Good Eats. Good Fitness. Good Times.

Ok, I have to say several things are making me feel better about my injury.

1. It is projected that a rainy/stormy CIM. Check out http://cimweatheroutlook.blogspot.com/ for details.

2. I know other people who are having the same exact injury/issue and are just as frustrated. They also have the fun of being told in a public forum that they shouldn't run CIM. Check out Steve from Roseville's question here.

3. I ran 3 miles this morning in 29:10. I. kick. ass.

4. I have been biking like crazy. I'm getting a little faster. I look awesome in my new Ophir Milan kit. Knee warmers are on their way.

5. Life is good and shiny.

6. Thanksgiving went off without any problems. I stayed calm while I cooked a huge meal. Everyone loved it. I did a new turkey recipe and it turned out AWESOME. Even though she's a felon, Martha Stewart has some great turkey recipes.

7. I drank a lot of wine with turkey dinner.

8. I drank a lot of wine after turkey dinner.

9. RR#1 came over. We all got along fabulously. I realized, she doesn't have to agree with my viewpoint on every issue. We can be happy and ignore the differences.

10. Hubby and I getting along really really well. I mean really well. It's kind of a Romance Renaissance. After 10 years of marriage I guess things can re-bloom?

Paula Deen Takes a Ham to the Face

Paula Deen Takes a Ham to the Face

Friday Five

1. I haven't run in almost two weeks. I'm scared to run. I'm scared of knee pain. Tomorrow. I'll run tomorrow. Really. Tomorrow.

2. I have been riding my bike quite a bit. I rode both saturday and sunday--30 miles each day. I also rode on the trainer on Wednesday morning--watched Spinervals DVD on endurance but only did 30 minutes or so. It was too boring. Maybe another dvd will be better.

3. I'm still trying to work out the swimming thing for the winter. New aquatic center opened nearby. But it is opposite direction from my work and traffic is awful before work. There is a gym I want to join that is near my work but it is $134/month. A bit pricy. I'm still trying to figure this out.

4. I joined a cycling group called Ophir Milan. They are hard-core. I hope I can keep up with them when we ride.

5.I bought the OPHIR jersey and shorts. I also tried on an OPHIR tank. Hubby said it wasn't very flattering to my figure since it shoved all my back fat to the side.. uhm. Yeah. thanks.

From Velo News

Foolish foolish man..

Landis to leave OUCH
By VeloNews.com
Published: Nov. 17, 2009
Landis has struggled through much of the 2009 season.

Photo: Graham Watson

Floyd Landis and the management company running the OUCH professional cycling team have agreed to end his contract a year early.

Landis and the Momentum Sports Group (MSG) announced Tuesday that they have mutually agreed to terminate his contract – originally slated to expire at the end of 2010 – releasing both sides from their respective obligations for the remainder of the 2009 and 2010 racing seasons.

"I wish to thank all of the sponsors for their support this year. I would also like to thank everyone at Momentum Sports Group," Landis said. "While I'm excited to pursue other opportunities, I will miss all of my teammates and everyone on staff."

Those opportunities, said Landis, include a hoped-for return to the European stage racing he’s missed since his two-year suspension for doping at the 2006 Tour de France. Landis returned to racing at the start of the 2009 season as a member of OUCH and has not enjoyed the level of success he saw before his ban.

According to a release issued by MSG on Tuesday, Landis told the team that he hopes to ride to ride “the longer, tougher stage races offered in Europe and internationally that better suit his strengths.”

The release went on to note that since the team will continue to focus on a domestic schedule, “MSG and Landis mutually agreed that it would be best for both parties to part ways at this time and allow Landis to seek a position with a team that could better accommodate his desires.”

Neither Landis nor the team mentioned if Landis is in discussions with other teams that might afford him the opportunities he hopes to pursue.

Dratsdratsdratsdratsdratsdrats

Sports Med doc says no CIM. She said that I have a significant right leg weakness and there isn't enough time before CIM to correct the imbalance with weight training. The weakness is in turn totally screwing up my gait and causing my IT Band problems--

She said if I try to run CIM I probably would cause enough damage that I wouldn't be able to run for 6 months.

Drats!!!

