I'm Still Here
It would seem that I fell off the face of the planet recently. I am still here though, so here's a few updates:
- I'm seeing a physical therapist twice a week, mostly for preventative care so that I don't injured. It took some work but I found a therapist willing to take me without a prescription or specific diagnosis. I got really lucky and the PT I'm going to was a national champion college runner just a few years ago. The first appointment was about an hour and a half, she watched me run, squat, lunge, plank, and all kinds of other movements looking for imbalances and areas for improvement. Her general evaluation was that my running form and my strength aren't terrible but we can make them better. Each appointment now is about an hour or a little more and its an intense workout. I can tell I'm getting stronger and I get a good benefit from training with someone who is an elite athlete but also a trained medical professional. I'm able to avoid wasteful moves and exercise that take time and don't give me much benefit. Ideally, I would be able to train with the PT twice a week, every week forever. Unfortunately, I will likely run out of money before I loose interest in being strong and fit. To start, I elected 8 sessions, which is about a month at my current frequency. Once my 8 sessions are complete, likely mid July, I'm not sure what I'll do from there. I'm seeing that I definitely was missing a big piece that last several months when I wasn't doing much more than running. I made decide to continue with PT or look for some other type of training. Either way, I am loving every minute of these workouts and are clearly bumping my running up a notch and reminding me that I do enjoy strength training.
- I'm desperately needing to loose about 10 pounds. In a matter of a week in late January, I got a new job, got engaged, and started house hunting. In the midst of all that stress and excitement, a handful of pounds crept back. I know exactly where I'm most comfortable and do my best running and 8-10 pounds would make a big difference. I've been getting back to logging my food in My Fitness Pal and making sure to get enough exercise.
- I placed an order a few weeks ago with Smart Choice Protein. Edible cookie dough and protein donuts, or really protein anything are all the rage right now. I went with a trial pack, which included edible cookie dough, protein donuts, protein pancake mix, and protein muffin mix. So far, I've tried the donuts, pancakes, and cookie dough. All three were a big hit. Of course if you are expecting Ihop pancakes and Dunkin Donuts, you will probably be a little disappointed but the items I've tried so far are all keepers. Everything has plenty of protein but the calories, carbs, and sugar are impressively low. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pancakes (with a side of iced coffee) and birthday cake donut are pictured below:
- I took a quick work trip to rural Minnesota and I had a really good time exploring on an early morning run.
- Last but certainly not least, last Thursday, I learned that my blog landed a spot on the 'Top 100 Running Blogs for Fitness Inspiration, Runners & Marathoners'. I've found some of my favorite blogs over the last few years by way of this list and I've been so fortunate to become friends with some of those bloggers. You can see the full list here. http://blog.feedspot.com/running-blogs/