stir crazy

13 days since i have logged a run. 10 days since i have log any trainer miles. lunches at Smith & Willensky, Wildfire, & Ditka's, that included some Frogs Leap and Stages Leap, massive steaks and massive deserts, all before 2pm. not to mention the cookies and chocolates and muffins and crap that keeps flowing into our office. topping it all off is that burning sensation i have. no it aint pride or guanaria. its freaking Iliotibial Band Syndrome.

so, i am done with the self imposed break due to the self diagnosed injury. i can not do it. i picked up the mythical foam roller all runners speak of. i hope it turns my frown upside down. i used it yesterday and wow my leg muscles are sore. i plan to give the trainer a go at it this morning. then roll the legs out. then ice. then come back here and whine like a little baby some more.

have i mentioned my down time has been consumed by thoughts of high end home theaters? my basement project is under way. see the pics HERE.

later.

On A Break.....

one of my favorite episodes of Friends was "The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break." that show use to make me giggle. i know, it's hard to believe, but it did.

anyway, i am down for the count. i was taking it easy last week with no running. since the first weekend of December i have been dealing with a sore, tight, burning left IT Band. it is really uncomfortable when i am sitting and/or doing nothing.

after a day of nothing i thought a little treadmill run would be in order last night. wrong. despite warming up and going slow at mile 1 i felt a sharp twinge. i was done at mile 1.85 after only 20 minutes. normally this thing works it self out and loosens up. not this time.

after two years of training for this and that and just enjoying being in great shape it is time for a break. 2 years, 4500 cycling miles, 1200 running miles, 70 lb weight loss..........it is time and i am officially on a break.

A week of NOTHING....

well, that is a bit of a stretch. however, this past week is the first since July that i have not logged any runs. not one. is it that marathon depression in full swing? is it the cold and crappy weather turning up my S.A.D. earlier then normal? is it that burning left IT Band? the one that has been screaming at me for two weeks? who knows??

i was thinking about all this running i have done this year. i spent some 30 weeks of 2007 preparing for two running events. the March Madness Half and the Chicago Marathon. that is more then half of my year. yikes, that is a lot. especially for a cyclist.

so, i think i need a break. its hard for me, mentally, to take breaks. i love being fit. i mean being really fit. hopefully some time off these next couple of weeks will launch me into 2008!!

wait, when i say rest i dont mean nothing. just less. see, i got this new cycling trainer that i need to break in :)

the white stuff....

i am not a big fan. in fact, i could do without winter. however, i live in the Chicago Area and it does snow here from time to time. so, i make the best of it.

i have this fancy $1000 dollar snow blower that i purchased almost 2 years ago. i have used it four times maybe. today seemed to be a perfect day to bust it out. three inches of fluffy snow on the ground and my morning free, but i decided against the blower. yep, i thought it would be a better "workout" to shovel my drive and walks.

what the heck is wrong with me?