100th post and Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That!

27 Dec

Happy Belated Merry ChristmaKwanzaKkah!
While I haven’t been writing, I have been running. Still taking it easy but still running a couple of times a week.

After my 12/14 run, I pulled a groin muscle. Well actually I officially pulled the muscle while trying to explain to a student how to do a sauté without injuring himself.  Is that snickering I hear?  But to my credit, the muscle had been tender since my morning run and doing the jump (even correctly) just pissed the poor muscle off.  (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! ) Anyway after that injury, it was either take the chance and run again the following morning, or give myself a break, which I did.

I picked it back up after about 4 days and it’s been fine since.  Thing I’ve learned through this experience, take a break if you need.  However, thing I apparently will never learn, take a lot more time in my warm up.  Patience and I really need to get better acquainted.

As an ode to overcoming that injury, giving it the rest, and not allowing it to break me, I present the lovely “Sweet Brown”.

Chat with you guys soon!

An anonymous black girl who thinks patience is a vengeful little B*&ch…

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Still alive…and r.u.n.n.i.n.g.

11 Dec

Image

While funny, this card is pretty much a true story every time I start running.  I wonder if that is what people mean by making your booty clap? 

So last week after my legs calmed down, I went back out.  Although it was only a 2.5 miler (basically 2 x 1 mile runs, plus some calm my heart down walking), the great thing was that I got out before one of the longest days of my week.  

At 7:30am on Saturday, my only day to sleep in, I awoke, ready to run.  Then I snoozed that damn alarm and went back to sleep.  However, the guilt woke me up 30 mins later and after laying in the bed wondering if I was crazy for about 45 mins, I decided I was and jumped up for the run.  The only thing I could muster up the energy to do was put my hair in a ponytail and put on my clothes.  I did brush my teeth, I think.  Ok, maybe, I didn’t.  But either way I was out of the house at 9:13.  

The street I live on is a 1.20 mile stretch with very steep .20 mile inclines on either end, so clearly the only smart decision was to walk up the incline and start running down hill.  However, to win back my brownie points the direction I run is a nice size incline already, so although my first .20 minutes of running was downhill, the rest was a nice climb.  And of course I stopped after a mile, which just by pure coincidence happened to occur right before the other steep incline.  While running, I definitely felt a little twinge in the left knee along with my hamstrings that were DYING trying to get up that friggin’ hill.  However, once I hit the second mile it was gravy since it’s all downhill from there.  

Thoughts I had during that run were:

…I F&^*ing hate hills…

…stop being a biotch left knee, and take it like a man…

…Wait! is that? omg, that is my a$$ going numb from all the jiggling…

…Great now I can’t stop singing “Jingling baby” by L L Cool J…

All and all, I was proud as a motherpatucker for doing it.  And although by 7:30pm that night I couldn’t stand up, I felt energized for most of the day.  

I don’t really want to go through the minute by minute of my Monday before-work run.  Let’s just say it was 40 degrees, and damp outside, which made it feel like about 30 and wet, so I decided to go the gym in my apartment and hike it on the treadmill.  I.DESPISE.TREADMILL.RUNNING!  Need I say more?  But I did it and never want to think about it again.

 As I get ready for bed, in an effort to wake up for my second run of the week,  I think to myself how happy I am when I am running.  The soreness I feel afterwards reminds me that I challenged myself to achieve something that I didn’t have the courage to do for the past 17 months.  I am working to let myself be ok with taking time before coming back into running and not looking at the break as a mental defeat.  I also am struggling to not make this time of getting back in about redeeming myself.  Truthfully, while I am proud I am running again, I didn’t fail before.  I took a break that I needed desperately.  The great thing about running which is similar to how I feel about dancing is it will always be there for me.  And while I might not be able to run as fast, as long as I am enjoying it, I am all good.  

Now, to sleep, so I have no excuses tomorrow.  

An anonymous black girl who is looking forward to her run tomorrow but not getting up in the morning to do it.

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Hello Running Gods, it’s me, Margaret!

5 Dec

Actually, it’s not Margaret. But I’m pretty sure that the running Gods have all but given up on me, so I figure I should pretend to be somebody else to get their attention.

