Week 14

If you wanna fly, you've got to give up the shit that weighs you down.

Toni Morrison

Surprisingly, after that half marathon PR (!!!), I was not sore. Like at all. I did experience dead legs for most of the week, though. Luckily, it was a step-back week and Coach encouraged me to take a day off and she let me use the race as an excuse to bail early on a long run. YAY FOR LAZINESS!

So, there's really not a lot to report from last week. I only ran 40 miles and had a nasty fall on Tuesday evening.

The End.

Actually, not the end. So... I realized this weekend that I've been been a total slacker lately. So, it's time for some things to change starting TODAY.

1. MORE YOGA: Ugh. I have been totally slacking on the yoga lately. I have started practicing at home a lot more (which I actually enjoy) because I'm a picky bitch when it comes to teachers/classes/studios and my regular studio kinda pissed me off recently, so I've been staying away from there. BUT, it's a lot easier to just skip it altogether if you're not going to a class. So, I gotta keep myself accountable and try to up my at home practice. SOMEONE OPEN A DHARMA YOGA STUDIO OR A JIVAMUKTI STUDIO IN NASHVILLE, PLEASE! THANK YOU.

Related to the yoga... I've also been slacking on my meditation and pranayama practices. As in NOT DOING THEM AT ALL. Ugh.

2. MINDFUL EATING. I've been really lazy about watching what I eat lately and I can tell... in my clothes, my attitude, my skin, the mirror. It's time to step away from shoveling whatever food is in the vicinity into my mouth and start thinking a little more about what I'm eating and how it's going to make me feel. Less sugar, more spinach. Less coffee, more sparkling wine. What? Okay, okay.. less booze, too. Blarg.

Good thing I stocked up on booze this weekend. 

Oops.

3. LONG RUNS. So... lately, I seem to always come up with a good excuse to bail early on my long runs. Last week it was the half marathon, the week before that it was I had to get home in time to meet my mom, and the week before that I'm sure it was something else. The point is... there are always excuses I can find to bail early on a long run. But, the race is in 2 months and it's time to take the long runs seriously.

So, there ya have it. I've put it on the blog, so now I gotta do it. (Sorry for all the yelling in today's post. I BLAME THE COFFEE. Oops. Sorry).

Make me feel better... have you guys been slacking on all the things lately, too?

Week 6 Review

*

Last week's training was terrible. I was basically running with sore muscles every freaking day.

Monday, I was still sore from the race on Saturday. Tuesday afternoon, I took a hot yoga class that I apparently OVERstretched in every position in. I was practically an invalid for the next 3 days. I have NEVER been as sore during runs as I was Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Good lord it was terrible.

I'm just glad the fucking week is over with. And now, I'm scared to go back to that yoga class even though I love the people that opened the studio and I want to support it, but jesus christ, I just can't handle being that sore and the room is so hot and makes you feel so stretchy that it's so easy to overstretch and then you'll be sore for DAYSSSSSS and prone to run-on sentences. UGH.

Here's the particulars of the week:
The fast: 5x400s @ 2:00 ALL BY MYSELF.
The long: 14 miles.
The total: 55 miles.
Wildcard workout: 8 miles on the trails for a Relay.

Well, I knew it was coming. My coach had told me the weekend before that there were going to be some workouts that I was going to have to do alone. BUZZKILL. And this week was one of those weeks. Turned out alright though. Of course, I did them way too fucking fast and was slapped gently on the wrist sarcastically teased by Coach AND the KoB. POINT TAKEN, YOU GUYS. Math=hard.

My long run went surprisingly well... Particularly since I waited until Sunday to do it. I felt like shit for the first couple of miles, but got warmed up and instead of bailing at 11, like I had the option to, I kept going. SUCCESS. Running with the Run Bitches helped.

I was so excited that I was allowed to run 55 miles, but sadly the soreness I had all week meant I only made it to 53. Honestly, with how lousy I felt, I'm surprised I managed to get that many in.

The RUN BITCHES ran a marathon relay this weekend. Upcoming post on that.

Yes, there are team shirts.

Adios, week 6. You piece of shit.

 

* Since last week was so freaking godawful, I don't even have an inspirational or thought-provoking quotation to start the review with. All I can say is... sometimes running sucks ass.

Week 2 Review

Everything is energy and that's all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.
                                                                       -- Albert Einstein

Week two. Well, it looked eerily like week 1, except a couple more miles thrown in there for good measure. THIS IS HOW EXCITING IT'S GOING TO BE AROUND HERE UNTIL FEBRUARY 2013!

