TexasLindsey

My motivation has been completely zapped.   I got sick and I had to miss several days of running.  I'm better now.... but my nose is still running non-stop.  I think it's just the time of year.  Maybe I have allergies.  I had the same problem last winter... it was like I had a cold for 4 months.  Nothing serious just a running nose.  Still, it's annoying.   

We've also had several days of freezing tempatures.  Running outside is my only option since my husband says we can't afford a gym membership or a treadmill.  This morning the windchill was 8 degrees.  8 degrees!  OMG!  It gets dark at 5:30 pm... and my husband gets home at 5:30 pm...  so I have to run in the freezing cold AND dark if I am to run.  I really want to run, but I draw the line at this...   So basically, I am a prisoner of this house.  I go out to get the mail and that's it.  

I saved up enough money to buy a treadmill but then my washing machine broke.  Ugh!  I spent my saved up birthday and Christmas money on a new washer.... Stupid washer.  LOL  

So now I've been searching the house for things to sell on Craislist so that I can get enough cash to buy a treadmill.   So far my big ticket items aren't selling...   Would you believe that no one wants my china!?!    I have lots of low dollar stuff to have a garage sale but...  If it were warm enough for a garage sale, then I wouldn't need a treadmill so badly.  Oh, the irony! 

My husband is pretty unsupportive about my running and my spending money on running things which is why it took me so long to save up money for the treadmill (ur, uh... washer).  Doesn't he notice that I am in a better mood when I run?   Being here all day with these kids... I love them, but I just need someway to relieve stress and break up the monotony... running gives me something to look forward to.   

I'm trying to not allow myself to get too down... but I am pretty down.  

I'd like to report that today it is 20 degrees outside with the windchill factor of 14 degrees.  I saw on the news that it is 21 degrees lower than the average temperature for this time of year.  Yuck! 

I'll also report that I still have not sold anything on Craislist.  My Craigslist plan for making enough money to buy a treadmill is not having much success at the moment.   I think maybe the yucky weather is to blame.  Yeah, that's it. 

I wish I could move to San Diego and change my handle to CaliforniaLindsey.  I much prefer the California weather ....and political atmosphere, for that matter.  I'll go ahead and share this on the blog --> My immediate family and I are the only Democrats we know here in Texas.  And in Texas, it's considered quite immoral to not be a Republican.  The only way good people are Democrats is if they are gullible idiots.  Thus, my friends and extended family believe me to be..... a gullible idiot.  This in spite of the fact that I have two "political" degrees from the University of Texas - one in Government and one in Economics.  Ha, ha!   Regardless, I've learned over the years that there is no point to advertise my views.  I'm not going to change anyone's mind about anything, not the least of which that I am a gullible idiot.  The only way one would feel comfortable expressing Democratic views in Texas would be if one lived in Austin.  On the political map of Texas, Austin is like a shiney blue island oasis surrounded on all sides by hot red lava.

Don't get me wrong, I love Texas.  It's a wonderful, beautiful state.  I love the people here, too, despite this political thing.  People are very friendly and kind here.  They are also hard working and honest.  They just listen to too much talk radio.....   

Oh, listen to me go on and on...  I'm just depressed that the weather here is interfereing with my running... 

26 degrees today and cloudy.  6 mph wind.  The weather has improved.  

I haven't run in 6 days because of illness and weather... but mostly because I've been feeling sorry for myself that I don't have a treadmill or a gym membership. 

I'm ending this streak today.  I've mustered up the motivation to do whatever it takes to run.  Thus, I am loading my 10 month old, my 3 year old and all their "equipment" in the car today and I'm driving to my sister's house.  She has agreed to babysit them for 1.5 hours while I run.  In exchange, when I am done, I must gather my kids and her 3 year old into my car and take them all back to my house for 2 hours, where no doubt, my house will be destroyed.  After my sister picks up her son, I will then spend the next several hours trying to cook dinner and clean the mess.   It is alot of work just to run.   Sigh... 

Nothing worth having is ever easy.  I guess the same applies here.  I always tell people the reason I like long distance running is because it's so hard.  If it were easy, I wouldn't feel the pride for accomplishing that days run.  I've decided that in addition to the actual effort of running, I need to extend my pride to the entire effort that is required for me to be able to run. 

I'll report back later how all this worked out.  Hopefully, I can hang on to this motivation and jump back on the training wagon for good. 

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Update:

I am so happy that I ran today.  My confidence and motivation has been restored.  All the effort I have to go through to run today is worth it. 

I ran this park by my sister's house that has a 2.6 mile loop.  I decided to run the loop 3 times and try to get faster each loop.  It was fun.  My IT band on my right leg started bothering me on the 3rd loop.  I think it's these mizuno shoes...   

Loop 1 - 22:09  (8:33 average pace)

Loop 2 - 21:09  (8:09 ap)

Loop 3 - 20:40  (7:59 ap)

3.25 miles at 5:15 pm.  45 degrees.  8:59 average pace.

Well, I was done with my running funk, but apparently, the funk wasn't done with me.  My IT band on the outside of my knee on my right leg started hurting about 2 miles into the run today.  It was hurting at the end of yesterday's run too.  My left IT band knee area was also having issues the entire run.  None of this was so serious that it affected my form but it still hurt. 

I think maybe I shouldn't have run so fast yesterday after taking 6 days in a row off.  I mean I felt fine but I guess maybe my muscles and ligaments were tight or something. 

Also, I need new shoes.  I don't like the mizunos.  I think the asics and the brook's are worn out.  I always start having IT band issues when my shoes are worn out.  I'm surprised that they only lasted 200 miles.  Before this blog, I never tracked the milage exactly.  Forefoot running must wear shoes out faster than normal. 

Probably not a good idea for me to run tomorrow with my group.  I think I'll do it anyways.  I'm going for 10 miles but if my legs hurt, I'll just make it shorter. 

I joined a gym!!   Wooo Hooo!   No more complaining about the weather on this blog!  From now on I'll be complaining about being bored on the treadmill...  j/k.  Ha, ha!  

I also bought new shoes today.  I ran 5 miles in 40 minutes (8 mph average pace) at the gym in my new shoes.  Absolutely no problems whatsoever with my legs.  No IT Band issues.  So maybe the shoes or the treadmill surface.