Bad News Bears

After talking with my dad, I decided that an easy 14 miler would be the best Saturday run two weeks before the marathon. During the first couple of miles I noticed my ankle felt a little off so every so often I would stop and stretch it. At mile 7 I took some more time to stretch it and it still just wasn't quite right. Then came somewhere between mile 8 and 8.5, I just couldn't take it anymore. I could feel my ankle swell up and it became more and more difficult to even walk. Thank goodness Jay has been riding his bike along with me, despite his own injury. He had to ride ahead of me and bring the truck to me. Today, I can walk a bit better but it still hurts. I've been using the RICE method (Rest Ice Compression Elevation) and am now debating whether or not to head to a doctor. I do not know a good sports doctor specializing in ankles that practices in Albuquerque, so I'd be rolling the dice.

I'm definitely glad that I didn't run the full 14 but maybe I should have stopped at 2? It's so tough because there are many long runs that I feel something is a bit off and it usually goes back to normal after a few miles. I thought this was one of those times it would just warm up a little later. All I know is that I desperately want this injury to go away FAST.

Crackcorn

Years ago, for some unknown reason, one of my very adorable cousins wasn't able to say "popcorn" and instead called the tasty treat "crackcorn". We still have no idea why and how it sounded the same to her, but I really think she was onto something! Now I must admit, I am a popcorn addict. I enjoyed it growing up but it wasn't until the BFF's husband introduced me to the amazingness that is a freshly stove popped bowl of crackcorn that I fell in love with the snack. I eventually ditched the microwavable stuff, learned to make it on my own and enjoy it frequently.

I recently found a fun popcorn recipe in Shape Magazine and it addresses my craving for sweet, salty, crunchy and chewy with the flavorful ingredients below.

The recipe is cranberry-parmesan popcorn and can also be found online here: http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/on-the-go/snacks/weight-loss-cinch-healthy-snack-ideas. Thank goodness my sister introduced me to the greatness that is fresh parmesan cheese, otherwise I'd be missing out! I changed up the recipe a bit by carefully using basil infused olive oil (according to my cooking savvy bro, it burns a lot quicker than other types of cooking oils) and omitted the sunflower oil and Italian seasoning. I also added the cheese while the popcorn was still hot in the pot, which added a great bit of crispiness to the mix!
This crackcorn did not last long!! I did have help from a fellow popcorn fanatic...

Tonight we're going to try out an Italian restaurant across town that has been receiving great reviews. Hopefully carb-ing up at this new spot will help tomorrow's run! My neck has been so achy today, I hope I can get my act together for one last long run before the race.

My Friday

First off, I want to thank the bff for posting such an awesome picture yesterday. I love those very friends she's talking about, and I always love seeing pictures of my wedding!

Second of all, today was my Friday...mean it was the last day of work for the week. YES. I love Fridays...especially when it's not even really Friday yet, and the real one is yet to come! Unfortunately my morning looked like this:
 

We got somewhere around 8 inches on top of all the already there snow. I'm most definitely over it (and the sidewalk not being shoveled! I needed snowshoes to get to work today).

Tonight Johnny (the hubs) and I tried The Wannabe Chef's Snickerdoodle Hummus. Our EXTREMELY small food processor didn't cut it. We had to do it in two batches, and I'm not sure the chick peas got blended well enough. It's good, but we're not 100% in love. We both think it would make a great yogurt mix-in or maybe a waffle topper. I dipped apples in, which was really good, but a little too heavy after my awesome turkey brie sandwich (from the bar next door...it deserves a post on it's on. Someday).

Now I've got to pack. I'm off bright and early (read: crack of dawn) to New York! I'm so excited. And Johnny is too...something about spending the weekend sitting in his boxers and eating steak...

Cherry & Silver

After a quick nap, I headed out to a popular running trail and managed to run 4 hilly miles. I expected my legs to ache a bit after running 20 miles on Saturday. Surprisingly, they weren't sore at all! I'm still struggling to decide on this weekend's distance. I'm going to have to call in the expert on this one...my dad!

Last night Jay and I attended the Lobo men's basketball game. Looking at the student section always makes me so nostalgic. I loved college and the amazing friends I met there and who continue to be the greatest friends I could ever imagine (i.e. The BFF). Seeing the young student section reminds me of the days when we stood in the student section being obnoxious to the opponent, wearing shirts we made the night before and just the overall great time had when in good company. I mean look at these kids, don't they just seem fun??

