DOMS-Dumb Onset of Muscles deciding they SUCK

In an attempt to get Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger, Ive become weaker. Dumb. I am so sore from the re-establishment of a finite resistance training program that the only result thus far has been me walking around like a baby pony after a long day at the fair, muttering things like, "ulgh, Im so sore", "You have no idea how sore I am", and/or "dude, seriously. No, I cant even...open this, Im so weak...oh and sore".

Some may say that this sucks, but baby Jesus's Dad had a plan when he created this thing called Human Body (Insert a shit ton of chemical reactions, blah blah blah, CH₃CH(OH)COO^-, etc, yadda yadda yadda) and the end result is DOMS. Being sore is actually good because you know you are tearing and reparing, baby! AKA gettin jacked.

Fucking DOMS. My friend Nick and I have a joke where days after a run one person will randomly receive a text that says something like, "Dude, my DOMS is SO delayed and onset". Shit just sneaks up on you hours or even days later. Anyway, when this DOMS character rears its ugly face, it hurts. So, while my natural reaction is to lay in my bed, sobbing in fetal position, I know that its actually best to get back out there and "run it out". Gotta train this loser body to suck it up so that when Im hurtin out there on the streets I wont feel compelled to cower underneath the water station and call my dad from my cell phone.

So thats what Ive been doing the past two days. Making myself get out there even though, dude, Im so sore. You have no idea. No, seriously. I can barely even type this...

The biggest (littlest) loser

Did about 3 miles last night easily. I originally didnt intend on running, but I DID intend on doing Exercise TV, so I figured Id get a bit limber and loosen up for the big event. Ive been having extreme back pain and have gathered that my core is weak and my legs and arms are strong. I mean, thats not hard to see. I have an extra xman muscle in my leg and I have an extra jelly donut in my belly- you do that math. This only half factual truth leaves me "weak cored". Im like a walking time bomb for disc slipping. Not really, Im not even sure I know what that means, but I am sure Im a walking time bomb for some sort of painful injury if I dont start really integrating strength exercises into my regime (as opposed to fake exercises, ie, taking the stairs, opening beers with my bare hands, reaching really high for cake batter mix, etc.)

Anyway, if you recall, my girl Cindy Whitmarsh from Exercise TV is usually the woman who administers the kicking of my ass, but to my avail, she was no where to be found! I plan on fully stalking out this situation a bit later on, but for the story's sake, all you need to know is that I settled on Jillian Michaels- who is the training coach for the Biggest Loser. I mean, shes allrighttttttt, her hair lacks luster and her jawline is no less than manly, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt.


That she-man kicked my ass! Seriously, Kevin called me post sesh and I had to keep switching hands because I couldnt even hold the phone up after those militaryesque freakin push ups she had me doing. Pathetic.

Anyway, Im sore today which was the point, and looking forward to my run tonight to hopefully leech some lactic acid out of these bad boys. I guess Im just wondering why I dont have a six pack yet though, what the F.

I Lost my running partner to cheese

There you have it folks, this sad, sad Thursday I regret to inform you that Krystina has decided to move back home to pursue a career in serving beer to very intoxicated golfers. You know that old saying, "Reach for the stars so if you fall, you land on a cloud"? Well this broad reached for the stars and landed in Wisconsin. I still think she is joking though, you didnt really move did you? I dont like surprises Krystina, just show your face, throw the party, and get this over with.

Anyway, so yes, Krystina will be training from home-intermittently between eating, tailgating, drinking, shooting up, and god knows what other desperate attempts for fun that state has conjured up. If you ask me, Wisconsin doesnt even exists, but what do I know.

OoOO. Ill tell you what I know. My new cool iphone app-"Cool Facts" has recently informed me that 25% of your bones are in your feet. Vewyy intewesting. This totally explains why 25% of my pain while running is in my feet. These sausage links were NOT engineered for running, Ill tell you that. They were engineered to be eaten in such an event that a plane crashes, and we are stranded in the Alps with no other source of sustinance... and we just so happen to also have some barbeque sauce.

Which brings me to my Memorial Day Purchase. New kicks! Im wicked excited about it. Although new shoes will not magically give me superhuman running abilities or improve my VO2 max whatsoever, they will provide me with the proper arch support that I need as my mileage gets higher-- Which, by the way, will be around the start of June. Without good sneakers your toenails will fall off. This is not a myth, this happens to a good chunk of people who run a marathon. Personally, I kind of love war wounds, scars, bruises, etc. so I actually hope this happens to me. War wounds mean youve been to war and lived to tell a story! And look! Instead of pictures I would like to show you my highly anticipated... fake acrylic toenail! My friend Jess sadly lost a toenail to an unruly soccer ball, and she got an implant! I didnt even know they made those, but oh do they ever and I, for one, cannot wait.

