Half Marathon Training Plan: Week #4
Mar. 7th, 2011 07:45 amWeek #4 of Sev's Half-Marathon Training Plan:
This was a pretty bad week for running. I had no energy anywhere; every single run felt like a giant slog rather than a workout of any kind. I was super lethargic and none of the runs felt good at all.
I kept my pace slow and thus my asthma under control, so I will count that as a win, or a partial win.
Part of the slow feeling was due to my needing new shoes (and then getting new shoes - I don't sprint in new shoes until I've run in them once or twice), which hopefully I've taken care of. I also plan to start doing the long run on Sundays. Doing it on Friday - after however many hours of lab - is starting to be a pretty bad idea.
Week #5 goals:
I am pretty sure my body's telling me that I need a rest week. I need to hang on until next weekend, the 18th, because that's when I'll be going to my parents' house to celebrate my dad's birthday (which was in February). I can take a rest week then.
| Tempo Run | Long Run | Easy Recovery Run | total | target | |
| Week #1 | 3.07 mi | 5.4 mi | 3.2 mi | 11.67 mi | 11 mi |
| Week #2 | 3.5 mi | 4.85 mi | 3.64 mi | 12 mi | 12 mi |
| Week #3 | 4 mi | 6.6 mi | 3.3 mi | 13.9 mi | 13.3 mi |
| Week #4 | 3.87 mi | 7.5 mi | 3.3 mi | 14.67 mi | 14.6 mi |
This was a pretty bad week for running. I had no energy anywhere; every single run felt like a giant slog rather than a workout of any kind. I was super lethargic and none of the runs felt good at all.
I kept my pace slow and thus my asthma under control, so I will count that as a win, or a partial win.
Part of the slow feeling was due to my needing new shoes (and then getting new shoes - I don't sprint in new shoes until I've run in them once or twice), which hopefully I've taken care of. I also plan to start doing the long run on Sundays. Doing it on Friday - after however many hours of lab - is starting to be a pretty bad idea.
Week #5 goals:
- 16 miles total
- 90 minute long run, >8 miles slow.
I am pretty sure my body's telling me that I need a rest week. I need to hang on until next weekend, the 18th, because that's when I'll be going to my parents' house to celebrate my dad's birthday (which was in February). I can take a rest week then.
Man oh man
Mar. 6th, 2011 12:08 pmSo there are two things I have been meaning to post on for the last week. One is unions. The other is crafting, specifically knitting. Instead, today I'm going to post about running shoes.
Last Friday when I did my long run (7.5 mi), my feet hurt. Pretty badly. Frankly my everything hurt - it was a long run at the end of a long day of being on my feet at the end of a long 50 hour week. But my feet were incredibly sore and I'm pretty sure that means I need new shoes.
You're supposed to get new shoes every couple hundred miles, when you're running this much, or you can hurt yourself. So I'm pretty sure it's about that time.
I went to Dick's and tried on a pair that was incredibly comfortable, but they did not look like running shoes - more like trail runners, maybe, or even hiking shoes (not boots at all!)? They were - thin, light and thin and a lot more fitted to the foot. Merrell Siren Stretch, which apparently has a Vibram sole (Vibram being the company of the Five Fingers, aka, the running shoe that looks like a toesock). They weren't normal sneakers with the bulk and the sole and the cushioning, but hello, they were so comfortable.
I was pretty worried about getting them, even though they were comfy as hell, because I didn't want to get a shoe that didn't have the right support for something as high-impact as running. I found another pair of (traditional) running sneakers I really loved - a pair of Brooks Adrenaline, which I've seen get really good reviews before.
Then I found out that the Dick's return policy is 90 days, with receipt, light wear and tear totally okay. So I bought them both and plan to try them out - on the treadmill, for light wear and tear - for a week each to see which I like better and/or if it is worth keeping both.
I am sure you can tell by this post what an exciting weekend it has been. :/
Last Friday when I did my long run (7.5 mi), my feet hurt. Pretty badly. Frankly my everything hurt - it was a long run at the end of a long day of being on my feet at the end of a long 50 hour week. But my feet were incredibly sore and I'm pretty sure that means I need new shoes.
You're supposed to get new shoes every couple hundred miles, when you're running this much, or you can hurt yourself. So I'm pretty sure it's about that time.
I went to Dick's and tried on a pair that was incredibly comfortable, but they did not look like running shoes - more like trail runners, maybe, or even hiking shoes (not boots at all!)? They were - thin, light and thin and a lot more fitted to the foot. Merrell Siren Stretch, which apparently has a Vibram sole (Vibram being the company of the Five Fingers, aka, the running shoe that looks like a toesock). They weren't normal sneakers with the bulk and the sole and the cushioning, but hello, they were so comfortable.
