My Magic Wands

Okay, I'm not writing daily anymore - obviously. I'm doing that 'cuz my blog is being read by more (thanks, guys), mostly people that don't know me, and whining daily about my aches and pains and lack of progress isn't very inspiring. Ha. I also somehow managed to link this blog to FB (I have no idea how nor do I know how to unlink....play around long enough on there and it's amazing what you've just done with no knowledge whatsoever on how you did it) so every time I blog here, it's showing to numerous people. So it's probably better I just write highlights of my "stuff" every few days and leave it at that. I've got a blog going on RW, where we're all in the same boat, I can vent and get a nice pat on the back in return :).

Tuesday was the initial massage session with my studly athletic girlfriend's therapist and Thursday was visit #2. I want to paint a picture to those non-endurance athletic souls out there that this is NOT a nice, relaxing, spa-type get-me-in-a-happy-place sort of massage. This is a get-in-there-and-grind-the-hell-out-of-the-knots-in-my-muscles massage. They HURT! I'm not sure how many times Elizabeth told me to stop clinching; the anticipation of pain contributes to its subsequent occurrence - what is about to occur is probably more difficult for me than the actual incident. I run marathon: they hurt. The anticipation of running that marathon is more excruciating than the actual event!

Thursday's visit showed 1 more golf-ball sized knot in my left calf. Just the touch of this calf from visti two days earlier sent me squirming off the table. She mumbled something about how I need to seriously think about planting my feet correctly when I run and and not turning my right, recently sprained, ankle to the outside. Um. Okay (this is much harder than it sounds. Think and run instead of just run is not an easy task). Then she proceeded to my glutes (aka: butt). I'm not sure if she had her elbow in there with herself and 6 strapping young men on top of it but oh .... my.......god that hurt!! (I'm half convinced she did this because I was being rude and trying to send some text messages while she did her thing). I asked if I had knots in my glutes, too. Yes, but also my piriformis muscles in there are positioned wrong. I asked if this was a result of the calves? Yes. I told her my theory that all ailments in my body are somehow related to my calves, even my sinuses. I'm not sure she found the humor in this....yet I'm still convinced this theory is true. Even more so now! I left my massage feeling sore beyond belief but still in that good sort of way knowing that all those stubborn knots are gone and I've done only what I need to get me across Portland's finish line without any calf cramps or piriformis aching. By that evening, after drinking so much water I was sloshing around (t-man should be happy with that!), I was feeling really good and not sore at all. I go back in on Monday for some back work (please help!!) and Thursday for a what all you non-runners would deem "a massage": to relax. Hahah...she obviously doesn't know me. Hum....or maybe she does! Magic wand #1.

I am now on antibiotic # umteem hundred for my sinus infection. Thank you, Elaine, for totally freaking me out and making me go and get that. Abbey not a happy camper that she had to play chauffeur ... but I say now starts the pay-backs for countless years hauling her hiney everywhere :). Power of suggestion but when E said NOW, I instantly had Abbey drop me off at the closest Urgent care and 3 minutes later was out with a Z-pack antibiotic to combat the insidious pressure I feel in and around my head. For the past week! Today I woke up feeling slightly better (sinus related, but tired from being out too late with the girls) - most likely power of suggest (I don't care, I'll take anything at this point). Yet as I sit here and type for you, I am swimming in a big headache and fuzzies in front of my eyes. I think that's cuz I'm overwhelmed at the thought of leaving for the mountains tonight as soon as I am done and not having gotten to the 50 things on my list today. Magic wand #2.

Yesterday I attempted to do a few measly miles of tempo at 7:50. My Garmin read 7:32 avg for two miles. That was enough. Ran a mile slow which found me at the high school track. Convenient? Not sure. Decided to run one more mile at tempo, Garmin-less, and see where I landed. 7:40. A decent time, but I felt miserable. One more mile at "race pace" - which turned out to be me constantly pulling myself back as I'd glance at my Garmin and saw I was doing between 8:05-8:11. That's too fast for this chick... and I felt it. I do NOT want to wear my Garmin in Portland and become a slave to it (I am not even going to take it. Or should I?) but I also worry about going out too fast and having yet one more marathon on my table of those I have ruined by going out too fast. This is 26 miles, Jill, not 13, your favorite distance where you can run hard all the way. I need to keep telling myself that over and over. Magic wand #3.

I'm heading up to the mountains in a few minutes so Brendan and his friend can go climb a 14er tomorrow (Mt. Sherman) and I will write, rest, and get ready for my last long run (10) before Portland, which I will do while they climb. I figure running at 11,000' at 9 min/mile is the equivalent of running race pace at sea level so that is my goal. And just think: this last altitude run is going to stoke my oxygen levels in Portland. Magic wand #4, baby!

Please magic wands, do yo thangs!