kellbot

/me slinks in unnoticed I'm sneaking back in after taking a round off to deal with health issues. Looking forward to peeking in on everyone this challenge, and getting ready to participate in the next one.

Thanks, I'll check it out (maybe literally if I can find it at the library). I never wear high heels, just athletic shoes and occasionally flats, but hopefully the stretching/exercises help! As of this evening my heel has calmed down a bunch. I can still feel some tenderness in it but I can walk normally without thinking about it.

I've developed very mild plantar faciitis in my right foot According to the internet, this is because: my shoes are too minimalistmy shoes are too supportiveI heel strikeI midfoot strikeClearly I need to change something, but I've go no idea what and it's super confusing. And most shoe advice is just "go to a store and get professionally fitted," which is exactly what I did to end up at my current pair of shoes (which seem fine). Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh.

One thing to remember for the 5k: slow and steady wins the race! My fastest ever 5k time was one where the first mile I was stuck behind walkers and had to slowly weave through them. I was still running, but definitely not at my usual pace. Once the field opened up in mile 2 I was able to run fast, and conserving my energy at the beginning seemed to really help.

Are you any good at sewing? You might consider making your own running tights. It's not too hard and you can customize the pattern to fit you best. I used the pattern here and made a bunch of test pairs in cheap knit fabric before using the fancy spandex. I also have a narrow waist considering my thighs/butt, and wear mostly Target leggings. Lululemon also fit me well, but aren't a price I'm willing to pay regularly.

That's a smart choice, backs are too easy to mess up. I generally skip back stuff if I'm having any sort of pain. Good luck with tomorrow's!

I had a much better run today! I did 5 miles at an average pace of 11:11... BUT I was on the treadmill with no incline. I wanted to give myself a small "cheat" to psych myself into thinking it would be a good/easy run... and it did the trick. Now with a nice solid run under my slowly-expanding belt I feel like I'm back on track.

I did 4.7 miles yesterday and it was again Not Good. I think I need to totally reframe how I think about running. It's almost like learning to run all over again, because I am SO TIRED and I'm not allowed to "push through" anything for any reason. 1.3 miles in I got a really nasty side stitch and it took about 2 miles before I could comfortably run again. Normally I'd just run through it, but with nanorebel sappin' my sentry I just didn't feel like it was a good idea. Today was leg day with my trainer... I could barely walk down the stairs afterwards so tomorrow is going to be "fun." This week I wanted to try to use some carrot greens, and succeeded! I made roasted carrot and black bean tacos, with a carrot green + cilantro sauce. Click photo for recipe.

I went for a short walk in the "outdoors" today and I vehemently deny it exists. So hot. So humid. So awful.

Woo I can still do the performance! There are a couple types of tricks I'm banned from, but still plenty I can do. I'm probably going to do the majority of my runs on the treadmill, so I don't risk melting in the sweltering heat. Of course immediately after deciding this, my treadmill breaks. It's under warranty, and will be fixed next week.... but argh! I do have a gym membership so it's really just a minor inconvenience. But still. Annoying.

Tonight I've gotta come clean to my aerials coach, and see if I'm still allowed to perform in October. Super nervous ... could really go either way. Wish me luck!

Yesterday I attempted my first 7 mile run, but had to stop and walk after 6.3 miles. I hadn't slept well, got lost, and was just generally not at my best. I walked the rest of the way and found a train station I could get the train home. I'm trying to figure out what my new target time for the 10k is. I don't think trying to shave 6+ minutes off while pregnant is a great idea, so I might try to just maintain my current best (71 minutes). My training plan doesn't have me increasing mileage much at this point, so I think if I just take the pace down a notch I should be fine. We have SO MANY CUCUMBERS. I made this chilled cucumber soup with mango salsa, and it was a lot sweeter than I expected. No my photo, mine wasn't nearly as photogenic.

Thanks! Admittedly I'm not quite ready for congrats, as I have a history of recurrent pregnancy loss. But also one healthy and wonderful daughter, so fingers crossed! Meanwhile I'm focusing on staying healthy and active... and resisting the temptation to use my zygote as an excuse to eat nothing but chocolate.

noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Never fear team leopard. I just added 5k of running, and I've got 11 on the docket for tomorrow!

Man, I have been really delinquent about posting recipes. And I confess that won't change today. But soon! I have many recipes to share, as we are trying to figure out what on earth to do with the SIX POUNDS of cucumbers. We're down to just three, but HOLY MOLY. So about that slump. The one where I felt unmotivated and tired all the time. It turns out there was a reason: I'm pregnant. Yep, that would do it! I'm keeping my same schedule and training plan for the September 10k, but I'm not going to stress too much if I don't hit my goal of 65 minutes. As for the January 10k, I'll either walk it or give my bib to my sister in law, I haven't decided which. I did my first tempo run without too much problem. It was a little slower than I would have liked, but still within the range of my training plan. I have my first 7 mile run tomorrow... kind of dreading it but at least the weather has been beautiful! edit: I should probably mention that I have a history of pregnancy loss, so while I'm cautiously optimistic I'm not quite ready to start picking out names and nursery colors. We're playing it by ear, and in the meantime I'm focusing on staying healthy. Thanks!