire his or her strength.  The older I get the more I realize that some people are only operating in survival mode.  They're really not HEROS...they are COWARDS too afraid to change their situation or break away.  These are the people you see in the same bad situations over and over!

I notice a lot of people struggling with the same demons (or what have you) but when an opportunity is presented to change the situation they don't take it.  Why are we so afraid to live outside of our comfort zones?  Why has struggling and not growing become a comfort?  I ABSOLUTELY hate when people tell me it is different when you have kids.  Different as in, it is okay for you to continue to struggle in whatever situation which in turn means your kids suffer.  No it's not different.  I think it is selfish!

Growing up my mom was my HERO & sometimes she still is! (I question her decision making sometimes these days though.) We struggled but she was determined to make us understand that there was more to life than what Hughes had shown us.  I admired her strength and determination.  I didn't realize she was being a hero until I figured out the demons my dad was fighting.  He was a drug addict.  Things only got worse as we got older but she held on. The opportunity presented itself for her to change and guess what she did? Changed.  I admired her for that.  Her changed eventually helped him change. He fought his addiction and has been clean for years.  He's my HERO too! (And I question his decision making these days as well.)  But they both broke away from something that was holding them back.

There are so many people I admired as a child and perceived them to be HEROS.  Now, I'm finding out they are leaning more towards the COWARD status.  Change is necessary if we are to grow! Being stagnant, stuck in the same bad situations, complaining, and avoiding opportunities is not the life intended for us to live.  Life is about overcoming challenges and obstacles, seizing opportunities, and being happy!  Are you straddling the fence of HERO and COWARD?  If so, find that one thing that will tip you into the direction of hero!

Adventures in NYC

NYC is a really cool place to visit BUT I can not live there.  I love the city life BUT I wouldn't survive in NYC.  The one thing that would prevent me from surviving is the traffic.  I don't have the patience or skill set to drive there.  My overall observation is that it was really cool.  Didn't get to do any sightseeing but I got a good run in at Central Park.  I wasn't overly impressed with the pizza but I will say the cheese tastes fresher.  So, here's a recap of Day 1 & 2 on vacation.

Day 1: Flight leaves out at 10 AM.  I'm up and ready.  Pretty excited might I add.  I'm sitting on the flight and two eye candies get onboard.  I always enjoy eye candy.  They were sitting a few seats ahead of me initially.  I relax and start to fall asleep.  I'm awaken by sobbing.  I thought I was dreaming but oh no the lady beside me is crying like she had just lost a family member.  So, I'm concerned and all... Her husband is standing beside her and trying to console her. The flight attendant asks if she's okay and the husband replies to bring her a glass of water.  Anyway, minutes later things seem to have calmed down so I attempt sleeping again.  Shortly after I'm comfortable again, the flight attendant taps me on the shoulder asking me if I mind switching seats with the lady's husband who was sitting in the first row.  I move up to the first row.  But I'm thinking why the hell weren't they sitting together in the first place.  The husband thanks me and then says, "you would think after all these years of flying she still wouldn't cry".  I'm thinking to myself you would think you would sit beside her to give her some comfort.  Anyway, the eye candies are a few seats behinds me now.  I can hear talking a little too loudly on the flight about working out, etc.  We finally land at JFK. I get my bags and head out to wait on the other two who will be arriving on a later flight.  I'm nosey so I notice just about everything.  Well, the two eye candies are surrounded by men in regular clothes but then I notice that they are being handcuffed.  This really peaks my interest. So, they flew to NYC to turn themselves in... Darn shame.  I spend most of the day at the airport waiting on Tan & Patrice and waiting for transportation services.  Finally, free from the airport and to the hotel we go.  I'm starved at this point.  We check in and head out to explore Times Square.

Day 2: I got a nice 4 mile run in at Central Park.  We head out to Times Square again to grab a bite to eat and get last minute stuff for our flight later that night.  We hang out and all that good stuff.  We need to be at the airport four hours in advance since it's an international flight.  Our transportation services picks us up at 4 pm so we should have plenty of time.  WRONG! We get to the airport a little after 6 pm.  The traffic was horrific.  It took more than an hour to go five miles.  Oh by the way, there was this guy on the shuttle with us who obviously had a bladder issue.  Trust I'm not making fun of him.  So, he says, "I have a favor to ask of you ladies".  We are like okay... He says, "Do you mind if I go to the back of the shuttle and pee in this bottle? I have to go really badly". Silence...It was weird and he could have done so without telling us.  Needless to say, he did go in the back of the shuttle in his bottle.  DISGUSTING but I guess wetting your pants will be disgusting as well.  We rush into the airport and get checked in... Only to find out one of our names have been misspelled on the travel documents and of course this needs to match our passport information. Rolls eyes... It was misspelled in the system and not on the actual documents that we had in hand. We got that squared away and proceeded with check in.  We were upgraded to Premier Economy.  We get on our flight and are beyond excited on our upgrade.  Lots of leg room!! They provided each of us with an iPad and headphones to watch movies or whatever.  Free alcoholic beverages with our meal which I opted out of...

The adventures of Paris are coming soon!

It's Up to YOU...

