where have i been?

Hello my friends! It's been a hot minute — NINE months! — since I last posted here on my blog. Some may wonder where I've been, but I doubt too many 😂 I was never really great at keeping up with a weekly training recap, and my posts were sporadic to begin with. I rarely got in a recap of all of the races I did, which were just too many with too little time (if you remember, I'm very wordy) — and so the thought of giving up time with family or being on a computer longer than the work day wasn't appealing. 

Oiselle Volée summer picnic – I biked next to the gals and
then we ate donuts and ice cream and cuties and muffins...

Anyway, a bit of a recap of the past nine months: I work really long hours. Training this year has been sh*t. I ran Dopey in January which was a total blast, but ended in a whole lot of pain in my heels, which I had been dealing with since mid-summer with Chicago Marathon training/race. I took a month off after another January race to try and recover/heal... and it timed out well with what I thought was a busy season at work, but really is just now my life. I dropped from the Illinois Marathon to the half, not being able to fully train with my foot problems and knowing I likely wouldn't make it the whole 26 miles without a lot of tears from pain. I knew it wasn't worth pushing it (though I knew I could finish if I wanted), risking being out of the game longer because of it. So, I continued to run no longer than a half marathon, dealing with the pain.

First ride on the trainer.

I switched shoes – stability to neutral – after going for a fitting. I think my foot and/or gait changed since the year I started running and got officially fit last. I went to see a massage therapist (who was amazing and helped a ton, but then I went to Lollapalooza and undid it all... but I made it all four days with minimal pain, being on my feet all day long, so win!). I'm keeping her in my routine and wonder why I waited so long to do so – it was my first ever massage, and I was nervous that I would be ticklish or uncomfortable, but she was amazing as promised by my running friends that recommended her, and so now I've gone twice with two more sessions on the schedule before the marathon in hopes that I might make it to the start line.

Got the bike into and out of and back into the car
all by myself. Win.

I've gone to the podiatrist, who confirmed that it is indeed Plantar Fasciitis. It's nice to have a diagnosis and not just be guessing. I took some steroids to help with the inflammation. I am currently on week three of no running (he said 2–4 weeks from the date I saw him, which was a little over a week ago). I go back on the 10th to see how things are going. I've been doing all of my rolling, exercises, stretching and icing. I got shoe inserts in hopes they work so I don't have to go orthotics (which he said are very expensive, so to try the ones he recommended first, as he thinks they work great). I've been wearing inserts in gym shoes for work, despite the fact that we aren't supposed to wear gym shoes. No one has said anything yet, but I'm prepared to have a doctor's note if needed haha.

I cheered and helped direct runners
at Fort 2 Base.

Met up with friends for a post-race lunch.

Anyway, I was prepared for a 12 week no running, so to be told 2–4 was a relief. And that it wasn't stress fractures. He knows I want to run the marathon, and said he'd get me back out there as soon as he could, but I also know that it's not worth risking further injury and if he thinks I'm not ready for it (along with my coach and my own feelings), I will go and cheer everyone on instead. It's all up in the air, and I am ready for whichever way the quarter lands. Obviously I'll be disappointed, but my brain and body know what's best, and sometimes you have to quiet your heart and listen. This way, there can be other marathons. I am also aware that I have two race cations planned after the marathon, and so getting to those start lines is VERY important to me, having paid all the money for the trips, so that's also in my mind. 

Second ride on the trainer. Getting the hang of things.

For the time being, I am working on my strength training, stretching, and have been doing more cycling to make up for the no running to keep the cardio there in hopes I won't lose toooo much endurance or muscle during my time off. I also find it extremely challenging mentally, especially when I'm on the trainer... it's worse than treadmill running for me. Woof, those minutes go by sloooooow. And because of that, I think it'll up my game for running. Lucky for my husband, I'm starting to like it, and so he might just get me registered for a duathlon or triathlon next year, like he's been trying to do this past year :)

Disney with mom. We hit the last day of the Food and Wine Festival,
 and then the beginning of Pixar Fest.

I've been going to semi-weekly meetups with my Oiselle Volée teammates all year long (it's one of the things that gets me to leave work on time). They keep me motivated, happy, feeling supported, and are just a great crew to have in my life. I feel lucky to be a part of it. I've had plenty of races. Took a trip to Disneyland with my mom to use our Annual Passes one last time before they expired (and with no runDisney trips out there for the forseeable future, we won't be back for some time). 

I recently bought some new hair tools and products from L'ANGE (blow dryer, 32mm wand, and a bunch of hair care) to try and figure out how to make my hair look more presentable and adult-like for work, instead of the big frizzy mess it usually is. Something about having hair that looks good makes you feel good, too... what a concept haha. The good thing is, most of the tools allow me to get my hair done in 30 minutes or less, which is what  I need. I have a hard time waking up in the morning, so I usually don't leave myself a whole lot of time to get to work when I'm supposed to. Also, you can get 50% off your order with this link if you're interested in anything. Who doesn't enjoy a good discount?

End of the day, but love the waves. Just need a little
more practice and I'll be able to do both sides the same.
I used L'ANGE titanium Ondule 32 mm.

Also in the arena of looking nice for work, I finally decided to buy some (a lot) of Glossier products. I have been eyeing them for a while, and one of my instagram pals, Brit, told me how much she likes them, so I figured it was time to give it a whirl. I'm also fighting some blemishes right now, and thought a new skincare routine would be a good idea. Not to mention, I'll be having a new boss coming into the company in a week, and so I probably should start off on the right foot (aka not looking like a hot mess). Unfortunately looks do matter, and at least while I'm "proving" myself as an amazing worker and designer, better look the part haha. Anywho, if you are interested in Glossier as well, use this link for 10% off your first purchase. I'm hoping to get a review of the products I purchased and my thoughts after a few weeks of using them, if that helps others decide what they might want to try. 

So, that's a quick recap of what's been going on in my world. I've been busy. I'm sure you at least noticed I'm still active on social media, so I haven't been too missed, I don't think ;) I will actively try to get more posts up, if for no one else, for myself. I do miss taking the time out to write down my thoughts on events and daily living, and can be fun to go back and read. For now, I'm sorry if you missed me, and I hope to be back again soon (to blogging AND running!).