Sick

This is the sickest I have been since 2007. I have this terrible infection and completely lost my voice. I went to urgent care last night and waited for 3 hours to see a doctor. Apparently, there are a lot of sick people out there right now.

I am ready to get better and get back to running. I miss it!



This was the view in my Valentine's Day half marathon! Gorgeous right? So pretty!

Pain go away

I am suffering from the flu this week. I was feeling fine on Sunday and even mentioned to someone I haven't been sick in a while. Then Monday comes and I'm down. It's pretty bad.

My roommate is moving out and bought a house. I will be living alone for the first time in a long time. Good thing for security systems!

Today is my little brother's birthday and he is celebrating it in the Bahamas. I am so jealous! Although I am having 76 degree weather here, so can't complain. Happy birthday J.!

Valentine's Day is about love right? So...

I spent Valentine's Day doing what I love: running. I ran my 21st half marathon in Apache Junction and got the same time I usually do. The course felt tougher with more hills, as it had changed this year. No more running through sweet neighborhoods with children handing out oranges to the runners. Rather, we ran a lot on pavement and only a small portion on trails. The neighborhood blocked a lot of the head wind, but with the new course, we ran into the wind which really slowed my pace down.

I then biked 25 miles to assist with recovery. I find that biking after a half marathon sort of spins the lactic acid out.

It was a gorgeous near 80 degree day. I was dog sitting all weekend and watched my favorite sport in the world: figure skating. I love the winter Olympics because of skating.

So Valentine's day had lovely weather, running, biking, figure skating and a dog for my date. I couldn't have asked for a better Valentine's day! Except if Curtis Stone had been around, things would have been brighter, but I take what I can get. This year my date was a dog, which is actually more than I can say for last year.

On Saturday I ran a 5K and placed 4th out of 14 in my age group. Small race and tough hill for first 2K, but didn't feel winded like I usually do at the end of a 5K.

This weekend

I have two races this weekend: one short, one half marathon. One of my favorite half marathons is this Sunday and just happens to fall on Valentine's Day this year, the most sickening of all the holidays.

When I was a kid, I loved getting cards for all 30 members of my class and eating candy. In my twenties, I was pretty indifferent to Valentine's Day. I never celebrated it, but didn't care. In my thirties, I have come to loathe this Hallmark holiday. I love the color pink, but hate seeing it plastered over the grocery and drug stores only to be reminded of this dreadful day. I do like conversation hearts, but that is about the only thing I can muster up to say nice about V-day.

But, this year I have this race. A beautiful run through the Superstition mountains in their beautiful brown and reddish colors, along with saguaro cactus lining the course. Part of the run is through neighborhoods in which children come out with buckets of cut up oranges for the runners. The view is spectacular and you feel very much in the heart of the southwest desert and cute spectators cheer on the participants. It isn't a typical asphalt run and I love it.

But, I am dog sitting for my parents who have taken a vacation to San Francisco for the holiday weekend. I do not get President's day off like they do. So the dog will be my date this year and will unfortunately be the only thing I have to talk to Valentine's night.

I will treat myself to the movie appropriately titled Valentine's Day and see Dear John once again and probably again. I will pretend Channing Tatum is my Valentine's day date.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Health Issues

I went out running this weekend and my knee gave out. I've never had that happen before until now. My quads and knee on my right leg hurt so badly I couldn't run and had to walk. Unfortunately, I was still 5 miles from my car and had no choice but to keep going. Very scary and I'm worried for a race I have this weekend. It took me a significantly long time to get done. In fact, I was only at mile 11 where I would usually be at mile 13.

I am also having problems with my heart. I still cannot sleep on the left side of my body.

On a happier note, I am in love with this movie called Dear John. I've seen it twice already and I will see it again, probably on Valentine's day. I will pretend Channing Tatum is my Valentine. I will also be doing a race on Valentine's Day and I can't think of a better way to spend this Hallmark holiday (which I loathe) than running and watching Channing Tatum in a military uniform.

Luck of the Irish

Today I am doing a brick workout of a bike and run. So tired from not sleeping well and having problems with my heart. I am not able to sleep on the left side of my body.

Last evening I went to an Irish pub with some people from work and listened to Irish music. My friend even was serenaded for her birthday by the band.

I ate a fortune cookie yesterday and my fortune read "Tonight will bring a romantic interest" and yes, my fortune came true. I saw the movie Dear John. I saw Step Up in the movie theater three times back in 2006 simply because of Channing Tatum. I might beat that record with this movie. He is in a military uniform most of the time and my eyes didn't have a problem with that...he is too cute for words.

Another half marathon

I ran my 20th half marathon this weekend and I've never struggled during a half marathon, not even when combined in a half ironman. It's a fairly easy distance for me. I'm not fast by any means, but it's a distance that doesn't wear me out. Till this race...My time was around what I always get, but the course was short. My Garmin at the end read 12.66 miles, so .44 short. So really, I ran slower than usual. At around mile 10, my knee gave out and so did my IT band on my left leg. Part of that was due to the Insanity video I had done a few days before and left me really sore. I did numb my legs before the race with Dr. Hoys, but it wore off and the winds picked up. The last 5K was straight into very heavy head winds and looking at my pace on my Garmin was frustrating. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't run faster with the wind.

A lady in my running group had a 7 minute longer time due to the winds, with a shorter course.

It's amazing what the elements can do.

The rest of the weekend was spent at a BBQ, watching a new movie and having four little girls over for a makeover party. I did their make-up and gave them manicures.

I've been so hungry lately and having heart problems. I don't know what is going on, but I really don't want to go to the doctor.