Running Shorts

Hello bicycle...

...and bike shoes.

I'll clean them.  It's just this is the first time I've looked at them since my Dad brought them home from the hospital for me so I didn't realize they were a tad bloody.  I felt so awful this weekend that I couldn't get much work done so I knew I had to do something to try and feel better.  The trainer is now set up-with my tri bike-and I did 30 minutes easy.  The bike is working fine.  Biking felt okay.  The most dangerous part of the whole operation was dragging the trainer and associated pieces out of storage up to my apartment.  I borrowed a cart so I wouldn't have to do my whole off-balance drag the heavy trainer around the building.  My grandma asked me what I was doing this afternoon.  As I gazed from my sofa onto the assorted and unassembled trainer/bike pieces in front of me I told her my plans.  She said she wasn't sure that was such a good idea.  I responded with...Maybe not-so please don't tell Mom!  Knowing how dangerous a fall would be, I triple checked that everything was set up properly and securely.  After two years of spin class I'm finally trainer set-up capable :)

Poooooooooooooooor Audrey

I feel really crappy.  I've started adding up the things I had to cancel this summer and I feel sad: all of my daily training, being outside (b/c I'm not a big just go sit outside person b/c I think the sun is bad), all my triathlons, my hiking trip with my Dad, my trip to NC (where I'm supposed to be right now), and my trip to Lake Placid (b/c I still won't be able to eat).  I was so bummed yesterday that I'm in town right now that I could not drag myself to a posh hotel down the street to watch the fireworks from the patio with a friend.  We're talking about prime firework watching real estate.  I stayed home alone so I didn't have to talk to anyone.  I'm pathetic.  And reading about tax law.  I'm not going to lie, my summer is the opposite of fun.  I eventually drank last night too (my neighbor came home during the fireworks due to similar anti-social behavior and we had drinks outside) and I woke up this morning with it reaffirmed once again that, yup, i'd rather not drink and instead get up early and train.  This is why I'm afraid of getting old...I would be so unhappy if I was stuck in my house.

Meme

10 years ago:

I had just graduated from HS.  I was a camp counselor in my hometown and I ran 2-3 miles a couple of times a week in some very hot NJ temps at 4 PM after camp got out.  I hated running for all of HS (when I did it to get in shape for soccer) and this summer as well.  I was running b/c I thought I would get fat if I didn't exercise.

Five years ago:

It was the first week of my second real job and I was starting to put in apps for public health grad school.  I had run two marathons, was all about running, and had started a wellness program at my first job.  Like a lot of people, once the bug hit it changed my life.  I was doing speed work and many of my PRs are from this spring.  I would get foot surgery a couple of weeks later for a bone spur.

One year ago:

I had just finished my first year of law school, was in the midst of my first full triathlon season, and was in the initial stages of starting my school's tri team.  I started the 4th of July with a swim in the pond followed by a road race (running).

5 Things on my to do list today:

1.  Blend food
2.  Do legal research

5 snacks I enjoy:

I don't snack at the moment but I have started putting chocolate syrup into every non-soup and non-cereal meal.  I guess I could call blends with syrup snacks and the blended soup and blended cereal meals.

If I were a billionaire I would:

I had a whole long entry written but it basically boils down to the fact that you can't buy the stuff I want-or at least not easily (how do you buy the cure to a disease or two or three or four?).  So there needs to be donations, and proper salaries for head scientists, and proper salaries for their young staff, etc. and it's still not even close to a sure thing.

I can share some of the items on my 2010 list (the stuff I am going to buy one year after I graduate from school): a comforter without highlighter on it and a new car.

6 people I want to have lunch with tomorrow:

1.  My family
2.  My college friends-a giant reunion
3.  The guy I like
4.  Beth-the blogger I've been reading the longest

5 places I have lived:

1.  2 Georgetown dorms, 1 Georgetown apartment, and an off-campus house [with the same 3 other people in all four places] plus one more Georgetown apartment one summer with different people
2.  Arlington, VA
3.  New Jersey (4 different towns)
4.  Brookline, MA
5.  Queens, NY

5 jobs I have had:
In order, my first five jobs...

1.  Soccer referee
2.  Camp counselor
3.  Waitress
4.  Intern on the Hill (is it a job if I don't get paid?)
5.  Intern at the American Heart Association

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I got this from Chad and I am implementing self-tagging to any readers...

Uh oh

The camera came out last night.  After a glass of wine I decided I would even smile.  Then I came home and looked at the pictures.  The bad news is...my smile is crooked.  At first I thought it was b/c I have an extra splint on one side of my mouth to hold my tooth that got knocked out (and then put back in) in place so my lip couldn't move the same way on that side as it could on the other side.  But I don't know if that's it...so now I'm freaking out that I have some sort of nerve damage from the accident or surgery.  Or maybe b/c my bottom teeth are not in the right place on one side it doesn't look right.  My dad says it looks quirky.  I just want it to look like ME.  AHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhh.  I really thought I would look exactly the same afterwards.  So now I have to worry about this until next Friday when I go back to the doctor.

Also, I had held out hope that I might be able to triumphantly return and do a triathlon this year.  But upon reflection...while I might be able to train, I don't want to be in a swim wave with anyone else.  And since I'm not likely to get my own wave, my 2008 season never happened at all.  I care.  I would be lying if I said I didn't.  But at this point I kind of just want to run (more specifically, trail run).  I also miss the pond.

I TOLD you I wasn't pregnant

Since I broke my jaw I have lost muscle, haven't lost weight (thank you discovery of rice ice cream one day post-op), and am about to get my period for the first time since April (girls can tell these things).  There is just something about running that has always screwed up my cycle since I started running a lot when I was 20.  This was really annoying since at the hospital it doesn't carry much weight when you come into the ER in early June, need a CT, and in response to their question of when your last period was you say: April, but I'm TOTALLY not pregnant.  For real.  I'm not.  It's from sports and my birth control pill.  You're likely going to met with the response of:  Hospital Policy.  Here is a bedpan; we have to do a pregnancy test.

