Lulu's Challenge... rise from the ashes

Yes, I am officially sick. I spent most of the afternoon in bed. I finally feel better but not 100%.

Seven UGLY miles at PMP+1:15. I still don't feel right. I am now thinking it is because I ate something I am sensitive to. I weigh 8.6 pounds more than I did a few days ago. Very difficult to run with all this fluid I am carrying around.

Planned to run 7 but I only made it 5.9 at PMP+1:30. Still 8.6 pounds higher than normal and it has accumulated in my lower legs making them ugly and the skin tight. I am going to put my feet up more tomorrow and drink enough water to fill a lake. Last night I slept with my legs elevated; nothing changed. My head is hurting and I feel horrible. Yuck!

I woke up this morning at 4am with a splitting headache. I sat in my massage chair (anniversary gift years ago from Honey), and it gradually got better. I targeted the massage between my shoulder blades and just below my neck. My headache is from referred pain from my neck and upper back. The stress of my situation at work is getting to me, as it does periodically. As many of you know, I have someone at work that pays an inordinate and inappropriate amount of attention to me. The stress level went up, because quite randomly, I had two different people at work express concern for my safety yesterday. In fact they let me know that there are several people concerned about their own safety, because they feel like the "situation is going to blow." One of my wonderful, caring colleagues offered to walk me to my car. My coping mechanisms were working well until yesterday. There is so much tension amongst my colleagues right now. Before any of my wonderful readers get upset, I would like you to know, I am doing something about the situation. For 3.5 years I have followed the "chain of command" within the organization I work for and now have sought outside help. I have the right people in place whom I am confident are doing what they can to help me.

Even though I slept for most of the night with my feet elevated and drank plenty of water, I was 9(!) pounds up (total) this morning. I lost 6(!) of  it during the day today before my run. My ankles still look like cankles!! At least it was easier on my feet to run a bit lighter. I took Bubbles, and we had a nice run. It wasn't fast, but it was nice. I ran PMP+1:15. Originally I had 8 miles on my schedule, but I decided to play it safe after feeling the way I have the last few days. The scale registered no loss when I got home. This weird puffiness has me baffled. My ankles were literally bulging out and over my socks when I got home from the run! Got to love gravity and H₂O.

Thank you to the wonderful people on this blog who have wished me well. It made me feel better. Thank you ever so much!

Eight with Bubbles at PMP+0:45. Today I felt really great. I am finally back to my regular weight, and felt very strong during the run. I am still fighting the tension headaches because of my situation at work. I had "lunch therapy" with Jeff today. It was good to just chat with him, especially because he is very wise and can put things into perspective and at the same time commiserate with me.

Jeff and I also talked about our plans for Thanksgiving this year. We usually spend it with him so I was talking about our potential menu. This year we are thinking about doing cheese fondue about an hour or two before "the meal." The "meal" is usually very simple and very healthful. He has mentioned he likes coming to our house because we don't have a boatload of food, and we don't overeat. Maybe that will change this year if we do fondue. Of course, he and Honey get to talking about movies, and such and I can't get a word in edgeways.

I should mention that I get very nervous cooking for Jeff because he is an amazing cook. He is always extremely gracious about our cooking -- even when it doesn't go so well. In the past, he has worked as a chef at places where expectations are high. Sometimes he and Honey get going in the kitchen, and I just watch. It is like watching a cooking show on television, only better. If they do that this year, I am ready. I have this yellow caution tape that reads, "caution, men cooking." Perhaps it should read "caution, Lulu cooking."

I hesitate to put these miles in the "easy" box. I ran with Bubbles, and we had the stroller loaded down with her stuff. After the first few hills, I quickly altered the course to avoid more. I ran 9:15s with her last night for eight miles and this morning it was tough to run. I figured out why when I realized at 4 miles I was running 8:30 pace!! I am usually a good judge of pace, but today I was not! I knew this would make me hurt later and boy, did it! My hamstrings are pretty fried. I never really was able (?) to get it slower than 9:30 pace this morning.

I will try to run a few more as I was planning to run somewhere between 16 and 18 today. I hope my trashed hamstrings recover enough I can run more today. Tomorrow's run will have to be short. We are taking Bubbles to a wildlife park. She's going to love it. Guests get driven around in open air vehicles and of course the animals are fed alfalfa. I can't wait to see her expression when a giraffe sticks his head in her face!