On Thursday morning, I woke up and my left ankle hurt slightly. It felt like I had slept on it wrong. As the day progressed, I continued to feel pain on and off, but I realized it was more the outside part of my foot that hurt. What was supposed to be a four mile run that evening turned into two miles as I wanted to take it easy. I hoped it would feel better by Saturday morning's long run, but as Friday night wore on and I could tell that certain movements still caused pain, I decided to try alternating heat and ice and prayed that God would make it better for my run.
On Saturday morning, I thought my foot felt good enough to head out with Michael to the trail. We ran the first six miles together, and then Mike turned around to head back as he was only planning a twelve mile run. I continued on another mile and still felt fine. At the halfway point, I paused to stretch a bit and rehydrate. One of the great things the last few weeks is that there have been drink stations at several points along the trail thanks to the Marathoners in Training group. Hopefully they don't mind that I sip their Gatorade too. Around mile eight on the way back, my foot started to hurt again. My knees were also aching, and for the last six miles I was in some degree of pain somewhere. I made it to the end though, thankfully.
When I got home and started my shower, the water hit me and I yelped. I looked down and noticed a big red line across my rib cage where the bottom of my sports bra had been. Apparently it had chafed me really badly, but I hadn't noticed until the hot water hit. That injury hurt the rest of the day, but has since healed enough that it does not bother me too much. I also looked up a diagram of foot muscles when I got home to try and figure out what might be wrong. I think it may be plantar fasciitis, but I'm not sure. What I am sure of is that I'm moving forward with training (and treatment), and that minor injuries along the way will be worth it when I cross the finish line.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Going the distance... together
Michael and I are officially registered for the Columbus Marathon on October 17th. Though I haven't mentioned it in my blog for a while, I am still running. Our Asia trip took its toll on my training, but I had anticipated that. It was part of the reason I started training so early. I've been back on track the last few weeks and Michael has really picked up his training too. I really love that this is something we're doing together. Even though we don't run side by side, we are both committed to our own training plans and encourage each other through the process. We often adjust our schedules to make sure we each have time for runs during the week (whether outside or taking turns on the treadmill), and then we head out together for long runs on Saturdays. We really like the Olentangy trail because it is both lengthy and scenic. We start at the same place and each run at our own pace for half our goal distance then turn around and head back. We meet at the car to stretch and head home. It is definitely a bonding experience that I enjoy, and I'm looking forward to sharing race day with him.
In addition to the joy of running with my husband, completing this marathon will mean that I accomplished my goal of running one before I turn 30. Also, I'll be able to get one of these:
A few months ago I started noticing cars here and there with bumpers stickers that said "13.1." I don't know why I hadn't seen any before, but I figured they meant that the driver had completed at least one half-marathon, the distance of which is 13.1 miles. I immediately thought how cool it would be to get one myself someday. Then, I saw a car with a "26.2" sticker. I can't wait to get mine!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Summer Vacation, part 2
I know, I know... it's been over a month since our trip, and I'm just now getting around to sharing with you. I just haven't been much in the bloggy mood lately. It was a fantastic trip though, so hopefully I do it justice here. As I mentioned, the first part of the trip started in Lake Tahoe where my brother-in-law's wedding was, so we flew to Hong Kong out of the San Francisco International Airport. There were six of us on the trip: Michael, his parents, his brother and new sister-in-law, and me. The flight is approximately 14 hours long. We stayed in Hong Kong three nights, and then we flew to Taipei. That flight is only an hour or so, but they gave us a free snack anyway. (Take note, cheap American airlines!) Michael and I stayed in Taiwan another three nights and then flew back from Taipei to Hong Kong to San Fransisco to Chicago to Columbus. We spent 30 hours traveling home and were ever so grateful to sleep in our own bed that night.