There's a reason cell phones don't fit in running shorts

So as I'm sure you've already read, mine and Amanda's run last night was brutal, nay, it was absolute medieval punishment. In fact, I would have gladly taken impalement right around mile 2.

Ok, ok, I know I'm exaggerating here people, duh. But seriously, I was miserable. Contrary to my little friend, the first mile was not all that bad for me. I felt pretty good and it was nice out and I thought my running tunes were pretty good. And then I hit what is referred to as the "proverbial wall." Right as we begun our ascent of what seemed to be the highest peak in Middletown, I started to lose it. My calves felt like they were burning and battery acid was running through my veins. I tried to keep my breathing regular but I couldn't even tell if that was helping. And after we finished climbing our fourth hill in a row, I was begging for mercy on the inside. I kept thinking, its such a good thing I don't have mobile, email, telegraph, or shit, even teleporting access because I surely would have somehow found a way to be picked up around mile 3. At this point, Amanda and I aren't even speaking and she is about 2 feet ahead of me. My spirits are down and my heartrate is up. I keep thinking, what am I going to do when it comes marathon time? And then I remembered that I am fully capable of doing this, I've done it before and I'll do it again. Running uphill isn't going away anytime, in fact, its going to get worse. I'm moving back home to my parents in a week to Wisconsin and they live in what seems to be the highest point in the city. The run we just did in Middletown started out at an elevation of 102 feet and the highest elevation we reached was 230 feet (above sea level duh). God, my mapping skills are really coming in handy here. Anyways, the relief was about 450 feet. Ok, sorry for getting side tracked but mapmyrun.com is really cool. Back to the matter at hand, where I'm going to be living is going to be even worse, the same 4 mile run is about 600 feet in relief, the minimum elevation is 614 feet and the maximum is 774 feet. Hopefully you all took Geology 110 and can figure out that only 160 feet of elevation with relief of 600 feet in 4 miles means your ass is running basically up and down hills...educate yourselves!

Now before I begin to get elevation shock, I have to remember that somedays are uphill battles and somedays are downhill battles...today is going to be a downhill battle. A two mile downhill battle. I may be defying the laws of physics, but I only plan on running downhill today.

Heart of an indoor cat

As opposed to my good friend Kevin Witkowski, whom Ive deemed a "lion" due to the sheer will and heart that his physical agility and indoor soccer skills thrive off of, I in fact no longer have the heart of a lion. I have the heart of an indoor cat. A shaggy, half shaven, toothless, indoor cat. I dont know when it happened, but Ive gotta get over this hump.

I came to this conclusion yesterday... well before our 4 mi run. At this point in training, I dont think that I should have to talk myself into going for a 4 mi run. I think I should just go bang it out and be done with it-- chalk it up as an "easy" day. Not yesterday. The first mile I was straight dragggggging. Just couldnt get in the groove. The second mile was not bad considering it was all uphill. Poor downtown planning, by the way. Id like to give a quit shoutout to the settlers of Middletown who I blame for this terrible, terrible urban city planning. Glad I got that off my chest. So yeah, the way home, was fine though- GREAT even, here's why.

It takes somewhere around 20 minutes (around 2 miles or more) for a bunch of awesome things to happen in your body. Without getting all sciency- It takes 20 min to warm up (ie, regulate breathing, set a pace, loosen up muscles, etc.). Thats a problem for me and it always will be. It is usually hard to get over that hump, but lately its just be extraordinarily hard, thats all. Ill get over it, though. You can say Im having a "Hump Slump" (haha).

When I tell most people my mileage and that Im training for a marathon the usual reaction is this- "Thats insane. Youre crazy. I cant even run 2 mi. I cant even run 1 mi."

Oh contraire my dear friends. Most people CAN just go out there and run... and run farther than they think, but they are in what I will now refer to as "2 mile denial". What they dont realize is that they CAN do it, it just sucks at first. It sucks for everyone. If i was in primo shape or in terrible shape- those first two miles feel exactly the same. Just killer. After that its smooth sailin. If people (and by people, I mean me) can just get over that initial reaction and get into a rhythm, its all good in the hood. Its not the same for everybody, and maybe not to the same degree, but the physiolgical reactions stand true.