Isn't that a gorgeous bride?? And check out that wedding location!!

My neck started to hurt during the game so I did have to take a couple of ibuprofen. I really want it to get better! During the last massage session, the therapist said I could help by doing relaxation techniques, she suggested meditating while taking deep breaths. I am not good at meditating. I try and think of something happy but I manage to stress out and I'm pretty sure that's not how it's supposed to work. Any tips on how to do this correctly??

Getting My Chocoate Fix

Guess what made an appearance again today?

my trusty snow boots!

 That's right...it snowed AGAIN in Boston...and we're expecting another 8-12 inches tomorrow night. I am most definitely OVER this weather. I don't mind the cold, and I enjoy snow every once and awhile during the winter, but I'm sick of wearing those snow boots! I have cute shoes!

ANYWAY. Today started bright and early with a 6:30am spin class. I really like the instructor for this class but the room was FREEZING. I had to keep my long sleeves on the whole time and wished I had gloves. It was brutal. I couldn't warm up all day, despite the mondo cups of tea.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. I did laundry after work. Turkey meatballs for dinner. Now I'm watching Law and Order:SVU with the hubs. When this episode is over I'll switch over to Biggest Loser (I have to let it DVR for a while before I start watching it because I cannot stand all the commercials). Bad news for me, I like snacks while I watch TV. I especially like sweets...meaning chocolate. I have chocolate everyday. I keep it in moderation, but sometimes it's not enought. Today I found this:

I love mint chocolate, so I figured I'd try it out (I was at RiteAid today buying laundry detergent and I'm a sucker for the "Try This!" stuff at the cash register) and I'm happy to say I might be able to get through a night without sneaking in a second serving of chocolate....might...

One Bowl Wonder

I love meals that have multiple parts, but can all be eaten from one bowl. Does that make sense? For example, tonight's dinner. I started with a baked potato, added some steamed broccoli, and topped it off with leftover chili and cheese! It was a delicious combo...so delicious that I didn't snap a photo until I was almost done...

Meals this easy are the best in my mind. Let it be know that I don't cook. Any real food in this house is made by my dearest husband. I'm the queen of reheating and/or making things in the mircowave. Like this meal...he made the chili a few days ago, but I can heat potatoes and broccoli like a pro. I've been known to have a similar dinner with turkey meatballs.

I made it through a swim workout this evening in a pleasantly empty pool (I only had to share a lane for about 5 minutes). It's my first swim since I decided to do a tri, and I'm pretty happy with the result. I'm excited to see how much faster I can get in the next few months.

I wanted to take a picture of me in my super cool swim cap (or swim hat, as the bff calls), but I completely forgot about my intentions until I was already on my way home. So instead I'll leave you with this not-so-good picture of me all bundled up!

Twenty

This was a great weekend. It started out with running errands with this cute little co-pilot:

Afterward, she and I enjoyed some popcorn and tv time. Jay and I then went out to REI to scope out a new bike for him and one of those awesome water fanny packs for me. I was successful and even stocked up on some new running gels, they're so icky but they do make a difference in my run.

Saturday we set out and completed 20 miles!!!!! Jay has been an awesome pit crew and a great source of motivation. Our path this weekend was different and very challenging. I'll have to post our Garmin stats later. My neck did hurt but I was able to keep going and it definitely helped having Jay there to remind me to stretch and relax that muscle group. The tension in my neck is definitely affecting my stride and causing a lot of soreness in my shoulders, I hope it gets better soon. We're officially pumped for this marathon!! We rounded out our Saturday with an early dinner at our favorite sushi spot and then drinks with some great people. Sunday we attended our very first bridal expo. It was so exciting to be referred to as a bride and to have Jay referred to as my husband to be!! I don't think I stopped smiling all day.

There will not be any running this evening but I think I might start back up with my strength training lunch time sessions.

Baby it's Cold Outside (really really cold)

It's REALLY cold in Boston. I know I'm a big wimp, but I'm not kidding. When I checked the weather this morning, this is what I saw:

It's NEGATIVE degrees outside. According to the news, you can get frostbite in 20-30 minutes in this weather. I mean seriously? Frostbite? I thought that only happened when people got lost in the mountains, or skied all day long without gloves. Apparently not.

