Injury Clinic, Week in Review, New Hair!!

Hey guys -- hope everyone is having a great week! So, I've been complaining about some knee pain, and I went to the Playmakers Injury Clinic (free and awesome, by the way) this last Wednesday. It's every Wednesday from 6-8, but I'd recommend getting there early. Anyway, I got some new stretches for my runners knee issues, and am excited to start feeling better and back to my full fledged long runs, pain-free! :) 

My friend Kelly gave me some Honey Stingers chews and "waffle" for my birthday, and I really like these little snacks to get me through my longer runs. The chews are TOO chewy like the Cliff or Blocks are, making them easier to chomp on the go. The waffle is good. That's all I have to say about that :) I'll post some pics next time.

Went to see Admission, and it was pretty good. Not as funny as expected -- I hate it when movies advertise it as a comedy and while it's funny, it's not how I'd categorize it. But, worth the matinee price for sure. Plus I LOVE me some Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. Love. :) 

On my movie trip I discovered something awesome and frightful at the same time -- Eastwood now has  FRANCESCA'S!!! 

Oh for the LOVE of clothes, I was SO excited. Seriously. I already have several things on my "want" list, neatly inventoried in my little head. <3 Their stuff is super cute and I feel like it's really affordable. Their clothing isn't made cheaply either, which makes it worth it. I have several dresses/cardigans that I've had for a few years and still look nice. I will probably be hitting it up all summer.

I have work all weekend, which will for sure be an adjustment...so nice to RE-join the weekend workforce not ..... oh well. Something has to afford me these Francesca goods haha!! And running goods. I mean, summer is coming which means I'll actually be doing shit. CANNOT WAIT.

Anywho -- hope everyone is enjoying this warm(er) weather and spending some QT with Mother Nature :) I'm set for an 8 mile trail run tomorrow. I'll take pics :) Oh and PS -- officially pissed at my scale. Next week I am NOT having any cheats, and I'm going to try to eliminate fruit to get these sugar cravings under control :/ I've been doing AWESOME with my workouts (plus extras), so it won't take too much to see some results this next week.

Fun pics from this week:

7 miles DONE!

Rudy: "Stop taking my picture and throw the damn toy, already."

BEFORE AND AFTER: 5 inches gone. Loving my new do! 

Chicken veggie soup = UHMAZE. 

Veggie prep for the week. Good eats! 

Happy Friday <3

Premature Senioritis and Running Babble

Oh...here it is. Spring is here, meaning that May is coming....meaning it seems like *everyone* is graduating. Literally, in one of my classes, there's only one girl that's not graduating this May. 

Oh.....and me. That's right, I'm not graduating this May either...... I'm just excited about the fact that this time next year, I'll be basically finished with my MSW. It will be here before I know it, and then I'll probably be sad about it. That's generally how it works.

So, knowing I have 13 months left of school, why have I been ruthlessly searching for potential jobs on indeed.com, ihiresocialservices.com, etc? Those jobs aren't going to be there next year, Kathryn. If I'd stop doing that all my upcoming assignments would be done, that's for sure.

You know what else isn't going to be there next year (more than likely)? The apartments you look at. Or the houses.

Even Bigs daydreams about post-grad while studying :) 

I am psychotic.

-End rant -

On to running -- I am in my second week of my make-shift training and doing well. My knee is still giving me issues which I am NOT loving, but I've been icing like I should (for once), and trying to get better about stretching/using my roller. I've also been taking IB Profen pre-run (as suggested) these past few days and that's really helped. I also think the kickmyass 90 minute hot yoga once a week really helps, especially while still doing Insanity and abs 2-3 times a week. Since I'm working on overall strength in addition to building up my running endurance again, it evens everything out. Last race training I pretty much JUST ran and did spin, which really didn't give my legs a rest, or work many different muscle groups.

Left: one week ago. Right: This morning, feeling great!

I really don't know how I'd be surviving Michigan without exercise. I know I've said this several times...but I'm serious. It drastically improves my moods AND gives me something productive to do. I'm so thankful to have such a beneficial hobby. Especially when it's frikkin' snowing/icing in MARCH. 'Scuse me sun, it is time for you to make a permanent appearance around these parts. Thanksamil. Adios ice.

The ever-present bruise. 

Anyway -- if anyone has a magic wand knee-fix for me -- please pass it along. I' ll be getting up real early this Saturday pre-St. Pat's festivities to run 5 and am a little bit nervous. I'm hoping to hit up Playmakers one of these Wednesdays for the Sports Injury Clinic. If I end up being unable to run the Bayshore at my pace I will have to get over it. The triathlon will be easier on the knee.

St. Pat's Dash Down Greenville in Dallas. Can't believe this was a year ago.

St. Pat's -- I am excitedddd to see all the pics posted! One of my favorite nonsense holidays. I won't be in Ireland like the manfriend, but Lansing is a close second (ha-ha --not). At least I'll be in great company :)

Stay tuned for some fun pictures from the weekend andddd potential news! 

Sidenote: For those of you that actually read this, my family would really appreciate some prayers, as we are facing some hardships I'd rather not disclose. We would really appreciate it.

"Running Season" is coming!!!

Y'all -- March is fiiiiinally (almost) HERE! (praise the Lord -- the end of winter is in sight!) -- and for me, that marks the beginning of running season :) I couldn't be more excited about hitting the pavement rather than the...belt on the treadmill. One of my goals for 2013 is to also do a triathlon, so I guess for me it's also "tri season" :) I'm set for the Bay Shore in Traverse City May 25th, and I'm SO excited about seeing a new city this way. P.S. - I realize all the Texans have been able to run all winter, and I don't want to hear about it. It really irritates the shit out of me, as I sit in the freezing ass cold up here. 

