Hi there. It’s Friday the 13th. Are you superstitious? I’m not. And frankly yesterday everything was weird and messy so I’m hoping to be in the clear today.

I’m headed to Dr. Williams in a few minutes for my 4th ART and Graston. I’m excited to tell him I made it to 4 miles yesterday.

4 mile run

4 miles

The only issue happened about 1/4 mile before I stopped running my knee gave out and I felt the limp come on but within a minute it worked itself out and I was ok so I ran the rest of the way. Bottom line is that the knee is improving but I still have more work to be done before I am “healed”. At least I didn’t feel so sluggish and sore like I did on Wednesday’s run. I actually felt sick all day Wednesday and came home and got under the covers so I’m wondering if I might have just been fighting something.

fighting something

fighting something

And before I got under the covers I checked my mailbox and low and behold I got 2 running catalogs….SHOCKER! =)

Running catalogs

Running catalogs

Thank god I feel better now. My 4 miles was still slow but I didn’t feel slow. Funny how the same pace can feel so hard one day and so easy the next.

Oh and I’m headed to the NYC Half Marathon Expo this afternoon after my Chiropractor appointment. I’m going to tell Dr. Williams my plan although now I think I’ve adjusted it again. I’m going to walk 9 miles and run the last 4.

So that brings me to my post title. I was listinening to my music yesterday while running and this one lyric stuck in my head:

Giving up is not an option.

Sometimes it’s easy to want to give up. It seems easier to deal with it if you just give up. Right? Imagine if I gave up on life after my husband died? I would’t have discovered running. I wouldn’t have Duncan. I wouldn’t have had the most amazing life experiences that paralleled my journey through my grief. I wouldn’t have met Mr. SOTSS. The list goes on and on.

So back to running…so many things might get you down…an injury, not attaining a race PR, not seeing progress. But the key is not to give up. Just make accommodations for where you are right now. If you’re injured (like me) be proud of the minor signs of healing like making it 4 miles instead of 3. If you didn’t reach that PR maybe you should choose another race and train to have fun rather than shoot for a time goal. If you’re not seeing progress shift your focus to something else like focusing on your running form or trying out new gear. But don’t ever just say “that’s it I’m done”. And don’t let discouragement knock you down. (Yes, I sort of wrote this for my own ears here!) Accept and accommodate the roadblocks and figure out a way to navigate through in a way that will keep you fulfilled and with a smile on your face. On that note I’m thinking I might have to evaluate my normal fueling needs for a half. I’ll be out on the course for 3 hours which is at least 45 minutes longer than I normally would be so I might need a little more fuel.

Speaking of fuel…Duncan was a little overzealous this morning with his breakfast. Um, that’s the container I store an entire bag of food in…

breakfast of champions

breakfast of champions

He’s really been cute in the mornings lately too.

pillows are the best invention

pillows are the best invention

Ok before I go all doodle picture crazy I better sign off.

 

So what words do you find powerful or inspirational?

Do you ever find yourself wanting to give up on something hard? How do you handle it?

Happy Saturday!

So I followed Dr. Williams orders and went running on Wednesday. I had to use the treadmill at the gym thanks to snow, ice and time restrictions. But I was only planning on 2 miles…and 2 miles is exactly what I completed…

IMG_3704The knee held up fine until I stopped. Usually it gives out while running but this time it locked up on me after running. It ended up being sore until the next morning. I was relatively calm though because I wasn’t “sneaking” in a run. Oh, and I wore my new New Balance 1080’s and my new custom inserts and LOVED them both!

FullSizeRender 6Such a cushy ride. So there’s the good thing about only being able to run 2 miles….perfect way to break in new gear. =)

Thursday we had ANOTHER snow storm. I worked remotely but managed to spend a few minutes outside enjoying the white stuff.IMG_3769
Guess we won't be barbecuing for a few more weeks...

Guess we won’t be barbecuing for a few more weeks…

In his glory

In his glory

Weee!!!! An unplowed street to run down!!!!

Weee!!!! An unplowed street to run down!!!!

After playing in the snow they defrosted on matching towels.

After playing in the snow they defrosted on matching towels.

And then yesterday after battling ridiculous traffic painfully slow bus rides (resulting from the snowstorm the day before), I went back to Dr Williams for my second ART session.
waiting again for another bus

waiting at the bus stop for the bus.

waiting for a bus

waiting for a bus again!

He also used the Graston technique on me. The combo of these two things made me almost puke from the pain. I told him I’m a wimp but he said “no, this stuff is really very painful.” Well at least he cleared that up. Just give me a puke bucket, but FIX MY KNEE! I mentioned about my knee locking up at the end of my run on Wednesday but he wasn’t concerned…he insisted I keep running. He said even if it’s a mile. In addition to foam rolling and stretching the quad I have to do some hip flexor stretches too. Bottom line is that the ART and Graston create some inflammation which will force my body to focus on healing. Oh and he said the knee might feel bruised. Well apparently it is…

i guess the bruise is more noticeable next to my pale skin.

i guess the bruise is more noticeable next to my pale skin. I don’t have the most shapely legs…sorry bout that!

I got home in the late afternoon, grabbed Duncan and took him to the park so we could both unwind and enjoy the winter wonderland around us. When there is sunshine on my face and nature’s beauty around me I can’t help to be anything but happy.
drawing in snow

I can’t remember the last time I professed my love this way but it sure felt good. If you’re reading sweetie, you know I love you because I wrote it in the snow 🙂

snowy bench

Come “chill” out on this bench with me! LOL!

park snowscape

Snowy serenity

Duncan at the park

I think i want to paint this picture and hang it in my house somewhere. I love it!

After the walk we came home, I made a quick dinner and then poured myself a glass of wine.
friday evening fun

Friday evening fun

I have a nice quiet and relaxing weekend completely solo which is rare these days between all the fun I spend with my friends, my family and Mr. SOTSS.

Duncan and I even slept in until 7am!
good morning!

Good morning!

Then Instagram reminded me that the NYC Half is just 8 days away.

NYC Half

this should be interesting

I have my 3rd visit with Dr. Williams on Tuesday and I’ll probably get in a 4th visit on Friday which can only help I suppose. I’m meeting my friends after the race for some brunch and to catch up on life so hopefully they won’t mind waiting a little extra longer for me to finish…my plan right now is to walk briskly (15 min pace) for the first 10 miles and run the last 5k…but like I said, I’ll have my MetroCard so I can just bail and hop on a subway to the Starbucks afterparty 🙂 I have already run the NYC Half and have more medals than I can count so it really doesn’t matter if I finish or not. Actually last year I had a MISERABLE time at the NYC Half.

Today, I spent a lazy morning cleaning house and then decided to take the doodle for yet another walk in the snow. We changed it up and visited a different park this time. But still the most beautiful views.

a dog and his human

a whole lotta curls…well mine were looser because i had leave-in conditioner in it and had it in a bun most of the day. #themoreyouknow

bobbing for apples?

bobbing for snow apples?

clove lakes park

Red fences make pictures so perfect

IMG_3844

snow and dog

peek a doodle

I’m now cozy on the couch and will probably go to bed a little early tonight since I’m a sad sack we lose an hour of sleep this weekend. Ah Daylight Savings….love that sunsets will be later but not looking forward to darkness at 6:30am. Tomorrow I’m planning on running 1-2miles. It’s going to be a mild 47 degrees out. I can’t wait to have just 20 minutes of outdoor running bliss.

Have a great weekend!

Anyone running a half marathon this month?

Are you an early riser? Night Owl? What’s your favorite time of the day?