(MRI) - My Ridiculous (health) Insurance!!

So, here I am in my naive little world complaining the other week about having to pay money for a doctor's visit where I didn't learn anything new about this chronic hamstring issue. I've missed days, I mean weeks, of running and am still in pain just walking around... and on top of all of this I just found out that my MRIs (yes, two) are going to coast me $500 out of pocket. Seriously?!?! Not to mention the woman I dealt with at United Health Care, wasn't the most pleasant and caring person in the world!!


I do not want to turn this post into a b*t@h fest and I had plans of writing something fun and uplifting in celebration of today, my 28th birthday!! I wanted to write about how I woke up to a great gift from my roommate and to several fantastic texts, e-mails and messages from my friends, family and fiancé. I wanted to write about how I bought a birthday gift for myself, a beautiful brand new road bike (with Coach Cane's help) and how excited I am about it. But instead, I'm holding back tears regarding this health insurance issue and thinking that life is just sometimes unfair. Ironically, I've spent the last week and a half consoling countless friends, family members and students (at work) who were on the edge of complete breakdowns. The amount of people crying to me has been borderline absurd! (Must be something in the air??) And now, I'm sitting here fighting it.. wishing someone would come around the corner with a violin because at least that would be really really funny!

I am fully aware that there are bigger issues out there and this is seemingly insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but either way, I'd just rather not have to deal with things like this. But I suppose, such is life... and you just have to keep rollin' on.

So, if anyone out there really wants to make me happy this birthday ...just send me a new left leg so I can just forget about dumping all this money into fixing a mysterious problem and can just get back out there on the road! I miss running! ...But yes, I will "make lemonade" with the 500 lemons I've been dealt... and I'll get on a cycling/swimming schedule, but it's just been difficult to do with everything that's been going on.

Tonight: A pool workout.. . YES, it's can be a "Wet and Wild Wednesday" today .. and then celebratory birthday drinks and some sweet potato fries at pommes frites!

Holy Hamstring Pain

Today's Training: So, I went out for 6 and planed to warm up for the first 15mins and then do 5 x 3min intervals at 10k pace with 1.30 recovery. Before I even set foot out the door this morning, I could feel my hamstring was even tighter than it's normal every day tightness, but still I pushed on with the plan. After my warm up, I started into the first interval, but I felt like I was going any faster than my normal pace. I pushed alittle harder, but my left leg felt like dead weight ...and pretty much like I was draggin it up the west side highway. I finished up the first pick up and recovery and then the second interval felt a bit better but not much. By the third, my hamstring was screaming in rage! I figured this wasn't doing me any good, so I cut the workout short, stopped to stretch and then just kept an average pace the entire way back. I ended up putting in 7miles total, but I decided to push the intervals back a few days.

I foam rolled, stretched and iced immediately after my run but I'm still in pain. I think tomorrow is going to HAVE to be a Wet-N-Wild Wednesday. I need to give Mr. Hamstring a rest. Ugh... so frustrating.

Día de los Presidentes!

HAPPY PRESIDENT'S DAY! I love Mondays off!!

Wouldn't everyone just be more productive if we had three day weekends EVERY week (my apologies to those of you who had to still work today). Seriously though, starting a work week on Tuesday is just lovely!

So, in honor of Presidents Washington & Lincoln .....and thoughts of a world where we never have to work on Monday again, here's my training plan for:

training week#1 (Febuary 18th - 24th):

Monday: 5miles, core routine - Enjoy the 60-degree weather and a Monday mid-morning run through Brooklyn. Spring Fever?... hells yeah!
Tuesday: AM: YOGA, PM: RUNNYC in the evening (6miles?), 4 X 20 sec striders
Wednesday: Cross train - two options currently: 1. 6:30am cycling session at City Coach OR 2. post work - pool running workout
Thursday: PM: Tempo run - 5miles (details on next Thursday's blog), 4 X 20 sec striders, core routine
Friday: AM: YOGA, PM: Women's self defense/cardio kickbox class-55mins (long story)
Saturday: 6miles, 4 X 20 sec striders
Sunday: 8miles
Total: 30miles + weds cross train + kickboxing

Time to get a little WILD

Yes, it's Wet-N-Wild Wednesday again!

My training, core strenghening and cross training seems to all getting back on track quite nicely. Granted, it's only been a week, but hell, it's a start!

So, it's wednesday again and time to hit the pool. I have a crazy schedule today at work, but the nice thing about pool workouts is that you can get straight to the point and get a good quality effort in and in less time then if I was hitting the streets! I'm actually going to try to squeeze my pool workout in at lunch. We'll see how it goes.

Also, I contemplating purchasing some new gear in order to take things to the next level! ;) Aquajogger is the leading brand for water excercise equiptment. I like this purple belt by aquajogger (and I also like the cheaper price found on SwimOutlet.com)! I'm thinking about buying my own belt since the community belts at the pool stink and usually end up under my armpits because the straps are so worn out. I also like these gloves (although highly dorky) by Aquajogger. The gloves help create resistance which in turns get your heart rate up faster and give you a better workout!

Today's workout: A quick ladder: 5mins warm up, followed by two times the following ladder: 1,2,3,2,1 min (taking half the time of the effort for my recovery, ex: 1 min effort, 30secs recovery). Followed by a 5 min cool down and pool stretch. (total time: 37mins)

Wet-N-Wild Wednesdays!

Wet-N-Wild Wednesdays are a little fun thing my girlfriends and I started in order to incorporate a bit of alternative cross training into our weekly routines.

Btw, I refuse to refer to this type of exercise as "Aqua jogging" since the term puts unfortunate visions in my head of old ladies buoying around lifting pool noodles over their heads. I think this type of cross training is best described as Pool Running! It's just a way more serious sounding label, don't you think!?!

Seriously, after a pool run with me, you won't be thinking noodles no more!


I like how Coach Dean describes Pool Running on his blog, The Running World According to Dean . I know, I know, Coach Dean has the post labeled as "Aqua Jogging" or "Aqua Running", but we'll cut him some slack, since he does gives this form of exercise its due respect in his description. I like the pro/con list and also his mentioning of monitoring heart rate as a way to "gauge" your effort (although he could go into a bit more detail, but do not fret, I can give you more info on this a bit later). Also, his information on interval training is spot on. I have some great interval workouts that I'd like to share in the weeks to come.

Tonight's interval workout: 5mins-Warmup, 8x3min repeats w/1:30min rest, 5min-Cool down
(total: 45mins)


Photo credit - "Everybody into the Pool" is a cover by a book written by Beth Lisick. I've personally do not know much (or anything) about this book, but I love the illustration on the cover.