~ The Outdoor Type ~

With my hamstring under siege, I am trying hard to x-train a bit.  I really don’t have many options though.  I am not a member at a gym nor will I be any time soon.  It’s still a bit too cold to jump in the ocean for a swim and I don’t even have a stationary bike or elliptical in my apartment.  I do have some weights and a few workout tapes, but with my short attention span, there is very little really no chance that those workouts will get done.  Plus, I am an outdoorsy kinda gal.  If the weather permits my workouts will always be outside.

I’m a runner in my heart and soul.  It took me a long time to realize that if I want to continue running, I need to be a smart runner.  I need to listen to all the internal cues my body is throwing out at me.  My hamstring tried telling me a while back to lay low for a bit.  It really tried hard too…..I gave in and gave it a few days, only to feel the need to run again in my soul.  Hamstring yelled again.  And this time, I am listening more closely.

It’s been 7 days since I ran.  Well unless you count the 2 miles I ran yesterday in between 3 miles of walking.  Hamstring didn’t really yell loudly this time.  Hamstring said, go easy Michelle.  You have a race coming up on Sunday, don’t you?   Why, yes hamstring, yes I do and thanks for the friendly reminder.  I did do a lot of walking this past weekend.  10 miles between Friday and Saturday and then 5 on Sunday.  I also volunteered on Saturday for the NYRR Haiti Run and it was quite the experience.  Picture if you will, 9000 + runners all coming at you at once.  Well, I did get many thank you’s and high fives too.  I know it was hard for some of my friends to run a good race due to the sheer volume of runners but being it was for a great cause, I think you all did AWESOME.   So high five to all who ran.

When I awoke today, I knew that I was going to hop on my bike for a nice ride.  I planned it all out in my head.  I rode on over to the bike path with a very pretty view of the water and the Verazzano Narrows Bridge, which you can see above.  And for those of you running NYCM this year, that is the very first bridge you will cross.  In fact, that is the very start of the race.   It’s a beauty of a bridge, thats for sure.

So, for the first part of the ride, there was a horrid headwind and anybody riding a bike into headwind knows just how annoying that can feel.  Slow going and very cold.  My craving to feel the sun on my face and hands increased with each pedal stroke.  I knew I wasn’t going to log a fast ride, but I was giving it all I had.  Finally, at the turn around point, with the wind at my back and the sun beating down upon me, I was able to cruise along and it started feeling quite “zen” like.  All the troublesome thoughts floated out of my head, at least for the time being.  It was so enjoyable.  I only wish you were all along for the ride.  That would have made it perfect.

So, all in all I rode 15.10 miles in 1.27.26 which averaged to about 10.4 mph.  I don’t see myself getting any faster with the bike I am currently riding.  I need to get in some brick workouts before my duathlon in March.  Wow, that will be tough.  But, tough is my middle name.

My hamstring is very slowly starting to feel better.  I can now sit on the toilet seat with zero pain.  Yay for small victories huh?  I have a race on Sunday.  A 4 miler.  I am 98% sure I will run the thing.  BUT, I am not going to race it.  Fun run it.  Enjoy it.  Embrace it.  Love it and smile.

Today, after my ride I needed to make a phone call to Social Security for my mom.  Now, I am sure you all know the robot person at the other end asking all sorts of silly questions BEFORE you get to speak to a real live person right?  So, SheRobot asked me my first and last name and to spell it.  This is what robot woman came up with after I not only spelled it, but I yelled loudly into the phone:  Lachelle Jacibx.   I laughed and I cried at the sheer idiocy of the situation.

Some footage of the NYRR Haiti Run.

The Universe told me this today:

The more you find good in another, Michelle, the more you’ll find good in yourself. No matter who that “other” is. Happy, happy Monday – The Universe And my new favorite quote is: When you run, you log on to yourself. You flip through the pages of your being. Kevin Nelson, The Runner’s Book of Daily Inspiration What do you log into when you run?