Author: Sloan

RICE

/ Sloan / Leave a comment

RICE: who knew it actually worked?

 

Thursday last week was my only day to get in a long run. Needing to go somewhere new, my running partner and I set out to climb to Ostrich Peak. If you know me at all you know that I have my dads sense of direction: AKA I’m always lost, always getting myself more lost, not afraid to ask for directions but usually mess them up anyway. In my running life this has become more of a blessing in disguise. My runs are usually longer than I anticipate with even knowing it!

So when I told my partner that we had to turn right on Strawberry, then right again on Hitt Road I figured she knew where Strawberry was… a few miles later we figured out where we needed to go—basically we just needed to up, up and up higher! So needless to say our run turned into more of a five-mile hike, which is fine, the trail was great, the day was perfect—until we reached the top and started back down.

The view was great. I could see Mnt Shasta (I think) and some other mountain in the distance…I’m horrible at identifying them! On our run back down it was just a straight shot down hill, rocky terrain, and with my awesomely weak ankles I stepped on a rock in just the right spot to feel like I tore all the ligaments and broke the bone. (DON’T WORRY, NEITHER OF THOSE HAPPENED. They were just my first thoughts that entered my brain.)

Sweet View

Beatuful View

I limped along for a while and when I decided nothing horrible actually happened we started running again. But when I got home I used the RICE (Rest Ice Compression Elevation) method to get better as soon as humanly possible. Along with taking fist fulls of ibprofen it was feeling better soon. Who knew that by actually doing what all those running magazines tell you to do you can actually reduce the time it takes to get better? CRAZY!

Roommates frozen peas

My roommates frozen peas

I haven’t run yet, it’s still tender, but I did elipt my heart out today and plan to run tomorrow morning. Still icing it to keep the swelling down, and not doing anything too crazy this week. I’d rather be hurt a bit now then totally injured later!

 

Had any injuries lately? How long did they last?

 

What did you do instead of run or impact?

I actually started doing some of my work out DVDs at home. Friday I did a Denise Austin pilates total body thing…it was good! Denise is super annoying, but I got a good work out in. On Saturday I did a yoga burn DVD with my friend–we opened all the windows and doors in her house so it felt like we were outside, SO GREAT!

Two A Days (get your mind out of the gutter!)

/ Sloan / Leave a comment

Two a days are probably my favorite. Right? I mean, how can you go wrong when you give yourself two killer workouts in one day? I’m realizing that though it’s really nice to have someone else kick your butt on a workout, it’s just (if not more) awesome to kick your own ass.

When all you have is yourself then all you have to depend on is yourself, right? (DUH)  I worked all morning yesterday (by all morning I mean I rode my bike to open the gym at 4:30am and worked until noon…) then some how I continued to keep myself motivated until after the noon hour and do a killer leg work out and intervals on the elliptical.

Holy shit this girl is ripped and this is nowhere near what I do for my leg work out, but whoa. Don’t mess with her!

Then I bike home and laid around until 5:30 and had my friend pick me up for my FIRST SPIN CLASS EVER. I know, how have I been missing out on spin? The class/instructor was just okay, but what I liked/hated about it was that I was in control of my workout. Sure the instructor was there to try and motivate me, but in reality once the music got pumping and I was warmed up it was all on me to get it done and feel the burn. I kind of like knowing that I can push myself hard enough to be wobbly on my legs today. (and I sure am.)

When it comes down to it, we have to realize that fitness isn’t comfortable. We have to push ourselves to hurt and work hard on our own, because, you know what? No one else is going to do it for us.

 

“The only lack or limitation is in your own mind”

NH. Moos

 

The entire spin class I was yelling at myself (other people yell in their head, right?) to work harder, it’s only going to last a bit longer, keep going, you CAN do this, you’ll be mad at yourself if you don’t work as hard as you can NOW!!

In other words, don’t get in your own way. I’m learning to re-motivate myself, and I think that that is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves, not only with running or fitness, but in life itself.

 

How do you motivate yourself?

Ever done spin?

Guns, Guns, and BBQ

/ Sloan / Leave a comment

Today was a strange day. We all have the things that we’re ‘into’ right? If you’re reading this blog you’re either related to me, an athlete, or a family friend… but we all have either ME in common or our love for fitness in common. Well today I was taken to a Gun Show. Cue me flexing my massive bicep and pointing with a cheesy grin. No, not that kind, a real, Red *neck I mean blooded American event!

This place was full of big burly men in Carhartts, camouflage and trucker hats! Mountain Dew cans and candy wrappers were on the floor near the vendors, (they have to keep their energy up too) and gun upon guns covered the tables, along with tazers, knives and t-shirts bashing our president or telling hippies to get out. Needless to say, I felt a little uncomfortable.

But we all have our ‘thing,’ right? I mean, I could, and do, talk to you all day about running shoes, training, hydration, getting our sweat on…blahblahblah, and if I did this at the gun show I would be given weird looks and maybe be escorted out by the nice man with American flag suspenders that hold his Budweiser belly in and his mullet that was held back with a sweet bandana.

I didn’t talk about fitness, healthy lifestyles or anything else. I listened while they told me about how it’s my right to bear arms, and how this purple Barretta would go so nicely with the skirt I was wearing. Maybe even a leather holster to match my home made, apple tree earrings… weird conversations go down at this place!

But my point is, we all have our passions and it was cool to be on a completely different playing field this afternoon.

I didn’t buy a gun but I did eat some bomb tasty Bar-B-Que and definitely felt more American for it!