The good part about this 20 min rule, is that this just so happens to also be the time that endorphins start kicking in, giving you more energy, a positive mindstate, and extra motivation. Good timing huh? For example, most of the time when I start my run, I have scowl on my face and am visibly tense. Lets just get this shit over with. Stupid sneakers suck. Stupid sidewalk, why dont they clean this shit up. By the time Ive hit my 3 mi mark, Im waving frantically at every neighbor and drug dealer I pass! Its just science.

So, while the majority of "training" is physical, for me, my focus right now is mental. Getting over the hump and training my mind to get over the wall so that I can be prepared to handle any mental opposition I might have. Any ideas are welcomed. Like, really welcomed. Holla.

Im sorry.

It appears that since Ive posted, a dark grey and very ominous cloud has drifted over my fellow blog minions; and for that- Im sorry. The people need me. If they cant turn to me, who can they turn to? What I just did was rude and thoughtless. It would be analogous to Barack Obama standing up in front of America, during a scheduled press conference and saying.

"(Sighhhhhh) I Just dont feel like it today, guys. I had a bad day, my puppy isnt eating, Its really hot out here, I didnt get much sleep, and Im just over it. Whats the point anyway. I hate being President".

I GUESS I can come up with something slightly more positive to say about the stupid Salmon River Run.

Around Mile 4, I was doing the horizontal shuffle (running more in a lateral movement, rather than actually advancing anywhere remotely forward) and a kind of amazing thing happened. I decided to give up on purposefully selecting my songs in an attempt to find any sort of inspirational beat and gave up. I just succumbed to whatever was going to come on because it didnt matter anyways. Well, it just so happened that a song I had actually just added the night before came on. I had never listened to it in its entirety before, but out of just sheer exhaustion, just let it run its course. (Pun not intended).

That song was Mates of State-Goods. Not your typical running song, but it was that day. As the indie soundwaves made their way into my cochlear business, I found myself actually happy to be running and remember having a minute of pure euphoria and was covered in goosebumps. (Later I realized this was probably the early stages of Heat Stroke, but it was cool nonetheless). As I was coasting down those trails, I thought to myself, this is why you run, and proclaimed to George, "Im back!"

George later told me that it was my very abrubt proclamation that carried him the rest of the way. There is a quote that Ive heard once that says, "Four legs can run longer than two" and
this is the epitome of that. You dont really realize how much your mood can affect your running partners mood, and how much you feed off eachothers energy. So when you pick a running partner make sure its someone who you can trust to carry you through the hard times as well as someone who is big enough to block you while youre squatting down to pee in a pile of poison ivy ridden leaves.

NOT a great day to be an American

I am of course speaking about May 9th, the day of the Salmon River Run. I know all of you probably have Refresh Cramp in your little pointer finger, so Im going to give you what you want, but Im not going like it.

Salmon River Run. Ohhhhh Salmon River Run. Where do I begin. This is unarguably the WORST run of my entire life. This probably explains why I haven't blogged about it yet. It took a few days to reflect, except that I didnt reflect. I havent even thought about it since. This is of course the perfect venue to dig deep into my cerebellum, so lemme just lay back on this couch and play a little word association game.

Comstock Covered Bridge= Dragons
Race Director=Suede covered, patriotic, fife players
Air Quality=Oh my god.
Race Course=ugh.
DNR= yes please.

Actually, I dont even want to talk about it*. Basically there are good days and there are bad days. Rarely do I have a run that is complete agony the entire time, but holy shit, this race defined devil territory. At one point I hoped that oncoming Park Ranger traffic would hit me. Even if it was at 5 mi per hour.

Princess Krystina over here and I plan to do a run tonight. Hopefully It will be so EPIC that it will totally negate and erase this from my memory. Because I dont really have the money for hypnosis, but if I have to resort to fundraising I will. Im not too proud.

*But, if you really need deets, please refer to George's very accurate and detailed depiction of the day's events, HERE.