I was pretty worried about getting them, even though they were comfy as hell, because I didn't want to get a shoe that didn't have the right support for something as high-impact as running. I found another pair of (traditional) running sneakers I really loved - a pair of Brooks Adrenaline, which I've seen get really good reviews before.
Then I found out that the Dick's return policy is 90 days, with receipt, light wear and tear totally okay. So I bought them both and plan to try them out - on the treadmill, for light wear and tear - for a week each to see which I like better and/or if it is worth keeping both.
I am sure you can tell by this post what an exciting weekend it has been. :/
Running, Week #3
Feb. 28th, 2011 11:28 amIt's time for your weekly edition of How To Train For A Half Marathon With Only Three Runs Per Week.
Week #3 of Sev's Half-Marathon Training Plan:
My weekly mileage is over the half marathon distance. Hooray! (It's actually 14.63 miles if I count all my warm-ups and cooldowns, but I don't really want to do that.)
This week's runs went really well. When I did my recovery run, my heart rate didn't go over 166 bpm and actually averaged around 156, which is my goal with the easy recovery runs. It's nice to see my heart rate finally start to stay down on easy runs, since that's the point of an easy run (gaining max fitness at lower HR levels). I managed to stick to an 11-min mile for my long run and it felt really good.
One thing I need to work on is my cadence. I've read that it's more efficient to take shorter strides, because you waste less of your energy bringing your foot in front of your center of balance (which breaks momentum). When I did my easy recovery run this week, I worked on keeping my cadence at around 85 (~170 spm). I'm not sure if that was what helped the run feel so easy or not, but it's probably a good thing to work on. My average cadence for long runs is only 79 (~160 spm).
I wish my lungs didn't hate the cold so much.
Week #3 of Sev's Half-Marathon Training Plan:
| Tempo Run | Long Run | Easy Recovery Run | total |
| 4 mi | 6.6 mi | 3.3 mi | 13.9 mi |
| warmup, 4x (5 min tempo, 1.5 min easy), cooldown | ~70 min running, slow pace (~11min/mi) | medium pace (~10min/mi) | |
| Crosstraining: yoga (1 day) and weight training (1 day) | |||
My weekly mileage is over the half marathon distance. Hooray! (It's actually 14.63 miles if I count all my warm-ups and cooldowns, but I don't really want to do that.)
This week's runs went really well. When I did my recovery run, my heart rate didn't go over 166 bpm and actually averaged around 156, which is my goal with the easy recovery runs. It's nice to see my heart rate finally start to stay down on easy runs, since that's the point of an easy run (gaining max fitness at lower HR levels). I managed to stick to an 11-min mile for my long run and it felt really good.
One thing I need to work on is my cadence. I've read that it's more efficient to take shorter strides, because you waste less of your energy bringing your foot in front of your center of balance (which breaks momentum). When I did my easy recovery run this week, I worked on keeping my cadence at around 85 (~170 spm). I'm not sure if that was what helped the run feel so easy or not, but it's probably a good thing to work on. My average cadence for long runs is only 79 (~160 spm).
I wish my lungs didn't hate the cold so much.
First of all: This week I ran 12.76 miles. I actually ran about 13.5, total, because I did a couple laps of jogging while calibrating my Garmin FR60 plus calibration was off for my longest run, but 12.76 is the official number and that's what I'll report for now.
On Friday I had what I think is the worst run I have had all year. The sun was out and I was out of lab early; that's enough to make a girl forget she's carrying around a friendly disability for which COLD and EXERCISE are her two main triggers. Sun! In Akron! No lab! No wonder I went crazy. It is still February, and it was nowhere near warm enough to run, for two reasons:
I got back to my car - somehow - and cried for about 5 minutes because it felt like I was breathing knives, not air. Good times. I'm not even going to share this run here, although you can find it by clicking around my Garmin site.
I ended up pulling 4.85 miles out of it, though. The tracker says 4.6mi but I had calibrated the footpod entirely wrong prior to the run. DID YOU KNOW? The difference between the inner and outer lane on a track is pretty substantial. I knew there was a difference - obviously; it's math - but I did not realize the difference was so significant. It is. I thought it was a couple meters or so -- try 50. LOL.
