Month: December 2010

4.1 miles in 45 minutes on the treadmill last night, mostly at a 10:30 pace except for the minute-and-a-half I walked due to a side stitch and the 30 seconds I paused to drink water (mmm, so good).

No knee pain to report!! Perhaps it was all the rest (laziness) that did me good, or the new way I’m tying my shoelaces.

Don’s chiropractor, who’s a marathoner, showed him how to make loops through the last laceholes of his shoes, then pull each lace through the opposite loop and tie them as usual. It’s supposed to help stabilize your feet inside the shoes and keep them from sliding around. I did this on Monday, and voila! No knee pain from my Monday or Tuesday runs.

I vaguely remember this technique from running track in junior high, but I didn’t bother to look it up. Yay, marathoner/chiropractor!

I’ve also been trying to improve my stride as I run. Dean Karnazes writes in one of his books that it’s best (in terms of injury prevention and running efficiency) to strike the ground with your midfoot as opposed to your heel or toe, and you can work on this by leaning forward slightly when you run. (Look up some official advice about this before you take my word for it; I ain’t no expert!)

Between the shoelaces and the gangster lean, I’m feeling pretty good and happy about getting back into running. Only a few weeks left till the 5K and polar bear plunge on 1/1/11!

Last night I ran a mile on the treadmill in just over 10 minutes, then did the 30 Day Shred level 1 (Jillian Michaels DVD).

The sad thing here is that I huffed and puffed my way through something that used to be too easy of a workout!! Level 2 was my jam, but I didn’t dare attempt it last night since I’ve been busy getting out of shape for a whole month now (I think I left on the cruise exactly a month ago). I even struggled with GIRL PUSHUPS, and I used to be able to do 8 solid real pushups. Ohhh, how far I’ve fallen!

My eating hasn’t been great either. So many treats are everywhere and I haven’t hesitated to take part in all of them (residual vacation mentality, perhaps?). I’ve also been getting lazy with lunch and going out to eat more often, which hurts my wallet and makes me feel stuffed and lethargic for the rest of the day. Back to fresh salads, veggies and hummus for me.

It’s time to get back on track… slowly but surely!

Ahhhh! No running or exercise of any kind has taken place since Tuesday. Happy hour, townhouse wrangling and one massive cookie from Cow Chip have happened, though.

Such a busy weekend ahead. Where to fit in running? Company holiday party tonight, procuring Christmas tree tomorrow morning, an early Christmas dinner tomorrow afternoon/evening (it’s never too early!), a holiday brunch Sunday morning and – fingers crossed – hopefully signing a townhouse lease Sunday afternoon.

Where, where, where to fit it in?

Also, I will miss the treadmill when I move out of my mom’s place. A LOT. Running outside after work in the cold/rain/dark until spring comes doesn’t sound all that fun.

I need to (wo)man up in preparation.