Getting ahead of the game

So while my colleagues were busy taking on the Salmon River Run this past Saturday, I slept quietly in my feather topped mattress like the cuddly little puppy I am. I awoke around 10, stretched my paws and headed to the kitchen for my ritualistic cup of coffee, cream, no sugar. Upon stepping onto the balcony of my princess tower, I noticed it was cloudly, hot and arguably one of the most humid days of 2009 thus far. There was no way I was going to run in this shit. Plus my knee was really sore as usual. Its actually kinda cool because after working out, my left knee is significantly hotter to the touch than my right. Anyways, I had an inner argument about running for probably about an hour, just enough time for the caffeine to peak. To combat my split personalities on running, I decided to at least get my gear on to help persuade me away from the dark side. Holy shit, that was half the battle right there. I mean, how big of a pussy would I be if I just sat inside for another hour, took my running gear off and saddled up for a Keeping Up With the Kardashians marathon? NO! That was not going to happen. So as the battle raged on, I decided to map out a run to persuade me even more. Top that off with 20 minutes of serious stretching and a coating of BioFreeze and I was ready to hit the streets. And hit them I did. I nailed 3.27 miles in 27 minutes and you know what the best part was? My knee didn't feel like it was going to give out which means, yup, you guessed it, I'm turning into quite the runner here folks! So the lesson learned here kids is that this whole running thing is mostly in your head. If I believe I can run, than I can, nuff said. Oh, and training has a little to do with it I guess but if you put your mind to it, you can do it!

Runners never call the game.

About a year back I was inspired by a friend of mine who we will call Patrick Lesniak. (Identity not changed to enhance his already stellar reputation). Patrick decided that he was going to run the Boston Marathon, which many of you may know is at the end of April. I will give my fellow New Englander's a second for that to register.....

...."18 weeks, carry the 2... subtract 4....wait, a minute! That means they must train during the winter!"

You got it Seamus! I'll give you another second to process that one.

"Man that sucks. That must really freaking suck."

Yes. Yes it does. Now, I truly believe that I am a die hard little Nutmegger. Ill be the first to throw on my EMS gear and get into a one-on-one match with those little bitch snowflakes. I can take the cold. Pshh, if its cold, run faster, Right? But, I gotta draw the line when there's ice. I just don't do ice (unless its around my neck). Oh contraire for my boy Patrick over here on one winter day when he had to get 20 miles in. Schedule- not debatable- he bared the BLIZZARD of 2008 and god dammit he ran it! Wanna know what his reasoning was? Yeah it sucked, but if I can do that, I know can do anything. It cant get any worse than that.

God that's so badass. Anyways, ever since then I have sworn that I would never let the elements get in the way of a run. Which is why we ran in the POURING rain last night. In fact, took it a step further when Krystina and I faced the mean streets of Wesleyan in the midst of a statewide manhunt for an armed and dangerous killer. We studied the mug shot, practiced our ninja moves, and hit the streets. Man was that place a dead zone. Huh.

But yeah, as Krystina said below- Awesome run. Even more awesome hot shower. Taking tonight off as George and I have the Salmon River Run- 5.5mi tomorrow. Hope I dont fall on a pebble; Haven't ran on trail terrain in a while.

Rain makes me look tough

"So what do you think people say when they see us out here running in the rain?"-Amanda
"Dammnnnn!"-Me
"Besides that. They say, these bitches are die hard!"-Amanda

Yes Amanda, we are die hard bitches. Running in the pouring rain last night has changed my life, seriously. I felt empowered running on the dangerous sidewalks of Wesleyan. We had our eye out for the shooter but he was no where to be seen. Anyways, it was the most amazing thing running last night. I felt as if I were 10 years old again, splashing through puddles and kicking up the mist behind me. I am no longer intimidated by mildly aggressive weather. I'm going to get out there and hit the streets hard in the rain. I've got all the essentials, amazing running mix for bad weather and waterproof mascara that held up miraculously last night. No if only I could figure out what the hell to do with my hair????

Welp, thats my cue!

Hello boys and girls. Today Id like to talk to you about cue's. No, not pool cue's silly, although while we are on the subject I did come in 2nd in the CCSU Female Pool Tournament my senior year of college (*SIGH* There were only 2 girls). My main man Webby defines a cue as a hint; intimation; guiding suggestion or a sensory signal used to identify experiences, facilitate memory, or organize responses. You see children, my 7 years of college actually did teach me a few things that apply to real life, and one interesting thing I learned in my 'Body Weight Regulation' class was this: Your emotions and outside stimuli control your actions so so so much more than you can even be aware of. Examples? Oh I got examples.

1. Lets say you are rockin out. You're running. The song stops. Suddenly, you hear your heavy breathing. You may not be aware of this, but when the song stops, that elicits an unconscious cue that it is also time for YOU to stop.