Today I went back and recalibrated the footpod to the high school track - the INNER lane - jogged, did it again, repeated, until I was SURE the calibration was as correct as the track was. Then I somehow pulled this run out of my ass:
3.3 miles at a <9:50 pace with my heart rate hovering around 165 and never over 170? And my lungs not feeling like death afterwards? I almost am afraid I calibrated the footpod incorrectly, but it was a freaking track and I repeated it. I am such an engineer. I WANT MY DATA TO MATCH LOLZ. Turns out - after some research on my part - treadmills aren't that accurate. Which makes me feel a lot better about all the times last year I felt like I was going faster or slower for like no particular reason.
So, successful training week overall. Maybe I didn't get my long run where I wanted it to be, but I, uh, reconfirmed some of my weaknesses to myself (cold; running outdoors; shitty terrain) and I kept my total miles close to where they should be. I'll do a longer run this week and make up for it. Tuesday's tempo run was good, too, so I'm progressing overall. Just made a mistake this week. Oh well.
On Friday I had what I think is the worst run I have had all year. The sun was out and I was out of lab early; that's enough to make a girl forget she's carrying around a friendly disability for which COLD and EXERCISE are her two main triggers. Sun! In Akron! No lab! No wonder I went crazy. It is still February, and it was nowhere near warm enough to run, for two reasons:
- The trail I wanted to run alternated between 3-inch-deep mud and sheet ice.
- At about 3.3 miles I had a whopper of an asthma attack. This is probably because the first mile and a half of the run was me trying frantically to keep my balance on ICE and MUD and SLUSH before I gave up and went to road; my heart rate was way too high and once it spikes it doesn't come down. The rest of the run was as agonizing as you can possibly think.
I got back to my car - somehow - and cried for about 5 minutes because it felt like I was breathing knives, not air. Good times. I'm not even going to share this run here, although you can find it by clicking around my Garmin site.
I ended up pulling 4.85 miles out of it, though. The tracker says 4.6mi but I had calibrated the footpod entirely wrong prior to the run. DID YOU KNOW? The difference between the inner and outer lane on a track is pretty substantial. I knew there was a difference - obviously; it's math - but I did not realize the difference was so significant. It is. I thought it was a couple meters or so -- try 50. LOL.
Today I went back and recalibrated the footpod to the high school track - the INNER lane - jogged, did it again, repeated, until I was SURE the calibration was as correct as the track was. Then I somehow pulled this run out of my ass:
3.3 miles at a <9:50 pace with my heart rate hovering around 165 and never over 170? And my lungs not feeling like death afterwards? I almost am afraid I calibrated the footpod incorrectly, but it was a freaking track and I repeated it. I am such an engineer. I WANT MY DATA TO MATCH LOLZ. Turns out - after some research on my part - treadmills aren't that accurate. Which makes me feel a lot better about all the times last year I felt like I was going faster or slower for like no particular reason.
So, successful training week overall. Maybe I didn't get my long run where I wanted it to be, but I, uh, reconfirmed some of my weaknesses to myself (cold; running outdoors; shitty terrain) and I kept my total miles close to where they should be. I'll do a longer run this week and make up for it. Tuesday's tempo run was good, too, so I'm progressing overall. Just made a mistake this week. Oh well.
So today's lab was probably the worst thing I've ever experienced, and I'm missing two potentially awesome social events tonight to sit at home and write last week's lab report, and I look like a truly unfortunate hobo right now as I'm dressed in varying shades of brown and grey, none of which match (I am counting 3 different browns and 3 variations on dirt-grey, I am a winner) -- so why am I in such a good mood?
Let me show you.
or click here.
So the fabulous![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jennyclarinet and I are training to run a half-marathon in May. I wouldn't be Sev if I didn't research the hell out of running a half (WHAT DO I DO FOR A LIVING, LADEEZ AND GENTS? THIS IS WHY), and in my research, I've found some interesting things I wish I'd known last year when training for the relay (which was, mind you, "only" 8 miles, not 13.1).
I've constructed a training plan for myself, cobbled out of multiple plans I've found online and a lot of advice and comment threads from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
runners - which is a super useful community by the way - and because of that, about once a week I'm going to update the training plan here and talk about it for a while.
So here it comes: Sev Dragomire's Training Plan For A Fuckass Half Marathon.
( Here we go! )
I just did 5.4 miles today, in 60 minutes. Yes, that's slow; that's the point. My heart rate averaged around 158 bpm (max 168). This is all good. And at the end of it: my legs hurt, but my lungs were perfectly happy, my chest didn't feel like exploding, and I felt like I could've taken a walk break for some water and come back for more miles. It was that good. That didn't happen last year. Already, this is better.
