Non Sequitur Box

In the past, I've been eager to "keep up my fitness" during injuries or slight "tweaks" by using the elliptical, arc trainer, or erg. Last week, though, I really wasn't feeling it. I would make it to the gym, but I couldn't complete even a few seconds on the elliptical. I did five minutes on the stair stepper, but I then I couldn't mentally take it. I wound up doing a dynamic warm-up, a short lifting circuit, stretched, and left. I told myself that maybe I was just mentally tired, that I needed a training break from running. Today, though, I had a great workout! I did a workout on the elliptical followed by a lifting session and a good stretch session. I pondered, "What made today so different? How did I get out of my little rut?" Working Out When You're "Just Not Feeling It" Pre-Step. Determining between "Just not feeling it" or "REALLY need a break." Take a break when you need it, mentally or physic

Me, looking a little curvy these days, courtesy of the =PR= race photos Today I ran the Run with Santa 5k, another race in the =PR= Race Series. The race started at the Reston Town Center, did a "B"-lying-on-its-back-shaped loop, and finished at the fountain at the Reston Town Center. Preparation: No preparation, other than taking a lot of recovery days. I ran 3.8 easy miles on Saturday, stretched, went to Panera for soup and a sandwich with chai tea, ate some sour gummy candies, went to the bookstore, and had soup and bread for dinner. I finished the night with watching White Collar (since I finished all the seasons of Dexter on Netflix). This race was a last minute decision, as I've taken a lot of time off this week. When I woke up, I told myself, "Anna, it's 6:30am. If you're going to run, you might as well do a run to count for points. You might as well run fast. You better run now, because the weather is just going to get worse later. No excuse

For my December book, I read Rick Riordan's first book in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, The Lightning Thief . My boyfriend's niece and sisters-in-law read the series, so I decided to give the first book a shot. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and finished it in two days! Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a young adult fictional series that follows twelve-year-old Percy Jackson and his adventures. In The Lightning Thief , Percy attends Camp Half-Blood for the first time. He discovers who he really is--the half-blood (half human, half god) son of the Olympic god Poseidon. He realizes that his ADHD and dyslexia is really because the ADHD will help him in battles and Greek is the language that is more natural for gods and half-bloods. He will need those traits to complete a quest--finding and returning Zeus' stolen master lightning bolt. Percy deals with the same troubles most of us face while growing up--getting into trouble at school, having problems that ma

Recovery is just as important as training. Why is this fundamental concept so difficult for many athletes to grasp? After hard training sessions, a day of rest should sound welcoming. After a season of races or competitions, a short break should be easy. As a wise woman once pointed out to me, there are no "should"'s in life. Once you feel a runner's high, when the gym becomes your favorite place to be, when you just can't wait to execute your next planned workout, sometimes you don't want to stop! A day of rest becomes a day of thinking about working out. Everything falls into place when you get on your endorphin high, and a day off is full of withdrawal symptoms. Rest at least one day a week. Recovery after hard races or difficult workouts is important for your body to repair itself (and actually get stronger). In a workout, you break your body down. In recovery, you build your body up. You can pick a day and stick to that day every week, or you can

This is the first post in a series I have planned for beginning runners. I love running, and I want to share it with other people. Step one . Just start running. When I first started running, it was in spite. My mom wouldn't let me try out for the basketball team in eighth grade, so I would run 100 laps around the basketball court (72'x42')--about 4.318 miles (though it doesn't seem that long in my memory). It was a good goal at the time (I worked up to it slowly). Step two. Increase frequency or distance if desired. Set goals. I would soon start running laps around our yard (2 acres of land, made it my goal to run 20 laps), rewarded by swimming pool time. I would run laps/sprints of our driveway (about 150 meters long) until I got tired. Later, I would be permitted to run in the neighborhood. To one end of our street and back was 1 mile. To the other end (that had dogs) and back was 2 miles. To Dollar General was a mile. To Winn Dixie and back was six mile