I AM that crazy planner that prints out a calendar with my different runs/cross train/yoga days on it, so I can mark them off as I go. Some think that's weird, but it's my very own "pat on the back" every day when I can check DONE every day.

My apartment "gym" is a joke -- and Saturday I had to kill a huge spider (for those of you who know me, you know I don't do spiders. Ever). There's one treadmill that works, and one cross-trainer that works. Everything else is awful. They don't even have free weights. Ok, ok -- rant over. But, just to prove it, here's a pic:

Yeah, I wasn't joking. Pretty sure Jesus used to work out here.

I want to talk about my running Must Have products/eats and drinks, because I am just THAT excited.

Running Shoes/footwear:

- Asics or Brooks. All the way. I'm planning on trying Mizuno's next -- so opinion pending.

 Word of advice: GET "fitted" for  your shoes! Go to a specialty running store with a lot of shoe options (Like Luke's Locker in Dallas, or Playmakers here in Michigan) and ask someone to look at your stride to figure out what type of shoe you need. This is dependent upon what kind of feet you have (flat feet, high arch, or a neutral foot). I have to wear stability shoes. I'm currently running in Brooks Adrenaline 12, and this is my second pair. That means love.

Socks: Thorlos for regular temps. They've got extra padding on the balls of the feet, which I love. They fit perfect, and that's hard sometimes with midget-sized feet. Smart Wool socks have been a dream for my colder runs, but they make socks for all seasons.

Running Gear:

- I love my Nathans belt. Ok, fanny pack/belt/water holder combo. It's pink. And it holds my stuff without digging into my sides, and it stays put. Can't complain. My dad got it for me before my first half, and I appreciate it/him every time I use it :)

- Body Glide -- amazing when you sweat and chafe on long runs, which I did a lot before learning about the right materials to run in. You're welcome for all this extra info :) But seriously, it's saved me a few times.

- I love my Nike and UA gear, but as I've said several times, I'm a second-time student and have to be thrifty. Therefore, I have to say, old navy and Target have decent workout clothes -- I have several, super cute outfits from there that I've had for over a year and still look like new. Also, my friend Kelly recently told me about 6 P.M. -- they sell "past seasons colors" of name brand stuff! Love it. Also, Department of Goods is a good website with the same concept.

- GET A ROLLER. Like, yesterday. They are amazing. They soothe sore muscles, aid stretching, and increase blood flow/circulation. STRETCH STRETCH STRETCH (says the girl that doesn't stretch properly).

- If you run outside a lot, seriously look into getting a RoadID. They're great, especially if/when you want to run sans phone. You can get the bracelet or buy one that attaches to your shoes. My parents got me one for Christmas a few years ago, and I almost always remember to slap it on before I hit the road. They even make some for dogs, too!

- I have yet to find a great headband, but I know that Skinny Meg likes Brady Bands. Again, I've not tried them, and the ones I've tried in the past never stay on, which is why I don't have a favorite. Ordered some Brady Bands this week though to test these babies out on my big head! I love that 10% of proceeds go towards childhood cancer research. Sold.

- As for sports bras, I stick with the C9 ones at Target. I love them, and my ladies are regular sized, so I don't have any special needs in that department :)

- I just invested in a Polar Womens FT4F. I've heard nothing but good things about them. I was in desperate need of a heart rate monitor watch (wayyy past due!). And lately I've been loving pink, which is not like me at all? Weird. Waiting for it to show up in the mail!

Eats:

- Gel/juice/etc: Gu. Love the brand. The texture still grosses me out (think room temp pudding, yum?) but they're easy to pack and they do give me the extra boost once I up my mileage. If I'm running more than 7 I will take one with me to "eat" (AKA slurp up) around mile 5. Directions suggest every hour. When I did my first half I took one at mile 5 and mile 9. The blocks are okay, but hard to chew when you're getting your run on. There are several other brands, but I prefer Gu.

- I also stick with one water bottle and one gatorade with my long runs, especially when it's hot out. Or if you sweat like a man, which I do.

- Make sure that you are taking in enough protein and complex carbs. If not you could feel sickly or binge eat. I love my sweet potatoes, and regular potatoes piled with veggies/salsa.

- Running gives me some sort of IBS. I'm not joking -- I used to do a loop so I could either stop off at home mid-run (around mile 5-6) or make sure there were bathrooms that I could jet into. And y'all -- sometimes those portapotties are awful. So, I've learned to take some sort of anti-diarrheal medicine pre-long runs (just once a week). It helps and doesn't mess me up otherwise.

- tips: i get irritated when I buy running jackets or expensive tops that don't have pockets -- this may just be me -- but I've learned to double check before buying stuff. Pockets are necessary in my opinion.

- if you're training for a big(ger) race for the first time, i highly recommend Hal Hidgon's training plan (for halfs) and have heard a lot of success stories about the Couch to 5k program for beginners. Also, a lot of specialty running stores do training groups if you need the extra motivation, or join a running Meetup group like I did :) Seriously improved my pace late last summer/early fall.

Hopefully I didn't bore anyone to tears with my running talk (: Feel free to comment below with your running must haves! Please know I am no expert, just someone who gets excited about Spring and running here and like hearing myself talk. Ok, love hearing myself talk.

Toodles!