So February's goal is going to be lots of long slow miles. March's goal is going to be to continue to increase mileage, while upping the tempo/interval intensity. April's goal will be more speed work - upping the speed of those long runs, and more tempos/intervals/hills. By May, I'll be tapering for the race. This is my overall plan!
So, my goals for the marathon are, by increasing difficulty (and I have multiple goals so that I'm not horribly disappointed if class eats all of my free time and I can't make the hard ones):
And my goals for the month of February are:
Let me show you.
or click here.
So the fabulous
jennyclarinet and I are training to run a half-marathon in May. I wouldn't be Sev if I didn't research the hell out of running a half (WHAT DO I DO FOR A LIVING, LADEEZ AND GENTS? THIS IS WHY), and in my research, I've found some interesting things I wish I'd known last year when training for the relay (which was, mind you, "only" 8 miles, not 13.1).I've constructed a training plan for myself, cobbled out of multiple plans I've found online and a lot of advice and comment threads from
runners - which is a super useful community by the way - and because of that, about once a week I'm going to update the training plan here and talk about it for a while.So here it comes: Sev Dragomire's Training Plan For A Fuckass Half Marathon.
( Here we go! )
I just did 5.4 miles today, in 60 minutes. Yes, that's slow; that's the point. My heart rate averaged around 158 bpm (max 168). This is all good. And at the end of it: my legs hurt, but my lungs were perfectly happy, my chest didn't feel like exploding, and I felt like I could've taken a walk break for some water and come back for more miles. It was that good. That didn't happen last year. Already, this is better.
So February's goal is going to be lots of long slow miles. March's goal is going to be to continue to increase mileage, while upping the tempo/interval intensity. April's goal will be more speed work - upping the speed of those long runs, and more tempos/intervals/hills. By May, I'll be tapering for the race. This is my overall plan!
So, my goals for the marathon are, by increasing difficulty (and I have multiple goals so that I'm not horribly disappointed if class eats all of my free time and I can't make the hard ones):
- Finish, without having to walk.
- Finish at an 11-minute mile pace.
- Finish at a 10-minute mile pace.
- Finish in 2 hours.
And my goals for the month of February are:
- 4 tempo runs, building up to 20 min @ tempo (1/4 done)
- Get long slow run time up to 90 minutes *or* 8 miles (60/90 min, 5.4/8 miles)
- Get weekly mileage around 13-16 miles, depending on how the former two points go
- Not get sick or injured, ha ha - I know I don't have exact and entire control over this, so "within reason"
- The FFDQ on capslock_ff is up and running again. Be sure to take a look. :D
- DOINK! Coming soon to a community near you! Who's excited?
- Ohayocon: this weekend! :D
- The person interested in Goldbug fell through. Does anyone want to buy a 2000 Honda Civic? He's real friendly.
- Ran intervals last night. It's interesting to me how different the treadmill speeds are. This one was slower.
- I'm exhausted.
capslock_ff is up and running again. Be sure to take a look. :D- DOINK! Coming soon to a community near you! Who's excited?
- Ohayocon: this weekend! :D
- The person interested in Goldbug fell through. Does anyone want to buy a 2000 Honda Civic? He's real friendly.
- Ran intervals last night. It's interesting to me how different the treadmill speeds are. This one was slower.
- I'm exhausted.
Garmin's FR60
Jan. 13th, 2011 09:35 pmOK, this was almost an exhausted, whiny, and probably vaguely emo post. But I have CHARTS to share with you all...
This is a TERRIBLE run to be sharing, so I'm just going to point out that I am currently out of shape and this was a really hard week. DONT JUDGE GUYS
BUT LOOK!
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/63299962
LOOOOOOOOK AT THE GRAPHS, LOOK LOOK LOOK. LOOK AT THE DATA. THERE'S A CALENDAR. THERE'S A GRAPH SHOWING YOU MY PACE OVER TIME AND BY DISTANCE.
(ALSO LOOK AT MY HEART RATE: I ALMOST EXPLODED, APPARENTLY)
This is a TERRIBLE run to be sharing, so I'm just going to point out that I am currently out of shape and this was a really hard week. DONT JUDGE GUYS
BUT LOOK!
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/63299962
LOOOOOOOOK AT THE GRAPHS, LOOK LOOK LOOK. LOOK AT THE DATA. THERE'S A CALENDAR. THERE'S A GRAPH SHOWING YOU MY PACE OVER TIME AND BY DISTANCE.
(ALSO LOOK AT MY HEART RATE: I ALMOST EXPLODED, APPARENTLY)
on the marathon
Sep. 27th, 2010 09:14 amWell, the J-Squad has successfully completed the Akron Marathon.
