Foot Pain and bruising

I get attacked by a dog on Sunday on the ride. It got me enough to leave a bruise on my left ankle. It didn't penetrate the skin so I am ok. Yesterday at school, I ran into something with my right foot which really hurt. Today I went for a long run and my foot fall was a little off and my foot was a little sore but I didn't think anything of it until I took off my shoe and saw the bruising. Now my little toe and the surrounding area are a nice purple color and my whole foot is sore. Not sure if it was bruised before the run - I didn't look but now it is bruised. Why is the universe trying to hurt me? Icing and taking Advil tonight to make it feel better. Tomorrow is a biking day and Thursday is GHI Workforce Team Challenge. I am excited about the new course. Hopefully my feet and ankles will be better.

I am afraid of dogs in general but especially when I am on a bike!

Lets start with last weekend then get to the dog....

Sunday, May 10 - Ran with my mom at the Mother's day race. I went out for a 20 minute warm-up and then got ready for the race. It was cool (around 50 degrees) with a little wind but not too bad. I got to the starting line and took off. It felt like the longest mile ever but it was under 10 minutes by a lot which was what I wanted. The next 2 1/2 miles went about the same way but I was getting faster. It is so hard for me to run that hard for that long. I am more of a distance runner - find a pace and keep it for a very long time and then, if you feel good, go faster and pass a whole bunch of people. I ran a 32.18!! I PRed. It felt good. I ran a little after (total of 1 hour 15 minutes) and then got to go to Tulip Fest and got to hang out with my entire family at dinner.

Monday and Tuesday - I had great workouts and felt really good.

Wednesday - Day off - I just didn't feel very good and I felt very tired. Felt like I had legs of lead. Better safe than sorry???

Thursday - Swim and Run. I felt like I couldn't get into a rhythm and couldn't find my balance. The entire short time I was in the pool, I was getting frustrated. I also had a run to do. My mom's work does a run at the Crossings on Thursday night so I went. It was supposed to rain and it did on cue - as soon as we decided to start running. I started and didn't feel too bad but within a couple of minutes the legs of lead returned. I ran for my hour but it was really difficult. Oh, well - maybe it was the weather, maybe it was the day off. Not sure. Not worried either.

Friday - National Ride Your Bike to Work day!!! - I got up at 5:15 am and was out of the door by 5:45. It was extremely foggy!!! Fog is scarry to ride in! Not so excited about this. I had major issues the entire time. I figured it was because I hadn't eaten breakfast yet and figured I would get better on the way home. Not so. I got on the bike and immediately felt my legs of lead not wanting to work. I got about 1.5 miles from home, had the option of hitting sand and going down, getting hit by a car, or hit a hole. I hit the hole and immediately knew I had a flat. I pulled over, worked to change the tire (had a couple of questions which my dad answered over the phone) and then went to fill it with my carbon dioxide canister. Then as I thought I was being successful, I hear a BANG!!! It sounds like a gun firing. No more tire. Called Dave and had him come and pick me up since my husband was out on his own bike ride and I had to get to prom. Nap time was completely obliterated by my hour of dealing with a flat tire and waiting for a ride!!

Saturday - got home at 1:15 am from prom - day was wasted. I was exhausted.

Sunday - went out to Stillwater to do the 63 mile course. I was so tired still from Friday night and getting up earlier than I was prepared to this morning that I fell asleep on the ride from Joe's Mom and Dad's house to the high school. Got to the high school and felt ready to go. It was a little chilly (55 degrees and windy). Got started and wanted to just be - not try to hard - prepare for the IM course and not pushing at the beginning. Got out there and had some hip and groin problems but I wasn't too worried. Got to eat my PB&J uncrustables at an hour and a half and was excited. Struggling but ok. Upper back was sore and my "undercarriage" was suffering from the bike seat (I really can't figure out how to stop both of those things from being annoyingly sore while I am riding). Got to the place where the 63 mile course was supposed to turn and rode passed it. Turned around and found my way back to the right place. Kept riding and then got to the end of a road without an arrow and didn't know which way to go - I picked the wrong way, of course. As I am riding on this unknown road, I hear a dog barking. This little white haired dog starts running down toward the road. My first though is "There must be an invisible fence." My next though was "It won't cross the road." My next thought while I am yelling at the dog is " Oh s%$t, what do I do - keep riding faster or stop." As I am telling the dog to stop it is nipping at my ankle and barking. At no point was the owner visible or yelling for their dog that is attacking me. I was convinced I was going to be bitten by that stupid dog. I am already afraid of dogs and when they come at me while on my bike, I get even more afraid. I pushed it into another gear with the help of some adrenaline and got up to 24 mph while on a slight uphill telling the dog to stop and go away. That was a fast little sucker though - he/she followed me up to 19 mph. I was afraid of the dog running into my back wheel and me falling too. It was not nice. After the dog was gone, I realized I really was not on the correct course, had no idea which road I was on, and knew I wasn't going back the way I had come as to avoid another introduction to the dog. I called Joe to see where I went wrong but he hadn't taken the same course and couldn't help me. I continued down the road and found a road that looked familiar but I didn't know which way I should be going - of course, I picked the wrong direction. At least it was on the 50 mile bike course so I just turned around and followed the arrows. At this point, my legs were tired, my upper back hurt, and the wind was just not fun. 20 miles left to go. Kept on truckin' though. It was a slow battle with the wind. It was not fun at all. Had another sandwhich which didn't effect me or my mood. I finally got back to the high school 60 miles later. Another workout that didn't feel good. Something really has to change before next weekends 100 mile ride.

