Just for Fun

So I think I should be aloud to add another mile to yesterday's total since I was running all over the gym at last nights roadshow. It was a pretty stressful evening but our skit actually turned out really well. We won "Best Spiritual Message" and everyone we talked to said they liked it a lot. If they had had a "Best Special Effects" category then we should have won it because our Matrix scene turned out really cool. We were actually the only ward to use the stage lights rather than just the normal lighting. For our slow motion matrix scene we turned the lights all off except for one blue light shining on these two kids. Then a girl threw a dodgeball on a stick at them in slow motion. Someone dressed in black carried the ball across the stage and one boy bent backwards and the other boy was lifted in the air into a flip to dodge the ball. We played mortal combat music too. It looked really cool and everyone liked it. But still, I had to run back and forth and back and forth to set up for it. It was insane. We are so glad that it is over.

As for today's running: Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch. That is the best way to describe it. I was feeling pretty sore since we got home last night. My legs were already feeling a little stiff after yesterday's run and then I ran all over the church in sandals, so that didn't help. When I started my run this morning my legs hurt from hip to ankle. My shins started hurting pretty badly and twice when I stepped up on the sidewalk from the road, my knee gave out on me. So then I was very careful to only step up with the other leg. When I got back to the house I couldn't even walk without shin pain, and even when I would sit down and not touch or put pressure on my legs, my shins just throbbed. I had a hard time stretching it hurt so much. So I took some ibuprofen and iced both shins to bring down the inflammation. It helped too. As soon as I was done icing them they felt immensely better. I haven't felt the pain since. I'm VERY glad that I don't have to run tomorrow. I think it will be good to give them a rest so I'm also glad that I can use the elliptical on Monday. 

15 minutes on the elliptical this morning.

Saturday was such a beautiful, perfect day. Then yesterday, for no apparent reason at all, it was very cloudy, very windy, and very cold. And last night it snowed! And Seth didn't even get the benefit of a snow day! Needless to say, I was pretty upset. But now it is sunny and looks warm again. It is supposed to by back in the 50s tomorrow so I guess I won't complain too much, but I do miss those 60s already. If it is warm enough I an going to try to get out for a walk this afternoon. Though, I am going to Wal-Mart and that is a lot of exercise in and of itself. But Simeon likes outside time so we will see.

18 minutes on elliptical

I took Simeon out in the jogging stroller today. I just walked though because running with the jogging stroller is like a fate worse than death :) I might try to do some running with it tomorrow, my knee was actually hurting during my walk today. Anyway, maybe I should have waited until later in the day to go out. A nasty cold wind came up during our walk and Simeon got cold. His was pretty unhappy about it. So mommy snuggled him really good when we got home to make up for it.

If I feel up to it I may try to do a run when Seth gets home (at 5). But it is unlikely so don't hold me to it :) 

Yes, I am a bad, vile, horrible person who has not been blogging my runs. Oops. I get too easily distracted :) So I did go running last week, but not as much as I should have. Actually the week started out really good. Monday and Tuesday were both great runs! My 2.5 mile route was starting to feel pretty good. But I went out on Wednesday and my shins were killing me by half a mile. I only made it about a mile and then I had to limp myself home and get some ice. So the Thursday I thought I could use a break and I had to spend most of the day in Albuquerque anyway. And Friday and Saturday I was just plain lazy and there is no excuse for it.

So now I am in PANIC mode! My race is Saturday! AHHHH! Actually I am feeling surprisingly unstressed about it. Not to long ago I decided I didn't care enough about it to get stressed and I wasn't going to worry about how I did. And then Laura called and said she would run with me so I think it will be fun. There is just a little bit of panic knowing that it is the week of the race and I am no where near where I wanted to be. But it is okay. I might try to go out one day this week and see how much of the course I can do before I die. Then I can panic. Ha ha. Anyway, I am actually looking forward to it.

So since I have been a lazy bum I didn't want to overdo it today. I did 1.5 but actually wished I had done more. Tomorrow I will kick my butt back into shape :) 

So we are pretty sure that Simeon has decided to give up sleeping for lent. Ugh, I don't even remember the last time he took a nap that was longer than an hour and yet we still have to pull his two little teeth to get him to take an afternoon nap. He just wants to play so badly! Fortunately he hasn't been really fussy, only a little bit. He knows when he's fussy we try to put him to sleep so he's careful to act cheerful :)

Anyway, I was having Simeon frustrations today. Seth has tests next week so he is in panicy, study and ignore Kristina mode. Just kidding. He is just really busy and he does have a lot of studying to do. So It's been a rough two weeks. So like I said, I was having Simeon frustrations. Fortunately he went to bed without a fight (something that has become rare as of late), and was asleep by 6:45. It was still light and warm and so I laced up my running shoes and headed out. I told Seth that if I really needed to pound something into the pavement and I'm sure he'd much rather it be my shoes than him :). So because I had some anxiety to burn off I ran my first mile pretty good pace, much too fast considering that I wanted to run 3 miles today. My left knee was hurting, which I thought was odd since it is always my right knee that hurts. My shins weren't hurting in that first mile though, so I was grateful.

The area I added to my route had an uphill, so that is good to help me prepare for running up main street on Saturday (Ugh). 3 miles is really an estimate but I'm sure it has to be close. I will measure tomorrow. Anyway, aerobically, I felt great. No breathing problems, no side stitch. Unfortunately the rest of me didn't take it so well. The last two blocks I think I was really just hoveling and limping at a slow running pace. My shins were killing me and my ankles felt like they did after I had the baby, all swollen and stiff. So I was really glad to shuffle back only my street. Still, I'm glad that I won't have to have that experience for the first time on Saturday ;) Plus that will give me tomorrow to recover and Friday to have an easy run. I've found that after three days of good runs outside my shins can only take about a half mile or so. So tomorrow they deserve a good rest.

Wow. That is all I can say about this race. Actually I also have to say that I am extremely glad that Laura came to run the race with me because I don't think I could have done so well without her. 

Anyway, my goal for this race was 40:00. Laura asked me what my secret goal for the race was (the one I was too embarrassed to tell anyone). My secret goal was 35 mins but I was sure that highly unlikely. In fact I thought it was basically impossible for this race. So 31 minutes! (don't know the seconds, sorry). I'm ecstatic! I'm more than ecstatic. I'm ecstatically ecstatic. It almost makes me not want to swear off any more races :) And niether my knee or my shins hurt during the race, though my shins hurt after. It actually felt pretty good. And I didn't even throw up out of nervousness--that in and of itself is a big achievement.

But yes, very great race. Thank you so much Laura for running with me. It made the run go by so much faster and it kept me distracted. And I think it picked up my pace quite a bit.

 All in all it was a much better experience than I thought it would be. I was having some terrible flashbacks from high school this morning, but my race was way different than that. It was actually fun :) So thanks Laura and thanks to everyone who encouraged me to do it :)

Wow, I actually almost completely forgot about my race. It seems like so long ago. I came down sick with the stomach flu Sunday and Simeon came down with it Monday night, so it has been a long week of recovery. And our internet was down. They just got it fixed this morning. So I checked my email (which was surprisingly full, apparently I only get email when I'm sick) and there were all kinds of comments about my race. Thanks everyone! I don't think I've ever got commando points before, by the way. :) And I did think I was going to trow up, but I didn't :)

Anyway, hopefully now that I'm feeling better I can get back out there.