Happy Birthdays & Workout Recap 12/29/14-1/4/15

 

We need to wish two important people a very happy birthday today….

Happy Birthday to my cousin Amy who you may know as my cousin who just ran the New York City Marathon and has already decided to run it again next year.

She doesn’t have a blog but her race recap was one the most positive and inspiring NYCM recaps I heard.

She was just so happy to be running the marathon that the wind and negative stuff that I read in so many recaps were not included in her details at all.

And then there’s someone else special to me celebrating a big 30th birthday today who may be special to you too!

You know Amanda, right? Our favorite Running With Spoons blogger who hosts our Thinking Out Loud Thursday fun?

Amanda is one of my closest friends (like my day is off-balance if for some reason we don’t speak first thing in the morning) and sometimes I forget that we have never even met in person.

I also forget that she lives across the country and then north of the border so sending her these nut-free cupcakes was going to be a real challenge which is why I simply took a picture of them while in Eleni’s Bakery and texted it to her because it’s the thought that counts.

I sent her something that wouldn’t spoil or mush and can’t wait for her to receive it in the mail. I want to tell you what I sent because I am tired of keeping it to myself but I don’t want to ruin her surprise, okay?

If you don’t already follow her blog, I think that you should. Not just because she’s one of my most favorite people but because she has lots of terrific recipes and always a strong message to take away from her posts.

Click here to check out her top recipes from 2014.

On to my workouts from the past week…

 

*Monday*

8 Miles & Gigabody Balance (11 minutes)

This 8 mile run should really be classified as two separate 4 mile runs and here’s why:

The first four miles were awful.

I want to use worse words than awful but I try to be ladylike and respectful most of the time so please take awful as my version of every explicit word in the book.

The first mile was okay until that annoying top of the foot shin-splint feeling started in my left foot which had me stopping to stretch, walk and adjust my laces more times than I wish to discuss.

I slowed my pace plenty and told myself that if things didn’t start to flow all sunshine and unicorns as they normally do by mile four then I would go home.

I went home at mile four but that was to use the bathroom because of course I was about to wet my pants otherwise.

It was just one of those runs.

But before making that bathroom stop, I was starting to feel normal which meant no way was I staying home.

The next four miles were a totally different run. I can’t even explain it but everything felt normal, the feeling in my foot disappeared and my pace returned to comfortable-quick. I could have gone on forever.

 

*Tuesday*

Pure Barre DVD & 6 Miles

Can you please remind me that I need two-pound weights? I only have a set of five-pound weights which may sound like nothing to you but they are super heavy when working your arms with Pure Barre.

My run was much better than Monday, as in, no pain in my shin/foot at all.

I had gotten so caught up in loving my fresh pair of Energy Boosts that I stopped rotating my running shoes so I made sure to begin rotating again thinking maybe it would help whatever was starting to go on with that annoying feeling in my foot.

I also used KT Tape for my left shin as a precautionary measure.

I love KT Tape and always have it on hand for emergencies. I haven’t needed it in quite some time and don’t even know if that is what helped my foot but just knowing I have a roll of the tape available to me is a comforting feeling.

*Wednesday*

Gigabody Barre Strength & 7 Miles

Yay for another day without that silly shin splint foot pain! I didn’t feel a thing other than great for this run.

I went easy but easy today was like a full minute faster than easy yesterday. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

*Thursday*

Pure Barre DVD (Mile High Series) & 5.30 Miles

I am rotating the Pure Barre DVD series in case you are wondering. One day from The Studio Series and the next time the Mile High. Mile High is shorter, slightly easier (in a burning sort of way) and leaves out the arm-weight section which I don’t want to overdo.

My arms are really sensitive. I don’t mention it often but between the random shoulder injury in 2013 and nerve pain in the past from Shingles, I don’t overwork my arms to keep things kosher, if you know what I mean.

*Friday*

55 Minutes Elliptical

Because sometimes you just have to make yourself cross train even though you prefer to run.

*Saturday*

15 Miles

Looking back on this recap, I forgot I even had the shin splint pain at the beginning of the week. Funny how that happens.

Nothing much to report here, just a routine long run where I tried to listen to whatever Pandora radio threw at me rather than clicking the thumbs down button over and over.

It’s like Pandora has a personality and gets mad if you don’t like the music selection. I notice if I click that thumb down too many times that it not only stops me from changing the song but starts playing terrible music, even worse than before.

*Sunday*

Pure Barre DVD

 

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

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Have you ever used KT Tape?

Are you a constant radio station changer like me?

Are you good about rotating your running shoes on a regular basis?

Best thing you ate all weekend so far? Sushi!