Bridge Runs!

I hope the “odds were ever in your favor” for those of you hoping for a NYC Marathon entry this year! All the web buzz surrounding the big event is getting me pretty excited. Word of advice for those of you traveling into NYC – I booked my Amtrak ticket today because I noticed they were already skyrocketing! Go make your travel plans!

This past weekend, I had a 10-miler planned. The majority of my runs happen along the Schuylkill River trail mainly because it’s convenient for me. Plus, I don’t have to worry about traffic and stop lights, which can hinder quality tempo runs and speedwork. But the ol’ Schuyk has gotten pretty boring lately, so I decided to switch it up and run over the Ben Franklin Bridge. First time.

I don’t know why it took me so long to venture over to this side of town, but I’m glad I did because this was the best run I’d had in awhile. Running over the bridge was awesome – and longer than I thought (the bridge itself is almost ¾ mile – who knew). Running to Camden and back was almost a perfect 10 miles. Plus it was an surprise mini hill workout.

Check out the view:

Getting pretty excited for Broad Street. It’s my favorite race of the year. I’m a tad nervous cause I’ve been feeling some strange twinges the past couple days. But I am on an ibuprofen regimen,  and we’re simply no longer gonna talk about it. Mind over matter.

In other news, here’s something annoying that happened last week. I had a doctor’s appointment (Dermatologist – have you been recently? Did you see this study?) Anyways, whenever I have a doctor’s appointment, I usually try to donate blood before or after the appointment since I’m at the hospital already. (Plus I like the free snacks). For those of you unfamiliar with the process, each time prior to donating, the nurse takes a small sample of blood to test hemoglobin levels, which can determine if you are anemic (iron deficiency). The acceptable level to donate must be at least 12.5. Mine was 12.1. DENIED. I’ve never been denied before. Plus, like I’ve mentioned previously, I’ve been trying to eat red meat at least twice a week. I was pissed! What gives? The nurse informed me since I was just below the cut off,  it’s really nothing to worry about, and that if I paid attention to my diet over the next week or so, I’d likely be eligible on my next attempt to donate since these levels can vary from day to day. 

So… I guess I’m going to try to eat red meat 3-4 times a week?! Haha, yikes. Plus spinach, beans, oysters, etc. etc. Hopefully I can take care of this situation with my diet before pursuing iron supplements. I’m going to attempt donating again next week – will keep you posted.

One final item of note: While I was removing my hot pink toenail polish over the weekend, I discovered this bad boy:

Aw man! I haven’t had a black toenail in years. I don’t know what happened. I’m thinking maybe it was a delayed response to the Cherry Blossom 10-miler. But those of you who are black toenail veterans can appreciate how much of a bummer this is during the summer months! They always grow back so darn funky. Once, my big toenail fell off and it took a legit year to grow back.

Ever go on bridge runs? Do you get in a running-route-rut?

And… ever get a black toenail?