Today, I decided that I have to stop avoiding the inevitable. I’ve been paying for this site for 18 months because I’m way too scared to say that I give up. I give in, to being, defeated by running. Here is my awful confession.

After my injury centuries ago, I tried several times to start again. I think my I-Phone is going to start denying my download requests of running apps because I’ve started and stopped so many. It all starts the same. I think, I can do this. I can do this. And then it dawns on me I can’t continue because I am scared poopless that I will have to stop again and let everyone myself down.

But everyday I think about running. When I see people running on the street I curse them and then my knees. And I really curse, the extra bottom booty I’ve gained from my failed relationship with running. I miss it something awfully. And so here I am wondering how I can get back into this thing that I soooo hated years ago but that I now faithfully covet like my neighbors hot husband.

And oh, I should mention, I’ve had some signs from the Gods. One, is I received an email from a producer on an nationally syndicated show, requesting the use of one of my original pictures for its site. That pic has been on the site for years, and to think someone thought it was interesting enough to publish on a show. It was of my sweaty crotch after running. Yes, I do know, my crotch is famous. I would offer an autograph but that sounds like a line from a porn movie, so I’ll pass.

The second message from above came, when a rep from a fitness store http://www.hoorags.com asked if I’d be willing to review one of their products. Ps. I haven’t written back yet, but I will hope to be reviewing one of those very soon. And I figure it’d be awful to get their product and only use it at my sporadic gym workout or while teaching dance class. So clearly, its time to start running again…right?

So here I am. And now, what do I do?

First things first, I know I work better having race goals BUT I also think as someone that has failed a few that it’s my biggest hurdle to overcome. So I don’t want to start with a race goal. I just want to be ok running 2-3 days a week. And I need to be ok with whatever my body is comfortable with running. Today, my very first day back, my body decided that was 2×1 mile, with a .25 walk break in between. When I got home after finishing my run and spending 15 minutes in the gym stretching my daughter said “dang that was fast!” I could have taken that as a complement but my running guilt took it to mean, “you know you need to take your butt back outside.”. But that’s ok, in time it might happen. For right now, I’m just enjoying the soreness…that I’ve not felt in a really long time.

I miss you all so much!!

-an anonymous black girl who is smiling at the return of the uncomfortable running soreness

More info on Bgirl’s Body

8 Mar

Hey All,

Thanks so much to all of you for your amazing votes of confidence and asking all the good questions.  I figured it’d be easier to answer in one swoop, so here it is…a quick rundown of what is going on and what I am doing about it.  I am trying to not visit the doctor because I have been x-rayed a bazillion times this year, and that’s just not healthy.  So if push come to shove, I will go but I just hate going there to only find that I need to rest.  Geez, doc thanks!

As someone who has studied group fitness, danced forever, and taught a bazillion classes, I usually can tell the difference between pain and soreness.  Currently, I am just extremely sore.  However, when I run, I feel dull aches on the outside of my right knee, and occasionally my left, but never at the same time.  Directly after running, my knees get extremely stiff and when I move them it feels like I shouldn’t be moving.  Hard to explain but it feels wrong.  When I run, I don’t feel like I am being super heavy on my feet but I don’t feel like I have any cushion and unless I’m running on mud it feels like pounding on my legs.  As a result, I notice myself not stretching my legs as much and have found that my hip-flexors are feeling tighter than normal. 

I have had my feet checked at a specialty footwear store a year ago, but it is quite possible I need new shoes already.  I’ll have to defer to you all on that.  I started to stop by the store on my way home today.  However, I think I’m going to try a different store, just in case the place I went to before led me astray.  And I figure I can take my shoes with me and ask them if they see any excessive wear.

I am prone to kidney stones and prior to running I was ordered by my doctor to drink 100 ounces of water per day.  I drink about 60, not because I am being stubborn, I just forget.  Damn it, it’s a lot of water. 

I don’t eat particularly healthy or bad.  I used to “forget” to eat but have gotten better now that I am running.  I get sooooo hungry that my stomach has learned to say “Bitch, feed me” when it wants to eat.  I am a pesca-turkey-tarian.  I don’t eat red meat, pork, or chicken.  But I do eat a lot of beans and nuts in addition to my pesca-turkey. 

