Yuk

What a horrible run today was. I know everybody has these once in a while, and it's not that I felt really bad or anything. I think it was more a matter of motivation. For some reason I was just very blah this afternoon. I wanted to go earlier in the day but the schedule didn't work out, so by the time I went it was warmer, the breeze was a little stiffer, and I was a lot more tired. Went about 2 miles, and it was a struggle to get that far. Tomorrow is Sunday and church, so maybe I can find some motivation there.

Is It Spring Yet?

I think officially it's been spring for a few weeks, but today was one of those fall-back days where the temperature seems more end of winter-ish than spring. Okay, it was only in the forties, but it was wet, cold, and breezy. A perfect recipe for running on ye olde treadmille.

4.25 miles today and it felt pretty good. It was also the boy's birthday today, so not only did he get to go with me to Bring Your Daddy to Work Day (as it's called in our house), but he also got presents, cake, ice cream, and a chance to chill in front of the big screen when we got home, thus allowing me some exercise time.

Listened to the new Kenny Wayne Shepherd (10 Days Out - Blues from the Backroads) while jogging and loved what I heard so far. This is good running music for sure.

Rain All Around

One thing about riding bikes as opposed to running - at least on a bike you get to coast once in a while!

Ran only 2.5 miles today, but since this is the first time in about 2 weeks I figured it was a good time to take it easy. The knees felt shaky at the beginning but got better as I went along. Kept a good pace and felt pretty good at the end. There were dark clouds all around but all I got out of the deal was a few sprinkles.

Dinner was grilled steak with crumbled bleu cheese, pasta, and green beans. I so totally rock!

More Exercise on Wheels

Forgot to post Thursday (the 19th), but rode 6 miles that day, and then about 7 today. My knees are feeling much better. The magazines say that knee strength is really determined by other areas, like quads, hamstrings, and hips, and I believe that to be true. My upper legs and hips have been getting good workouts, and my knees are feeling better. Nothing like riding a bike uphill against the wind while watching out for traffic to get you going on a Saturday morning.

Almost went for a run today, but decided to do one more day of biking to keep building strength in the upper legs. I can tell how my knees are doing by going up and down the stairs here at home, and they're not as tender as they were a week ago. Hooray for wheels!

Bike Day

Today was a bicycle riding day to work on the legs and let the knees continue their little break from running. My estimate is about 4 miles' worth of riding through the nearby neighborhoods. It was a nice change, but I'd still like to get back to running again soon.

A Nice Day

But I still ran inside, choosing to go a slower pace as dictated by the treadmill. About 3.5 miles, and probably won't run again until next Tuesday since I'll be out of town this weekend. Really, it was surprisingly nice outside, especially considering that snow is in the forecast for tomorrow. The right knee still doesn't feel totally right, so having another extended period off should help.

No Pain

I thought about posting this yesterday, but decided I'd wait until the next day to see how I felt. Yesterday afternoon I alternated walking and running for 3 miles on the treadmill (still colder, and now snow flurries are in the weekend forecast!) and today my knees feel just fine. It's nice to get back to a little running, and hopefully the weather will warm up so I can do it outside consistently.

Taking it Easy

Still cold outside, and the knee is still hurting. So I went for a 50-minute walk on the treadmill and everything seemed to go fine. My knee seems to be feeling better, although I still notice a tenderness on the stairs in the house. I'm hoping if I baby it enough it'll be nice back to me. I also got some new dress shoes this weekend, mainly because I think the ones I was wearing were causing the pain in my knees. We'll find out this week when I wear the new ones.

Sidelined

My right knee has kept me from running this week, so yesterday I did some exercises with ankle weights to strengthen the area around the knee, and today I walked about 50 minutes on the treadmill. As you (my imaginary reader) might imagine, not being able to run is kind of a bummer. But then again, the temperature has dipped back down to near freezing with a stiff wind, so this is just as good a time as any to be sidelined, I think.

If I can't get back into running by early next week hopefully the weather will be warm enough to do some bicycle riding.

Against the Wind - Again!

Ran about 2.5 miles today, and walked about 3/4 of a mile, although that's probably a little generous in both amounts. The wind is blowing fierce again today, and my right knee was barking at me, so I called it quits before hurting myself too badly. I know spring winds are normal, but this is ridiculous.

Tonight the World Champion Cardinals kick off the 2007 season, so whatever the weather and whatever the distance, today is a great day!