So, I saw this picture on someone's FB page and I stole it.  LOL! Only after I warned them that I would.  Anyway, the message is what's important! I needed this message! I'm working on so many things at once and when I share them with folks they always say I'm doing too much.  But then I listen to them complain about their situations and think they aren't doing enough.  While some people may think I'm doing too much, I'm not satisfied until I change my situation.  IT'S UP TO ME!  And IT'S UP TO YOU... If you are unhappy with any aspect of your life, it is up to you to change it.  No one will ensure your happiness like you will. I hear people complain all the time about their jobs, health, financial situation, or just life in general.  When I ask them how they expect to change whatever it is that's needs changing they have NOT ONE clue. Well, I don't feel fulfilled at my current place of employment.  Guess what I'm doing?  Relentlessly applying for different positions and working on other things in the meantime i.e. writing, non profit, and a few other things just to name a few.  My financial situation sucks but I'm working on things to make it better.  I'm not unhappy in general but I have my days when I almost throw a pity party for myself.  Guess what I do? Look around and decide I have a lot more than some people.

Running has given me the opportunity to think about so many aspects of my life: goals, relationships, friendships, finances, etc.  It really is free therapy! I have learned so much about myself.  I have learned that IT IS UP TO ME to make me happy! My happiness is a priority!  Just remember IT IS UP TO YOU!  Whatever the desires of your heart are IT IS UP TO YOU to make it happen!

Tips for Runners

Half Marathon training has gotten real.  Yesterday, we did 11 miles.  I'm sore this morning.  Well, I'm probably a lot sorer than the rest of the group because three of us messed up with the directions at some point during the route and we were lost.  Being lost isn't that bad unless it causes you to run some really steep hills.  We were on a never ending incline.  Anyway, when I'm running I think about everything and I started wondering if my form was correct as the back of my left knee started to hurt.  I found this really cool picture that demonstrates proper form and thought you all may find it interesting.  Also,below are a few running tips for beginners.

Running Tips:

1. Start with a low mileage. If you can only run a few hundred feet, quarter mile, or half mile nonstop then that's where you should start.  Push yourself each week to go farther.
2. Get fitted for a good pair of running shoes.  Your shoes are your foundation when running and they are important.  A good pair of running shoes may be expensive but they are well worth it.
3. Don't run too often.  Experts recommend running no more than three to four times a week. Your body needs time to recover and it actually builds strength on recovery days.
4. Drink plenty of water.  You should drink plenty of water before your run, during your run (especially if you are doing a distance run), and after your run. The slightest dehydration can affect your running.  I have it written all over my bedroom mirror and refrigerator.... Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.  It helps me to be conscious of my water drinking habits.
5. Don't compare yourself to other runners.  Sure, you can have a competitive spirit but your progress will not match other people's progress.  It is your run.  Run it at your pace. Enjoy your run!

Post Vacation

I missed blogging while I was on vacation but I'm beyond excited to share my experience with you guys.

NYC: We spent the bulk of the day at the airport either waiting on each other to get in or waiting on transportation.  It was a really tiresome day.  We finally made it to the room and began the walking around festivities.  Our hotel was in Midtown and we were in walking distance to Central Park.  I got to run four miles in the park.  I loved it! It was my first non-Georgia or Arkansas run! We didn't see the usual sights.  We left NYC the next day.  It was the longest shuttle ride to JFK for our flight.  I know I can not deal with New York's traffic or drivers.  I don't have the patience or skill set.

Paris: The flight wasn't too bad.  We left at 10 PM so we were pretty sleepy on the flight.  That coupled with those advil PM that I had taken.  We were upgraded to Premier Economy and it was nice.  They provided us with iPads to watch whatever movie.  The inflight meal wasn't anything I would have liked so I opted out.  We had plenty of room and it was just a good flight.  We got to Paris and the hotel was lovely.  We got out and explored the city a little. I got in a 3 mile run.  My first international run and I was excited. The next couple of days were AWESOME.  Paris is really touristy but the people aren't as happy as I imagined.  The food was disgusting! Even the bread was disgusting.  The language barrier was frustrating time from time. At any rate, we had a blast.  Sunday night we headed to London.

London: We didn't like our hotel.  It was nothing like we expected.  We complained and we were upgraded to a Club Suite that really looked like a regular room.  We had to pay 15 pounds per night for WiFi.  That wasn't in my lifestyle so I opted out of WiFi.  Because we arrived in London so late, we decided to have a drink in the hotel's bar.  It was cool.  The next morning we got out and went sightseeing.  I love London.  I got in a four mile run in the Royal Park.  Loved it! My second international run.  This black girl runs and travel! Paris has more touristy stuff but I was so comfortable in London.  I think I want to live there for a couple of years.  The fashion in London is better than Paris and I expected it to be the other way around.

Cons of the trip: It really doesn't feel like a vacation when you are always on the go and not able to relax.  So, we spent a few nights just relaxing and reading books.  We didn't go to any clubs and I'm kind of happy that we didn't.  It would have been too much.  The currency conversion was a major downer. For every $1 we converted, we received like .72 Euros.  So, I passed the lady $100 and received 72 Euros.  Anyone who knows me know the look that I gave.  But the British Pound was even more concerning.  If I had given the lady $100, I would have received 62 pounds or less.

Pros of the trip: It really was an experience of a lifetime. The memories will last forever. I can't wait for our next international trip.  I will provide day by day details later.  This post is already long enough! Make sure you travel the world and explore other cultures!