Needless to say, I braved the cold to get to work (although it took forever since all the T lines are delayed due to the cold), and it's not to cold in the office. Just to make sure I didn't freeze in the process, my wardrobe includes the following: socks, Uggs, yoga pants, dress pants, two tank tops, a long sleeve shirt, a sweater, a down vest, a fleece-lined winter coat, a scarf, a hat, and mittens. Of course, my nose was cold.

I've got a swim workout on the agenda for tonight...let's hope the pool hasn't frozen over ;)

Pizza Success

So using dough that's been in the freezer for a good 7 months did not make for the BEST pizza ever, but it worked, and it wasn't bad. It didn't have the light and crispy taste that would come from fresh dough, but we also should have cooked it at a slightly lower temperature for longer and we may have had a crispier result.

We ended up putting the pizza right on the top rack of the oven to finish up the cooking, which I'm a fan of. Almost all frozen pizza comes with directions to cook it right on the racks, so why not do it with homemade? I can't complain about the result. If nothing else, the broccoli and spinach were exactly as they should be on a a pizza, cooked enough, but not soggy or burnt. It went well with a glass of red wine.

On the racks

Now I'm off to foam roll while the hubs grades some papers from his students' first assignment (he's already found a copied-straight-from-wikipedia paper! yikes!) Yet another perfectly lazy Saturday night in our house!

MORE snow

It snowed YET AGAIN in Boston. Don't get me wrong...I love snow. It's so pretty and fun, but at this point, it's getting in the way. All the snow from the last two storms wasn't melted yet, so now we're just piling it up higher and higher. My car is basically parking-spot bound because even if I shovel it out, the alley I park in isn't plowed so getting out is nearly impossible. I put some rock salt around the tires in hopes that I might get it out tomorrow, but we shall see.

This morning was another crazy Saturday with back-to-back classes. Because it's negative degrees in Boston not too many people were at my strength class. Although it means more room, it also means the teacher kicks our asses that much more. "Only the big dogs come out in this weather", he says, as we do yet another set of push-ups...It was brutal. I didn't think I was going to make it through Super Spin afterward, but I forced myself. I was having a pep-talk with myself the ENTIRE class so I wouldn't stop pedaling, but I did it. I won't be able to take the classes next week, so it was all the more reason to just make it happen.

Today I have spent cleaning my apartment and watching Smart People. We've had the Netflix disc for months now (we watch a lot on the Instant Queue, but tend to forget we even got a dvd in the mail), but I haven't watched it because the hubs didn't really care too much to see it. He's out doing man things this afternoon, so I took advantage of the empty apartment, and it was worth the wait. I really liked it. It's definitely a rom-com, but with a much drier sense of humor. Denis Quaid plays a miserable guy and does it SO well, and Ellen Page is pretty much fantastic (Juno? Inception? She's baller). Definitely worth renting!

Now I'm tackling the task or rearranging frames on our living room wall (the hubs now has a fancy Master degree diploma I'm adding to the wall where we proudly display our undergrad degrees), and I'm working on a dinner plan with this stuff...

I'm a little concerned because, as you can see, it's been in the freezer for a while. I'd like to do a nice light pizza tonight....I'll keep you posted on the outcome.

Wave

I wasn't able to run the 6.5+ miles I had planned on last night. I was able to run a fairly fast 2 miles and then my neck started to ache, I decided to call it a day and not mess up my chances of going on a long run Saturday. The loop I ran starts with a .98 mile long incline, so I was glad to have at least achieved that portion. I walked the remaining 1.5+ back to my vehicle and that was it. I'm going to have another deep tissue massage on my neck this evening, hopefully this helps! I was very rigid during Tuesday's spin class, maybe this irritated my neck?

Is it weird that I give a little wave to fellow runners during my run? Growing up, I'd see my dad wave at people we passed along our run and they'd give a little wave or smile back to us. I always admired the way it created a sense of community. I really noticed it yesterday evening when I'd acknowledge runners on my path and the majority either looked at my with annoyance, like I was crazy or right past me. Where is that sense of community? Is this just a Texas thing?? Or am I just a pest expecting too much? I'd love to hear some POVs on this dealy-o.

Spaced

I completely spaced out and didn't tell you about my workout yesterday.