Hong Kong Thoughts
I didn't actually mind the incredibly long flight since I had my own TV screen and could choose from a wide variety of shows, movies, and games to keep me busy. I also was not too terribly affected by the 12 hour time difference between California and Hong Kong. I woke up the first night at 2am but was able to go back to sleep until my alarm went off at 7:00. After that, I slept normally the whole trip. Hong Kong was a lot like what I expected only less crowded. I am used to the big city bustle after living in New York for two years, but I had anticipated much more congestion in Asia than what there was. We stayed in Kowloon, which is kind of like the Brooklyn of Hong Kong, and it is where my father-in-law grew up. All of Michael's aunts and uncles are known by their birth order number, which is common in Asian cultures. We spent most of our time with Aunt 8 and her husband, but Aunts 9 and 10 also hung out with us one day. On our last night in the city, the whole family (two uncles, six aunts, their spouses, numerous cousins, and the six of us) had a huge dinner together. I enjoyed most of the food we ate, and I think they went easy on us for most meals, but I did get to (was forced to?) try a few strange things including durian, a fruit that smells so bad one has to wonder why a person ever thought to crack it open and eat it in the first place.
Hong Kong Highlights
Taiwan Thoughts
While in Hong Kong, which is full of international business people and tourists, Stefany and I had a much easier time blending into the crowd than we did in Taiwan where we were often the only white people around. Stefany, with her strawberry blond hair and freckles, caused double-takes from numerous people as we walked down the streets. We also had fewer family members to visit here, just my mother-in-law's parents and youngest sister. I tried more "interesting" foods like quail eggs, stinky tofu, and sea cucumber. It was incredbily hot and humid, especially the day we went to the zoo, but we didn't let that stop us from having fun. We sped up the second tallest building in the world in the fastest elevator in the world to see panoramic views of the city from the 89th floor of Taipei 101. At the National Palace Museum, we saw art and artifacts from Chinese history, and we braved the overwhelming crowds to check out the famous Shilin Night Market. My favorite meal of the whole trip was the xiaolongbao we ate DinTai Fung.
Taiwan Highlights
Hong Kong Thoughts
I didn't actually mind the incredibly long flight since I had my own TV screen and could choose from a wide variety of shows, movies, and games to keep me busy. I also was not too terribly affected by the 12 hour time difference between California and Hong Kong. I woke up the first night at 2am but was able to go back to sleep until my alarm went off at 7:00. After that, I slept normally the whole trip. Hong Kong was a lot like what I expected only less crowded. I am used to the big city bustle after living in New York for two years, but I had anticipated much more congestion in Asia than what there was. We stayed in Kowloon, which is kind of like the Brooklyn of Hong Kong, and it is where my father-in-law grew up. All of Michael's aunts and uncles are known by their birth order number, which is common in Asian cultures. We spent most of our time with Aunt 8 and her husband, but Aunts 9 and 10 also hung out with us one day. On our last night in the city, the whole family (two uncles, six aunts, their spouses, numerous cousins, and the six of us) had a huge dinner together. I enjoyed most of the food we ate, and I think they went easy on us for most meals, but I did get to (was forced to?) try a few strange things including durian, a fruit that smells so bad one has to wonder why a person ever thought to crack it open and eat it in the first place.
Hong Kong Highlights
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| Ferry boat ride from Kowloon to Hong Kong island |
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| Dragon boat races at Stanley |
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| Dim sum with Aunt 8, 10, 9, Uncle 8, and Jason |
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| Tram ride up Victoria Peak with views of the city |
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| The city lights night show. The lights flashed and moved to music. |
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| The Yuen aunts and uncles |
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| The Yuen cousins |
While in Hong Kong, which is full of international business people and tourists, Stefany and I had a much easier time blending into the crowd than we did in Taiwan where we were often the only white people around. Stefany, with her strawberry blond hair and freckles, caused double-takes from numerous people as we walked down the streets. We also had fewer family members to visit here, just my mother-in-law's parents and youngest sister. I tried more "interesting" foods like quail eggs, stinky tofu, and sea cucumber. It was incredbily hot and humid, especially the day we went to the zoo, but we didn't let that stop us from having fun. We sped up the second tallest building in the world in the fastest elevator in the world to see panoramic views of the city from the 89th floor of Taipei 101. At the National Palace Museum, we saw art and artifacts from Chinese history, and we braved the overwhelming crowds to check out the famous Shilin Night Market. My favorite meal of the whole trip was the xiaolongbao we ate DinTai Fung.