The plan:
The fast: 6 mile run with 3 miles in the middle at 8:45-8:50 pace.
The long: 10-12 miles.
The total: 40 miles.

The reality:

I pretty much owned that tempo run. (8:26, 8:23, 8:40). If you call, almost puking at the end of the third mile, owning. I had The KoB and Steve dragging my ass down and up the hill on Belmont Blvd for that workout. Ouch. In all honesty, it's too goddamn fast. I gotta slow down on these tempo runs. BUT, in my defense, my legs felt pretty fantastic the rest of me felt like shitballs.

The long run was a Run Bitches event at Percy Warner Park (FYI, The Run Bitches is what Tanya, Cheryl and I call ourselves when we get together to run. We have also tried to recruit another Run Bitch, Melissa, to the group. I'm not sure she's fully on board with the Run Bitches, but she has agreed to run a marathon relay with us, so there's that). Steve was an honorary Run Bitch for the morning. For whatever reason, I felt amazing for the run on Saturday. Despite the fact that my body felt awesome, my head still bitched and moaned like a little pansy and forced me to walk a little on 9 mile and 3 mile hill. Ugh. TOUGHEN THE FUCK UP, AMY.

Other notables from the week:
1. I stretched the shit out of my hamstrings in yoga class on Thursday evening. Thanks to Utthita Hasta Padangustasana:

Aren't boobs fat? Why are they are on a muscle/anatomy drawing?

I'm just jealous that even she has better boobs than me.

HolyJeebus.

And my runs Saturday, Sunday (and even Monday!) were hell for it. Good lord. I've never been so sore before. Note to self... stick with Tree Pose from now on. 

2. The Run Bitches had beers on Saturday afternoon to discuss upcoming bitch schoolery, etc. Apparently, the beers I had were higher alcohol content than I am used to and I was hurting on my Sunday recovery run. Out of 20 more training weeks, how many Sunday recovery runs are going to turn into "Hangover Runs?" Wagers?

To Yoga or to Not Yoga...

Disclaimer: I realize this post is going to totally make me sound like a privileged asshole, but whatev.

So, I'm running a race on Saturday. Yay! It's a 10k that is supposed to be very flat and considering my last 10k was hella hilly, I'm counting on a PR. Hopefully a massive PR (but we'll just keep that between you and me).

Anyhow, since I'm in the throes of marathon training right now and this isn't really a GOAL race for me, I'm only just barely adjusting my weekly running routine.

So... my big decision of the week is whether or not to go to yoga class on Thursday night. (I know, the universe just flipped me a big ole bird. See Disclaimer Above). The thing is... my Thursday night yoga class is my FAVORITE yoga class in Nashville. This particular class is only offered on Thursday nights and the only time I miss it is if I'm out of town (and I skipped it the week of my half marathon race).

Fake best day of my life ever scenario:

What's that? You want to go out for Mexican food, beer AND tequila shots, ice cream, and then you have a free ticket with a backstage pass to see Oasis (let's just assume that they got back together)?

Ohhhh, wait, it's on Thursday between the times 5-7:15? Yeah, sorry. I can't go, I've got a yoga class.

It sounds ridiculous, I know. Who cares, right? The class will be there next week. But, without getting all boring yoga-y on you, I really, really appreciate this class. It's a led Ashtanga class, but it's slowed down significantly and we do a meditation to start class and a breathing exercise to end class. I've been taking this class with this teacher since last February and he knows me and knows my practice and he's seen my practice develop over the course of the last year. And there are about 4-5 other regulars in the class and we just have a good time. It's a great vibe and I always go to class excited and leave feeling centered. 

Annnnnd... every Saturday morning I wake up with sore hamstrings. Which is where the dilemma comes in. How much of an effect would sore hamstrings have on my race?

Honestly, now that I've started to think about it and the fact that I'm wrestling with the decision so much (and writing an actual blog post about it, jeez louise, I'm a total mental case sometimes), tells me that I should take Thursday off. If only because I'm clearly too attached to my Thursday night class (attachment=bad yogi).

Okay then. Well, thanks for that.

But, just so that the 10 minutes that it took for me to bang this post out doesn't go completely to waste, I'm still curious to know for future reference... how much of an impact you think that sore hamstrings would have on a race outcome? Thoughts? Anyone?