Last night I had to drag myself to spin class. I'm having a difficult time motivating myself to attend a spin class on the one day a week that fits perfectly into my training schedule. The teacher is great- he's very nice, patient and diversifies his classes. His music selection is not so great. I can't seem to push myself during a sprint or hill climb when we're "jammin" to Phil Collins, Dave Matthews Band and Celine Dion.... Some of my fellow cyclers seem to enjoy it but how can it really be motivating?? Is there a polite way to ask him to beef up the music? I don't want to be rude and offend the teacher or class! For now my plan is to keep attending and after the marathon my week will be much more flexible so I can attend a different class time.

I have to squeeze in a quick run today, there's an early basketball game to watch tonight!! I'm looking forward to it because today has been stressssful!

Pain In the Neck

Saturday's long run was very enjoyable. I was joined by my dad and fiance on their bikes! I was aiming for an 18 mile run so we set out for a recently paved path along the Rio Grande. It's a beautiful path that stretches about 7 miles, has great views of wildlife, hardly any traffic interruptions and it's flat so it makes for a faster run. I really enjoyed this run not just because my body felt strong and capabale but because when else can you enjoy 2-3 hours of solid time with a couple of people? No cell phones, no email, just gorgeous weather (hello upper 50s) and conversation. It also helped that my fiance downloaded the Pandora app to his iPhone and we jammed out!! Talk about some motivation!!

Around mile 14 my neck pain started up. It was so much worse than before. I could feel the pain radiating down my back and up my neck. I couldn't believe I was in so much pain while on one of my strongest runs. I decided to head back to the car and not take my dad's offer to run and get the car. The last 2 miles were incredibly slow and it was just painful. I really wanted to continue on and meet the 18 mile mark but my dad talked some sense into me- if I'm in that much pain I'm only hurting my training by pushing it for 2 miles and really run the risk of causing some damage. Aren't parents smart?? Even though it was a miserable finish, it is still one of my strongest, most memorable runs.

I did go have another sport's massage and the therapist could tell that I have multiple knots that have started pinching my nerves. She thinks it's totally fixable, I just need to keep up with the massages (which I didn't do before last weekend's run...) and some stretches she taught me. When everything- my legs, breathing and mind- are finally feeling strong enough to tackle this race, I don't want to not be able to because of a nerve in my back. I'm really hoping this gets better soon.

Adventure

One of my goals for 2011 is to be more adventurous. It started in October when I hiked the La Luz trail in the Sandia Mountains. The idea of the hike was proposed by the hubs' cousin and I didn't want to be the only one NOT doing the hike. So I put on my big girl pants and just did it. And I survived. And it was AMAZING.

Taking in the view at 10,378 feet

After the hike was done, I started to question myself. What else can I do that I wouldn't have been able to before? Or what can I actually do, even though I'd convinced myself I couldn't? So far, I haven't tried anything else extraordinary, but I have two big ones in mind.

1. I want to go skiing. I have been skiing once before in my life. I was in the fourth grade and my uncle took me to King Ridge in New Hampshire. I have not been out to the slopes since (besides the sixth grade ski trip where I tried and failed snowboarding). I know it's going to hurt when I fall...and I will fall, a lot, but I want to get out there, be cold, and ride a chair lift.

image from here

2. Complete a sprint triathlon. This is my huge-o goal for the year. I have my eyes on a tri in September...which gives me plenty of time to train and get myself ready. It's an all women tri, which seems a lot less intimidating for some reason. I just checked the website only to see that registration is now open (when I'd scoped the race at the end of the year, signing up was not an option yet). I have to muster up the courage to actually click the "Register" button, but I want to do this. I want to challenge myself with something new and difficult, and I love races. But a 5k is really the furthest I enjoy running, so I'm going to push myself to do the tri (instead of a longer running race because that just sounds miserable to me). I feel like I'm good with the running part of the race, and even the swimming (I know this is where a lot of people have trouble, but I used to be on a swim team, so I feel pretty confident). I'm more worried about cycling, so I've started the training process by taking spin classes, which I plan on doing through the nasty parts of winter. It gives me time to work on the muscles I'll need, and to find a bike. Apparently those are required equipment :)

I hope I have a lot of other opportunities to be more adventurous in the upcoming year, but these two are definitely a must.

Paying for the Perks

I started this morning in a not-so-good mood because I don't have the day off. My company does not recognize MLK as a holiday, so I had to drag my behind in this morning, even though I stayed up too late hanging out with my amazing friends who did not have to go to work today. Lucky dogs. My day has gotten surprisingly better in just a matter of hours though.