Myself? I ran my 7.9 mile leg in 80:33. That's a 10:12 mile pace, held for 8 miles. For me, that's unbelievably fast. The best I think I've run 8 miles before was at a 10:30 pace if not even slower than that.
I've officially run 323.25 miles in 2010.
( More on the race and running in general... with photos and NERDY GRAPHS! )
I think in the end it comes back to my life's-motto: You can't do everything, but you can do anything. I gave up a lot of other things to run: it takes up a lot of time and energy and spoons, and requires a lot of planning and dedication and time carved out from your week, but in the end I pulled my best time ever and really close to my goals at a 10:12 mile pace and if my asthmatic, flu-beaten, ultimately lazy ass can do this, I can do freaking anything. So there, Heartrate Hill and Towpath Trail. So there.
♥ Congrats to us!
Myself? I ran my 7.9 mile leg in 80:33. That's a 10:12 mile pace, held for 8 miles. For me, that's unbelievably fast. The best I think I've run 8 miles before was at a 10:30 pace if not even slower than that.
I've officially run 323.25 miles in 2010.
( More on the race and running in general... with photos and NERDY GRAPHS! )
I think in the end it comes back to my life's-motto: You can't do everything, but you can do anything. I gave up a lot of other things to run: it takes up a lot of time and energy and spoons, and requires a lot of planning and dedication and time carved out from your week, but in the end I pulled my best time ever and really close to my goals at a 10:12 mile pace and if my asthmatic, flu-beaten, ultimately lazy ass can do this, I can do freaking anything. So there, Heartrate Hill and Towpath Trail. So there.
♥ Congrats to us!
one accomplishment amidst the noise
Aug. 23rd, 2010 10:34 amOn Friday, I ran 8 miles. In fact, I ran something like 8.8 miles*.
Last week I ran 18.8 miles.
That's badass.
4 weeks left until the marathon-relay.
* Katy did the first "4" with me, and her Nike+ tracker told us afterwards that that "4" miles was actually more like 4.8 - which explains why every time I run that stretch of track it feels longer than it should be and I get very "slow" times; good to know I'm not imagining it. Mile markers on the Towpath are apparently not as accurate as they may appear. Would be interested in running the second "4" with Katy to see how long THAT side is...
Last week I ran 18.8 miles.
That's badass.
4 weeks left until the marathon-relay.
* Katy did the first "4" with me, and her Nike+ tracker told us afterwards that that "4" miles was actually more like 4.8 - which explains why every time I run that stretch of track it feels longer than it should be and I get very "slow" times; good to know I'm not imagining it. Mile markers on the Towpath are apparently not as accurate as they may appear. Would be interested in running the second "4" with Katy to see how long THAT side is...
lol? except not
Jun. 29th, 2010 09:53 pmSo not only did I have an asthma attack so bad I fell off had to get off the treadmill and sit in the corner until I could breathe again... I hurt my knee.
It has hurt for a while, but my sneakers were old, and I've been writing it off because of that.
oops. Looks like I might have IBTS. I'll find out tomorrow when I see if it's still sore.
aaaaaaaaaaaawesome this bodes well for 8 miles
I refuse to let my stupid body own me. I still managed 5 miles today (4 before, 1 in absolute agony), at a 6mph pace. If I cut back a little and add some elliptical, I bet I can keep training.
It has hurt for a while, but my sneakers were old, and I've been writing it off because of that.
oops. Looks like I might have IBTS. I'll find out tomorrow when I see if it's still sore.
aaaaaaaaaaaawesome this bodes well for 8 miles
I refuse to let my stupid body own me. I still managed 5 miles today (4 before, 1 in absolute agony), at a 6mph pace. If I cut back a little and add some elliptical, I bet I can keep training.
( On Running A Lot, Honoring Your Body, Donuts, and Why BMI Is Bullshit: A Workout Manifesto, Possibly The First Of Many Long Rambles Unless I am Mass Defriended )
To be continued, as thoughts appear.
[EDIT] As a precursor to a post I'll write later, I'll just throw this out there: think about girls who look like Tifa, or like Tifa would look like in real life: ass-kicking muscles. Strong thighs, big shoulders. I could totally get into that. Who picked "skinny" as the default connotation for "healthy"???
To be continued, as thoughts appear.
[EDIT] As a precursor to a post I'll write later, I'll just throw this out there: think about girls who look like Tifa, or like Tifa would look like in real life: ass-kicking muscles. Strong thighs, big shoulders. I could totally get into that. Who picked "skinny" as the default connotation for "healthy"???
on working out
Apr. 28th, 2010 09:34 amThe things I really want to say I will try to sum up as follows:
And also:
There’s more of a rant that goes here but it became a very self-centered tl;dr on my own health problems and, well, this version works for now.
