Blog challenge

So...there's a Blog Challenge goin' round. And, much like my arrival to work for the past few weeks, I'm on CP time. Debating on jumping in to this. Fighting with myself as to what I would write, how, etc...I'm just not sure. I appreciate the bravery and candidness of the blogs I've read so far. Folks got me crying at my computer screen! ::wipes tear::

These are the topics everyone is writing about:

Day 01 – Introduce yourself
Day 02 – Your first love
Day 03 – Your parents
Day 04 – What you ate today
Day 05 – Your definition of love
Day 06 – Your day
Day 07 – Your best friend
Day 08 – A moment
Day 09 – Your beliefs
Day 10 – What you wore today
Day 11 – Your siblings
Day 12 – What’s in your bag
Day 13 – This week
Day 14 – What you wore today
Day 15 – Your dreams
Day 16 – Your first kiss
Day 17 – Your favorite memory
Day 18 – Your favorite birthday
Day 19 – Something you regret
Day 20 – This month
Day 21 – Another moment
Day 22 – Something that upsets you
Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better
Day 24 – Something that makes you cry
Day 25 – A first
Day 26 – Your fears
Day 27 – Your favorite place
Day 28 – Something that you miss
Day 29 – Your aspirations
Day 30 – One last moment

Debating...

Plantar Fasciitis

I haven't been for a run since last Monday morning. Which was a good run, I might add - 4 miles with an average pace of 9:48. Score! That's good for me. But, the heel pain I've been dealing with for the past few weeks really started to flare up after that run. I came to work, as usual, sat at my desk and started working. An hour later, when I tried to get up and walk to the printer, I could barely walk on my right heel.

So I went to see my old friends at OrthoCarolina - they also treated me for my Achilles Tendonitis. From everything I read on the net, I figured it was plantar fasciitis, but I just wanted to make sure. Of course, that was the diagnosis. After listening to the options, I opted to go with the cortisone shot.

Uh...lemme just tell you. That would be the 2nd most painful thing I've had done. The 1st would be the dentist attempting to drain an abscessed tooth - but that's another post for another time. Anywho, his exact words: "I'm not gonna lie to you - it WILL hurt."

He didn't lie. He had a student in training following him, and I heard him explaining to her that he did not like to do the injection from the bottom of the foot, as it tends to hurt worse. So he came at it from the inside on the side of the heel. They attempt to numb it with that freezing spray (yeah, right) and then tell you to be very still as they are about to start the shot.

Can I just tell you, it felt like he STABBED that needle into my foot?!? What the? My foot was assaulted and battered! And then you can feel the cortisone going in. It's a weird feeling. YOu get some numbness for a little while after, and then it's just weird feeling.

It's been almost a week. So far I can feel the biggest difference in the morning. I no longer have the excruciating pain when I get out of bed. I was given a list of stretches to do. Basically, a lot of the same things I was doing for my Achilles. WHich would be a good time for me to admit that I had slacked off...so, yeah. My fault. I complete the "towel stretch" in the mornings before I get out of bed, and the wall stretch in the shower. I have a water bottle at work that I keep in the freezer. In the mornings I will take it out, and then I roll the bottle back and forth under my foot.

So far, so good. I still have days when it's aggravated throughout the day. I've been wearing flip flops to work. Y'all know how this hurts my feelings...I like my high heels. I am not supposed to be walking around barefoot - which is a bad habit of mine. I have to force myself to wear flip flops around the house. I'm trying to do better.

I've decided that I will hit the elliptical all week. I've been eating like I don't know any better, and it's showing up around my midsection and thighs. Booo. Hopefully next week, I'll get back to running. I plan to start my half marathon training in August.

Hope no one else is sidelined with injuries!

Big Chop...again

So, yeah. As you can see from my new avatar, I chopped all my hair off. I did it for several reasons:

1. It was not growing the way that it was in 2005-2006. I loved my hair then. A trim turned into a cut back in spring 2006, and I have not gotten back to that length since that time. Frustration with the growth/thickness led to me not giving the time and attention I gave previously...so it really wasn't thriving.

2. I'm all about random changes. I like routine, but every now and then I like to change things. My mom says I used to change my room around so much when I was younger, she thought the furniture would fall apart. I needed a change, and I was actually going to just trim it, but the more I thought about it, a BC seemed to be the right choice.

3. It's HOT! I'm going to start half marathon training in August, and figured it'd be nice to be able to "wash n go" during these next few months.