In November, I read It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig. I had bought this book earlier this summer, but I am just now getting into reading it. It's an informative book promoting a healthy, clean approach to eating (The Whole30). Another resource is their website:  http://www.whole9life.com/itstartswithfood/ The Hartwigs explain their rules for good food (what your food should/should not do to your body), which foods are less healthy (and WHY), which foods are more healthy, how to complete The Whole30 (30 days or more of eating protein, vegetables, and some fruit), and even has some recipes. They do not give a 30 day exact meal plan, nor do they tell you how many calories to eat each day or to weigh your food or to weigh yourself. They promote educating yourself by reading their findings (and even suggest to read opposing viewpoints), read other people's success stories (what worked/didn't work for them), and to self-experiment. I am glad they mentioned

In October, I read Kings of the Road: How Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, and Alberto Salazar Made Running Go Boom by Cameron Stracher. It was recommended to me by one of my running friends, Matt. It was the first novel about running that I read, and I absolutely loved it. I love running, but I hated history class. I think if history class revolved around running, I would have liked it more (and I might have retained some information; I had Jack explain Watergate to me on our historical Georgetown/Rosslyn run yesterday...now I'll probably always remember what Watergate is just because it was discussed on a running route). As I read this book, I couldn't help but smile and get excited about events as they unfolded. It was like reading a book or watching a movie when you know the ending, but you enjoy re-reading or re-watching it. I kept telling my boyfriend, "Oh! Hey! Listen to this..." as I read a paragraph from the book. The book covers how Frank Shorter, Bill Rod

On Sunday, 10 November, 2013, I ran the Veteran's Day 5k at Fairfax Corner, VA. The race was put on by Potomac River Running and proceeds went to Team Red White Blue, which I have recently started getting to know. I signed up for it the Friday before race day and ran the Nearly Naked Mile the day before the race. Preparation : No preparation for this race. I had Panera for dinner the day before, but I didn't have any breakfast food for the race day. Running on no race day fuel. Maybe a little water (?). Pre-race : I picked up my packet on race day (quick and easy). After getting everything situated (putting on my race bib and storing my race t-shirt and pin), I met up with Team Red White Blue for some pre-race photo and conversation. I was happy to see Melissa and Victor again (met them both at the Reston 10 Miler). With about 25 minutes before the race, I left for a warm-up. It was quite chilly that morning, so I ran about 2.5 miles in my sweats/gloves/headband. The cou

  Race prep: I didn't really prepare for this race specifically. After the 10k last Sunday, I took Monday as a day for weight lifting and six short wind sprints (and climbing!). I ran 6 miles on Tuesday morning with Jack, as I was working late and went to the movies with my boyfriend that night. I ran 7 miles and lifted again on Wednesday (and some traversing, but my back was spasming that day, so no climbing). I jogged an easy 3.8 miles on Thursday. I jogged an easy 3 miles with Jack on Friday followed by some climbing. Friday night was Climb and Dine with Jack and Steph (and Kara, Novak, Mark, and others). There's something about the way Jack tells me to do things that I believe every word he says with confidence (95% of the time). On Friday night he told me to try leading a 5.9 (any feet), so I just tied in and gave it a try! I have never tried to lead anything, so this was a huge deal! I made it about halfway before I realized I couldn't make it through the arch,

Free photo from Potomac River Running Race Prep: I didn't do much preparation for this race. The week before I ran a quick 1600-1200-800-400 on Tuesday, and then I was sick through the rest of the week. I took Thursday and Friday completely off exercise. On Saturday morning, I went for a short 3.5 mile jog, completed a few errands, picked up my race packet in Tysons Corner (and had some delicioius Caribou Coffee sandwich and chai tea latte), went home briefly, and ate some chicken salad and Whole Foods salad bar for lunch. I continued my day by watching Dexter on Netflix and eating angel hair pasta with red sauce and cheese/herb blend (plus four pieces of spinach ravioli in pesto sauce). I also had some chocolate milk. I know, my food combinations are not ideal. Race Day: Pre-Race: I took my extra hour of sleep (after staying up until 10pm watching Dexter ), woke up at 6:15am to get ready, and ate a bowl of apple-cinnamon instant oatmeal (FINALLY finished the box I bought o

