Counting Time

Alarm was off at 6.

Breakfast was eaten by 6:15.

Overnight Oats—combine everything and let it sit in the fridge overnight

• 1/2 c. oatmeal
• 1 T. crushed flax
• 2 T.wheat bran
• 1/2 banana, sliced
• splash of vanilla
• toppings: handful of almonds + 1 T. Galaxy Granola

Showered and dressed by 6:30

In the car by 7:00.

At the doctor’s office by 7:30.

I was in a bit of a frenzy this morning.  That was partially due to my rushed breakfast and partially due to the uncertainty of what the orthopedic would actually tell me.  Here are the highlights of the visit:

Pros:

• No stress fractures!  He took an x-ray, which gave me so much more peice of mind. 
• I have a referral for physical therapy.

Cons:

• I still didn’t really get an answer to what’s causing my knee and foot pains.  He simply told me that I have chondromalacia.  Somehow, I have a feeling this is related to my foot pain (overpronating, maybe?) which is causing my knee to shift out of place when I run, hence the wearing away of the cartilage.
• I didn’t get to the root of the problem. 

I’ll be going to Physical Therapy this Friday, but I’m also considering visiting a foot doctor now to see if I could use orthotics.  I have to remind myself to take this whole process one step at a time without getting too frustrated. 😉 

Home by 10:00.

Orange and pistachios, eaten by 10:15

Out the door and biking by 10:30.

Biking definitely strengthens the quad muscles, which is a big part of taking care of this knee pain.  I’m realizing more and more how important cross-training is, even for the die-hard runner (maybe I should say “especially” for the die-hard runner 😉 ).

Back from an 11-mile bike ride by 11:20.

Lunch eaten by 12:00.

I always crave smoothies for post-workout meals.  Today I went with a very delicious Green Monster. 😀

Green Monster

• 4 c. spinach
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 carrot, grated finely
• 1 c. milk
• 2 T. wheat bran
• 1 T. flax, crushed
• topping: 2 T. Natures Path Pumpkin Flax Granola

I always feel so vibrantly refreshed after eating a Green Monster.  It’s probably all psychological, but I love that feeling!

+ a toasted slice of whole wheat sourdough with about 1 T. crunchy peanut butter

Homework started by 1:00

Homework temporarily ended at 2:00

Out and back from a 3-mile walk by 3:00

Homework from 3-4:00

I could not sit still for anything today!  Way too gorgeous, and I took every chance I could get to soak up the 50 degree sunshine. 😀 

For a quick snack, I grabbed a crunchy pear…

…and the other half of my KIND bar (sooo yummy!)

More homework between 4 and 5.

Early dinner by 5:00.

Dad and I were both starving for dinner.  Thank goodness for quick-and-easy, leftover vegetable soup. 😀  I poured myself a big bowl and served some kashis on the side for c*r*u*n*c*h.

+ a square of Endangered Species dark chocolate, dunked in crunchy peanut butter. 😀

Made the lunches for tomorrow, 6-7.

Bubblebath by 7:00

Blogging and snack at 7:45.

Sooo ready to relax!  I have a busy day planned for tomorrow, and I’d like to get up early and make it to the gym.  I layed out all my workout clothes and set the alarm clock so I won’t have any excuses. 😉

I also plan on picking out a sweet potato tomorrow for the challenge.  😀 I have a couple ideas in mind, and I’m excited to see how they’ll pan out (don’t worry, I’ll post it even if it’s a complete flop )  As Julia Child would say about cooking mistakes: “Never apologize.” 😀

Finished blogging by 8:31. 

 Goodnight! 😀

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Always a Runner

This morning I was craving a big bowl of cereal.  I used to eat cereal every single morning, but lately it just doesn’t cut it for me in the “feeling full” department.  Adding a bit of healthy fat and subbing yogurt for the milk seems to do the trick though.  This kept me full for a good 3-1/2 hrs., which is all I would ever ask from my breakfast. 😀

• 6-oz. plain yogurt
• 1 T. crushed flax
• 1.5 c. Kashi Go Lean
• 1/2 banana
• sprinkle of coconut
• handful of almonds

Last night I layed out my gym clothes, so that I would have no excuse to skip the gym. 😉 

I also snagged 1/2 of this KIND Mango Macadamia Plus bar as a pre-workout snack…

Looks good, smells good…

Tastes good! 😀

I wasn’t sure if I would like this flavor, but I think the tropical flavored bars are starting to grow on me.  Coconut, mango, macadamia…what’s not to love?  I still like the KIND Fruit and Nut flavors the best though (i.e., Date and Almond = awesome!)

The gym was practically empty today.  I had the elliptical machines, treadmill and stairmaster all to myself, so I decided to switch off between machines and make things interesting.

• Elliptical: 1.5 miles
• Treadmill: 2.5 miles (intervals of running/walking)
• Elliptical: 1.0 mile
• Stairmaster: 10 minutes

I’ve been focusing on keeping my running fitness up by emulating my normal workouts.  The elliptical is actually pretty close to running in regards to fitness, only without the impact.  It makes a nice sub for when injuries prevail. 😉

That being said, what I was really interested in discovering through today’s workout was whether I still had knee and foot pains.  The elliptical felt perfectly fine, but the treadmill left me achy by the end.  My knee felt stiff and sore as soon as I stopped, and my plantar fascia near the ball of my foot felt tender.  No more messing around…it was time to call the doctor!

First I drove home and had a quick, easy lunch of Penne with Chickpeas, Feta and Tomatoes (courtesy of Cooking Light—click for the recipe!) with a side of mixed veggies.  This meal was super easy to throw together and is so versatile.  While I chose a vegetarian option, you could add diced chicken or shrimp if you wanted.  Black olives and spinach would also be a lovely addition. 😀

+ an apple-to-go as I was running out the door.

My doctor spent some time bending my knee and asking some questions, along with flexing my foot and massaging in different areas to see where my pain was.  She thinks I have plantar fasciitis (which was my first thought too) and chondromalacia patellae (damage to the cartilage which covers the back of the knee.)  In other words?  Running is still off limits!  In the meantime, she told me to build muscle in my quads for the knee problems and to buy some knee sleeves for stabilization.  I’m seeing a foot specialist by the end of March to see if there’s anything I can do aside from physical therapy for my foot.

One step at a time.

It did feel a little overwhelming to leave the doctor’s office with two new injuries to deal with, but I’m glad I went.  I will always consider myself a runner, and this is just the process I need to take in order to continue the activity that I love so much! 😀  It is not the end of the world and it is not the end of running!

When I arrived home, I got right into some exercises for my knee and took a break for a snack: plain yogurt with 2 T. wheat bran, 1/2 a banana and some granola.

+ the other half of my KIND bar

I can’t get enough salads and homemade bread lately. 

Dinner involved 1.5 slices of toasted whole wheat and walnut bread with a pat of cashew butter…

And a big ol’ salad.

I think my repetitive dinner choice has something to do with the big box of fresh mesculin greens sitting in the fridge.  Just can’t get enough! 😀

For dessert, I broke into this Endangered Species Dark Chocolate bar.

One peice was perfect for hitting the sweet tooth, because it was so intensely dark. 😀

I’m about to make a snack and spend some time researching for a homework assignment.  Hopefully I’ll get to bed at a decent time tonight too, because I have an early morning planned for tomorrow. 😀

Question: Dark, milk, or white chocolate?  I will always choose dark chocolate over milk, but I’m a fan of white chocolate for an occasional treat too. 😀