working? running! and a winner!

[if this post is up, it means i did not have another relapse and am actually at work on a friday. pretty soon my co-workers might think i am conveniently scheduling vertigo episodes on thursdays/fridays. anyway, hopefully you are reading this and i am not sitting on the bathroom floor again.]

i've been feeling 'ok' so far this week, and have been able to spend a little more time working out this week than last. i'm still trying to take it easier on myself by not running/working out as much as i usually do and slowly increasing back to those levels. running doesn't feel as awkward as it did last week, which is nice.

monday - got home from work and it was like 40 degrees and rainy. blah. sure i've run in much colder temps, but i didn't feel like it and darn it i wasn't going to. :o) i settled for 40-mins of plyometrics/circuit training instead, and it wore me out; my legs were sore tuesday.

tuesday - i ran! i took it slow and told myself i could always walk if i needed to. the longest i ran last week was 40 minutes, so i stopped at 50 minutes to ensure i didn't push myself too much. 61* and sunny helped a little.

wednesday - had dinner plans an hour away, no run today. later in the evening i did a 55-min plyo/circuit workout which was even harder than monday's. i dripped with sweat and my upper body was sore thursday. the circuits are about 3-4 mins hard/30-secs rest and repeat, so i figure it's decent "cardio" as well as a little strength training. (not to mention i struggle to do them for the full time interval!)

thursday - more running! 61* and cloudy, but at least no rain. i might've wimped out if it was raining. sad, but true. i increased my run time to 55 minutes today, keeping it easy. i celebrated running 6+ miles, as last week i only got in 4+ mile runs.

---

and the winner of the clif shot/super awesome surprises giveaway is:

diana of my road to rkc!

diana is a crazy workout fiend who has an amazing fitness/weight loss story. she runs, does triathlons, and is obsessed with kettlebells. she works out like 4 times a day while working 12-hr shifts at the hospital, and on top of that is also an inspiring mom. :o)

send me an email diana with your mailing info!

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psa: lucky brand jeans

ok so i found a great deal  ($129 pair of lucky brand skinny jeans for only $9.99) but 10 minutes after posting about it they were already sold out. boo lucky!! so this whole part of the post is edited.

giveaway still on though!

don't forget to throw your name in the hat for some clif shots + random treats! no, the random treats won't be stale pieces of gum from the crevices of my car or the jellybeans i found in the bottom of my work-laptop bag. enter any time before thursday (3/25) 8pm est - winner to be announced friday.

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i'm on a boat

with all this non-running talk lately, you guys probably thought i'd shelved my shoes. while i have been taking more rest-days and running shorter mileage, i am still trying to get out there and run - even if just for 10 minutes. some days i even settle for little walk just to log some time on my legs - 26.2 miles is no jaunt in the park.

proof that things haven't been going well from a "marathon training" perspective, prior to and during the vertigo spells:

week in review (3/1 - 3/7):

total miles: 35.20 (avg temp 37* f)

time spent running: ~ 5 hours 1 minute

avg hr: 160

avg pace: 8:35/mile

off days: 2

i got in three ridiculously early runs, 1 sorta-threshold run, 1 hill workout, but no long run. no real excuses here, as i wasn't feeling bad yet.

week in review (3/8 - 3/14):

total miles: 20.35 (avg temp 51.7* f)

time spent running: ~ 2 hours 57 minutes

avg hr: 157

avg pace: 8:49/mile

off days: 3, three! but i was puking, so yeah.

two early morning runs monday and wednesday, of course didn't even try running thursday/friday (1st "episode"), and attempted a very easy 30-minute run saturday -- still a little "under the influence". it was the hardest 3+miler of my life! again, no long run for the week and no quality runs either.

week in review (3/15 - 3/21):

total miles: 26.38 (avg temp 56* f)

time spent running: ~ 2 hours 40 minutes
time spent walking: ~ 2 hours

avg hr: 159 (only wore hrm once)

avg run pace: 8:41/mile

off days: from running - 2; from getting in some sort of workout (yoga, walking) - 0

no early-morning runs now that the evenings are brighter, and because i didn't want to collapse somewhere at o'dark-thirty with no one around. running felt very unnatural and tiring; my longest run was 40-mins. i had my second "episode" friday before work and spent the morning on the floor of the bathroom, awaiting the vomit.

my "boat" found calmer waters, on saturday i took it easy and went for a brisk walk in absolutely beautiful weather. sunday i tested out a little run/walking with a 3:2 (run:walk) ratio. my hips, right knee, and left shin ache a little when i walk, but not when i run. very funny body - whatever's going on in my head wants me to take it easy, and my limbs want me to run. i'm just trying to get in some activity so i don't blimp up from all the time spent on the couch. seriously, i've slept like 28 of the past 48 hours. hopefully after a few more days of taking it easy i'll be able to get in some run-running and build up a little stamina.

