Friday's Drawers - Leftover food, leftover fear?

This is the one week that I am actually grateful that we don't have a farm share pick-up.  We wouldn't have a place to store any of it!

There are only 2 weeks out of the year for our farm share that we don't have a pick-up, this week and one in the spring when we go from winter/spring to summer/fall shares.  It is the one time where I can play catch up on all the potatoes we get. :)

So no CSA picture today, just the picture of our filthy fridge all our leftovers from yesterday's feast!

We stayed in town for T-day and had a very wonderful dinner including a gorgeous organic, free-range turkey (Go M!) at my husband's family's home. There were seven of us from 3 to 99 (!!) and we were all feelling very grateful. It was a good day.
Kids had a good time and we have a boat load of leftovers (as you can see). I thought I could handle taking the pie....oh man. Yesterday was going to be my "free" day - aka enjoy it now, because tomorrow you are going back to meals and snacks, no grazing and limited pie. 

who can resist?

Syeah. But I dug into the pie and that was pretty much what I had for lunch today. Eeek! So much for what I said about remembering that Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas is one day! 

Good to remember that I see runs (like running).  Lots of runs in my future.  How grateful I am for those runs too.

Although....

Are you sitting down?

I am thinking about taking a week off from running.

*Thinking* about it.  Yes, with a house full of delicous leftovers, I am thinking about *not* running for a week.

Sigh.

I ran today (the first time since Sunday) and about 3 miles in, the ITB acted up again. Basically, after running for a few miles, feeling good, all of the sudding my knee is sore and gets really really stiff when I stop running.  My understanding is that it is caused by tight muscles from my hips down to my quads.

Most likely it came from the exertion and not stretching well enough after the 1/2, going back out into the cold and not doing my due dilligence to massage the legs.  I don't think it is anything major, and I learned my lesson from last time when I bitched and moaned it was all of 3 weeks for my foot to fully heal. AND! And and, looking back at my logs, I *still* got in runs and ellipticals during those 3 weeks, having only really taken 9 days off from running.

But this is now. In the beginning of winter. And I am not a full year running yet. So I have this fear of not running.  Even a day.

How is it, that even after following plans and committing to trhe full marathon, to fundraising, to training, to running, not to mention the fact that I LOVE running, that I *still* feel like if I don't run on a regular schedule I'm afraid I won't start back up? So silly.

I wonder if it is just that, or if there is more I'm afraid of? Weight gain? Loss of stamina? lack of a structured plan? Loss of my mind? What if I take a week off? What is the worst that could happen?  And the best - my muscles could actually get a break, heal and get stronger.

Training for Boston officially starts (according to my handy-dandy 18 week plan) on 12/13 and wouldn't it be nice to start at full strength. Even if it does mean a few lbs gain?