I do not sleep enough simply because I have two jobs and about 120 people needing things from me every day.  I hate disappointing people, so I do all that I can to get people what they need.  As a result, I sleep very little and never have a chance to have sex.  (TMI, I realize but just saying…COBWEBS!)

Since, REST is not realistic, I try to remember to ICE and ELEVATE after the more painful runs.  The other day, I tried wearing my old knee brace but apparently my knees have grown since then and putting that thing on was like squeezing “big” Oprah in a size two pair of Seven jeans.  So I forego that torture. 

A couple of months ago a student brought me some glucosamine chondroitin, which seemed to help.  The only problem was it gave me so much gas, it was UNBELIEVABLE!  So I stopped. 

Outside of that, I don’t know what else I can do but I am trying to be patient with my body, positive about the experience, and confident that whatever happens, I will be ok knowing I did the best I could have.  

Thanks for writing, and reading, and supporting.  I will get through this and if I don’t, just think of all the funny stories you will have to read =P

Hope your runs are going better than mine!

bgirl875

Reekly WE-Cap, Week 8

7 Mar

Part two of, who am I kidding? 

Number of miles ran: 15.5

Workout thought for Monday: My body feels like crap on a stick.  Why am I doing this?  Should I be ignoring this pain? This can’t be normal.  Thank God for my Laptop and my What’s Happening DVD. 

Workout thought for Tuesday: Talk to me just a little longer friend.  No seriously, in order to get myself through the torture, I had to call and make a friend of mine talk to me.  We had nothing at all to talk about, but even hearing her breath was better than thinking about running.  Damn, this sounds negative!

Workout thought for Wednesday: This should have been my strength training day, I did one plank and rolled on the ball for like 3 mins, and decided I just couldn’t do it.  I have no idea where my motivation is this week or why I am in so much pain but I just couldn’t push through it and thus, I decided I only deserve a PB&J sandwich for dinner that night.  Oh, and one adult beverage with a friend I hadn’t seen in forever.  

Workout thought for Thursday: The next day, I read a billion running websites, until I read one that said what I needed it to say; that it’s ok for me to skip a workout or two if I needed.  So I skipped today.  I figure if I made myself do it, I was going to have 3 runs that week that made me question everything there was to question about why I run.  I didn’t need the negativity, so I let my body rest and promised myself I would do my 8 miler this weekend.  Jesus, help me now!!!

Workout thought for Saturday: On Friday night, after stalking the group run site, I decided I didn’t want to run with the group.  Reason number one, they were doing a trail run and I was nervous about having my first 8 miler be on a new surface.  And two, because I saw not one person on the list that was running anywhere near my distance, and wasn’t going to run along in an unpaved trail.  So I set my alarm at 8:45 am planning to get out at 9am.  At 10:51, I was out the door.  Was that laughter I just heard?

The first two miles were difficult.  However, when I decided to focus on my posture and pick up my speed I had two miles of really kick ass running.  Averaged about a 9:10 pace and it felt GOOD!  I began to think, does my body just not like running at slower paces?  Are they harder on my body?  Why does it hurt so much to run slower?  And how does increasing my speed make it so much easier?  And most importantly, which running God do I need to screw to be able to gain the stamina to run more that three miles at that speed?

Around mile 5, I decided to try the new Clif Gel I bought at Whole Foods, because I was starting to tire and the PB and Crackers I had before the run, was starting to wear off.  First thought…it tastes like crap.  It’s like swallowing snot or some other bodily function I won’t mention.  The consistency is whackadocious and the taste is hideous.  Rasberry was more like Ras-butt.  Second thought, 2 miles later, damn, I have to poop. 

At 6 miles into the run, I realized two thing.  The Clif Gel did NOTHING for me.  And I am completely spent.  I passed the next couple of minutes talking myself out of stopping.  Would I fail if I stopped?  Would I be able to start back up again?  Do I have money for a cab?  Long story short, I didn’t stop, I got all the way to eight miles, walked for two minutes and took a break to stretch.  Then I started to walk the next half mile to my car.  BAD F&*KING IDEA!  My legs were stiff as boards, and my knees were on fire.  And to top it off, it was allllllllll UPHILL!  I have never really like the FML phrase, I find it self-pitying and whiny.  However, if I’ve ever had a moment where it fit perfectly, this would be it. 