First, my time off request was approved! I asked for a few days off at the end of the month so I can visit one of my very best friends (and one of my bridesmaids) in NYC! I'm really excited because I haven't been to New York in a loooongggg time, and I've never been there with someone who actually lives there. I've been a tourist, and done the tourist things, but I've never just gone and been in the city. Or enjoyed it. I'm really looking forward to a few days away and some adventurers.

Second, I found out that paying big bucks for a gym in Boston can actually come in handy. My gym has branches in multiple cities, so I called their customer service line to see how much it would cost me to use the gym in NYC (I'll have a bit of time to kill after I get to the city and before my friend is done with work, so I thought I'd make some good use of that time). Turns out, I can use the gym FOR FREE. Woot. I may not have to resort to the gym, if the weather is nice enough for my to wander the city, but just in case, I'll be a ready for a free sweat sesh.

Now I just need to get through the rest of today...

image found here

Even though it was fareeezing yesterday, we did not have a snow day :( or snow for that matter. What we did have was a fire drill during the men's basketball game. I was so glad that I decided to forgo my shower after my 6.5 mile run in order to get to the game on time; otherwise, I would have stood out there for 15 minutes in my light jacket (it's too crowded to bring a real winter jacket) with wet hair- can you imagine?? I'm from the land of sunshine, I don't handle the cold so well!! Others around us were pretty upset at the situation, apparently this happened at the last evening game and they had to wait outside for 30 minutes. Whoops.

I definitely just bumped into the corner of my own car door and now have a lovely cut and bruise below my knee. I took a picture to post here but I'm pretty sure you don't want to see it! You're welcome :)

It was so cold during our run yesterday. We've noticed that there is one stretch that is much colder than anywhere else on our square path. We don't know if it's the lack of traffic or if it's because it intersects an arroyo. We do know that it makes us run faster because we want to get out of the cold patch, it's so cold it almost feels wet. I know I've brought this misery on by choosing to run a marathon in February and not the summer so I shouldn't whine (or whimper...).

Side note, Dove has this new moisturizing shampoo and conditioner- I'm so in love with it. I kind of took a chance on it when I bought the giant bottles at Costco but I'm so glad I did, my hair is noticeably softer than when I was using the more expensive stuff. Winner!

I love coffee. But for some weird reason I haven't made my usual cup of joe all week! I seem to only crave water and orange juice in the morning. Very odd because I hardly drink orange juice, I'm more of a cranberry juice kinda girl. I know I've been fighting off a very tiny cold the past few weeks, maybe this is my body telling me it needs more vitamin c to fight it?

O.J. (the juice not the football player)

Snowed In

Yesterday I had a snow day! I haven't had a snow day since...well I don't even know. High school, probably (going to school in New Mexico doesn't make for many college snow days). The hubs also had the day off, so we spent a great day at home together. This was our view:

snowy car-less road

By the afternoon, when my apartment was cleaner than it has been since before Christmas and I'd run out of things to Google, I trekked out to the gym. I called ahead to make sure they were open, because even though it's only two blocks away, it wasn't a trip I wanted to make if I wasn't going to be let inside. To my surprise, it was PACKED. Obviously there is the influx of January people, but I thought at least some people would be scared away the snow.

Luckily, I was able to get on a good treadmill. Yes, I have favorite treadmills at the gym. I personally do not like the new one (crazy, I know), but they all have TVs attached to them. And the TVs don't turn on unless you plug in your headphones. Well I don't want to listen to TV while I work out, so instead I'm faced with staring at my own reflection for my entire workout. Um, no thanks. There are three (ONLY THREE) non-TVed treadmills at the gym. I like them because I can watch the TV on the far wall if I feel like it, or just enjoy the view of the weight room. I didn't have the most impressive treadmill workout, but it felt good to run. I haven't been running for a few weeks. I got sick right after Christmas and I'd still cough up a storm if I started running, even though spinning and other cardio seemed not to bother me, so I took a break. I didn't cough at all yesterday, so I think I'm in the clear. I'm just afraid that some day soon the gym is going to replace my beloved old treadmills...

Monday Gym Fail

Today was one of those days. I wasn't feeling the gym after a long day at work (a frustrating day at that), but I forced myself to go. One of the gym I can go to is literally three floors below my office, so I don't ever have much of an excuse to not get there). Walking in I realized I didn't have the lock for my locker. Strike One. Oh well. I'd just keep my phone with me instead of in the locker and hope no one wanted to steal my super adorable (not) work clothes.