Conclusion: I creepershark everyone.
- “Losing weight” and “being skinny” are not actually always the same thing or even related…
- …and neither one really is directly guaranteed to be related to “how you look”…
- … and none of the above necessarily have anything to do with “being healthy”…
- …which in turn is something related to, but also different than, how “strong” or “fit” you might be.
And also:
- Some people like to challenge their bodies; others don’t. Different bodies accept physical challenge in different ways, and react to it differently. You are just as good as you need to be.
- Some exercises are more effective than others. Some aren’t worth your time. Some things aren’t going to help you reach your goals, because you’ve made correlations among combinations of the above things that may or may not be true. Or really matter.
- And people can be totally attractive, smoking hot, dead sexy, insert your phrase of choice here, at any point on any of the above scales!
- And finding your balance of all of the above factors – figuring out not only which are important but which things you can affect yourself and which are not worth your time worrying about – is a difficult but important process.
There’s more of a rant that goes here but it became a very self-centered tl;dr on my own health problems and, well, this version works for now.
Conclusion: I creepershark everyone.
So I’ve been pretty stressed out lately. Rather than talk too much about the things stressing me, I’m going to talk about the good things that are happening because of all the stress, one by one.
Anyway, my commitment plate has been a little full, but this week – this week! – a lot of it should get better, and maybe I can get this stress-knot out of my neck and this anxiety out of my gut and this exhaustion out of my head. :) I’m looking forward to this weekend if nothing else! Engineering Bitches hit WineCon 2010. Heeeellllllllllls yeah.
How is everyone else!
* Uh, I guess this is the part where I mention that I’ve been going through a lot of these symptoms lately and having some health and mental health issues…? Heh.
** I like the Tarot as a meditation/therapy/interesting-way-of-looking-at-things tool, much like I like horoscopes. Do I think there is a spirit in the cards (or the stars) telling my fortune? No. Do I believe someone like me (who fails at emotional analysis anyway) can use Tarot methods to better understand who they are, how they feel about situations and what they want to do? Yup. Do I like pretty cards with gorgeous illustrations? Also yes. :P
- Snafubar played our first gig on Saturday night. We shared a show with Lithium and I thought it went really well overall. I was pleased with the way we sounded although as always you can critique these kinds of things until the sun goes down… but in the end, not only am I happy about it, I’m happy to have it over with. I didn’t have a lot of practice time in my week to begin with (and now with all the other stress it really wasn’t helping) and while I love playing it’s nice to have a little break. One stressor down. Congrats to Lithium too, you guys sounded awesome. :D
- FFEX, NGP, help_haiti: all assorted fandom projects with assorted due dates that are approximately NOW, or maybe YESTERDAY, if not LAST WEEK DUMBASS: but all of which will be done this week and I’m pleased as shit with things right now. Even if my contributions to FFEX have been “cheer wildly while coding people make my dreams come true” and “panic”… even then.
- Work has been insanely ungodly busy and while I'm trying to pull something good out of it for the list… I’m coming up blank. Right now I’m working on the largest single amount of polymer I’ve ever made for a request, times four requests. Plus a crapload of other studies and other smaller batches which are still my responsibility no matter what else lands in my lap. Due dates for one major project/study is mid-April; for another project/request, mid-May. So right now is crunch time. At least I’m busy, job security, etc. It isn’t helping the exhaustion but I guess it’s helping the days go by.
- Health-wise: I got the results back from a blood test I took a few weeks ago (seriously, people, I have had 8 appointments in the past 3 Fridays. I don’t even want to look at my medical bills yet). Apparently I am extremely vitamin deficient in a way that isn’t related to diet or sun exposure at all: good job, body, way to continue to fail at the things other people do correctly. XDD I’m lacking Bs and Ds, I guess: vitamin D you hear about a lot in the winter, but B12 is one that contributes to “normal brain function”. Ha ha ha. Funny. I wasn’t really sure why, because I buy my own groceries and cook for myself and eat lots of fruit and vegetables. But apparently this is the kind of thing that can just happen; my body just doesn’t absorb or process or hang onto this stuff correctly, apparently, sez the doc, and that’s that. YEY.
