Running Liv's Life

I decided to...RUN!  Shocking decision, I know.  Those of you that run know that it is EXTREMELY hard not to.  I have only run 10 miles TOTAL in the past 6 weeks, and so I went into this race with zero training.  I only set one goal for myself going into this race - NO WALKING!  Though I was beyond tired and gassed to the core I managed to meet my goal which I was thrilled about!  I didn't run well, but considering the circumstances, I was pretty pleased with my performance.  The race was really cool!  Tons of great energy, well run, awesome course, super cute shirts (which never happens), and finishing on Soldier Field was pretty sweet! Pre-race, about 6:30 a.m.  Ready to run!! My sister ran with me.  We had just crossed the start line here. 10 miles later.  Best picture I could get on the field.  It was really hard to hold my camera steady while running.  More pictures to come with official results!!  Stay tuned :)

Workout: Bike 35 min/weights  Birthday girl frosting cupcakes at 7 a.m.! Played inside all day due to stormy weather :( Zonked out while watching Dora. Birthday dinner at Dairy Queen. Ending the day with cake. A very low key and simple birthday.  She didn't care one bit.  She loved every minute of her day!

Workout:  Elliptical 50 minutes I signed up to run the Soldier Field 10 Mile  way back in January -  looooong before I developed my knee injury.  I have been going back and forth for weeks now:  Run, don't run, run, don't run.  My fear is that I decide to run and two miles into the race my knee starts hurting and I have to pull out.  My heart says, just do it!  My head says, REST YOUR KNEE...don't make it worse.  Do I go with my head or heart?  I think I have finally made my decision.  I am going to...

Workout:  Elliptical 45 minutes I had my first round of therapy today for my knee.  I originally wasn't going to go.  I figured I could just google some exercises to do at home, rest my knee, put some ice on every now and then, and then...PRESTO!  I'd be healed!  Um, no, not so much.  I did all these things and my knee is getting worse :( .  It now hurts to even walk.  Sooooo, today I had my first session.  They decided to do ultrasound therapy.  Apparently, ultrasound stimulates healing by promoting blood flow to the tendon. It also removes waste and toxins that build up in the injured area, and the waves also break up scar tissue on the tendon.  Gosh, I hope this works.  I NEED to run again.  I miss it for many reasons, but mostly I need it to help me maintain my weight.  In the almost 6 weeks off I have gained 4 pounds!!  The elliptical doesn't do crap for me, and you have to be on that dumb thing forever to burn 8 calories.  Okay, so I realize this doesn't help:

Workout:  None - I felt lazy today and skipped! So how do you spend your Friday evenings? Five years ago - I was a newlywed.  At the time we were using all our money to pay off debt.  So what did a typical Friday evening look like? Why yes, I am knitting.  And yes, I think it is fun.  And no, I'm not any good at it.  But, because of our frugal Friday evenings, by the end of your first year of marriage we had no car payment, no credit card debt, and paid off my student loan!! Three years ago - Well, financially we were in a good place, but I was 8 months pregnant.  We spent most Friday evenings at home, ordered pizza, and at 8:00 turned on NBC to watch our favorite show, Friday Night Lights. Why yes, I am still currently watching the show.  And yes, I miss the Dillon Panthers.  But no, I don't miss the old cast. (Okay, now that I'm thinking about all the oldies, I do miss them a little.)   Last night - I spent my Friday evening cleaning projectile vomit off our

Workout:  Elliptical 35 minutes/weights For those of you with toddlers you know that silence is NOT golden.  It is scary.  It is VERY scary.  Especially if your toddler is a little spitfire, like Lyla.  Oh, such a sweet sweet face.  Orlando was napping and I really needed to get the kitchen clean.  Lyla wanted to play in my room so I told her she could have a picnic with her friends (her Woody doll and stuffed pig).  I realized after a while I hadn't heard a peep from her.  That is not normal for Lyla.  She doesn't usually play very well by herself.  I decided to go check on the picnic.  And what to my wondering eyes should appear: "A picnic, mommy!"  This picture doesn't even do justice to the mess that was now on my floor.  I just looked at her and said, "What did you make?".  She oh so sweetly replies,  "Spaghetti".

Workout:  Elliptical 50 min./weights/yoga video May is a crazy $$ month.  We have Mother's Day x3.  My mom's, sister's, and Lyla's b-day.  And usually 1-2 graduations.  And this month, which is pretty much just like every other month, money is tight.  So, I decided to take the 5 year old approach to Mother's Day and make gifts this year.  It saved us a lot, and it was actually really fun. I used the cricut and vinyl to spell out the word Lemonade and applied it to a pitcher I found at the store.  Then, I made these amazing strawberry muffins, added a little ribbon for decoration, and voila!  Simple, fun, and not too much dough out of the bank.

This past Saturday I ran in the Christie Clinic 10k over in Champaign, IL.  It would be my first run in almost 3 weeks so I really didn't know what to expect.  The last time I ran my knee hurt so bad I had to stop after a half mile.  Now I had to run just over 6!!! I didn't walk to the start line until just before the race because of the cold temp and crazy wind.  I took three Aleve for knee pain, jumped up and down a bit to warm up, and prayed that I could make it the whole race without walking.  The first two miles went really fast, but after that I struggled every step.  Everything annoyed me.  My music, the boring course, the wind, and the girl in front of me that was running like a prancing reindeer!  I really wanted to beat her, but I had no fight in me at the end :( Overall, I ended up running pretty well.  I was 95% satisfied with my performance.  Here are the official results:  Time:  50:29/8:04 pace  Overall place: 107 out of 1755  Women: 22 out of 1211  Age