August

Today is the last day of August and by the time most of you are reading this, it will be September and the beginning of FALL!! I love fall - I love pumpkins and applies and the leaves changing and the cooler temperatures and warm sweaters!

I cannot believe how fast this summer has flown by. It feels weird not to be going back to school. It also feels weird not having to train for a college sport. I really don't know what to do with myself. Its an odd feeling.

And so this month of August my stats for running were at an all time low - in fact a record low since I was a little kid. Zero miles of running.

I have been missing the track especially with the running absence from my life and so this morning I attempted to do a "track" swim workout.

I did a "ladder" workout in the pool. After a quick warm up I swam 10 laps then decreased from there:

250, 200, 150, 100, 50 yards, 100, 150, 200, 250

It was a great workout and I totaled 2000 yards.

This was one of the first mornings I swam alone as Brian is away for work and it was a little weird but I managed. He left Sunday and will come back on Saturday.

Anyway - I get into the locker room and I am running late because my workout took longer than I expected. So I am getting dressed in a hurry and then I realize that I forgot a brush!! My worst nightmare came true that I would forget something at the pool. I ran my fingers through my hair and then went to work. And surprisingly today was one of my best hair days!!

I am exhausted and its only Monday so I am going to get some sleep and I will catch up with all of you tomorrow! Sweet Dreams!

The New TIART

Its a new TIART with a whole new twist. Check out Runners' Lounge for this weeks topic which is brought to you by Marlene! She asks:

When did you know you had become a runner? Was there a defining moment, or was it a gradual progression over time?

There is one defining moment that sticks out in my mind when I definitely DID NOT call myself a runner.

It was about 10 years ago and I was a spunky 13 year old. I was going to try out for the JV soccer team and so my parents were forcing helping me to prepare. I did not like running at all and I would have done anything to avoid it. One day my mom made me run home and it was straight uphill. This was the biggest hill EVER. I was about 2/3 to the top when I stopped on the side of the road and just laid down and cried. Yes - I laid down and cried on the side of the road. I was 13, my hormones were crazy or something. Anyway, my mom was flabbergasted and yelled at me to get up. I eventually did and made it to the top of the hill. The end.

From that point on there were a few other signs, many of which I chose to ignore that pointed to me being a runner.

1. I started to enjoy the tortuous distance workouts my high school soccer coached dished out.

2. I signed up for a 15k race after my freshman year of college and was bitten by the running bug.

3. I became a "morning runner" and loved it.

4. I ran a half marathon with my best friend.

5. I went out for the college Track team.

There really is no set time when I started calling myself a runner. But for sure I know that I call myself a runner now.

Happy Thursday! Almost time for the weekend!

My Twitchy Eye

Yesterday at about 11am I was sitting at my desk after conversing with one of the only girls that I work with when my eye started twitching. This was no ordinary twitch, my eye ball was moving - ok, well I am exaggerating but that's what it felt like.

The lower lid of my right eye continued to twitch throughout the rest of the day and into the night. Lovely - I could barely concentrate on the rest of work.

After sending numerous emails to Brian complaining about how swimming is horrible and I hate it because it made my eye twitch, he said that it was probably a result of the goggles I wear.

Seriously!! So of course we trekked over to Dick's Sporting Goods after work to look for new ones but I couldn't make a decision! The pink ones or the blue ones??

I went to bed hoping that I would wake up without my twitchy eye. I was hoping that some rest would help me but I had one crazy night.

I got up three times - 12:45am, 3:00am and 3:50am thinking that it was actually the time to get up and I had heard my alarm. Each time I would go into the bathroom, start getting ready and then wonder what time it was and if I had actually heard my alarm. I even put in my contacts once!

When my actual alarm finally went off at 4:30am, I got up and got ready for swimming. My eye seemed ok but felt a bit swollen almost. Well, not 10 minutes into the ride to the pool my eye decided it was finally awake and started twitching away!

Brian thought that I should try a different pair of goggles this morning so as to not increase the twitching at work and therefore make me even less productive. I tried on a weird blue pair and slowly got into the water. I dunked my head under with these new goggles to test them out and I couldn't see. They just didn't work right and I felt cross-eyed which hurt my twitching eye even more!

So I resorted back to the old goggles for today and got my workout in. The twitch is still there in my lower lid area and it is totally annoying so we will have to see how today turns out!

Since I was feeling sorry for myself and my eye, I went to the cafeteria to get some coffee. Maybe my eye just needed some caffeine? Well I got there and they were all out of Raspberry Chocolate Truffle coffee so I had to settle for Heavenly Hazelnut coffee! This week is turning out to be a real doosey and the weekend can't come soon enough for me!

Total Bust

So I went to the Doctor's yesterday and basically it was a waste of my time.

See, my old doctor retired last year so I am currently switching to a new doctor closer to my new apartment but I had to go back to my old doctors office to get things cleared up. Plus I could get an appointment at this doctors a lot sooner than I could at a new place.

Well I got there and all the usual stuff happened at first but then I never got to ask any questions. I barely got a word in edge-wise with this doctor who has taken over. It was a total bust and a huge disappointment.

My old doctor was a woman and yesterday I had a man - hate to stereotype the men out there but HE would NOT LISTEN to me!! I was so frustrated! I need a referral to go to the PT but if I can't even talk about my knee then how am I supposed to get a referral...

I really don't know what to do. I have a new patient appointment on September 4th with my new doctor so hopefully that will be well. I kind of want to run but at the same time I don't. I am scared that the pain will come back.

Now I guess I will just play the waiting game for another 2+ weeks : (

Swimming this morning = 1100 yards and my lungs feel really tired. Happy Tuesday!

Sunday Afternoon

If you go to the movies and see The Time Traveler's Wife, do not forgot a box of tissues!

I have read the book and just got back from seeing the movie and I cried my eyes out!

It was such a good movie but also very sad - it made me thankful for all the wonderful people in my life and how I need to be thankful for every day that I have with them!

I went with my best friend, Kaylie who I haven't seen all summer and I really missed her! It was a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Tomorrow I have a doctors appointment so maybe I'll be able to see whats up with the knee!