Turtle Thursday

I woke up today feeling a bit under the weather, my nose has been running all day and my head is debating whether or not to have a headache. Work was quite atrocious, there were times I wanted to shout at my coworker, “I don’t actually care, I won’t be here in two months!” (He isn’t aware that I’m leaving.) But I made it through, and towards the four o’clock hour I had serious thoughts about going for a run.

Since I’m often foolish, I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to run while getting a head cold. Typically I don’t abide by “healthy medical” practice, I prefer to do things based on my feelings. Which are often wrong… Based on the feedback I received from some fantastic twitter-folk, I decided to go for a slow three miles and constantly reevaluate my physical condition.

These days, Ohio has been kind enough to have the most finicky weather. When I left work it was pouring, but it seemed to lighten up on the way home. By the time I changed and was out the door, it was still determining if it wanted to continue its rain cycle. As I left my apartment I noticed that I started too fast. I had to remind myself that I needed to pace appropriately or I’d be on the ground in a few minutes. Of course that didn’t do much to change my pace, I found that I was feeling decent for most of the way so I didn’t slow myself. When I first began the run, I expected to be going a minute per mile slower than average, just to keep my body happy. Rounding towards home I realized that I was having negative splits. Where was this speed coming from?! Somehow I managed to push myself the entire way without slowing or having my body complain. Mission accomplished, and I’m still shocked that I sped up towards the end without wheezing.

On another note, the Zensah Calf Sleeves I’ve worn for several runs and races, well they are absolutely amazing. I didn’t feel a twinge of discomfort in my calves the entire time. They helped to keep my calves comfortable, which is exactly what I need these days. I hadn’t heard of calf sleeves until recently. After experiencing pain on the outside of my leg while running, I realized I needed a solution. Stretching wasn’t cutting it and changing my stride made me feel like I was waddling… With some research, I realized that calf sleeves were my best bet. Now I can honestly say that they were a lifesaver.

To top off my evening? Well I decided to end today on a high note with a delicious combination of peanut butter, banana, and chocolate. Can you think of anything better? I hope this doesn’t become a habit, that could be delicious detrimental to my health…

Now tell me: What exercise equipment has saved you in the past? And what is your secret nighttime snack craving?

Note: I purchased the Zensah sleeves on my own dime, all praise is solely my unbiased opinion. Of course I wouldn’t mind if Zensah sent me some compression gear to review. (Bright pink is preferable…)