The thing is, the symptoms (not just lethargy/lack of energy/exhaustion/sleep disorder, but depression, anxiety, irritability, mood-swings*) match the things I’ve been fighting, the things that have been getting worse. The revelation that the B-vitamins affect mental issues and brain function kind of just made it click for me. Hilariously, when I called my mother to tell her this, she revealed that a great-aunt of mine had once been hospitalized in a psych ward for symptoms that ended up being related to B-deficiency. Guess I’m glad we caught this now.
So I am on a regimen of shots, weekly supervitamin gutpunches, and pill cocktails for a month; after that I have a delicious sampling of 8 pills I’ll take every day (not including the multi-vitamin I’m holding off on for now until this other shit gets stabilized) until I get re-tested in three months for APPROVE/DISAPPROVE. The reason I'm taking 8 pills / day is because the levels of daily vitamins I was prescribed by the doctor are 2-3x the largest size sold in any given pharmacy. Sweet.
Honestly, this is better than the outcome I was expecting and stressing over (“Your thyroid is borked! You require surgery/serious meds”) and I’m hoping, hoping, hoping that some of my health issues will get their asses in line once I get myself and my internal systems re-balanced. - In-between appointments this week, I wasted some time at a Borders which was going out of business and had discounts on their books. I bought myself a lovely illustrated book on Yoga; it’s hard to find a good book on yoga, because what I really want is a book about building vinyasas for myself, and I’m guessing the discount shelves aren’t the best place to find something that specific. But the book I have has a lot of awesome 360-degree photos of some of the main poses, and combinations to do for pain in certain areas of the body, which is pretty cool: I’m pleased, even if it doesn’t cover everything I was hoping it would. I also got a book on homemade spa treatments (which looks really awesome and fun; can’t wait to try it). And also: I found The deck of Tarot** cards for me. I’ve been looking for a new deck for a while, and who would’ve known the perfect deck lived in the Borders clearance bin? Ha: I should have, as my “inner self” is a cheapass. I haven’t gotten to do much with them yet because I’ve been so busy, but they are beautiful and awesome, the symbolism is fantastic (very faerie-based, beautiful yet with enough creepy to really please me), and this is the first deck since my last one that I have really felt intrigued by. Yoga and Tarot… rebalancing vitamin regimen… who senses a theme? Haha, self!
- My training plan is going as well as it can. I did my first two outdoor runs this weekend: one 5-miler, and one ~3-miler. My training plan basically has one long run per week, and as long as the temperature isn’t cold enough to trigger my asthma I really want to start doing the long run outdoors. However, I have to find a better road to run on! The path I picked on Friday was a really shit road for running. Anyway, my legs are still recovering from the shock of a real road, but I’m getting there. Training is slow, but I’m getting there.
Anyway, my commitment plate has been a little full, but this week – this week! – a lot of it should get better, and maybe I can get this stress-knot out of my neck and this anxiety out of my gut and this exhaustion out of my head. :) I’m looking forward to this weekend if nothing else! Engineering Bitches hit WineCon 2010. Heeeellllllllllls yeah.
How is everyone else!
* Uh, I guess this is the part where I mention that I’ve been going through a lot of these symptoms lately and having some health and mental health issues…? Heh.
** I like the Tarot as a meditation/therapy/interesting-way-of-looking-at-things tool, much like I like horoscopes. Do I think there is a spirit in the cards (or the stars) telling my fortune? No. Do I believe someone like me (who fails at emotional analysis anyway) can use Tarot methods to better understand who they are, how they feel about situations and what they want to do? Yup. Do I like pretty cards with gorgeous illustrations? Also yes. :P
Tags:
- #run2010,
- accidentally my life,
- at least i'm not whining about school,
- band: snafubar,
- ffex: 2010,
- fffffffffffffffffffffffffrig,
- fuck-a-doodle-do,
- i am ambivalent towards running,
- i hate being a grownup,
- i immediately regret this decision,
- long-ass entry,
- music,
- running,
- self-centered posting: on,
- series: healthblogging,
- series: weekend update,
- sleep is the new black,
- stress,
- tarot,
- there aren't enough pills for sev,
- too busy for ff13,
- work,
- writing,
- yoga
Weekend Update-y Thing
Feb. 15th, 2010 09:51 amThings going on in my life right now?
+ FF Kiss Battle is go!
+ Went to Pittsburgh to celebrate Dad's birthday this weekend. Watched Jim's band (they were awesome). Drank lots. Played drunken Candyland with the drunken family. Had a great time. :) It's nice to be able to just meet up with them for an evening once in a while.
+ The J-Squad's going to run a marathon! (Go Team Beer Hats?)jennyclarinet, hilldo, myself, and two others are running the marathon as a 5-person relay. I'm training to run the 8.1 mile leg of the relay. If you watch my Twitter you've probably seen my #run2010 hashtag... that's my training program.