When I finally got back to the car and finally home, I soaked in a tub for 35 minutes.  And today, I am STILL SORE.  FML!!!!

What’s on my I-Phone radio while running: I decided to go back to my roots and rock my Janet Jackson Pandora Station this week.  However, when I was soaking in the tub, I dialed up my Luther Vandross Pandora Station.  Pure heaven!

The song that saved my butt this week: My Loving (Never Gonna Get It) by En Vogue

Low moment: See Wednesday and Thursday ={

High Moment: I finished 8 miles and didn’t die!

End of the week thought: Serious business, I am contemplating pushing my half back.  I feel like I am NOT ready.  I know you guys tell me I can do it, and I do think I can but I am in so much pain and my body doesn’t seem to be getting used to it.  I keep icing and everything and I am still in pain.  I think my body is trying to tell me something…am I being too stubborn to listen? Or are my expectations of enjoying this process not realistic?  I guess the biggest thing is I need to get back to the place where running doesn’t feel like a really bad chore.  Like washing dirty dishes or cleaning the toilet or having sex with your partner when you really do have a headache.  Ughhhh!!!

Anywho, I am going to adjust my training schedule this week just to catch up.  This weekend calls for a 10k test run instead of a long run.  But since I only did 15 miles last week,  I am going to try my 9 miler this week.  And maybe do the 10k next week.  Wish me luck! and send PILLLLLLS!  STRONG ones!!!

An anonymous black girl who really wants to love to run again ={

Ahem…I suck!

28 Feb

Yep, I know. You were thinking it, you just never
wrote it. I got really busy BUT I still ran and
completed ALL my training, and I’m still alive (though
barely). I don’t want to spend the next 3 hours
catching up on the posts, so I’ll just give you a quick update
per week. Week Six-13.1miles Started crappy, ended well.
Basically I got up on Monday and decided I just couldn’t bring
myself to running, after the 6 miler on Sunday. So I
decided I would do it Tuesday, and on Wednesday, I would catch
up by doing a 2.5 mile easy run plus strength training. And I
did it, surprisingly. My shining accomplishment was spending
a total of 270 seconds in a plank. On the Saturday, instead
of having a long run, my training called for a 5k, but there was
not one race scheduled for that weekend. And there was a
“fire-weather” warning outside, so I decided to do my 5k on the
tread. This was pretty difficult to determine if I was going
as fast as I could, but either way, I completed it in 27:40.
According to my training
guidelines, this means I should be able to run the half
in less than 2:08 hours. Now, I’m not trying to be a Negative
Ne-Ne Nancy
Nelly but that would only happen if I switched my body
with that of “Speed Racers.” Also, I enjoy the
little things in life like walking and would like to be able to do
so after this race. S00000, I’m still keeping my goal at what
I think is reasonable. But I’ll keep that to myself to ensure
I won’t publicly fail. Week Seven-19 miles Now last week, I thought
that I had something going with this moving my Monday training to
Tuesday and coupling my Tuesday training with my strength
work. However, this week that plan sucked. By Saturday,
my legs were crazy on fire, and I was NOT prepared for Saturday’s
run of 7 miles, which is the “longest I’ve ever run.” Ps, you
might want to get used to that phrase because every long run I have
from here until the race, will be the “longest I’ve ever
run.” Anyway, I decided on Friday night in all my agony, that
unless I made some grandiose plan to run, it wasn’t going to
happen. So, at 1:30am I searched and searched until I found a
group of fellow runners with whom I could be accountable to with my
miles. So I headed out 7 hours later to meetup with 35
runners to head from George Washington Parkway to the National Mall
and back. After getting lost as I ALWAYS do in Virginia (I
hate driving in VA), I finally arrived with 1 minute to
spare. Immediately, two ladies walked up to me that looked
just as lost as I did and said “Are you new too?” and we
became running partners for the day. I found out quickly that
we had a moderately hilly route (just what my knees
needed…NOT!) and that their saying they ran about 10-11 min
miles, was a lie. Several thoughts went through my head
during that run. I’ll sum them up by saying I left it feeling
very unsure about whether I will be able to do a half marathon
EVER. Today my legs are in so much pain, my right knee
is in agony, and I want to throw a 3-year-old style
tantrum every time I think about having to run again
tomorrow. I don’t know if it was the change in schedule-run
Tue, Wed, Thurs, plus strength training, with only one rest day in
between. Or whether it was running the 7 and then
being convinced to do an additional mile back to the car by my new
buddy that really wanted to get 8.5 in that day. Or whether I
am just getting old. But I’m seriously doubting myself, and
it SUCKS SOOOOO BAD. I really need you
all to tell me everyone went through this their first time.
Or that when I wake up tomorrow, my knee will feel no pain
whatsoever. Or that there is a miracle cure that I can take
to make it all better. Ps, in my depress-ness, I ate a huge
chunk of Red Velvet cake, two cupcakes, two donuts, and an entire
Dairy Milk Cadbury bar this weekend. Which means that if I
don’t run tomorrow, I will have yet another dimple added to my ass
by Tuesday and my life will officially suck.
HELLLLLLLLP! An anonymous black girl who doesn’t like sucking
(I chuckled a little bit at that last line…it made me smile…but
now I am sad again…help!)