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coming to terms

i've been working on talking myself into this for over two weeks now. i promised myself after new york that i would not train for another marathon while in this crazy work/life situation; at the time i thought i was done in kentucky in january, giving me time to train for boston on a more "normal" schedule. i haven't put myself wholeheartedly (or even half) into training for boston, and with the re-flare up of my 'vertigo', i am really starting to believe this is the path i need to take for now.

so - a new approach to boston, which is now less than a month away! gone are the hopes and dreams of a pr, and in it's place - survival. vertigo is no joke and has sprung out of nowhere on me with two hardcore "episodes" where i couldn't even walk (once while sitting at the computer and second while standing in the kitchen making lunch). first, i hope to still actually be able to run boston and toe the start line. second, it'd sure be nice to cross the finish line too! if i am able to run boston, it will simply be for fun and i won't put pressure on myself with any goals. if i become a race-walker, then so be it.

i've re-worked my training plan to fit in better with my actual schedule, although i don't know i would still call it a "training plan". i'm just going to try to run a little each day - whether it's 10/30/60 minutes, and continue to hold the couch down on the days where the world is spinning. i've definitely become guilty of trying to squeeze miles into my week (although mostly just on paper lately) instead of being realistic and doing what works for me/my schedule. i'm sure that added bit of stress hasn't helped.

here's to the boston start line! hopefully i'll be wearing running clothes instead of jeans.

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should've got an a on it

i am enjoying the random comments/answers on my little giveaway, especially all the 'loopholes' you guys are finding for sitting on the barbecue grill. nice, real nice. i'd definitely rather roast my rear a little than chew glass - that just sounds 10x worse.

anyway just a quick post to share a discount code for road id - i bought one for josh earlier this week after that runner dude got hit by a plane. (men...) road id isn't just good for running, but life in general. it never hurts to have emergency contact/health info on hand, and i know i've used mine a time or two when i forget my parents cell phone numbers. not quite an emergency, but handy nonetheless. if you haven't gotten one already - get one! it could save your life. whether you are buying your first road id or a replacement tag, just enter the code ThanksLindsay628351 to get $1 off.

(this code is valid for 20 uses in the next 30 days)

this is unrelated, but i think it's pretty cool:


happy friday!

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give it away give it away give it away now

(i'm too lazy to think of my own titles lately, so i borrow song lyrics. thanks rhcp for today's installment.)

back when i was actually (sort of) doing long runs, i sometimes ran with the owner of the local running store here in smalltown, kentucky. i've been meaning to stop by, but the shop is always closed by the time i get home from work.

when i was off (sick) from work friday, i decided i'd walk over and browse. it's literally 1/10th of a mile from my doorstep to theirs, so it was manageable even though i was a little queasy. business was slow, i was the only customer at the time, so i felt obligated to give him some business. i bought a shirt with the store logo on it (represent!) and he gave me 50% off (unexpected) so i grabbed a few clif shots and figured i'd have a giveaway. personally i prefer gu, but they don't sell it and clif is a good product too.

so yeah, guess i'm having a little giveaway. here's what you'll get:

(pardon the crappy i-phone camera quality)

vanilla, chocolate, razz and mocha flavored clif shots

(laptop not included)

plus some random stuff that i'll toss in willy-nilly, like a slew of yoplait smoothie coupons that i got in the mail and will never possibly use before they expire (they sound good - i just haven't had a chance to try it out).

to enter, click here then go here then come back here then write an essay about george orwell's "1984" and then. just kidding, that junk is annoying. :o)

to enter for serious, leave a comment answering the following questions:

1. would you rather chew shards of broken glass {or} sit on a lighted barbecue grill?
2. what is your favorite treat? (ie: m&am's, starbucks, a good book...)

simple.

oh yeah, i guess this giveaway will close on ... thursday, march 25th, that sounds good.

[not-so-legal jargon: this giveaway is not sponsored by any company nor am i receiving any compensation for the products (other than the joy of giving). i either purchased the products myself or got them in the mail randomly (ie the coupons).]

