Madness. I just got home from SXSW in Austin (that's South by Southwest, or just "South by" if you're too cool for school). The only word I can think of to sum up my experience is madness. That also happens to be my latest favorite workout song, so it all works out.
I was at SXSW Thursday through late last night, and I can easily say I've never experienced anything quite like it. I took my first ride in a pedicab.
Which was sponsored by Game of Thrones!
I spent some time in heaven, er...I mean, Whole Foods. I had never been to one before, and now I want to move to Austin and marry the flagship store.
I ate more food off trucks than I ever have in my life, and the kimchi fries from Chi'lantro were amazing -- a close runner-up to my all time favorite animal fries from In-N-Out Burger.
While I was trying to navigate the madness and massive crowds downtown near the Austin Convention Center, my favorite lunch spot was The Big Cheese, where I could quickly grab a gooey, hot grilled cheese on my way to my next session.
I only went for a run one time while I was there, unfortunately. I spent a lot of time walking though. I walked almost everywhere I went, and I loved experiencing the weirdness that is Austin, although this was one of the most exhausting trips I've ever taken.
I did get away from the madness one night to do some exploring on my own. I had a fantastic dinner at Annie's Cafe on Congress. I got there before it got too crowded and had some of the best food of the entire trip. And on the walk back to the hotel, I got to hear some amazing bluegrass that seemed to really annoy the poor pup who was trying to sleep on the bass case.
Oh yeah, and I also learned a bunch of stuff and made a few new contacts.
We attended the Interactive Festival, not Film. Oops.
Now that I'm back (and slept like the dead for 12 hours straight), I'm ready to get back to the business of training. The Bentonville Half is only a few weeks away! Madness by Muse is at the top of my playlist this week, and on constant repeat in between workouts. I can't get enough. What are you listening to this week?
Trea and I ran 4 miles yesterday -- the farthest I've run in quite some time. I was nervous about the distance and expected to have a rough experience. It was a gray day, super windy and spitting rain.
But even through the yucky weather, my legs and my lungs felt strong the whole time. Is there anything better than finishing a run with the feeling that you want to keep going? I felt great!
Never heard of em but this song was Single of the Week a few weeks ago on iTunes and I am loving it! (Thanks for the tip, Jodi!) It's peppy and fun and has a perfect beat for running.
The vacation countdown has begun. In a few short weeks, I will embark upon my first ever ski trip, and my first trip to Colorado that is not a layover at the Denver airport! I am so excited, and I can think of nothing else but snow, fleece, boots and beanies. Because what's more important than accessorizing?
I'm choosing not to think about the skiing part. Not thinking at all about crashing into trees, tearing my ACL, breaking a {nother} bone or spending the day with snow down my pants. Nope, just not thinking about it. I'm sure skiing is cake.
So it's just a fun coincidence that my favorite running tune lately is Snow Patrol's "Called Out in the Dark." I've loved this Irish voice for years, but a couple of their songs have put a {somewhat mellow} pep in my step. "Chocolate" is another good one for an easy run. On Saturday, I ran 4 miles -- my longest run post injury. My legs were burning, my ankles were tired, but I could've kept going at the end. This was a huge victory for me, and it feels so good to feel good on a run again!
When I'm not running, I have John Denver's Rocky Mountain High on a pretty much constant loop. I am so excited about this trip and have been obnoxiously focused on planning, but I'm starting to look a little farther down on the calendar for race planning too. A spring half marathon is calling my name, y'all.
9 days. That's all that's left between me and my first post-injury race. Training has been a little dicey lately, while I was convinced I had re-fractured my hip. Turns out I was just out of shape and going through typical return-to-running misery, so now there's nothing standing in the way of my first Turkey Trot.
As soon as I got clear scans and was released to run to my heart's content, I jumped right back on the running bandwagon. I'm not even complaining about running in the dark and the cold! Yet. Since taking a couple of weeks off while I waited to hear the verdict from the doc, I was worried I wouldn't be able to catch up with my plan enough to run a 5K. But I think I can! So far, my training runs have been great, and I've done a lot more than I thought I was capable of.
On Saturday, I ran a full 2 miles without stopping for a walk break! I haven't done that all year! {So many exclamation points in this post!} Proof that half of running truly is mental. After running for almost 6 hours, 20 minutes doesn't seem hard in my head, so my feet don't mind complying.
Hard not to be motivated to run with this view.
Another exciting thing I did Saturday was meet with a personal trainer. I've been afraid of the weight room at the gym for years, and with my injured leg still not back up to full strength, I decided to call in the big guns and make some changes. I want to get stronger and prevent another injury, but I also want to lose a little weight and gain some muscle definition. I'll be meeting with Gary at least twice a week, and I can't wait to see biceps instead of sausage arms!