I wasn't pregnant.

Which I knew.  But I don't blame them for testing me.  I mean, close to 50% of pregnancies in the US are unplanned.  How many 20 somethings have proclaimed, Oh, i'm late, but I'm TOTALLY not pregnant.  No way.  Not me.

Thanks running/cycling/swimming.  (BTW, playing soccer for hours a day never had this effect on my cycle and I was the same weight then).

I'm drinking tonight.  I'm going to bring a straw b/c after one drink I'll probably think it's funny to use one, but I'm sure I can drink from the glass like a normal person...IF I WANTED TO!!  And since I'm not pregnant I can drink away!

A different tune

Look at me!  I'm healing so fast!!  Yeah!

I feel like all of my doctor's appointments so far (and my reports on them) have been positive.  Today's was was just okay.  I was maybe going to get my arch bars off but since my jaw still hurts no dice.  I don't think I ever explained where my three breaks are:  a massive break just off-center in the middle of my lower jaw where the impact with the ground was (I got two metal plates put in here), the upper left of my lower jaw, and the upper right of my lower jaw.  Apparently jaws usually break in two places (lucky me, I broke mine in three).  My upper left jaw still gives me pain when I open my mouth too much (as in it hurts if I try and open my mouth to brush the back of my teeth) or when I laugh too much or yawn.  This is not good.  So I need to keep the arch bars for another week.  And apparently my hospital is SOOO popular that I can't get an appointment until next Friday so another 9 days it is.  I managed to get seen today by being a "walk-in."  [Just call me persistent.]  The arch bars take 10-15 minutes to take off but are really hard to put on so they don't like to risk taking them off too early.  I am totally on board with this plan but it was a little disappointing.  And what if my jaw STILL hurts in 9 days??  The doctor said the break where my pain is heals slowly-at 6 weeks it will still only be 30% healed.  WOW.  That surprised me (and worried me...how healthy could running be for a not healed jaw?).  Time to consume lots-o-calcium.

Law of averages

Last night my Dad said:  Audrey, isn't it nice that something good happened after the past few weeks you've had?

My mom followed up with:  What do they wear there?  I'm guessing we should probably shop for business clothes.  How did she know I'm lacking?  :) 

I got the fall internship I wanted.  YEAH!!

The original version of this post summarized, in what I hope was a humorous way, my professional shortcomings and successes that this blog has seen over the past few years.  Then I decided, I'm not really sure I need that reiterated in excruciating detail on the internet :) The story packs less of a punch when interspersed among 3 years of posts.  But oh the memories of being young and rejected...but NOT TODAY!!!

This calculation took way longer than it should have

My friend wanted to know why I didn't put my arms out to stop myself from landing on my face.  I broke out the calculator and summoned any lingering elementary school math skills.

If I was traveling 25 mph that is 132,000 feet per hour, 2200 feet per minute, and 36.6 feet per second.  Assuming I had to travel 5 feet from my bike to the ground, and rounding down to 35 feet per second, I had approximately 14 hundredths of a second after leaving my bike until impact.

I'm pretty sure that explains why my face hit the ground first.

Sports blog gone awry

Loooong day.  I was going to respond to a blogging meme that's been circulating but the questions made me reflect..for example, what would I do if I was a billionaire?  I need to give it more thought.  With that on hold, and unable to share exercise anecdotes with you, I'll summarize my day:

-Call my doctors' office and get denied for moving my appointment from next Monday to this week b/c the short holiday week has reduced the number of available appointments.  BOOOOOOOOOO.  This in no way pushes back my healing-I don't think I can eat or exercise or get my teeth fixed any earlier-but it does push back getting the arch bars off.  BOooooooooOOOOOO.

-Call the ambulance company with my insurance information so they can submit my $670 ambulance bill to someone else besides me.  [I will note that a string of expensive injuries among local cyclists has inspired at least one cyclist to purchase health insurance in between jobs rather than go without for a couple of weeks.]

-Meet with my boss and visit my old internship stomping grounds

-Learn stuff in school

Upcoming

-Homework and work

Wishful thinking

-Sweet sweet on-line tv...Army Wives and The Bachelorette I think you will have to wait for the holiday weekend.

Decisions

I'm not going to the beach.  My parents are totally cool with it.  They understand I don't feel well, can only carry so much stuff, and the jaw incident was a bit unplanned with my school and work needs.  Also, if I stay in town I can likely get my arch bars off this week.  They're starting to fall apart and poke me even more so that would be lovely.  Then I can go to the dentist sooner which would also be fabulous.  I might go to the beach later in the summer.  I did some calendar math and I can eat non-blended food on July 24 (assuming my teeth are up for it).

I got my bike back.  I thought I might be upset at seeing it but it was totally fine.  It's a tad bloody (I can't believe my friends stored the bloody thing in their living room with all of their bikes for all of this time!) but the only ill effects appear to be superficial scratches.  It was suggested to me that I might need a new helmet even though my helmet appears unscathed and I honestly believe only my jaw hit the ground.  However, it's probably good to get a new one just in case since they're only supposed to be used for one crash.  I mean, clearly, why chance it?  I can't 100% remember the accident anyway so who knows what hit the ground-even though my friend and I tried to recreate the position of impact based on my wounds.

Alright, back to my work before going to watch the European finals soccer game.  Last night a lovely fellow blogger asked via ghcat why I was doing work on a Saturday night.  I was shocked.  It hadn't occurred to me that was a strange thing to be doing.  That's how AWESOME law school is :)