After taking over a week off to recover from the Chicago Spring Half Marathon, I slowly stepped back into my exercise routine. I was somewhat surprised that I didn’t feel completely refreshed and ready to take on the world with my first run after my rest. This has become a concern for me regarding recovering now that I’m older – resting versus risking losing too much hard earned speed and endurance. Perhaps I’ll dig into that a bit more in a future post…
- Monday
- Sunday’s party clean-up – 3 hours
- Rodney Yee’s Yoga Conditioning For Athletes (affiliate link) – Yoga for Runners
- Tuesday
- Run – 6.2 miles at 11:16 average pace
- Teeter Hang Ups (affiliate link) Inversion – 15 minutes
Don’t let the puffy clouds and pretty flowers fool you; it was a crappy run. I set out to run intervals or at the very least, pickups, but ended up running a slow and steady pace. Of course, scheduling my first run after my break in the heat and humidity at noon didn’t help.
- Wednesday
- Strength Training – 1 hour
- Run – Cruisers’ Global Running Day Group Run – 5 miles at 9:49 pace
- Rodney Yee’s Complete Yoga For Beginners (affiliate link) – Yoga For Flexibility
I celebrated Global Running Day with the Cruisers, but as our 7 PM meet-up time approached I started getting emails from runners saying they couldn’t make it because traffic was awful. It ended up being just Alan and me with a guest runner. Drumroll please… Bill joined us for a half mile before turning around to pick up his bike from our car and riding for a couple of hours. It’s been almost one year since his knee surgery and he still hasn’t been able to return to running comfortably – his surgeon said it would be six weeks…
- Thursday
- Rodney Yee’s Intermediate Yoga (affiliate link) Sun Salutations
I finally made an appointment with a new podiatrist and saw him on Thursday. It turns out that I have stage one hallux rigidus on my left foot and stage two on my right foot – no surprise there. Dr. Deb had self-diagnosed this ages ago. I bristled when my doctor suggested I buy a whole new pair of orthotics (I paid $450 for each of my two current pairs and insurance didn’t pay a penny), so he is sending off one pair to have them refurbished with a more stable forefoot so the toe can’t move as much. Anyway, we discussed a steroid shot for me, but since I’m not in a lot of pain, he recommended we hold off.
He said to continue my yoga, lunges, running, etc. as long as I don’t experience pain while doing those movements. I will go back to see him a couple of weeks after my refurbished orthotics come back and I’ve had a chance to give them a try. I hope they work well, but I am disappointed that the only way I’ll really regain full mobility in my right big toe is through surgery. Bottom line, no more super high heels for me, but at least he didn’t say for me to stop running!
- Friday
- Strength Training – 1 hour
- Yoga Basics
We had this terrapin visit our yard on Friday morning, and one of the guys from our lawn service crew carried her back to the creek for safety. Sometime Saturday night into Sunday morning she found her way back up to our flower gardens and laid her eggs leaving behind a telltale sign of mud and displaced mulch the width of her body. She was nowhere to be seen and we assume she headed back to the creek to do her turtle thing. The babies will hatch in about two months, taking up to seven hours to break free of their shells and another day or so to make their way out of the ground. They will most likely gather in a group and make their way down the hill and to the creek. It’s amazing what you learn when you do a little research.
- Saturday
- Run – 6 miles at 9:29 pace
- Yoga for Runners
- Teeter Inversion – 15 minutes
After my Saturday morning run, I came home and headed outside for some planks. I set up my GoPro (affiliate link), hoping to get a cool planking picture. I had no more than gotten up from my plank when this 5-foot long black rat snake slithered along the mulch and onto the deck where I’d just been planking.
- Sunday
- Walk – 3 miles
This afternoon my friend Amanda stopped by with a special little item. Our MRTT ultra team won first place in the Women’s Submasters division at Ragnar Trail Richmond, and our belt buckle awards were sent to her since she was our team captain. I’m debating on whether or not to disclose that we were the only team in the Women’s Submasters division… Oh wait, I guess I just did…
And speaking of my Ragnar team, I still have one more post to write introducing our team members, but first I have to finish my Chicago half recap. My plan is to not go to bed tonight until after I finish writing it, so hopefully, it will be up tomorrow. Stay tuned!
- Weekly Overview:
- Weight Training: Wednesday and Friday
- Running: Tuesday – 6.2 miles, Wednesday – 5 miles, Saturday 6.02 (Total: 17.22 miles)
- Biking: zero
- Walking: 3 miles
- Yoga: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
- Teeter Inversion: Tuesday and Saturday
- Average Steps Per Day: 14,349
- Average Hours Sleep Per Night: 6:59 hours
- Questions:
- What’s your best reptile or critter story?
