Author: Fallon @ Slacker Runner

Week 50- Behind

Barely running and I still can’t get these recaps up on time lately.  Oops.   End of the year ennui, maybe?  Embracing the inner Slacker? Hmmm.

Maybe I can blame the darkness?  Even though I actually did run more miles in November this year compared to last.  Fingers crossed that pattern holds for December!  Though considering I had the flu from hell last year, that’s a low bar.

Last week saw me starting PT, so you’d think my body would be feeling better.  And it kind of did… on Monday.     And mostly Tuesday.  Too bad I didn’t run those days.  🤔  Instead I deliberately rested since I had run Saturday and Sunday and then had PT.    I completed my PT exercises 3 days last week and would have twice more but my stomach was being a total asshat.   Kind of hard to focus on moves that rely on your core when your stomach is behaving like a demon.   Grrrrr. As for the other 2 days, well that was just me being a Slacker.

So what did happen?

Monday-  Physical Therapy  Why is my right side such a problem child???  And I’m so glad I had the forethought to change into running pants first.  Some of those exercises were awkward enough in pants- what would have happened if I had left my skirt on???  I also experienced a TENS device for the first time.  Kind of odd.

Thursday- 8 miles bike I had planned on running.  Took all of my gear to work with that intention but then the day just ran me down.  Work ran over and I was exhausted and my right leg was oddly sore/ numb.  My head was hurting but I told myself to suck it up and run so I changed into my running clothes and headed for home. Where I somehow put my shoes on the wrong damn feet.  Ok, universe, message received.    I went home and rode the bike instead.

Saturday – 6 miles 6 was always the plan but I underestimated how much smoke was in the air.  Again.  I also may have overestimated what my back was willing to do.  That or it just isn’t used to carrying water with my pack again.  It has been a while.  😛  I felt like I was huffing and puffing more than I would like.  My leg felt tight.  Everything felt rough.  Then my headphones died.  Grrrr.   Of course as I headed towards home, my leg loosened up.   When I looked at my splits later I may have been running a tiny faster than I should have especially considering the air quality.

Sunday- missed run Planned on Christmas shopping and running.  Failed at both.  Went shopping- ALL day but bought nothing and missed my run.

So, 6 miles run and 8 miles bike.  Blah.    Here’s hoping this week is a little better.

Except I already know I have issues.  How is it less than 7 days to Christmas?  I still need to finish shopping.  I haven’t made cookies.  Oh and my replacement bed is coming this week.     Ok, I will gladly miss a run for the bed if the new one is less of a brick compared to the rock I’ve been sleeping on for the last 3 months.  😛

How was your week?

Are you done shopping?

Rambling On 23

Has anyone else’s brain been on short circuit this week?

Or is it just me?  😛

I started PT this week.  That was interesting.   Turns out I do have a sciatica problem.  Oh and the machine they used to stretch my neck reminded of me the Rack.  Are they helping me or torturing me???  I mean it didn’t hurt but when she described it I think I had the “what the hell” face.  😛   Now if I can just do my homework.

Can you believe Christmas is 10 days away?  I am so not ready.   Part of that is the weather.  The mornings are cold-like in the 20’s- but the days are still hitting the 70’s, almost 80’s.   A 50 degree temp change is not abnormal around here but it’s not usually this consistent.  I gave up on snowy Christmas’s a long time ago but can I have a colder, gray one?

I have so many posts in my head right now but I can’t seem to get them down on the computer.  I wish I could think and type.  It’s when the hands get involved that things get all muddled.  Or I get lazy.  😛

It Star Wars weekend and honestly I’m not sure if I’ll go see it. Which is odd because growing up I was the biggest Star Wars nerd. Loved the movies and read all the books. And maybe that’s my problem- this version of doesn’t match with any of the storylines I read growing up.

What are you doing this weekend? Share something random!

Week 49- Of Christmas Lights and Colds

Last week was a little wobbly.

I ended up feeling like crap for most of the week.  I felt like I was fighting something and I had an odd migraine from Tuesday on.   I actually even went home early one day which is something I rarely do but my head was just so damn fuzzy I wanted to be off the hill before it got dark.

In one way, being sick wasn’t a bad thing- combine with the rest from last week, it kept me off my left leg for 8 days.   Had I not been sick, that would not have happened.  I probably would have run on Tuesday or Wednesday.  Instead by Thursday I was mostly pain free and outside of 2 truly gnarly charlie horses overnight, Friday was pain free.

I also admitted defeat and returned to the bed store.  The brick is going back.  I tried for almost 90 days to break in this new bed and no luck.  My whole body hurts.  Fingers crossed the replacement is epic-ally better because I used up my one return.