In the ridiculously crowded locker room (I am trying not to hate on January Joiners thanks to Caitlin's post) but they were taking over and I was squished into an uncomfortable corner with mostly naked people. Strike Two. Get over it and get dressed.

And then came strike three. The one you can't recover from. In getting dressed I realized I had forgotten to pack a sports bra. Major strike out. I'm actually a two-bra kind exerciser (to keep the girls in place as best as possible), so going without even one is just not an option. So I got dressed and left. I don't think I've ever left the gym without actually working out before, and I don't love that I didn't get a work out in today (even though I wasn't feeling it in the first place), but things work out.

Instead of the gym, I went to Trader Joe's to get some groceries and just happened to run into my sister there. She's much prettier than a treadmill, so I can't complain :)

my sister and me at my bridal shower this summer

Booked!

Race registration? Booked! Plane tickets? Booked? Hotel room? Booked (although we almost didn't have one)! Excitement and nerves? Also booked!!



I was waiting to see how my knee would do on the 16 mile Saturday run before registering and booking plane tickets and a hotel room. Thankfully, it was just fine. I don't know if it was the ice or the sport's massage or maybe a combination of the two. Whatever it was, I'm SO glad it was okay.



The run itself wasn't so great. I definitely didn't hit the time that I was trying to but I know that it'll get better. I also had a very difficult time fighting the mental battle of the long run. I'd really love to hear some tips on how to defeat the mental wall.



Have you ever had a sport's massage? Did it help you? I avoided it because I usually like the mild/medium pressure and thought the deep tissue part would be too much for me to handle. The pain I've endured in my neck during long runs was finally out of control and time for me to take action. For the past year I have had this sharp pain in my lower neck/shoulder area that would show up on longer runs. The pain would radiate down my back and arm and would make just about send me crying if anything so much as touched it. At times the massage was really painful and at times it just made me laugh hysterically (which was so embarrassing). All in all, it was SO worth it. The massage therapist was able to determine that it is in fact a nerve issue and she used a lot of pressure and technique to help fix it. Normally, I'd feel this pain start around mile 4 or 5, after the massage I only saw it around mile 10 and it didn't even radiate down my back or arm!! I was advised to get a few more massages and take an herbal supplement. Umm... more massages in my life? Yes, please. It's such a relief to get rid of this pain!!

Starting Off Strong

I wanted to start my blog post off with a bang, so I figured why not share my crazy Saturday night.

I'll be spending it with the following three things:

hot tea

reality TV I missed earlier in the week

my trusty foam roller

Wild right? I wore myself out this week, so I really couldn't muster up the strength to do anything else tonight.

One reason for my exhaustion was a double work out today. Every Saturday (or as close to every as possible) I take a weight lifting class. It's a lot like the Body Pump class a lot of gyms offer and it's amazing. I took it this morning, and decided (because I'm apparently crazy) to stay for the 60 minute Super Spin class right afterward. It was a GREAT spin class, but holy cow. I'm so wiped out now, but it does feel great. I'm hoping this quality time I'm spending with my foam roller will make tomorrow hurt less. :)

In Kneed of Positive Thoughts

Good Morning!

First off, thanks so much to the BFF for setting up the awesome design of this blog and for answering my many, many blog related questions. Thank you!!

I was hoping my first blog would be an upbeat, positive one. Instead, I'm asking for you to send some positive thoughts my way.

Last night I was set out to run just over 6 1/2 miles. During the first mile my knee (the one that didn't have surgery) felt sore. Just past a mile into the run I couldn't take it anymore and had to stop. I wanted to just push through it and get my run done but I've finally learned that sometimes fighting through the pain only causes more down the road. In talking to my fiancee about it, we think my knee might be sore from the hilly run I went on last weekend. Maybe my knee needs some rest? Maybe tonight's scheduled couple's sports massage will help loosen the surrounding muscles and in turn help my knee? I forgot my ice pack this morning so I've improvised- I have a ziplock bag full of ice and am now using a rubberband to hold it onto my knee. Any suggestions on how to get rid of the sharp pain on the outside of my knee?

I'm pretty down about this because I'd like to run 16 miles tomorrow morning and enjoy it. I'd also like to still be able to get my revenge on the marathon next month. It has been such a hard fight to regain my motivation to run again and just as I'm finally feeling like my old self, this happens. I hope this isn't permanent and it's something I can get through in the next few days.