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at least she's goal-oriented?

now that i'm having to chill out on running, i thought i might take this on as my newest challenge:

"woman aims to become world's fattest"

that is pure ambition right there! for those of you too lazy to open another tab, basically she wants to weigh 1,000 lbs. she has quite a head start on me - weighing in at over 600 pounds, so i have my work cut out for me.

"I'd love to be 1000lb ... it might be hard though, running after my daughter keeps my weight down," Ms Simpson told the Daily Mail.

Ms Simpson, who needs a mobility scooter to go shopping, eats huge amounts of junk food each week and tries to move as little as possible so she doesn't burn off as many calories.

(so, by "running after her daughter" she means pushing the button on her scooter chair? easy there.)

In order to pay for the enormous amounts of food she is eating — her weekly grocery bill is $815 — Ms Simpson makes money by running a website where men pay to watch her consume fast food.

.....barf (unfortunately they did not link to this website, but i'm sure you can google it if you are interested).

if only josh were a "belly man" like her man philippe... sigh.


[feeling a little better today. can't argue with progress and a little less nausea.]

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hello, hello, i'm at a place called vertigo

first off, thanks for all the well-wishes! no, my puke was not technicolor from all the m&m's :o)

it turns out i wasn't just feeling mentally unbalanced this past week. mid-morning thursday my tinnitis (yeah, it still hasn't gone away) suddenly got worse. when i stood up i could not walk straight and felt like i was going to fall over. after a few minutes i realized this was much more severe than the dizziness/nausea i had last fall, and told the guys i work with i wasn't feeling well. they quickly loaded me in the golf cart and drove me up to safety. my blood pressure, heartrate, sugar levels all checked out normal, so they called in an appointment to the local doctor (we have an account set up for the construction workers to get physicals). one of the safety guys asked if i was pregnant (what is it with nausea must = pregnant?) and i'm just thinking -- "dude if this is what 'morning sickness' feels like, i am definitely never having children". the room was spinning, i was shaking/twitching, and the nausea/lightheadedness was getting worse.

a co-worker volunteered to drive me to the doctor. the safety guys gave me a trash bag and practically carried me out to her car. the bag came in handy as i puked 5-6 times en route to the doctor / while waiting to be called back. by the time i was called it was one heavy, appetizing bag and i can only imagine how thrilled the nurse was when i handed it to her. i puked once more when the doc asked me how i felt. "well the room is spinning and" ... lean forward, grab trashcan, empty already-emptied stomach. low point, to say the least.

anyway the doc said i had vertigo and prescribed a shot (phenergan) and nausea pills (meclizine). i am pretty disappointed in the visit because he didn't seem to care about checking my ear even though i said it had been ringing/roaring for over a month. also i think everyone knows that the inner ear is involved in your balance, so i don't get why he wouldn't have looked harder there. basically he just wanted to treat the nausea/dizziness and not the cause of the nausea. that is my biggest peeve about medical doctors - often treating the symptoms and not the underlying cause; it's frustrating. i felt completely awful and could hardly function so i was onboard for the shot & pills as a temporary fix, but i asked what we would do for my ear. "oh it'll go away" he said ...sure it will, it hasn't been lingering for a month or anything.

the shot kicked in after about 30 minutes or so and the severe nausea went away. i went back to work, picked up my stuff (and my car) and went home to bed. josh was super sweet and took a half-day at work to drive all the way up from sc and take care of me. apparently i worried him a bit when i was too busy puking/feeling like death to respond to his calls or texts from 9-12ish. i took friday off and slept a lot. i went to the chiropractor saturday and slept even more. needless to say, running this week has been off, though i haven't felt nearly as guilty since i hardly have the balance to walk. i'm now basically feeling the same as i did before the new york marathon with constant, 'light' (vs how i felt thursday) nausea/dizziness. i feel best after just waking up from a nap - i wonder how i can work a few naps into the workday when i start to feel more woozy...

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no more crunches

who doesn't want a sexy six-pack? today i 'discovered' a great, effective ab workout.

puking.

i spent the morning purging myself of today's breakfast, yesterday's meals, and probably the past 7 days of meals too. it just would not stop coming. my abs are sore now though, and i know i felt my stomach turning as i sat miserably with my head in a trash bag, hence the "ab workout". not only will you get a workout in, but you are also getting rid of some calories.

yes, i'm being sarcastic. i definitely do not endorse puking as a workout or diet plan.

