A Few Of My Favorite Things

Posted on November 12, 2010 by Coco

People say that the great thing about running is that you don’t need any equipment, but there are a few things that make running more enjoyable for me.

  1. Running shoes. I have learned that good running shoes are key. It really pays to go to a running store where they will assess your gait and match you up with the right shoes. I am a moderate pronator and need some stability. My Mizuno Wave 6 have served me well.
  2. iPod. I know some people don’t like running with music, but sometimes a great playlist is what gets me out of bed in the morning, and there have been many times when my tunes have kept me going strong when my legs were ready to quit. My song lists are filled with pop music–especially girls like Beyonce, Pink, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga.
  3. Garmin. I wear my Garmin on all of my outdoor runs, assuming that it hasn’t gotten knocked off its charger and drained its battery. On training runs, I usually only check the mile splits, or check the pace if I feel like I might be running too fast or too slow. During races I check it more frequently to monitor my pace and stay on target.

Those are my three “essentials”–what are yours?

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About Me

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Coco

I really am not good at answering the question “who are you?” To borrow from my Twitter profile, I am, in chronological order:

a Christian, a wife, a mom, a foodie, an attorney, a runner

I was born, raised and still live in northern Virginia. I work in Washington, D.C. My picture was taken at the Tidal Basin by the Jefferson Memorial this spring, when the Cherry Blossoms were in bloom.

I married my highschool sweetheart and would do it all over again.

I have two children. My daughter is 20 and a sophomore in college. My son is 16 17 and a junior in highschool.

I was overweight and out of shape most of my life, and it only got worse during law school. I graduated with 20 extra pounds and too many extra blood pressure points. I dieted away my law school weight and more, and became “skinny” for the first time in my life. I quickly learned that I would have to exercise to keep the weight off, and made exercise a part of my daily routine. I truly love the way exercise makes me feel–nothing beats endorphins.

I also love the way good food makes me feel, and am a firm believer in daily doses of chocolate. I also like strong coffee, heavy red wine and dark beer.

I answered some fun “about me” questions for my Healthy Living Blogs profile.

Have any comments or suggestions for my blog? email me at Got2Run4Me [at] gmail [dot] com

I hope you enjoy my blog.

~ Coco

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Too Much of A Good Thing

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Coco

Well, I may have overdone it with the lacrosse ball last night. I feel like my sacroiliac is bruised now. It is so tender, it hurt to lay on the floor to do crunches this morning. I thought self-massage was a good idea, but I guess I did too much of a good thing. 🙁

Today I am making my ThermiPaq hot and cold wrap my best friend. It is a really cool first-aid product I picked up at Walgreens a few months ago. The insert is a clay material that you can freeze (to simulate an ice pack) or microwave (to use as a heating pad). It comes with a cloth cover that has a velcro strap to help hold it in place. It really does stay cold or hot for a long time and is very easy and convenient to use.

Today I am using it in frozen mode, and literally have it stuffed down the back of my skirt–having a desk job makes this workable, as I can sit for an hour or longer at a time. I used it this morning, then put it in our office freezer for a few hours, and am using it again now.

I also finally made the phone call to book a massage. I opted for a place that specializes in therapeutic massages, and decided to go tomorrow. This week is already shot work-wise (any chance of productivity has been eliminated by administrative cr@p) so I might as well get a head start on feeling better.

Have you ever over-done it with something that was supposed to be good for you?

How do you treat your injuries?

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Let The Good Times Roll

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Coco

I was inspired by MizFit’s ball-rolling demonstration on her Piriformis Syndrome (aka Carpel Tunnel of Arse) article, so tonight I got out a lacrosse ball to work on my lower back pain. This particular pain is not in my a$$–I think its my sacroiliac, which I have had issues with before.

I rolled on the ball for a while, lingering on spots where it “hurts so good.” Then I decided that my calves need some torture attention from the foam roller. My right calf in particular is very tender after just one session of the Advanced Camp workout on the eDiets Best Body Boot Camp DVD. I’ve already decided to dial it back and do the Battle Ready workout tomorrow, since that one doesn’t have as many jumping jacks.  

I also have The Stick which is good for sore leg muscles, but its a bit too intense for my calf right now.

All this has me thinking that I’ve really got to book that birthday massage I’ve been toying with.

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Happy Novembeer!

Posted on November 8, 2010 by Coco

OK, that’s corny, but I’ve been drinking wine at home lately (no more than one glass a day, if that, unless my mother-in-law is visiting, in which case I may need two) until this weekend when I decided that I really wanted to have beer.

I was in the wine shop Friday picking up a bottle of wine for the weekend, when Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale caught my eye. When we go out I like to order amber or dark beers, and this one seemed to fit the bill. I got home, declared it happy hour, and cracked open a bottle for myself and my husband.  It was a good choice. 

Later when we were out at dinner I ordered a Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre. That was even yummier. So, when I was out and about on Sunday, I picked up a six-pack of that.

Now, the thing about beer is that its much easier to have one, without feeling like it’s a big commitment. When I drink at most one glass of wine a night, a bottle can last almost all week.  If I have evening plans or end up not wanting a glass every night, most of a bottle can go to waste.  On the other hand, even if I don’t finish my beer, its only part of one beer that’s going down the sink.  And, I’m noticing that my husband is more likely to join me in a beer than in a glass of wine.

Tell me about your Novembeer:

Do you prefer wine or beer? Does it depend on your mood? What is your favorite beer?

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