My second 5k of the year is behind me. It's been a tough winter for runners -- especially if you have an intense dislike for treadmills like I do. We've had more than 77 inches of snow and seemingly infinite subzero days, which meant the snow just kept piling up. Here it is, past mid-March, and sidewalks have just begun to reappear from snowbanks. It's hard to believe that two years ago -- my first year in Chicago for St. Patrick's Day -- we were on the Chicago Riverwalk in short-sleeved shirts. This year, I ran a 5k in a sweatshirt, Smartwool socks, gloves and a headband.
Despite not running much this winter -- maybe once a week if I was lucky -- I managed to get a personal best in Saturday's 5k. The secret sauce? Two things: a combination of mental trickery and cross-training. First, I know I can run 3.1 miles. Sure, it might be painful, depending on the running surface and how my body feels that particular day. Second, I've been cross-training a lot more this year. Running is hard on your joints.
I don't always feel great (some days are better than others), but I do something every day. A broad range of activities keeps things interesting! I do yoga once a week, plus swimming, workouts on the elliptical, walking the dog (anyone who 'walks' an Australian cattle dog in the city knows this means a pretty brisk pace!) and strength training. When the weather was clear and it wasn't too icy, I'd run in a nearby park with Baxter or (if I wanted to be alone) at the Morton Arboretum. A couple times, I banged out interval workouts on the dreadmill treadmill.
And somehow, I got faster. Not fast like a six-minute-mile, but I cut down my time and wasn't exhausted when I finished. Plus, I didn't get a migraine after the 5k, which was like hitting the jackpot. I've found that chugging water with electrolytes before & after runs makes a big difference in keeping the migraines away. I'm a big fan of Nuun electrolytes and keep a tube of the tablets in my gym bag and in the car. They're really portable and can be thrown in a bottle of water anywhere, anytime. It's a much better way to get hydrated fast without all the sugar or corn syrup in energy drinks!
We're supposed to reach 53 degrees today -- I'll believe it when I feel that sunshine on my face. Planning on a short run at a nearby park that Baxter and I haven't visited since before it snowed. He's going to be so excited when he figures out that's the afternoon plan!
Now to figure out which 5k to run next!
A few weeks ago, I told someone I was considering quitting stepping away from running and focusing on other things. I was not feeling well, frustrated by a bad run, and not enthusiastic about slogging through more mediocre, slow runs.
But I'm stubborn. I've worked hard to get to where I am: workouts on the treadmill, had a great swim workout, and core- and leg-strengthening workouts. And I just found a wonderful new chiropractor. Chicagoland finally had a day of sunshine and almost-above-freezing temperatures, so I headed to the park for a run outside with Baxter last week -- I figured if the run was bad, we could at least have a nice walk and enjoy the weather.
I surprised myself by running my fastest mile and a half in, well, a long time. I'm not sure who was happier -- me or Baxter. This long winter has not allowed many walks or runs outdoors -- most sidewalks haven't seen a shovel since December. We went out again today and took a quick 1-mile run around the park, but I confused Baxter because we kept turning around. Whoever plowed the paths only cleared about half of the loop. I kept running into plowed "dead ends" of snow piled 4-5 feet high! Of course, Baxter thought we should go through the snow and slush, but I wanted to keep my feet dry!
So the running continues. The cross-training I'm doing -- strength-training, swimming, yoga, and the elliptical (on the days I don't want to work out!) -- are paying off. I have a St. Patty's 5k coming up March 15 and a time goal forming in my head.
Also? This is happening:
Gotta work off that pizza! And, um, chocolate. Because spring isn't that far away (29 days, but who's counting?).
I've missed blogging. I'm not sure why I hit the Pause button. Maybe I just needed a break. Lots of things have changed in the last year, plus I've been waging a battle against the migraines and the fatigue that shows up in the aftermath. The last few months would have just been blogs about migraines, migraine medication, being tired & in pain, and general whining. Really. I checked out Tumblr but don't really like it. It's fun to check out a few people I follow on there, but it's not the platform for me. I may share things from there on here from time to time.
Thanks to some new medication (hopefully...), I am starting to feel better and better all the time now. This week, I only had 1 morning where I felt horrible when I woke up. One out of 5 ain't bad! Plus, I had the most amazing massage experience on Thursday at the Aveda salon I've been going to. It was not just a great massage -- it was the whole experience. Softly lit rooms, Aveda aromatherapy, plush robes, a foot bath and deep moisturizer before the massage, and a waterfall/steam shower! I felt totally spoiled. And for once, every muscle in my body was relaxed. I can't wait for the next one.
This evening wasn't quite as relaxing. I didn't really want to go to the gym and swim laps, but I want to build up my endurance and strength, so off I went. I will never get my college swimming body or speed back, but the water feels pretty good! I promised myself I could soak in the whirlpool after a 30- or 40-minute swim.
Turns out there are several YMCA youth swim teams that practice weekday evenings. So the pool was packed with kids age 8 or 9 and up, and their parents. Lucky for me, the Y keeps one lane open for the unfortunate, clueless people who show up to swim laps during these practices. So I got my swim in and watched a little of the practice. That made me smile, as it brought back memories of when I was that age.
But the cuteness didn't carry over into the locker room. My workout high was brought to a screeching halt when I found out the whirlpool was closed. Not temporarily. For-ev-er. I decided to just head home and settle for a long, hot shower. I somehow timed my time in the locker room to coincide with the completion of swim practice. No big deal, just change and leave.
Except for the helicopter parents loitering in the locker room -- pecking away at their smartphones. Never mind that they just spent an hour doing that while their kids were in the pool. Never mind that it's common sense not to use them in a locker room and the Y has their no-cell policy posted on the doors. Call me a prude, but it made me genuinely uncomfortable! Camera phones make it way easy for the weirdos to snap photos or video.
That's my rant for tonight! And now that I have my workout out of the way, I'm gonna get into my PJs and kick back with a Leinie's and watch an episode or two of Sons of Anarchy. I'm "only" on season 4 -- gotta catch up!