My new avatar pic was taken the day I cut it - June 19, 2010. It's already growing out some and I actually think it's too long in the back. I'll be headed back to the barber soon for a trim and a shape up.

I Am Yet Alive

Hiya blog world. I'm still alive. I don't have much to blog about right now. I think I've gotten so used to condensing my life into 140 characters or less for Twitter, and into status updates for FB. So writing anything longer than that requires more thought and effort than I'm willing to give.

I'm sure if I REALLY thought about it, I'd have some things to blog about. Like, my trip to Vegas in May...where one of my BFFs lost her dayum mind. And how I nicknamed her Janet from the Muppets because of the ridiculous fake eyelashes she had plastered on her face. I have pics and I most certainly could describe the sights, sounds and crap load of FOOD on that trip.

I could also talk about my trip home to NY. My first time seeing LDR for an extended period of time, since March. I could talk about how we met each other's families, all the fun we had.

I could talk about how my dad's cancer is back, so he's gearing up for his 3rd battle with this disease...but I don't really have all the details yet. And thinking about how frail he is right now just makes me sad, anyway. :(

I'm also getting ready to cut my hair. I just need to figure out if I'm going to a stylist or a barber to get this done. I will post pics of my hair once it's done. I'm really hating my skin right about now, so I haven't been in a rush to post many photos, either.

I haven't done a road race since the CPCC 5K, but I was running regularly up until my trip to NY. Just getting back into the swing of things. Might be developing plantar fascitis in my right heel. Sigh.

So, as you can see, plenty of blog fodder, but no motivation to post any of it. Maybe if I tweet and FB less, I'll blog more. Hmmm. Something to think about.

I hope everyone is having a fabulous spring/summer so far. I'll try to get back here soon with a good post. Smooches!

Hills Build Character!

I would have to look back through my blog, but I *think* I wrote a blog last year about running the LungStrong 15K in October. The course, was very, very, very, very hilly. Did I mention that it was hilly? And, that was the start of my Achilles tendonitis problems. That was my first road race ever, and despite the injury status and the feeling of utter exhaustion afterwards, I was very proud that I completed it. Even if the race walkers DID beat me. O_o

All along this course, there were signs along the side of the road, encouraging the runners. One that we kept seeing said, "Hills Build Character!" It was right after a particularly challenging hill. If I had had the energy, I probably would have run over and kicked it. Really? Because all they are building for me is PAIN!

The RunStrong Meet Up I participate in, was founded by the organizer of that race. He laughed when I was reminiscing one night about those crazy signs. They WERE funny...but not until after the race. Ha!

So now, I find myself doing hill repeats with the meet up every other week. 1 week is speed work, the other week is hill work. After the first 2 workouts I was thinking, "I cannot keep up with this. This is the stuff I used to do in high school, and I'm 17 years removed from this. Seriously." But I have to say, I rather enjoy the challenge. These are the types of workouts I never thought I'd do ever again. Run 3 leisurely miles - sure. Run hills? Nah.

Last night was the usual Monday night 4 Miler with the Run Strong group. As usual, Stacey and I were bringing up the rear. But I noticed that we're bringing up the rear a little faster. The first mile is mostly a steady incline. The first few weeks I ran this course I felt like I was DYING by the time I got to mile 1. DYING. And there were more inclines and small hills to go! I noticed last night, it wasn't so bad! For the first time in a while we didn't get caught at the light after the first mile. We ran the first 2 miles straight. By the time we got to the 2 mile mark, the rest of the group had rested for about a minute, and as they saw us coming up the hill, they started back. We actually took about two minutes of rest.

I love running back because it's mostly down hill from there. Except for at the very end. There is an incline up to the gas station and then back down to the flat parking lot where we end. Past runs, that incline has gotten the best of me, but yesterday I was really able to put the pedal to the metal and "beast it in," as KD would say. I surprised myself!

I know that was nothing but the speed training and the hill work. It's nice to see results from the hard work during those workouts. That is definitely motivation to continue attending those sessions.

If you're a runner, how often do you do speed work and hill training?

Henna

Henna-henna-bo-benna...so, you're thinking about using henna for color? Or maybe you just want to add some strength to your hair? Well, you can get either of these things accomplished with a good, body art quality henna. I have several people ask me about henna in the last few weeks. I'll tell you about my experience, but keep in mind this is a YMMV situation for sure and try to provide some direction:

THE HENNA BIBLE:
Before you go out and buy anything, you need to read Henna For Hair. She has really laid out pretty much all the information you need to know, and then some. She talks about the types of henna, using indigo on top of henna to make a darker color, mixing the henna colors, etc. Keep in mind that the color of your hair after you henna is dependent on what you start with. If you start out with light colored hair, your change is going to be much more noticeable. With mine, you can see it on my grays, but the overall color is more noticeable in the sun.