- How did you celebrate Global Running Day?
- Did you race this weekend?
Have a great week!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on the blue product link and then make a purchase, I will receive a commission for referring you. You will pay no more or less for the product; however, Amazon will show their gratitude for my referral by paying me.
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I’m linking up with Holly at HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin for their Weekly Wrap. Be sure to check out not only the hosts, but the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!
Wow, you certainly had a week of Critters! We had a large snapper turtle in our yard last year. From afar I thought it was a large pile of concrete. As I approached it I could believe my eyes. I never saw a turtle that large.
Congrats to your MRTT team!
I have seen lots of box turtles around our yard, but never a huge terrapin like this one. I wonder if she will come back every year to lay her eggs.
I too have Hallux Rigidus in my left toe but there is no way I’m having surgery. That was when I sought out the help of Becky. She worked with me on my hips and that helped me take the load off my toe. I’ve been fine ever since.
Looking forward to your Chicago recap.
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Getting My Head Back in the Game
I remember you writing about your Hallux Rigidus a while back and immediately knew that was what was wrong with my right toe. I didn’t realize anything was wrong with the left one until the doctor saw it in the x-ray. Fortunately, for the most part, I don’t have a lot of pain. It’s great that Becky has been able to help you so much.
Now it looks like it will be Tuesday before I get my Chicago recap up. I’m issues editing in WordPress again. 🙁
Love your running pic. I have foot problems too. They would be relieved with surgery but I’m not having!
I get freaked out by snakes. Just sayin”
Darlene recently posted…Freihofer’s Run For Women 5k Race Recap
Sorry to hear that you deal with foot problems. I’m planning on avoiding foot surgery if I can, too.
I’m not crazy about snakes, but they don’t freak me out as much as they do some people.
I tried to celebrate Global Running Day, but only one person showed up (and about 20 or so “liked” my post about the meet-up on our Facebook page). I did race on Saturday,but the last couple miles were a bit of run/walk hobbling…but it’s my favorite event every year, so there was NO way I was DNS’ing it due to my somewhat wonky heel. .
Kimberly Hatting recently posted…Oh, My Achy-Breaky Heel…
Sorry to hear about your heel pain, but glad to hear that you were able to finish your favorite race.
Very cool Ragnar buckle! that is one scary looking turtle. I think it’s great that you incorporate so much yoga into your life. I am working on that and trying for once a week
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner recently posted…The Ultimate Coffee Date-June Edition
I kept saying for years that I was going to start practicing yoga again and finally this past winter I made it happen. I really enjoy it and definitely feel better now that I’m being consistent (this week’s Wednesday Word).
The terrapin is so cool. The hatchlings will be so cute! How interesting that she picked your garden. The snake would have freaked me out! I have yet to encounter a live one on the move. I’ve seen some sunning themselves, and that’s enough. I’m sorry about your feet. I hope that the refurbished orthotics will provide some relief.
Sonia recently posted…Summer, Summer, Summer
I’m not so sure that she was wise to pick our garden since we have at least two different types of snakes that I’ve seen in the last week. Eggs and baby turtles would make tasty snacks for snakes. 🙁
I had to laugh when I got to the photo of the turtle. We have turtles in our yard several times per year and just yesterday, Tom had to move one back to the pond. I did get a quick photo when he was back close to the pond. It was funny watching him sit for a minute than sprint to the pond. Isn’t the heat and humidity awful? My run on Saturday was awful, but I survived and was happy to be done after 7 humid and hot miles.
Pam recently posted…Weekly Workout Roundup: June 6th
Last year when we were on the Outer Banks, we saw a ton of turtles along the edge of a pond. Whenever anyone would walk by they’d scurry into the water, but as soon as the person left they come back to the edge to sun themselves. It was so funny!
Your house is a popular hangout for critters! Where did the snake go? Ahh..these feet! I should go back for a check too. At least you got fairly good news. I’d happily give up heels. In fact, I already have. That’s a cool belt buckle award. Thanks for supporting the WW Deb!
HoHo Runs recently posted…Mixing It Up (WW # 44)
I just found your initial comment in my trash folder with several other comments from a variety of people on various posts. I’m not sure why this went to trash since you’re an approved commenter on my blog. Sorry about that!
I commented once but something happened. I’m trying again. The critters like to visit your house! Where did that snake go? The belt buckle award is very cool. I’ve already given up wearing heels. It was a small price to pay. I hope they can tweak your orthotics enough to do the trick. Thanks for supporting the WW Deb!
