Bad news, and also some more bad news!

According to Mr. Half Dome's blog, odds of the cables being up for early June are slim to none - dream of doing Half Dome is nearly dead in the water.

I'm upset, but also slightly relieved - it's a brutal hike, and there are also some other hikes around there that sounded pretty awesome. But yeah, there's a large part of me that would have loved to check that off my list!

The more bad news? I have been running once in a week and a half. What started as a mild shin issue is now a fairly major shin issue. I was having trouble with picking my toes up during stride (dorsiflexion), my shin just felt weak and tight and I kept slapping my foot against the ground.

Googling led me to think it was compartment syndrome (mild), and a friend who is a physical therapist agrees with my suspicion. Basically, the sheath around the muscle is "too tight." Diagnosis is rest, icing, anti-inflammatories, and some stretching.

My other approach, which I've been considering for a while, is to try "POSE running," which places a lot less stress on the heel, less on the shin, and is supposedly just 'better for you.' It involves a forefoot landing.

Here's a good video that really shows the difference between the heel and forefoot landing:

It looks kind of dorky, but I am not too concerned. I already look dorky with my knee socks and reflective vest. Tomorrow's run club is a 5k, so I might try it out then (and then go home and rest and ice a lot!)

I think I made my food processor cry.

There are a lot of homemade Larabar recipes out there, but of course, mine is the best!

It's easily changeable for whatever nuts/mix-ins you feel like and it's very simple.

- Chuck 1 cup of dates into your food processor. It's hard to tell what is an actual cup, because they don't really pack into the cup, so I usually add 6 or 7 extra to make sure it's a complete cup

- Add 1 cup of nuts. It helps if you chop them up a bit first.

- Add another "cup" of dates, and then an extra handful.

- Add about 4 tbsps of cocoa if you like.

- Now add 1 cup of mix-ins. I like raisins, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and chocolate chips.

- Put the lid of your food processor, turn it on, and hold on to it so it doesn't shake right off the counter.

- Blend for 6-7 minutes. This usually makes my food processor sound like it's going to blast off for the moon, or like a NASCAR-type car with engine trouble, or like it might just crap out on me. I think it cried one time.

- Once you have a mushy paste that holds together in a ball when you smush it, dump it all onto plastic wrap and form it into your desired shape. I usually make it into a long flat bar, because I'm boring like that.

- Place bar in the fridge for oh a while. I leave it a few hours. Then just slice it up and store it in the fridge in a container, with layers separated by waxed paper.

*TIPS!*
- Soft nuts like walnuts and pecans blend better than almonds. Almonds really take a while.

- Don't be alarmed if after 5 minutes it doesn't seem like a paste. It really takes a long time to blend it all well!

- If you plan to add dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, etc.), I recommend adding it in when you already have a paste and blending is almost finished.

- Don't leave your chocolate chips in a bag near a heat vent. They will melt into a giant block.

- Mint. Yes. Mint chocolate bars are a good idea.

It was a greenhouse effect under my jacket.

Last night was my first night attending the Nike Runner's Lounge Girls' Night Out Run Club. In some ways it was great and some ways, not so much.

PRO: Got to try a nice little jacket out!

CON: It was pouring rain and I couldn't see anything because my glasses were fogged and wet.

PRO: We got smoothies after the run!

CON: They made me do squats and lunges before the run.

PRO: I got a free t-shirts!

CON: It got wet because the cute jacket was water-resistant, not repellant.

PRO: It was only 3.5km!

CON: It was the worst 3.5km of my life.

Overall I'll definitely go back and I think it'll be much better when it's lighter out, and not raining. It was great having somewhere to leave my stuff and you can try out shoes, gear, and iPod stuff for free. The pace was good, other people were going my speed. Next week there will be a "special treat," and I love treats, so I will be there!

I'm stuck in a vicious cycle!

The cycle: I can't get to sleep. I am whupped in the morning. I don't go running. But then, because I didn't get up and go running at 5.45am, I am not tired when I go to bed!

In my defense, the weather has been less that optimal, it's been quite cold - and crazy! windy. 

I haven't been running in 5 days, but I've been elliptical-ing to compensate, and I get 9km of brisk walking in (to/from work), so at least I can still justify the handfuls of Skittles I was eating the other day as "fuel."

Also, great news, we got our permits for Half Dome! Only 300 were available for each day, and the majority were gone in about 4 minutes! A lot of people seem to book flights/make reservations before getting permits, and don't get them. I am SO relieved we're not in that group!