2. We all know this. Boredom, depression, etc. make us eat more to fill an emotional void. When we are born we are born with the inante skill of "Intuitive Eating". We are fed. We stop when we are full. Simple as that. As we grow up we lose all control of that. We overeat due to many things, but my kryptonite is social pressure. Our society puts a great deal of importance on the use of food to celebrate and bond. Many of you runners/athletes can empathize with me when I say it is EXHAUSTING to try to explain to your friends that you arent drinking, or that you just WANT.A.SALAD. It is honestly easier to eat the steak, pound the shots and purge it up later. Seriously.

3. Environmental cues. Years ago, when I was a young broad, there was a time when 2 mi's was a lot for me. I would get to the bottom of this hill, right at .5 miles, and stop and stretch. Half assed and lethargic, I would jog for a bit, stop. Fix my ponytail, stop. Pretend I pulled a hammy, stop. Repeat as necesary. Well, Ive noticed that when I run this exact route, I feel this undying, very strong urge to stop running right at the .5 mi mark at the bottom of this hill. I see this hill, and just that alone makes me feel like Im tired. Even though Im not.

Anyway, my point is simple. Mind over matter. We dont realize it, but our brain is doing anything it can to tell us to stop running. Our bodies are programmed to be in the rest state. Use the least amount of energy for maximal gain. Physiological efficiency and all that good stuff. But, we have to override the hater signals! Change the songs before they end! Say no to shots of Jim Beam! (AHEM, Dad), and run on new routes (without lots of stop signs, which also evoke the urge to... you guessed it.... stop).

Dare to be aware! Oh the places we will go. There's a lot of literature on this kind of stuff if you are interested. People study the damndest things.

This is why I put my running shorts on my bed. Nap no more!
Ergogenic just sounds cool.
Drop it like its hot? You got it

Wasting bagels

So for those of you who were locked in a cave, or cube for that matter and didn't happen to notice the weather yesterday, it was shitty outside. I mean, S-H-I-T-T-Y! I'm talking 45 degrees and rainy. Had I not utilized my rest day the day before, I wouldn't have felt so much self disgust with the fact that I did not run yesterday, there I said it. However, here are my excuses one by one:
1) The weather, it was miserable and there wasn't a stitch of dry fit clothing that was going to make me happy. I would have needed whale blubber to make running ok. Alright, so maybe 65% of that was an exaggeration but it was miserable out.

*Note- Either A) borrow Shaun Augeri's wet suit for future similar conditions or B) Drop some dollar bills at Lady Foot Locker like the balla I am.

2) I have been running ahead of schedule each night by at least a half mile, sometimes a mile and a half so this makes up for it right?

3) I busted my ass weight lifting on rest day. In my delusional point of view, this makes up for it.

4) My knee is still a little f-ed up and feels like its going to give out whenever I round out mile #2. I know this one is getting a little old, but remember, it was surgery, not a broken bone here. Plus I'm losing mobility, I can just tell and that freaks me out.

So now that I've numerically listed all the reasons why I'm a complete baby, its time to give this way of life up and suck it up, get my ass out there tonight and run those three miles with a smile on my face, and of course, mascara on my lashes! Its not going to be easy and no one said it was going to be, however, with the moral support of Amanda, my parents, and Stevey Augeri...I can do this, and I will.

Oh yeah, wait to go George for doing the G-bury 5K solo, I'm so proud.

Freakin Cindy, she did it again.

As you may or may not be wondering, but probably are, my run yesterday was... as expected...INCREIBLE! (thats spanish for incredible). I probably did about 3 mi, comfortably and was breathin all around town, belly hangin out and just full of oxygen waiting to be utilized. They were all like, "Oo Oo! Pick me!" and I was all like, "Settle your kettle, O2 molecules, Ill get to ya when I get to ya!". I would have run longer, but my grubby, yet ridiculously cute nephew was playing outside (supervised of course) so I had to stop. One thing led to another as he needed to listen to a lil Fergie Ferg on the headphones for like 40 minutes. So as I chatted with my sister, I tightened up and as she talked more, I tightened up even more. Before I knew it the kid decided that visiting times were over and the wooden swing was much more interesante (thats spanish for interesting) and I was left standing there. Tight, cold, and wet. (Thats what he said, ZING!)

