I had a bit of an epiphany this past weekend: I think I know what’s driving me to attempt another ultra.

It feels like I’m fully recovered from the brief cold I had over New Years Eve & New Years Day. This was pretty productive week, workout-wise.

I went for a run last night. The run itself was unremarkable beyond its status as my first post-sick cardiovascular challenge. But I believe it clarified that the problem with my right knee is largely due to IT band issues.

The good news? I can fix it. No surgery, no doctors visits, just strengthening my tetchy flute muscle.

The bad news? It’s all on me. No external fixes. Just me. Just me and my sketchy history with strength training. Bah!

Last Saturday’s Kim’s Bad Knee 5K was lots of fun. My initial plan was to take three weeks off from running to work on core strength & other fitness workouts, and then to start training for the Deception Pass Half Marathon using the 10-week training plan I’ve used for the other HM I’ve run. For some inexplicable reason, I started looking at other training plans; I ended up being enticed by a 16-week ‘intermediate’ plan, and I added it to my calendar.

As I’ve lamented previously (and frequently) I’ve regained the weight I lost last winter. *sigh* And I’ve found it doubly difficult to consistently do core workouts & other ‘pre-hab’ to prevent my knees from derailing my running. And here I am, with achy knees that are getting worse.

Me, at 5:15 a.m.: Yay! I woke up early! I’ll go do my run workout.

Me, at 9:00 a.m.: Ohmigawd I’m exhausted. Can I nap now?

I was at Barnes & Noble yesterday to purchase a bullet journal. Yes, a person who detests the mall went to a mall the first Sunday of December on her own impulse. Fortunately, it was both brief and not-terrible. Yes, the person who’s a late-adopter and generally scoffs at any trend she reads about on PureWow decided she needed a bullet journal. No, the world has not come completely undone: I still don’t like quinoa or kale unless it’s simmer in animal fat. Continue reading →