I'm excited. This is part of "Make 2010 full of things Sev wants to do"... although wanting to run over 8 miles in a reasonable time is probably an awful life choice. But I want to prove I can do it, even with asthma and a bum ankle. I know I can. I'm not going to let my weak body own me! XD
+ Between running and doing yoga once a week, I've been pretty physically beat. Level Two Yoga is harder than I thought, but I love it ever so. I come out of that class feeling not only tired, but -- clean, empty, relaxed. Last Wednesday for example I was so frustrated at personal things I was on the line of tears; I left class in the best mood of the entire week. Even though it kicks my ass, hello headstands why do I have no upper body strength. :/
+ Snafubar has a gig coming up -- Saturday 13 March we'll be playing at a local bar in Akron with [as of yet unnamed 90's band] starringjennyclarinet and hilldo. It's really nice to be preparing for a double show because we only need 1.5 hours of music which is pretty reasonable. I'm hoping this can turn into a regular thing... I miss playing out.
+ And the week after the show we're going to have Awesome Weekend (EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!) courtesy of the Engineering Bitches. I can't wait for March!
+ Writing's going okay. Finishing up my work forhelp_haiti, then moving on to ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
newgameplus while dabbling in ff_kissbattle. Beacon is actually going really well, although as evidenced by this paragraph it's also going kind of slowly.
+ This weekend we're having a Jam Night at the ex-drummer's house, and then next weekend I'll be in Chicago visiting![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lassarina... life is good.
+ Mood: good. Personal life: stable.
+ FF Kiss Battle is go!
+ Went to Pittsburgh to celebrate Dad's birthday this weekend. Watched Jim's band (they were awesome). Drank lots. Played drunken Candyland with the drunken family. Had a great time. :) It's nice to be able to just meet up with them for an evening once in a while.
+ The J-Squad's going to run a marathon! (Go Team Beer Hats?)
jennyclarinet, hilldo, myself, and two others are running the marathon as a 5-person relay. I'm training to run the 8.1 mile leg of the relay. If you watch my Twitter you've probably seen my #run2010 hashtag... that's my training program.I'm excited. This is part of "Make 2010 full of things Sev wants to do"... although wanting to run over 8 miles in a reasonable time is probably an awful life choice. But I want to prove I can do it, even with asthma and a bum ankle. I know I can. I'm not going to let my weak body own me! XD
+ Between running and doing yoga once a week, I've been pretty physically beat. Level Two Yoga is harder than I thought, but I love it ever so. I come out of that class feeling not only tired, but -- clean, empty, relaxed. Last Wednesday for example I was so frustrated at personal things I was on the line of tears; I left class in the best mood of the entire week. Even though it kicks my ass, hello headstands why do I have no upper body strength. :/
+ Snafubar has a gig coming up -- Saturday 13 March we'll be playing at a local bar in Akron with [as of yet unnamed 90's band] starring
jennyclarinet and hilldo. It's really nice to be preparing for a double show because we only need 1.5 hours of music which is pretty reasonable. I'm hoping this can turn into a regular thing... I miss playing out. + And the week after the show we're going to have Awesome Weekend (EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!) courtesy of the Engineering Bitches. I can't wait for March!
+ Writing's going okay. Finishing up my work for
help_haiti, then moving on to newgameplus while dabbling in ff_kissbattle. Beacon is actually going really well, although as evidenced by this paragraph it's also going kind of slowly.+ This weekend we're having a Jam Night at the ex-drummer's house, and then next weekend I'll be in Chicago visiting
lassarina... life is good.+ Mood: good. Personal life: stable.
(no subject)
Nov. 19th, 2008 09:04 amMy mum came out of her surgery fine yesterday, but she is going to be in a lot of pain for the next couple weeks as her throat heals. She can barely talk -- she croak-whispered an "I love you" into the phone last night, but that was all. Please send her some good thoughts and warm wishes.
In other, more cheerful news, I've been looking into 5Ks!jennyclarinet and hilldo know this! I know that katmillia and darcenciel have both expressed interest in running a race like this -- is any particular month better/worse for you guys?
( Race info )
So anyway. Who is still interested? What months are good? Are there any specific causes you guys would like to support or look into?
In other, more cheerful news, I've been looking into 5Ks!
jennyclarinet and hilldo know this! I know that katmillia and darcenciel have both expressed interest in running a race like this -- is any particular month better/worse for you guys?( Race info )
So anyway. Who is still interested? What months are good? Are there any specific causes you guys would like to support or look into?