WHAT DOES HENNA DO:
Henna deposits color on your strands. It is not going to lift color or lighten. I have seen people strip the color from their hair and then henna. To me, that defeats the purpose of trying to add color in a healthy manner...but to each his/her own.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH HENNA:
It can be messy the first time. Henna for Hair has some links to YouTube videos on the application of henna. Check those out. I personally like to use Karishma henna:


I have also read about people with highly textured hair using Jamila henna successfully as well. It's going to be one of those things where you have to just try it and see. You can also order henna mixtures from the Henna for Hair website.

I mix my Karishma henna with green tea. I get a box of green tea bags from Trader Joes, boil a small pot of water and let 4 tea bags steep in that for a few minutes. You can just use water, but I like the acidity of green tea to help with color release. I also add a little lime juice - for the scent and the acidity. Again, not necessary - but just some ideas. If you are just using henna as a conditioning treatment, you won't need to worry about trying to get the color to release.

I shampoo and lightly condition my hair before applying henna. At first, I tried it with shampoo only and no conditioner. No bueno. Tangled, dry feeling mess aftewards. I learned that I needed to condition before applying the henna. Sometimes, I lightly apply coconut oil to my hair before applying the henna as well.

One package of Karishma is enough to cover my whole head, liberally. If you have really long hair you're going to need lots more. You really want to glop it on. I tend to do henna on weekends when I don't have much to do. The first time I only left it on for 4 hours because I was not sure what would happen. Now, I have taken to just leaving it on overnight. I wrap Saran Wrap around my head several times as the first layer of protection. I then put two plastic caps over that, and finally I sleep on a red towel - just in case. I haven't had any issues.

Always use gloves when you apply henna. Otherwise you will end up with orange hands and nails. I would use the gloves when you rinse it out as well. The gloves I use are light blue in color. When I finish applying my henna they look like this:

LOL! So yeah...gloves. At all times. I tend to part my hair in four sections and use butterfly clips to secure each section. I apply it one section at a time, starting from the back and moving up to the front.

After I rinse henna out, I personally do not shampoo my hair. I feel like the color needs a few days to oxidize. I will put some conditioner in my hair to detangle it, and then rinse. I don't deep condition right after henna, but some folks do. I feel like I would lose some of the color if I chose to open up my cuticle right after a treatment. You'll have to play around to see what works for you. I tend to DC a few days later.

Henna turns my gray hairs a light orangish-red color. If you want darker hair, you will need to follow your henna application with an indigo application. That's the only way to achieve a "black" color. Be leery of henna you see for sale in the hair dye section. Stick with body art quality and skip the commercial stuff.

Here are a few pics of my hair after henna:

Right after rinsing out the henna and doing a light conditioner. Those lighter red hairs are my grays. :)


Monday afternoon...as you can see my hair pretty much looks dark brown, almost black. But if I was in the sunlight it would look burgundy. My hair also tends to feel really soft a couple of days after I henna. It can get a little straighter (temporarily) so it doesn't hold the curls as well as it normally would.

If you have any questions that are not answered by the Henna for Hair website (which I highly doubt you will, lol), or any question about my experience in general, just let me know. Remember to read, read and read again until you are clear on the techniques and benefits, and then have fun!

CPCC Skyline 5K!

My first official roadrace of the year! Woo hooo! And I almost didn't make it. Why? Well on Wednesday, we decided to go preview the course. Myself, KD, and CrimsonPurl. I had just done hill work the day before. Our plan was to do 200s the day before, but Ridge Junior High locked the track on is, and since we were already there, we jogged through the neighborhood and found a hill. I felt great at the time we did the hills - I was able to keep up with Walt and Laura! But clearly, the next day, my body was thinking, "not so much."

So during our preview run, my calf seized up like an engine without oil. I mean, it was so tight and painful, it was making my SHIN hurt. And I never get shin splints. I had to stop running after 1.54 miles and KD and CP were nice enough to walk the rest of the way with me (thanks, guys!). The preview showed that the course was relatively flat, with a few inclines here and there, but the most major incline was right at the beginning.