Housekeeping

*So, I am getting the haircut, I'm just waiting for a groupon, because spending $60+ on a haircut is just RIDICULOUS.

*A week from today I will be at the beach. And so I have one week to get up the courage to sport this bikini. (Yes, I lusted after it for over a year before I finally took the plunge last fall and BOUGHT it. I thought I'd wear it in Mexico... except... I didn't chicken). Ugh.

*I finally feel like I'm getting into training shape. My runs are feeling pretty easy lately. 'bout damn time.

*This is a conversation that I had last night with a girl I'm friendly with after yoga...

She asked... "Did I hear you mention you're running Chicago?" (a friend of mine is in the class and was asking me about my upcoming races. I mean, not that I'm not the type to drop my bad-ass race names all over the place like little bombs...)

"Yeah, I am."

"How do you do it? I mean, how do come to yoga while marathon training?"

"Ummm... I dont know, I mean, I just have a lot of free time on my hands, I guess..." Lame ass Loser?

"No, I mean, you are so flexible in class."

WhatTHEfuck? I feel like I am the most inflexible person to ever take a yoga class (runners... I think we all feel that way... and there's a reason.. BECAUSE WE ARE). So anyway... it blew me away. That someone else thought that I was flexible! Proof that doing yoga 4-6 times a week really can make a difference, I suppose. Yay! That or she is getting me confused with the other brunette in the class who musta been a freaking cirque de soleil dancer in a former life. bitch.

*Is it just me, or has this week flown by?? Tomorrow is friday!

This is how I do (did)...

inside joke there on the title..

Anyway. This was my Thursday-Tuesday (not in chronological order)...

Ran along the East River...

Some kind of film crew had all their crap (see the light in the middle of the pic) everywhere along the greenway, including lots of old cars lined up.

Ran past the Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridges.

See?

Checked out The High Line... both at night and during the day. My new FAVORITE thing in NYC!

Seriously, I'm ready to permanently move to one of those benches.

Ate a ridiculous amount of Indian food at Vatan. (3 courses! All you can eat! Belly happy!)

Checked out the coolest art performance I've ever seen. Sleep No More. If you live in NYC or are visiting there this summer.. you HAVE to get tickets and go. It will blow your mind. I can't even describe the experience! Just go... and then we can talk about it and compare notes and I won't have to annoy everyone else with TRYING to explain it... cause, I just kinda end up making it sound like a haunted house.

Ate at Tom's Diner...

I was totally geeking out. Such a Seinfeld nerd.

After lunch at Tom's... strolled through Columbia University's campus. And then made our way over to Riverside Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela have spoken.

I stole this picture from their website (probably going to hell now). It's shitty (definitely going to hell now). It doesn't do it justice AT ALL. I felt like I was sitting in Westminster Abbey or something. I mean this church is UNBELIEVEABLE.

Crossed the street and checked out Grant's Tomb.

Had a 1 hour Reflexology Massage that I'm still reeling from. Also. Chinatown cracks me up!

Took a walking tour of Union Square. So interesting.

Shopped... picked up a dress at H&M (I mean, clearly you can't go into an H&M without carrying a bag out). And went to Moo Shoes, Zara, Anthropologie, and  Madewell. Twice. The second time to buy two shirts, only to not find my size in one and then two girls fawning over the rack (where the other shirt was) in such a way that I could not get around those bitches to squeeze in and pick up the shirt.... sigh. Thank god for online ordering... although CRIKEY. The color is sold out in one of the shirts. Arg!

Read on a park bench in Madison Square Park...

Madison Square Park has the BEST art installations. How freaking cool?!?!?

This was a part of last years art installation at Madison Square Park. They had these statues placed all over... on the tops of buildings, etc. Was so cool to figure out where they all were. It was like a little army of  big brother bronze men watching you! Loved it!

Took a Dharma Level 3 yoga class and didn't feel like I was going to die like I did the last time in that class. Also took my friend's Deep Healing and Relaxation class there. Definitely seeing progress in my meditation and relaxation practice! No Dharma, because he was doing a retreat... but you always feel him there.

Took the subway up to 125th Street, walked through Harlem and made our way 99+ blocks throughout the course of the day... walked all through central park, stopping for moments... to pop into the Guggenheim's gift shop (such a sucker for gift shops), sat on various park benches (one in particular for almost an hour!), had lunch and then dinner...

Slurped down the most expensive and one of the tastiest milkshakes I've ever had at Cafe Reggio.