As for the music that's getting me moving, my favorite running song these past few weeks is a little gem from the early '80s -- Quiet Riot's Cum on Feel the Noize. I don't care for their spelling, but I dig their sound. I am bursting with enthusiasm now that I am free to get healthy, and this cheesy hair band hard rock anthem is perfect for making me push myself a little harder.
My couch to 5K plan went great for a few weeks, but lately, I've had pain in my hip, and not the getting-back-in-shape, good-for-you kind of pain. It feels like it did back in the winter before I found out I had a stress fracture.
I'll be the first to admit that I was totally paranoid about every little twinge after I stopped using my crutches, but after several months of taking it {probably a bit too} easy, I was feeling like my old self. The pain was gone, and all that was left was some muscle weakness that I'm still working through. Running was fantastic, and I felt pretty confident that I was OK. So about two weeks ago, I started focusing more on strength training and stretching because my right leg is still so much weaker than my left, and both my legs are insanely tight from sitting around all year. I've done lunges with no problem for the last couple of months, but after spending a few minutes in warrior II pose, my hip started aching all the time and even waking me up at night. I wouldn't think one yoga workout would cause damage, but something definitely changed, and I'm worried I've reinjured myself. I blame Jillian's Yoga Meltdown.
I've backed off my running regimen, which was already super easy, and am just biking and elliptical-ing. I saw my ortho doc last week, and he did new x-rays and ordered an MRI and a new bone density test to see if I'm making any progress with my old lady osteopenia. My x-rays were beautiful and he said my hip looked strong and there was no indication of a fracture. Yay! But it still hurts.
So I spent the afternoon here, napping in an MRI tube.
This one didn't require an arthrogram, thank goodness, so I was able to snooze right through all the clanging around. I go back to my doc on Thursday, and we'll find out the results. Until then, I'm just a big ball of stress and grumpiness. Maybe I'll have to stop running, which makes me feel fat and left out of all that is fun in the world. Maybe I'll end up on crutches again, which might make Trea want to move to a hotel. Regardless, it looks like my Turkey Trot dreams might be shattered since I'm already falling behind on my training plan.
My hope is that the tests will be normal and I can get back into my pretty pink Brooks by the weekend. But my achey hip is doubtful.
And for your Music Monday listening pleasure, I've had Benjamin Gibbard's new album, Former Lives, on repeat since it came out Tuesday. It's not running music, but it matches my mellow mood. And it's Ben Gibbard, who can record no wrong and is simply amazing. "Lily" is my favorite.
Fall is finally, truly here! It seems that just overnight, leaves have started turning vivid hues and my favorite running trails have been transformed into beautiful canopies of color. I'm starting week 5 of couch to 5K, and although my breath is labored and my steps are heavy, I love every second of being outside. I know gray, cold days are just around the corner, so I'm trying to soak up as much as I can of this mild, pretty weather.
What else is getting my feet moving? Music, duh. This week my fave is The First Single by The Format. It's not new, but it's new to me. And hand claps! Need I say more? Check it out. (This video isn't exactly a video, but it's the best I could do because copyrights are no fun.)
Some days I love running, and some days it takes all my willpower to lace up my pretty pink shoes. But one thing is constant -- the right song can motivate me when I'm feeling lazy tired and get my feet moving.
This is the first of what I hope becomes a weekly series as I challenge myself to find a new song every week to add to my running playlist. I'll warn you that I usually don't have mainstream music taste, and my playlist picks might seem odd to some. I pride myself on not being able to identify one single song by Ke$ha, and I'm even questioning whether I can even make myself publish this post using a dollar symbol to spell a word. I'm a 90s kid through and through, and I was raised on Southern classic rock. I'm addicted to AltNation, and if I like anything that happens to be on a Top 40 list, it's because I heard it a year ago on NPR way before you ever considered thinking it was cool.
And at the same time, I'll admit I like some lame-o songs. I may be a snob when it comes to bubble gum pop and the Top 40, but I'm also a sucker for folk. Luckily for you though, folk singers rarely rock a beat I can run to.
So be prepared; my workout tunes can be a bit different. I give bonus points to songs that include whistling and/or hand claps. Extra bonus points for trumpets. But today's pick is pretty obvious, and it's what's motivating me to get out the door right now. I'm loving Marathon Runner by Yellow Ostrich (though I couldn't be more confused by this video).
What songs are getting your feet moving this week?