GHI Workforce team challenge is on Thursday night. I am in-charge of our team at school with 27 people. It should be a good time as long as my lowerback pain and my groin/hipflexor muscle pain goes away by then.

I just don't understand why I could feel so good 3 weeks ago and then now feel like such crap!!! Maybe this is how training goes but I don't know. People keep asking how training is going, am I going to be ready but I don't know. I won't know until race day since I haven't done this before. I am a little frustrated now though. Hopefully, all will get better this week!!

Workout summary for April

Looking good!!! I am excited about my progress.

Swim Distance: 14.53 miles
Swim time: 9 hours 29 min

Bike Distance: 297.71 miles
Bike time: 23 hours 35 min

Run Distance: 64.28 miles
Run Time: 11 hours 53 min

Total miles: 376.52 miles
Total time: 45 hours 57 min
Approximate Calories burned: 24148.4

I wish I could have hit a total of 48 hours but there is always May!!!

"The Academy Awards for Teachers"

I was given the honor this week of being selected by a student as the teacher who most impacted her high school career. She was awarded the Scholar Recognition by the Times Union (we were in the paper on Thursday) and got to choose a teacher who impacted her high school career and chose me. I am so excited and honored. There are a lot of things that go on everyday as a teacher that you do for students and don't get or expect anything in return but when you are recognized for your impact it is an amazing feeling. The dinner was at the Desmond and was just amazing. There were so many really smart students there and you knew you were surrounded by motivated/exciting teachers. I also saw Mr. McGurn there from Albany High School. He taught me world history in my sophomore year there. He was just amazing. I couldn't believe that he remembered me from so long ago (he had me in class in 1994-1995). He also said that "These are the things that, as a teacher, you will remember and cherish." When he found out that this was my first time being nominated, he told me to enjoy every moment of the evening and remember it on the hard days. He said that he was proud of me for all that I had accomplished. He was also very modest. I asked him how many times he had been nominated and he said "enough but everyone is memorable". I later found out that he has been nominated 9 times!!! 9 times!!!! Amazing - he has touched so many lives. He inspired me!! What an amazing teacher. He is the reason that I have my students do article summaries every Friday to keep up to date on current events in science - I am sure my students don't feel as excited about this assignment and where I got it from as I am. I also saw another friend that I used to work with at Burnt Hills that was also nominated this year. It was so nice to share this moment with someone else. The key note speaker was very good with his speach being titled "What's on your I-pod". He emphasized that everyone has a soundtrack to their lives - I completely agree as I have songs that are attached to all of my most memorable experiences. He emphasized working hard but also "experienceing" life as it comes to you. I thought it was amazing. My student was so fabulous to me. Her parents had fantastic things to say to me. I feel so honored to be seen as someone who has made a difference in someone else's lives. There is a quote that says something like, If you have affected one child over the course of your teaching career, you have done a good job. It is times like this that makes you want to be a better teacher and gives worth to your time in the classroom. I am just so excited!!! It is such an honor!!!! I just can't believe that I was selected. I can't even express how happy and honored I feel. This student was just fabulous to have in class and work with through NHS and her club - it has been my pleasure to have taught her twice (both in biology and AP Biology) over the past 4 years. What an amazing experience!

I have a lot to do on my easy week

I have been neglecting all things outside of training recently. Just not enough time during the day to do everything. I talked to my mom for the first time in 2 weeks today - thought I should check in. I need to touch base with Brenda over the next week to make sure she is excited about the Pittsburgh Marathon which is this weekend. Need to grade and plan since I haven't had time to do much of that recently either. But, it is my easy week which means that I am not working out like a mad woman this week.