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unbalanced

i've been feeling a lot more 'on-and-off' lately (/the past year) and once again need a couple days to regroup myself. it's not like there's much to say about my running recently. have i mentioned i'm supposed to run a little marathon in five weeks? yeah.....



<3 hurley.

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hello gorgeous

not long ago i was tagged a 'gorgeous blogger' by erica of run mommy run. erica is new-er to running and has quickly caught the running bug. she keeps telling me that we are going to move to belize to escape this lovely winter weather but i have a feeling that by the time she gets it all organized the weather will be warm enough to tolerate :o)

in tune with the award, here are six random things about me. hopefully six things i haven't already said before...

1. i have not had any soda since may/june 2003.
2. i must make my bed every morning, even on the days i sleep through my alarm and only have 10 minutes to get out the door for work. all those years of my dad hounding me before school paid off i guess.
3. i just started drinking plain-milk this year. i've never had a glass of milk before - definitely took some getting used to.
4. i think i might actually kind of miss living in a hotel - to an extent. i certainly got used to maid service! wait, you mean i have to pick up my crumbs? dust? clean a bathroom?
5. we put m&m's (& reese's pieces) on our wedding registry.
6. i have not gone shopping for jeans in 4-5 years because i don't want to be told i got fatter :)

i'm going to take my usual cop-out and say "play along if you want". you are all gorgeous people.

i've successfully hopped up and at 'em for a couple more early morning runs. wednesday i got in 5-mi of threshold goodness, although a little slow on the pace, but i'm chalking that up to my body "still adjusting" to 4:30am running. sounds like a legit excuse right? thursday i got up early again for an easy run. after working all day and driving home (to sc) thursday evening, i "slept in" friday and didn't run until about 8am. i'm seriously wondering if i am allergic to running because i practically broke out in hives on thursday's and friday's runs. i would have run further on friday but it was so uncomfortable and i just wanted to exfoliate with sandpaper; i needed to run home, pop an allergy pill, and cheerup my skin.

wednesday (3/3) am run: 8.3 miles, 1:06:38 (avg pace 8:02), avg hr (166), 28* (boo)
thursday (3/4) am run: 7.45 miles, 1:04:48 (avg pace 8:42), avg hr (150), 29*
friday (3/5) am run: 5.15 miles (w/ 3x enormous hill), 45:29 (avg pace 8:50), avg hr (155), 35*

sometimes i wonder why i am bothering with the early am running now. in less than two weeks the time will change and it will feel like 3:30am... i mean yikes. i know you are all dying to come run with me on march 15th.

i "slept in" again saturday (still woke up without an alarm before 8am) and wasn't feeling a run so i didn't. i did get out later in the afternoon and was rewarded with a sunny 59* - hello tanktop and shorts! bliss. no allergic-reaction today, whew.

saturday (3/6) afternoon run: 7.1 miles, 1:00:21 (avg pace 8:30), 59*

anyway it's been a busy but hopefully productive weekend. i took friday off from work in an attempt to *actually* do some wedding planning now that it's like 4-5 months away. master procrastinator, right here. i'm not stressing though, it'll all turn out fine.

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welcome to the 21st century

i want to be in kentucky when the end of the world comes, because it's always 20 years behind. - {mark twain}

today my temporary home in kentucky voted "yes" to beer/liquor sales. i gotta admit i'm a little surprised they pulled it off. apparently some of the locals think that alcohol sales + bars = strip clubs and mud/jello wrestling. yep, jello wrestling. so common. i mean i can't even remember the last weekend that didn't involve jello wrestling. i'm not sure what will impact the economy more - alcohol sales or jello sales?

anyway i'm not a big drinker so this doesn't impact my life, just reporting the exciting news here in smalltown, usa.

sunday night i had another bout of insomnia and didn't fall asleep until after 1:30am. not very compatible with my 4am alarm, so i slept the extra hour and a half instead of running. then i indulged in too many m&m's and didn't quite feel like running after work so monday became my off day - hopefully the only one for the week.

this morning i was up and at 'em bright and early for a 4:30am run. i got in an easy 7.25 miles before hopping in the shower and rushing off to work. i contemplated running again after work, but decided to strength train again. hopefully the doms won't be as bad this week.

tuesday (3/2) am run: 7.25 miles, 1:04:17 (avg pace 8:52), 34* (woot!)

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national m&m day

alas, march is here
choc'late's better in color
m's, you complete me

i'm declaring this national m&m day, so go out and indulge now! (don't worry lenten-sacrificers and those of you starting your own sugar-free-challenge, i will take care of your portions)

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