I'm sick. Again. I swear, I've never been so sick in my entire life than I have been in the past three years. This is ridiculous! Maybe I need to move out west... Training has been going well lately. Last Tuesday I did one of my go-to workouts: 1600m, 1200m, 800m, 400m. 1600m - 6:04 Rest - 2:00 1200m - 4:30 Rest - 1:30 800m - 2:58 Rest - 1:00 400m - 1:24 I like this workout because it's easy to think about mentally (4 laps, each repeat is one lap less than the last), it's quick/speedy, and it's a good gauge for myself when trying to figure out a mile pace. Although all my times are slower than I'd have liked (by about 4 seconds each), I'm still pretty happy with the workout. I'm in the middle/end of week 5 of Todd Durkin's IMPACT! Body Plan. It's a 10 week program that works for me (this is my second execution of the program). I can feel myself getting a little stronger every week. Unfortunately, being sick is a little speed b

A few weeks ago, at my friend Kristin's birthday party, I was invited to join a Ragnar Relay team! Having always wanted to do one, I agreed immediately! Little did I know what I was really getting into... Team JUGS! I joined the team Just Us Girls (JUGS)! Half of the team was from Miami, and the other half was from the DC-MD-VA area. Pre-Race After a lot of shuffling and an unexpected last minute drop-out, we had eleven runners. I was in van 1 with five other ladies coming from Miami. My friend Kristin was in van 2 with other locals I didn't know. We didn't get t-shirts or a theme or decorate our vans, but we still had fun! I met up with the Miami ladies on Thursday and drove up to Rocky Gap Resort, the start line (but not before a stop at the new Wegmans in Germantown!!). We stayed at the casino (I didn't have to camp outside after all!), had a few drinks, and got to know each other the night before the race. Relay Race Ragnar Relay D.C. is a relay o

On Sunday, 29 September 2013, I raced in Potomac River Running's Perfect 10 Miler in Reston, VA. Participants can choose between 10 miles or 10 kilometers. I chose to run the 10 miler. It is the same course at the Reston 10 Miler (in March). Night Before the Race: Okay, so the evening before the race went not-according to plan. I had taken the entire day off working out, walked around Clarendon Day festivities, and had a delicious salad for lunch. Plans fell apart that evening when my boyfriend suggested we go to Nick's house to play games. Not sure what time we were going to be home or if we were going to eat with Nick, I ate half a serving of my dinner (salmon cakes, vegetables, and noodles) and a Gatorade. I only stayed for one round of Stone Age (one of my favorite games) before heading home around 11PM (late for me). I ate six pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (homemade by Rachel) and quite a few Snyder's jalapeno pretzels. I know, I'm so good at eating healthy.

In college, I read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Since I was in the mood for a little science fiction and because the movie is coming out this year, I re-read Ender's Game as my book for September. I read the intro this time, and I learned a little about Mr. Card and his path to writing Ender's Game . He wrote about all the people who wrote him back about the book, including some gifted children who could relate to Ender and military personnel who could relate to the training Ender endures. Ender's Game  is set in the future, after Earth has had two invasions involving buggers (ant-like aliens). The Earth is unified against the buggers, and children are monitored for three (or more) years to see if they would be fit to join the fighting forces against the buggers. Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is a talented young boy (six years old at the start) who is tormented by his intelligent and brutal brother Peter but finds solace in his eloquent and kind sister Va

In August (yes, this is a very late book review), I read I Wasn't Strong When I Started Out: True Stories of Becoming A Nurse . This book is a collection of stories written by nurses and edited by Lee Gutkind. While I was taking Principles of Biology at Montgomery College, many of my classmates wanted to become nurses. I have two sisters at the University of Georgia right now who are thinking about becoming nurses (there's always that possibility of doing something else). All this nurse talk intrigued me, so I bought this book during a study break at Barnes & Nobel. I think for some of the stories, people should read them with an open mind. These aren't just any nurses! Some of these nurses are also artists, creative writers, and some have left the profession. Nurses are real people, not just robots dressed nicely to follow set procedures to take care of you when you need help. I liked how many of the stories humanized nurses for me. I would think, "Ah! So th