I’m sorry; I’ve had a couple of other people say they couldn’t get their first comments to show up… I have no idea why that’s happening. 🙁
The snake crawled down the side of our deck going in and out of the lattice. It was rather creepy. The last I saw of him, he was sunning himself on the stone retaining wall.
i feel you on the longer recovery….I look forward to your post on that!
The clouds and the flowers are soooo pretty though 😉
Wowsers look at that turtle!! How neat that you will have little turtles…..and so amazing that they will find their way home!! I hope you get pictures 😉
uuugh…I would have DIED!!!! if I saw that snake!!! uuugh
I hope to get pictures of the baby turtles, too. Hopefully, they don’t hatch while we’re at the beach. Of course, if we’re lucky, we’ll see where the sea turtles have come in to lay their eggs like we did two years ago!
I am so curious to hear your take on recovery;…..I know that I am not taking off enough time in between my races..Your yard is so pretty…..minus that huge snake!!
Thanks! I love the view of our back yard out of my kitchen window. It makes washing dishes not seem so bad! 😉 Having the snake live in our yard kind of brings down the value of the neighborhood, though. HaHa!
How cool about Ms. Turtle, are you planning on watching for the babies to hatch? I think I would. 🙂 Whoa that’s a big snake, thank goodness it wasn’t a poisonous one! Ok I got a snake story: I have chickens ya know. One day a chicken snake got in my pen with some young chicks. When I found it, It had just made one a meal. There were still 2 chicks in there. My hubs got the snake out cut his head off and I said give me your knife. I cut that baby open hoping, I could save a baby. I know it was far fetched but I did try. :l, Knock on wood; I haven’t lost anymore chickens that I know of to snakes, I think some must have been watching and sent word through the camp to not mess with the redheads chickens!
Tricia recently posted…Weekly Wrap 44 Kayaking Fun
I really hope that the baby turtles hatch when I have a chance to see them and take pictures. I’ve got early August marked on my calendar so I’ll remember to check that spot several times a day. Also, I hope I find them before either the snake or hawk does.
That’s some snake story you have! Don’t nobody mess with Tricia! 😀
OMG!!!! I am so jealous of your turtle eggs! A few summers ago, we vacationed in Vero Beach, and it was sea turtle season – we got to see all the nests and the tracks of the turtles coming up to lay their eggs and go back to the water. It was so amazing.
I am less jealous of your snake. No, thank you.
Glad Bill was able to join you guys for a little bit. And I hope the restructured orthotic helps your discomfort.
Jenn recently posted…weekly wrap: 5.29 – 6.4
Two years ago we saw several areas in the sand on the Outer Banks fenced off where mama sea turtles had laid eggs. We were out on a run on the beach early one morning and found a “nest” just as the park ranger showed up to fence it off. She talked to us quite a bit about the turtle’s habits, etc. It was really cool!
That is so wonderful that your Ultra team WON the Ragnar!!! Super cool!! As far as the reptiles go, while trail running a few weeks ago, we saw the thickest rattlesnake we’d ever seen and it was eating a rabbit. I wouldn’t look at it but people were taking pictures. It was the largest rattler I’d ever seen. Yes, I did race this weekend RnR San Diego. I hope the refurbished orthotics work for you and you foot gets better!!
Diane recently posted…Rock N Roll San Diego Race Recap
I will be happy to never see a rattlesnake anywhere other than on tv or at a zoo behind glass; however, had I been with you, I would have probably taken pictures, too.
Can’t wait to pop over and read your race recap!
That’s one big snake !
No running or racing for me at the moment. I pulled something in my lower leg, and have an ultrasound tomorrow. I don’t think its any big deal but its pesky, especially since I have 2 races in June and need to start fall marathon training.
Orthodics here are about 200 dollars, and covered by my insurance. I only use mine for running, but they have completely fixed my knee and hip issue.
Karen – Fit in France recently posted…Ballet, planking and push ups
That’s great about orthotics being covered by insurance. I really don’t understand why they aren’t here since having orthotics prevents/cures so many injures thus reducing the cost of healthcare for doctor’s visits for those injuries.
Here’s hoping your lower leg pain really isn’t anything serious! My fingers are crossed for a good report!
You’ve had quite an interesting week of critter encounters. I’m glad the snake kindly waited until you finished planking to slither across. I would have freaked out! It would be cool if you got to see the turtle eggs hatch. You’ll have to keep us posted on that.
Debra @HappyRunningSole recently posted…Weekly Wrap
We had much more fun animal sightings this week! We’ve had wild horses wondering around our beach house on the Outer Banks everyday. Today two stallions got in a fight right in front of our house and I recorded it. I’ll post pictures and the video on Sunday’s recap.
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