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Reek-ly WE-cap, Week Five

14 Feb

“everybody here get it out of control, get your backs off the wall ’cause misdemeanor said so”. This song is stuck in my head from a crazy rehearsal with 49 kids. I am hoping by putting it in the universe, I will pass it on to someone else. I am sorry in advance =(

Anyway, here ya go.

Number of miles ran: 16

Workout thought for Monday: Suck you, Mondays, with a capital F! Clearly, I’m still stuck with the doggone Monday running blues.

Workout thought for Tuesday: Loving this 2 mile stuff. I could do this forever, or two miles, whichever comes first.

Workout thought for Wednesday: I decided the only way I will commit to my strength training on Wednesdays is to add an entry for Wednesday. And now that I’ve done that, I will start strength training on Wednesday of next week =P

Workout thought for Thursday: What the HILL? First hill workout on a treadmill. My legs hate me STILL! .25 mile increments at increasing slopes and speeds with a .10 speed walk in between (also on a slope). The sad part is I had to alternate walking during my breaks. The great part is I still averaged only half a minute off my goal pace. I’ll take it.

Workout thought for Saturday: Treadmill running sucks kangaroo butt…So after about 7 hours of deliberation, I went outside! I wish that I had a reality show so that you guys could be entertained by all the research one does to find an excuse to get out of the longest run she has EVER taken. I am sure you have been there but I figure a list wouldn’t hurt. So here is a day in the life of a lazy a$$ BG trying to get out of running.
1. Wake up at 9, 10, and 11 and check weather each times to see when it will be the warmest.
2. Put on running clothes during late morning errand to see if it will be TOO COLD to run.
3. Check the wind speed, for each hour from 11-5pm.
4. Google search to find some info about what constitutes a breezy versus really windy day, because I just CAN’T run when it is really windy.
5. Check sunset times for the day to determine if I can still run before it gets dark.
6. Google search tips on how to run safely outdoors.
7. Google search to find out if pepper spray works on rabid dogs, foxes, and bears, because we all know I am going to run into one, if not all of those.
8. Getting on the toilet three times to be sure I didn’t have to potty.

Finally at 4:15 (1:26 minutes before sunset) I head out alone in Rock Creek Park. It was a great run, 6 miles in 1:05 hours. Only 5 minutes over my “in my dreams” half marathon goal pace. The best part of the run was me developing a skit in my head of how I would play Dorothy getting caught up in the tornado that relocated her to the Wonderful World of Oz. This seems random, but not much because for 300 meters of my run the wind was so out of control, I literally saw the Wicked Witch pass me on her broom. Oh, the horror!

What’s on my I-Phone radio while running: Ciara Pandora Station again, baby, baby, uh!

The song that saved my butt this week: Lose my Breath by Destiny’s Child.

Low moment: 9am-4:14pm Saturday, see above.

High Moment: 4:15-5:20pm on Saturday, see above.

End of the week thought: I LOVE RUNNING OUTDOORS!!! And, apparently I did just need to wash my new running pants =P Thanks Morgan!

Hope all of your runs went well!

An anonymous black girl who is really sleepy AGAIN!

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