In bad news, the Thomas fire is out of control, it’s now pushed into Santa Barbara county.  The smoke has inundated our county.  We’ve had closer fires but not seen smoke like this.  They’re saying the Santa Ana winds are likely partially to blame.   Let me be clear that the fire is still over 100 miles away.

Saturday- 3.1 miles I ran!!  Some parts were so damn slow and other parts were probably way too fast but I ran!  I started off nice and easy and walked the first 10 minutes.   From then on I alternated walking and running.  I’m using a cool new running app and I’m hoping to improve my cadence so I have to say the running parts felt pretty dang good.  In fact, I hauled a** up a hill like I never have before.  It was awesome.  Until my lungs reminded me that I had been fighting a cold all week and I bent over wheezing at the top, haha.

My legs probably also didn’t appreciate the annual visit to Vine St but it’s tradition!

Sunday- 3.1 miles.  I had hoped for more miles but underestimated how much smoke was in the air.    I was wheezing 1/2 mile in.   I stuck it out for the same route as the day before but I took a more than a few breaks as I was wheezing more than normal.  Considering how visible the smoke was I just slowed down and headed for home.

6.23 miles for week.  It’s going up!  Baby steps! Baby steps!

How was your week?

Do anything fun this weekend?

Rambling On 22

Happy Friday!

Let’s add sickness to injury, cuz’ that’s fun right?? Grrr.

One of my customers told me he’s disappointed in me because it’s almost the middle of December and my hair is still blonde. 😛  I told him I understood.  He’s probably not the only one.  Normally by now I would be on “Fall” color #2.  I’ve just gotten lazy.  That would require so much work.  I told him he would have to settle for me taking scissors to it on a random basis.  Like Tuesday.  I think it may be crooked right now.  😛

Winter has arrived in full force.  I can’t find my gloves.  Well, I found one.

Confession- I have not run in 7 days and today isn’t likely either.  And I had to count that on my fingers.  Double Grrrr.

But really, anything I have to complain about is pittance compared to the fires burning South of me.  Thomas- you can stop growing anytime now- ok? Thanks.  In all seriousness, my thoughts and prayers are with everyone effected and serious thanks to all the fire fighters and volunteers.      Oh and just to mention- the Thomas fire is about 150 miles south of me so other than some smoke in work town, everything is fine here.

That’s all for now- tell me something good!

 

 

 

 

Week 48- Lingering

And the pain lingers on.

Isn’t that a song? I feel like it’s a song lyric.  🎶

Last week was a little better than the previous week though not by much.    I doubled the miles but when you run barely more than zero, double is still next to nothing.    Which is problematic because filling all my extra time with Christmas movie watching has given me the most intense craving for sugar cookies with icing ever.   I want them all.   That’s not a good thing.

Last week was kind of odd anyhow.  I had my interview on Wednesday which had interesting moments but not of the usual interview kind.  Then Saturday saw my mother’s birthday and my dad’s is this week.   I also had the world’s messiest oil change.  Like my car was leaking oil for the next 3 days.  I called the dealer it was so bad, thinking they had screwed something up.  Nope, they just slopped oil everywhere.

Ok, so what were the piddly “workouts” I did last week?

Monday/Tuesday- Nothing but a little stretching.  My leg wasn’t too happy and I wasn’t going to push it.    I am embracing the flats life.  It’s so boring.

Wednesday- 2.51 miles  I meant to head to the gym for a few test miles but realized I forgot my headphones instead I ran outside.  Slowly.  My leg wasn’t screaming but it wasn’t marvelous.  However I was just so excited to be out there.

Thursday- 2.16 miles Should I have run so soon?  Yeah, probably not but I had to take the car back to the dealer due to the oil change fiasco so I was home sooner than normal and I couldn’t pass up the chance.  My leg actually felt better than the previous day.  Yay!!  Oh and it pushed me to 50 miles for November, which considering how many days I deliberately didn’t run because of my leg, I’ll just say Hell yeah!

Friday-  Stupid I wore low heeled boots to work.  Only about 2 inches but it was stupid and my leg did not appreciate it at all.  Stupid.

Saturday-Birthday shopping with my mom.  I could feel my shin talking all day.  Why did I wear heels on Friday??  Grrrr.

Sunday- 10 miles bike  My leg still felt off and truthfully I might have done something stupid and gone for a run but an unplanned afternoon nap changed that.  Oops.  So I hopped on the bike to try and work up a sweat.  Except the cat decided she really wanted to be part of the exercise too.  She kept trying to go under the pedals.  Don’t do that!

4.68 miles run, 10 miles bike.  As I type this I realize I have yet to run in December.  Yikes!  Come on leg, knock it off, it’s only 3 weeks to marathon training!

How was your week?

Any Christmas festivities?

Anyone race?  I was having major RnR San Antonio FOMO.