So I guess I'll do the strengthening exercises she prescribed and see what happens. I don't really have a choice. I did indulge in half a glass of wine last night. I've been a teetotaler for the past few weeks because of my training. I guess that's a silver lining.

Double drats!

Funny Venn Diagrams

Thanksgiving and Giving Thanks

So for some great news. Doc said I can run starting Thurs or Friday.
Yeah! My knee already feels better I am soooo thankful !!!

Onto other, more important business.

Thanksgiving.
IT
IS
MY
FAVORITE
HOLIDAY

Even better than Christmas. Even better than Fourth of July. I think it is because I have such good memories of being a child and having a house full of guests, yummy smells coming from the kitchen, watching “chitty chitty bang bang” on TV and stuffing myself with cranberry jelly and dressing until I thought I might throw up. And then eating pumpkin pie slathered with Cool Whip.

I <3 thanksgiving!

I start planning thanksgiving every year around August. Seriously.
I plan the guest list, plan how we’re gonna make it all happen. Plan the food.

Hmm.mmm food.

This year, even though I am trying to eat more vegan-like, thanksgiving is going to be a time that I will still indulge.

I’ve drafted the menu.

Turkey
Dressing
Fresh Cranberry Relish
Canned Cranberry jelly
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Candied Yams
Stir fried Green Bean with toasted almonds
Apples-n-onions
Brussels Sprouts cooked in bacon fat with pine nuts.
Gravy
Apple Pie (2)
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie
Mincemeat Pie

I am also getting the Tofurkey Supermeal . It contains a tofurkey, cranberry sauce, vegan stuffing (yes the Tofurkey is stuffed), “wishstix”, vegan gravy and some sort of potato/cranberry dumplings.

I am having 15+ guests over for Thanksgiving . It is going to be a BLAST!
All food is made entirely from scratch. I make the pies, including the crusts from scratch. Dressing is made from bread I bake at home, Gravy made from a roux, etc. Almost nothing ‘packaged’ other than the turkey and the canned cranberry jelly.

All this cooking and planning means I will take two days off from work to shop, make pies, clean house, etc. I won’t be able to do any of the local Turkey Trots because the cooking schedule is so tight, even with a double oven.

I am considering deep frying the turkey outside—this will make a yummy turkey plus it will free up one of the double ovens for all the other goodies.

I cannot wait!

Spreadn' the funk

warning--this post contains some foul language. Be advised.

Several bloggers have noted a decrease in energy, an increase in sadness (funkitude), or general illness/injury.

The funk has now spread over here.. I got the H1N1 and regular flu shots so it is not illness. I am not 'sad' per se. No peeps, I am INJURED.

During 4 bridges my right IT Band started to flare a bit. I rested it afterwards, Iced, rolled-- I even took 4 days off and cut my speed workout.

On sunday's 20 mile long run, the IT Band kicked me in the nads.

Two miles into the 20 miler it woke up and said, "uh, no. we're not going to do this today." I yelled the the ITB, "fk u. We're going to finish 20".

At 15 miles, I'd had enough. ITB won. I called hubby and asked him to pick me up on the bike trail and he did.

I am sad and depressed. Went to doc. He says, that technically, my IT Band is ok.. Good flexibility, stretch, and movement. So what's the problem? My old lingering ankle injury has screwed up the shock absorption of my right leg. The issue is really a combination of bad shock absorbers in my calf and a slight pulling of my Tensor Facia Lata. This is causing my IT Band to have to pick up the shockabsorbing slack and it is quite angry.

After doing some deep tissue/fascia work, my A.R.T. guy said I should try to run again today. I think I'm going to wait until tomorrow morning and see how a few short miles go. I was able to walk down stairs today (hurray!)and the side of my leg is extremely sore (uh, hurray???) from the work he did yesterday on it.

I did tell my A.R.T. guy that if I need to wrap my knee stiff straight and peg-leg it to the finish of California International Marathon, I will do that. I don't care. I just don't want the stabbing pain.

In any case--blah fkn blah.

So now for some good news--my MA diploma came in the mail yesterday! Honestly, I was still half expecting that I would get a letter from the Graduate office saying that they made a mistake and I was a unit short or something. But alas, the fools sent me a diploma so I can add a MA after my name..

Tri-Karen-Tri, M.A. (aka Peg-leg)