LDR did NOT want me to run. He thought I was going to hurt my leg worse. We had a 20 minute negotiation, where in I promised to take epsom salts baths, slather myself down with Tiger Balm, wear my calf support for 2 days, and that I would not run if I felt pain on Saturday morning. LOL! Ultimately, I was fine.

I got up around 5:30am on Saturday morning. I took my time getting ready. I let the warm water in the shower run on my muscles, and did some stretching while I was in there. I had planned to grab a banana and some granola, but ultimately I just left the house. For shorter races, I'm ok with empty stomach cardio. I didn't feel hungry and I didn't want to force myself to eat. I knew they'd have bananas there, if I needed anything.

It was about 60 degrees when I left the house. That's comfy for me. It was drizzling, though. So much for the forecast that the rain would come in the afternoon! I arrived uptown and parked in the Target parking garage (hello? free parking? score!) and walked the two blocks to the race site. Hundreds of people were already milling around. I got my timing chip and found an area by the benches to camp out, stretch, and wait for everyone else.

Soon after, the girls from the Purple Butterfly Running Club began arriving. We took a few pictures together, and I think one of the official photographers took one of us as well. CrimsonPurl was feeling sick and unable to run with us, but she came out anyway to cheer us on! How sweet is that?

Running Diva Kristen was there. I think that's my new nickname for her. She usually runs races on Saturdays, so she hasn't been able to run with PRBC. This girl is BLAZING fast. Blazing! She coaches with Girls on the Run, is going to school, and still finds time to get it in. And the Diva showed up with eye make up on, no less! LOL! She and Ashley (from BGR) are officially my running idols. These ladies are FAST and I'd just like to be like them when I grow up.

We started lining up for the race and I felt my adrenaline start to kick in a bit. Diva got up to the front because she wanted to try and PR. The rest of us hung back in a group. However when the crowd started moving, I moved more toward the middle, and KD came with me.

Let's talk about KD for a moment. Diva #2. You know how some folks (like me) have to work hella hard to eek out our little races here and there, and then some folks just have 'it' naturally? KD has it naturally. She makes running look like it's effortless. You'll watch her and think she's not moving that fast, but sistah-gurl is BLAZING. Blazing! This is important in the next couple of paragraphs. :lol:

We got going and made it up the first hill. I tried to make a conscious effort to run faster up that hill than we had in our practice run. I just wanted it over with. 7th street was just one loooooooooong incline, and I couldn't wait until we got to the turn off to the neighborhood. By the time we got to the Run For Your Life 1 mile marker, their clock said 10:46, but we didn't start at the gun. Nike+ (which has really been working lately!) said about 10:00. I was hoping to take it out a little faster, but the combo of the crowd and the hill got me. I tried to pick it up for the 2nd mile.

By the time we got into the neighborhood and onto 5th street, KD was gone! I could barely see her in the crowd. It got to the point that my breathing was too hard and my heart rate was too high, and I realized I was going TOO fast. My calf started to tweak a bit so I walked for a minute. I hated that I had to walk, but it was better than an injury or falling out. I picked it back up right as we got to the incline by the hospital.

We had to run by a small park and then out a small side street to Morehead. There's a restaurant called Nothing but Noodles on Morehead. Initially CrimsonPurl was going to go by that corner to cheer us on, but when I got to that point I didn't see her. I started trying to push a little faster, because by this point I think we only had about .7 left in the race.

I spotted CrimsonPurl at the corner of Morehead and Charlottetown! What an energy booster. She was cheering and holding the group sign...and she took a picture of me. Hope it's not crazy - if it isn't, I'll come back and post a copy here. Ha! By this point it was literally down hill from here. Diva, who had finished probably 6 minutes prior, was walking back up the hill and I heard her cheering for me. I heard Ashley, too! She says I made a face at her - I have no recollection and wasn't trying to do it on purpose! LOL! I was just trying to kick it in and get to that finish line. At the last turn before the finish I heard KD hollering (she is the true cheerleader of the group) and I was able to sprint it in.

My original goal was to break 30 minutes. Didn't quite make it, but I beat my time from the last 5K I ran in the fall! 30:26, 9:48 pace. I'll take it! We have another 5K coming up on 5/22. It's the Girl Scouts' Thin Mint Sprint and it's going to be at Carowinds Amusement park. Should be interesting!

I'm glad I ran this 5K, and I was very happy to be out there as part of a group. These girls are just personable, funny, and great motivators. Go PBRC! :)