Unsatisfied with my run, I paid a lil visit to ExerciseTV. Since this is the first time I am mentioning it, I feel that I will not go overboard with enthusiasm when I state that I FREAKING LOVE EXERCISE TV. What's ExerciseTV you ask? Well, funny you should ask! Exercise TV is a station that God himself offers to paying Comcast customers, in which at the click on an "On Demand" button, you essentially unleash every single exercise dvd known to mankind... wait, Im not done... for FREE! You can choose among a myriad of exercise categories, including but not limited to, Fat Burn with Cindy Whitmarsh. For those of you who already know this, forgive my heavy breathing and drool, but Im kinda obsessed with Cindy, or "freakin Cindy" as I call her. Do you think these buns are going to squat themselves? No! Freakin Cindy. She did it again. I.am.so.sore.today, but feel great. In other interesting, but completely non related news, I just found out that her professional volleyball player of a husband committed suicide recently. That sucks, I hope it doesnt take the perk out of her already perfect, shimmering blond pony tail. If I was married to Cindy Whitmarsh I would never suck on a tailpipe. Just sayin.

Anyway in celebration of cinco de mayo and in honor of my deeply rooted spanish (or italian) roots, I just helped myself to my 11th, and FREE taco salad from Bulldog Burrito. Not only are these salads fun packed with tons of protein, carbs, veggies, and sour cream, but the mexicans that work there never fail to call me "Mija" when I leave. Which is cool.

It aint easy bein green

(To myself in the mirror) "You see this fatty? This is what the lunch of a champion looks like. It does NOT look like this!" Oh sorry, I was just just trying a little positive reinforcement and affirmations. You are what you eat and the more I tell myself I eat this way, the more I will. Or something. "YES AMANDA! You totally do eat leafy greens, un-seasoned chicken, brown rice and veggies. You always have you little devil. That Amanda. Always having healthy cheese and dairy products for dessert. Ill tell ya. What a health nut." Im going to try to take pictures when I succeed, and take pictures when I really, really, blatently do not. Apparantely, there's a whole field to this, who knew? They did.

I just love smiling. Smiling is my favorite.

Happy Monday! What's the good word folks. Came into work at 7am today ready to BATTLE! Vent time. Dont you just hate Mondays? I do. Want to know why I hate Mondays? Because everyone is walking around saying how much they hate Mondays. I have single-handedly made it my mission to give a proverbial bitch slap to anyone who even remotely sighs dramatically to me today. Not with my hand, of course, but with my Will-Ferrell-from-the-"Elf" like holiday cheer (and turbo iced coffee induced smile)! With that, I have altered my schedule a bit. Stay with me kids, I know you are on the edge of your seats. You see, I was originally planning on taking Mondays and Fridays off, but in an attempt to not fall victim to the negativity that Mundane Munday's seem to bring, I have decided to do everything I can to keep Monday a normal, fun, and active day.

Vent session. Done. This past weeks runs have been awesome. Ive been working on my stride and breathing, and it really has made a difference. It seems silly to tell yourself to BREATHE since, ya know... I've been doing it since I unleashed my first hearty battle cry 25 years ago, but its necessary. I sometimes forget to breath, straight up. I bet you do too. Lets try a test. Make fists with your hands as TIGHT as you can and hold it for 5 seconds. While still holding, take a deep breath. I bet your hands loosened up, didnt they? Totally magic! Thats what happens when Im running, I get so tense and tight and just forget to reeeeeelax. Woooosahhhh. Experts will say that you are supposed to take "belly breaths", which yoga enthusiasts would state are deep, meaningful breaths that fill your stomach, instead of your chest. In a yoga class I took a few years ago, the instructor gave us a really helpful tip that I try to remember when running, which is to picture a baby sleeping and picture how its belly rises and falls. Those aren't short, shallow breaths. That baby is breathing like it means it! Like its it's JOB to breathe! (It kind of is).

Anyways, if I dont forget to breathe like this, I lose oxygen in my main muscle groups and I get "stitches" in my ribs. No, not greys anatomy stitches, silly. Little, sharp, jabbing pains in my ribs which are a result of my chest muscles working too hard for oxygen. My solution? Give them what they want!

Its so working! My stride is more effortless, my chest feels (and looks) great and I feel like I can run miles more than intended. Now the true test of course, is to up the ante and see if I can keep the belly breaths up when Im really pushed to the max and feeling tired. Stay tuned this week to find out!

Side Note. You see this guy? Do you know what this guy did? He ran the Baja 5000 this Sunday and beat his personal record, making him champion of the universe in my eyes! Dont you just freakin love people who go out and set goals and achieve them, instead of whining about what day of the week it is? And believe you me, this guy had TONS of reasons why he shouldnt run. Go give him a pat on the back. Go on. Its more than you did this Sunday. (Unless you went to church, then in that case, may the peace be with you too brother).

I need an intervention

I just biofreezed my knee at work, why? I can't say but its getting out of hand.