Taiwan Highlights
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| Taipei 101 |
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| National Palace Museum |
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| Xiaolongbao aka soup dumplings |
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| So many funny signs |
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| Shilin Night Market |
Saturday, July 17, 2010
The Darndest Things
I am definitely enjoying my job as a nanny this summer taking care of two boys (5 and 8 years old). They crack me up all the time. Last week, the 8-year-old was making a picnic for his brother and himself, and I come into the kitchen to find him reheating Rings and Meatballs (Chef Boyardee type thing). The smell is quite strong and the microwave shows 4:47 left to go, so I ask him how long he put it in for. "Oh, just eleven minutes," he answers. WHAT?! Eleven minutes! Oh, no. Needless to say, Rings and Meatballs did not make it onto the picnic menu that day but into the trash with the melted and warped tupperware.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Dreams and Cravings
No, I'm not pregnant. Okay, now that that's out of the way. A while back, I was totally stuck on pancakes. I made pancakes almost everyday for two weeks. I would eat them for breakfast, lunch, or snacks. I probably would have had them for dinner if Michael was up for it. I finally got over my pancake craving, but I've moved on to pudding. There was a pack of vanilla pudding at the house where I'm nannying this summer. I ate them all the first week of work, bought a replacement pack for them and ended up eating most of those too. Last night, I decided to make my own so I would stop cleaning out my employer. I was really happy with how it turned out, especially as it was my first time making pudding from scratch. Hopefully this craving doesn't last too much longer. If only I could move on to something like spinach or carrot sticks.
I don't know if it's all the pudding I've been eating, all the fiction I've been reading, or just another exciting night of sleep, but I had a dream the other night that the world was ending because of some crazy bet that Zeus made with Snape (kind of like God and Satan's deal with Job.). I think it was all going to end well though because Spider-man was there rescuing kids and stopping floods. I woke up before I knew for sure, but I would bet that your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man saved the day.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Summer Vacation, part 1
I had the honor of being a bridesmaid in my brother-in-law's wedding on June 12th in Lake Tahoe. This wonderful event kicked off a twelve day vacation for Michael and me. We flew in to Reno, NV on Thursday, June 10th and rented a car to drive to Tahoe. It was our first time visiting this picturesque vacation town in Northern California. I've always loved hanging out with my in-laws, and I feel pretty close to the bride and her family too. She was a bridesmaid in my wedding last year. The weather was colder than I expected, so I ended up buying a cheap sweatshirt to use for the few days we were there. Saturday morning was bright and beautiful for the wedding, and when the wind wasn't blowing, it was quite nice. The photo shoot was fairly windy, however, and I was shivering and covered with goosebumps. The ceremony was beautiful though, and the reception was inside (delicious food too!).
beautiful view of the snow-capped mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe
We stayed in great rental condos right on the beach, and the whole weekend was spent with family. We even had a make-shift church service led by the officiating pastor on Sunday morning. We also set the standard for the whole vacation of eating well and eating a lot. Fortunately I got in three decent runs while we were there.
We left on Sunday afternoon to drive to San Francisco. We only stayed a night there because we left from the airport in the morning for Hong Kong. With only a brief stay, we still managed to take in some sights. Michael's uncle lives in San Francisco, and he took us to Old Mandarin Islamic restaurant. We followed that with a walk along the beach and a hike through a beautiful wooded area with views of the the Golden Gate bridge.
We also made it over to Fisherman's Wharf where we had dessert at Hard Rock Cafe. It was my first time visiting San Francisco, and even though I know I only skimmed the surface of what there is to do there, I'm glad we made the most of our time.
beautiful view of the snow-capped mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe
photo by Andrew Chu
We stayed in great rental condos right on the beach, and the whole weekend was spent with family. We even had a make-shift church service led by the officiating pastor on Sunday morning. We also set the standard for the whole vacation of eating well and eating a lot. Fortunately I got in three decent runs while we were there.
We left on Sunday afternoon to drive to San Francisco. We only stayed a night there because we left from the airport in the morning for Hong Kong. With only a brief stay, we still managed to take in some sights. Michael's uncle lives in San Francisco, and he took us to Old Mandarin Islamic restaurant. We followed that with a walk along the beach and a hike through a beautiful wooded area with views of the the Golden Gate bridge.
We also made it over to Fisherman's Wharf where we had dessert at Hard Rock Cafe. It was my first time visiting San Francisco, and even though I know I only skimmed the surface of what there is to do there, I'm glad we made the most of our time.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
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