An attempt at cross training

Cross-training fail
So tonight would have been my normal run night, but I knew my knee was still nagging me and decided to rest up. This made me grumpy. So I decided to attempt to cross train at my teeny apartment gym. This was largely a bust. I tried to use the bike (there is only one and it is a recumbent style) and noticed the knee pain immediately (when I was bending my knee). Then I tried the elliptical, which started out okay but after moving the knee for about 8 minutes I noticed the pain and got off. And then I just did arm and core weights. Blehhh. I barely got sweaty.

I think the thing that I'm the most frustrated with (besides being nervous about the race) is that it isn't actually THAT painful. Like I said yesterday, it is only mildly painful, more like a bad discomfort. Enough that I know that I shouldn't be running on it (and to be fair it becomes more painful the more I use it), but not enough that it feels like I couldn't just go for a quick jog. But I know I should rest it and risk doing more damage if I run on it while it hurts. I'm really really hoping that I can run by this weekend--I'd love to get my long run in. RICE RICE baby. Man I'm lame.

As a side note: when did I become a person that actually looks forward to their run? Somewhere along the way the transformation happened. Right now, I think it is mostly just feeling anxiety about my first race (and wanting to be able to run to show myself I have nothing to worry about) combined with wanting to enjoy this cooler weather after slogging through DC heat all summer! That being said, I don't think I'm truly a person yet that enjoys their run just for the sake of running. If you told me tomorrow that I could lose 10 pounds, never get less healthy than I am, and life a long life without exercise, I'd probably sit on the couch all day. But I know I need to exercise and running is currently the lesser evil.

A Happiness Project update was promised, but I had an all-day work training today. Which a) means I didn't get to put my HP goals into practice and b) am really burnt out on work and can't bear to think about it anymore tonight!

Workouts
See above. Lame.

Eats
Also lame. Combined leftovers--cornbread quiche from the weekend and tofu and kale from last night. Another oddly down-home-cookin' looking meal.

Knees and kale

Knee pain?

Ugh I ran on Monday and cut it short to 3.5 miles. The knee pain was definitely not good--it was barely there for the first two miles but definitely started nagging after that. Blehhhh I am so frustrated. This is my first quasi-injury since starting to run (about a year ago). I'm RICEing and trying to take care of it (though I know running on it on Monday was supremely stupid), but confused. When do people go to the doctor for this kind of thing? I would rank it as uncomfortable, not painful--it edges to painful toward the end of the run/right after/if I twist it wrong, but for the most part it is just uncomfortable. So I'm not really sure what's wrong with it. Or how long to expect it to take for it to heal. I want to run! But I need to keep my eyes on the prize. There is no reason currently that I shouldn't be healed up for the race in 2.5 weeks if I properly take care of myself, so if that means missing a few shorter runs to heal then I should. Reluctantly.

Update on the Happiness Project focus at work progress tomorrow!

Workouts

Ughhh see above. 3.5 miles yesterday that felt soo good except for the whole knee thing. The weather was glorious. I got to try out my new long sleeve running top too! It is this one in a pale lavender color that I got on sale. 

Confession, I have a minor Lululemon fixation. I don't know why--I'm not a major yogi by any means, I know how terrible the company's founder was, they are overpriced...but I find it amazingly comfortable, flattering, and functional, sooo I keep buying. Anyway, the run shirt worked amazingly, so much so that I bought another in teal. It is the perfect shirt for fall weather--hopefully I'll be getting out to enjoy it more!

Today was a planned rest day. Hoping I can run tomorrow but that is definitely TBD. 

Eats

The past couple days have been mostly boring (think salads and leftovers), but tonight's dinner was quite tasty! It was my vegetarian version of a traditional meat and potatoes meal. Barbeque tofu (meh, kind of bland, I needed to let it marinade longer maybe?), roasted sweet potatoes, and some kale. I cooked the kale with red onions and apples, as in this recipe from Real Simple (without the bacon). Loved the combination of flavors.

Down home cookin'. Kind of.

And in my usual fashion, I intentionally over-portioned so that there would be lots of leftovers for the rest of the week!