Let's be honest

Not to be confused with lesbehonest...

 

(If you haven't seen Pitch Perfect, RUN, don't walk to a RedBox or Blockbuster or Walmart or WHATEVER and watch it right now! And then we can resume our friendship.)

Hi everybody! First things first - it is FLIPPIN HOT.

(Proof just in case you thought I was kidding.)

 I kindove hate August because it seems like every year around this time I start to go crazy and feel like there is no end in sight for this ridiculous heat that has me sweating around the clock. Not only is it super attractive, it also makes running approximately 17 times more difficult. 

Speaking of running, this is where the "let's be honest" part comes into play. Running this summer has been HARD. Hard because of the heat, hard because of my lack of motivation, and lately, hard because of a minor injury. 

A couple weekends ago, I headed out for a ten miler with the running club group. About two miles in, I began having a sharp/stabbing/shooting pain on the outside of my left knee. I fought it for eight miles until it got to the point where I almost fell over. I had to walk the last two miles. As I limped back, with about a million thoughts racing through my mind, I had an emotional breakdown. I cried and cried and cried. Not necessarily because it hurt (oh, but it did) but because for the first time EVER, I wasn't physically able to run. The drama queen in me came out, and as I cried I started panicking at the thought of having to stop marathon training, or worse having to stop running altogether. My favorite thing in the entire world. My pace group was super sweet, helpful, and sympathetic. After I described to them what I was feeling, the general consensus was that it sounded like something they were all pretty familiar with - IT band issues. 

So I came home, cried a little bit more, googled, iced, stretched, foam rolled, and didn't run for five days. Then Taylor and I went on a run date (those are a weekly thing now!). I took it easy, and my knee felt a little sore, but nothing like the pain I'd felt before.

I still decided to go to the doctor, who gave me an x-ray and confirmed there were no fractures (hallelujah) but that I did have IT band issues and just a whole mess of little problems with my left leg, and also figured out that I underpronate. Which means my outer knee pain, and the fact that I've previously had issues with inner shin splints make perfect sense. After hearing all that, I decided not to push it, and that it would probably be best to skip out on the eleven mile training run, and rest up. I think that was the best decision I could've made. This week, I was able to get in a really good, solid six mile treadmill run that had me feeling like things were finally getting back to normal.

But still, I was a little nervous for this weekend's long run. It was a pull back run, so we only went 9 miles, but I was secretly terrified that I'd start feeling the same pain. But luckily, I didn't. I had a pain-free 9 mile run, and I really feel like I am back in the marathon training game!

So here are my thoughts: I can't believe how ridiculously useless I felt not being able to run like I normally do. I read all the time about people having injuries, but I would've never imagined it would affect me in the way that it did. 

Running has changed my life. I knew that before, but I can honestly say it has never felt more true. Running is the constant that makes everything else seem a little easier. I feel so blessed to have found something that makes me feel so alive.

But enough of that. Let's move onto lighter subjects. How about some non-running related tidbits?

I can't get enough guacamole. Good news is neither can Taylor. 

I have officially developed strong strong feelings for Macklemore. Like lyrics playing in my head all day long and also creeping their way into my dreams type of strong.

Almonds. Almonds. Almonds. All day every day.

Want to know how to kick-start an awesome weekend? Jet out of work at 4:59 on Friday and head straight for a "I totally deserve this" pedicure and glass of wine with your awesome co-workers!

Is it sort of creepy that I took a picture of  man rubbing my legs? Mmm...probably. But it was AWESOME.

New YORK!

We are just a little bit excited. Every time Empire State of Mind comes on the radio I have send her videos like this...(please don't laugh at my "sing while simultaneously popping donut holes into my mouth" dance.)

Luckily she does pretty much the exact same thing. Minus the dancing.

Another honest moment - I have no idea what I'm going to do with my Mondays now that the Bachelorette is over! Except maybe count down the days until I get to watch Juan Pablo as the new Bachelor. 

Um, yes. Just YES. 

I'm racking my brain really hard to try and come up with a good way to convince Taylor that I should  probably audition. I'm thinking my opening line will be, "So I think what would be best for our relationship right now would be for me to take off a few months of work and travel to various tropical locations with an exotic Latino man." Thoughts? Yeah...it's still a work in progress. 

LOVE&HUGS,

Nat