Race Report/workout report from this weekend:
I did the St. John/ St. Anne Spring Run-off this weekend. It was the only 10K close to my house and I needed to do a long run with tempo work. I packed all of my stuff up on Friday night and slept really well. I got up the next morning, had breakfast, checked to make sure I had put my sneakers in my bag and left. I had a brief moment on my way to the race of "Did I pack my sneakers" but wasn't worried, I usually am paranoid before races. I got to the race, got my chip, and embarked on getting ready for a really long run (2 hours total). I opened the area where my shoes are and found two different colored shoes. I started swearing now. I looked to make sure there was at least a left and a right shoe, which there was. Then I looked to see if I had the insole in the incorrect foot shoe. I did. Ok, I can do this in two different shoes - I kept telling myself it wasn't that big of a deal. I started running my warm-up and realized it was hot. I was going slowly though so I did 2.2 before the race. At 8:30 the race started and it started fast. I was surprised by how fast those around me were running. I kept myself in check and felt good for the first mile. The next two were uneventful - pushing hard, but still in control. When we turned I was feeling good and picked it up even though now I was running into a head wind. I felt really good until I didn't. All of a sudden at the 1/2 mile to go point I just couldn't get my legs to run. I was willing them to keep moving but I was slowing down. I wanted to puke and pass out - which means I ran hard enough. I finished in just under an hour which is all I wanted to do. I ran well especially considering it was the hottest day of the year so far and I wasn't used to running at those temperatures. After I was done, I downed a bottle of water and a clementine, put on more sunscreen, and headed back out to do the 5K course. It was slow but good 5K - I ended up running for exactly 2 hours and doing 11.5 miles.

I went to St. Rose's track and field meet at RPI and got to see a couple of former students and enjoy the nice weather and procrastinate so that I didn't have to go directly to the pool. I left there and went to do a decent pool workout, where a child about age 7 got in my way too many times in the lap lane and ended up getting hit in the head by my hand while I was swimming a fast length and didn't know she was there. BTW... She jumped into the deep end while I was approaching doing the backstroke and scared the hell out of me. She couldn't understand why I was doing laps in the lap lane and tried to talk to me when I was pushing off the wall. Ugh!

Sunday took me to the old Tour de Cure course in Stillwater. Beautiful day for a ride except for the really strong winds. Started out with some knee pain into a wind that was allowing me to average about 11 mph. It sucked. I was convinced that I was going to have to call Joe when I got to the 4 hour mark because I would be dead tired. The course is beautiful and goes along the river most of the way but the wind was brutal. Once I got to the halfway point and turned to go back towards the school, the wind was at my back and I was flying. My Infinite nutrition worked really well, which was very exciting. I really enjoyed the second half of my ride. 56 miles in under 4 hours - I will take that. I feel really ready for Tinman this year already - it can only get better. A 16 hour workout week over and ending really well. I am very excited!

That brings me to my easy week and my first day off since the Wednesday after Easter. I am out on my porch, about to enjoy a glass of wine, sitting with my feet up, and ready for easy, short workouts this week.

Exciting things that I have done lately outside of working out? Not much. I think this is a summary of everything:

I finished The Reader and handed that off to Heather - fantastic book, I couldn't put it down. Everything about it was captivating.

I have been outside a lot recently because it has been so beautiful out and I can't resist being outside. I actually don't look like I am sickly white anymore.

Jeanne and I have successfully planned and recruited 15 teams to participate in the Wellness Challenge at our school where people form teams of 3 and log their workout hours to win prizes. I wish I could participate I would definetly win.

I was selected by a student as the teacher that had the most impact on her high school education and will be in the newspaper this week with a short paragraph about how I had an impact on her. It is an amazing feeling to have been selected by her. As a teacher, you don't get recognized for all of your effort very often so when a student recognizes you, it is an amazing feeling. I get to go to the Scholar Recognition dinner with her and her family this week.

I went back to yoga!!!! That was fantastic! My husband says that I am much happier when I am doing yoga - isn't that nice of him to point out!!! I was sore for 4 days after yoga but I was much more calm this week. It was nice knowing the instructor too - thanks Melinda!! I can't go back to that class this week because of the scholar recognition dinner but maybe I will try to go to another class instead. Next week though, I will be there.

I am very entertained by the music on the radio lately. Some are so blatently inappropriate for children, I am just baffled by all of the sexual inuendos in music that children listen to. "If you see Amy", the new Flo Rider song, "Poker Face", and the new Ciara/JT song (which I am obsessed with - for those of you who don't know, Heather and my goals in life are to become JT's backup dancers) are some of my personal favorites either because they entertain me or are just inappropriate. I love Justin Timberlake though so anything he does it ok.

I am excited to just be this week and look forward to seeing my nieces play soccer this weekend. I hope everyone has a good week, I know mine looks promising.