As a disclaimer, I suck at math, I suck at swimming in currents, and I am not a math teacher. At the Patriots Half this weekend, we were challenged to come up with an easy way to explain swimming in currents. This is my attempt. Also, please note that some things are not drawn to scale/properly. I'm attempting to explain the idea of swimming in currents while avoiding math/numbers. Below is an example of a swim route. The wiggly yellow man is the finish. The yellow triangles are turn buoys and the orange circles are sighting buoys. In aqua is the current. The dashed lines are the vertical and horizontal motions of the current, and the solid line is the resulting current. In this example, swimmers have to swim at about a 45 degree angle to the current on the trip out to the third buoy and back to the finish line. We will address the final leg back to the finish line. In the dashed red line below, the swimmer is just thinking, "I have to swim straight to the wiggl

That's me in second place for females 25-29 years old! I FINISHED! I completed my first half distance triathlon (1.2 mile swim, 58 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run) at Patriots Half in Williamsburg, VA, yesterday! Pre-Race: On Friday, my boy and I drove to Anniversary Park. We went to packet pick-up and one of the informational meetings. It was quick and well organized. I looked at the transitions, walked from the swim to the transition, found my bike rack, and skipped my planned 30 minute workout (10 min swim/bike/run). I felt confident. After that, we did a drive of the bike course, checked into our hotel (Greensprings Resort, which was actually cheaper than the regular hotels!) and ate at a Greek restaurant (salmon, rice, vegetables, bread, water). I drank Gatorade and water throughout the day, but I still felt a little low on hydration (from sweating in the car and at packet pick-up). My boy showed me how to change a flat tire and I went to bed at 9:50pm. Race Day: 5:15

I always write up race plans, even if the plan has been on my mind for weeks/days. I think it is important to write down goals (it gives a little more sense of commitment)! My knee started feeling better on Tuesday (my running buddy came back into town; maybe he is good luck)! I'm still taking it easy, though, and I just want to FINISH this triathlon...no need for last minute speed work! I was able to get in a bike, two swims, and a few runs this week. I feel ready! Goal A: Finish! Goal B: Finish under 6:30! Friday To-Do List: - Sleep in - Pack, buy more nutrition (Gatorade, energy bar, gels) - Travel - Do a quick run through the transitions (10 minute swim, 10 minute bike, 10 minute run) and make sure I have everything I need. - Race packet pick-up/information meeting - Salmon for dinner! Saturday: Race Day Plan! 0530 - wake up, eat some oatmeal with banana, drink some Gatorade/water 0600 - be at race site, set-up transition site 0708 - Ready, steady, go!! Swim

I'm devastated. On Tuesday morning I went for a pain-free run. I went for a swim later that night. On Wednesday afternoon, I couldn't run. There was a sharp pain in my front kneecap. I decided to bike instead. On Thursday, I tried running again. I made it maybe 2 minutes before deciding the pain was too much and turned back home for some core work and stretching. Today, I'm going to give my leg complete rest and hope that it's just some crazy "phantom pain" (like I experienced before my Boston Marathon this year) . I'm upset, yes, because I love running and all I need for some stress relief is a RUN right now, but there is no use in being upset. I have to fix myself and try to get ready for my half distance triathlon. Foam roll. Ice. Water jog. Stretch. Keep swimming and biking. That's right, my triathlon is about a week away and I'm dealing with severe knee pain that is preventing me from running. I need to relax. Everything is going to be f

I'm way behind on book reviews, but I've been reading! In July, I read 18 chapters from Campbell Biology (9th Edition) Jane B. Reece (Author), Lisa A. Urry (Author), Michael L. Cain (Author), Steven A. Wasserman (Author), Peter V. Minorsky (Author), Robert B. Jackson (Author). The book is wonderfully written. It was so easy to grasp the concepts because the textbook uses good examples and analogies alongside photographs and diagrams. This is a good book for Biology 108 (Principles of Biology). Each chapter is subdivided into sections with 2-3 questions after each section. There is a review after each chapter, and the answers are provided in the back of the book. There are also questions under the photographs throughout the chapters, and those questions are also answered in the back of the book. One feature I really liked and thought was helpful were the sidebars that summarized experiments that resulted in major scientific findings. It was presented as what the scie