Popped into the Lower East Side Tenement Museum gift shop... VERY cool gift shop. Also checked out the Essex Street Market while we were down there.

Had lunch (and browsed the gift shop!) at the amazing Jivamukti Cafe (no class there this time, though).

Swore that I saw Carolina Herrera on the Upper East Side one afternoon. I was stuffing my pie hole at a diner, she was gracefully crossing the street. If not her (had her signature hair, red lips, and the starched white collared shirt. Collar was totally popped, of course)... then her doppelganger.

Enjoyed strolling the streets of NYC... no matter where we were or what we we doing. Finally feel like I'm starting to get a good lay of the land, there. But always feel like there's so much more to explore. Was a great holiday weekend! How was yours?

And finally... I become one, too..

So, I finally did it... last week, after numerous friends have gone on and on about the awesomeness that is Lululemon yoga pants... I finally went to the store and tried some on. Now, first of all let me say... I never doubted everyone's claims that they were of an awesome quality or that they made you look like you'd lost 5 pounds as soon as you put them on... I just doubted that either one of those things was actually worth $80 of my hard-earned money.

After a yoga class last week, I noticed... hmmm.. I seem to be playing with my yoga pants a lot during class. I'm always pulling them up during class... and I feel like they don't hold me in.. in certain poses, I feel like my loose flab is spilling out all over the place and therefore making my seated forward folds (of which the primary series of ashtanga has a zillion of!) harder than they have to be. So, I decided after class that it was time check out some other options... and Lululemon seemed like my best bet.

I went into the store and immediately headed to yoga pants section. I knew what I wanted... they had to be capri's and they had to be tights, I don't like loose fabric. After talking to a sales associate, I took some back into the dressing room and tried them on.

Just as I expected... it wasn't a life changing experience. Sure, the pants fit snugly and didn't give me too much of a muffin top (my greatest fear!)  but they also didn't make me look 5 pounds lighter. I opted for the bigger size of the two sizes I tried on (I tried 8's and 10's on) and I walked away from the store with 2 pairs. One pair is reversible, so I guess it's kinda like having 3 pair.. except, I sweat a lot in yoga.. so... it's not like I'll actually be able to just reverse them and wear them the next day. Oh well.

This past weekend I went to NYC and on Friday night, I took a class at the yoga studio that my friend teaches at.. and it was his class... I wore my new Lululemon pants to class... but, it was a deep relaxation and meditation class, so the only pose we actually did was cobra pose. So, I still didn't know if the pants were worth their hefty price tag.

Saturday, we were signed up for a 3 hour workshop with the teacher that I did the yoga retreat in December with (he owns the studio where my friend teaches) and I wore my pants to that class, too. We were running uber late and I was literally running through the streets to get to class and so by the time I got there and got on my mat, I was already sweating. Blargh! But, I noticed that the pants seemed to actually keep me cooler than I would have been in some of my other yoga pants and then, folks, that was the last time I thought about my yoga pants for the next 3 hours. No pulling or tugging at my pants, no feeling of my flabby stomach oozing out all over the place during forward folds.

And after class when I realized that I hadn't thought about my pants the whole time... is when I decided that yes... they are worth the money. Certainly I can do yoga in my other pants, but, the beauty in these pants is that I was able to focus on my practice and not get stuck on thinking about how I looked in my pants, how my pants were fitting, etc... not thinking about what I was wearing was the best attribute of these pants.

I've been talking to friends lately about how I'm trying to change my mindset regarding purchases. And this Lululemon purchase is a good step in the right direction for me. Sure, I spent $150 on two pairs of yoga pants last week. But, when will I have to buy more? Not until they are literally worn out. How often have I shelled out $15-20 on cheaper yoga tights and yet, still with 4-5 pairs, I'm still always looking on the sale racks at TJ Maxx and Marshalls for yet another $15-20 pair, that might fit better than the other pairs I have. It's never ending cycle of ending up with yoga pants that don't fit perfectly, but I bought them because they were cheap. So, now instead of having a drawer full of ill-fitting (but cheap!) yoga pants... I can have two pairs that I'm totally stoked about!

So, yes, I'm a Lululemon convert and now I'm starting to think... If their yoga pants can hold me in that well... can their yoga tops and bras hold in my girls so that I don't feel like I'm suffocating myself when in shoulderstand? I have a feeling I'll find out in a couple of months, when it's time to treat myself to another Lululemon purchase...