Well my schedule was really thrown for a loop this morning when my spinning instructor was a no-show! Grrrr! The class was full and we all cycled for a little bit on our own but there’s only so much you can do without music, you know?! The music is what really makes me love spinning so much and after about 10 minutes of trying to go at my own pace, I jumped off the bike and onto the next best thing: the treadmill. I usually do my short runs on Tuesday and Thursday but on the spur of the moment I decided Monday/Wednesday would be best this week so I cranked out a nice slow 2 miles.
Before “spin” I warmed up with some weights. I did—
- 2 sets of bicep curls (12 lbs, 12 reps each)
- 2 sets of overhead triceps (12 lbs, 12 reps each)
- 25 push-ups
- 4 sets of crunches on stability ball, 20 reps per set
After my run I stretched and used the foam roller while I talked to a personal trainer there about my shin splints. I have been getting a ton of emails regarding them so I wanted to address that now! For the record, I STILL HAVE SHIN SPLINTS. It definitely still hurts. I thought taking three weeks off would “cure” me but I now know that my shin splints are unfortunately chronic and its just going to be something I’m going to have to deal with. Annoying, yes, but will it stop me from running? Heck no. I just have to be extra careful, that’s all. When I talked to this trainer at the gym today, who also is a marathon runner, he suggested that I not make my short runs over 2 miles AT ALL. Stick to 2 miles twice a week and then on Saturdays have a long run. Also, go slow and continue strength training…. especially legs, shoulders and core! I need to really work on that because if I let myself, I can be pretty fast. Good for races but not good for my body and in this situation, my body wins because I have got to make it til October 18th! Today on the treadmill I ran about a 9:45 mile and it felt a lot better than an 8:30 mile, that’s for sure. I just need to suck up my pride and slowwwwww down.
So after all this I took a nice long hot steam, showered at the gym and got some coffee. Steams were my brother’s favorite thing. I swear, he used this gym membership JUST for the steam room! Now I can see why though—it felt absolutely amazing. I love feeling all warm 
When I got home I snacked on a serving of raw milk cheese to refuel—
I LOVE this stuff!
My mommy came over on her way to Bikram to say hi and to bring me a lemon so I could make the lunch I had my heart set on—Heidi Swanson’s Lemon Scented Quinoa. I love this recipe! I cut it down to serve one and it was the perfect lunch.
All mixed up
Protein rich quinoa + chickpeas make this lunch a powerhouse to fuel you all afternoon. Its light enough that you don’t feel heavy after eating it but very tasty with the creamy lemon tahini dressing. I love extra cilantro in mine!
It is POURING outside and I love it. I have an obsession with rainy days. It always makes things more cozy. I’m very happy that we have entered the rainy season now because, if you can even believe, we’ve been in the middle of a horrible drought for the past month that actually made watering your lawn (with sprinkler systems) illegal! Can you believe it?! I think its like the worst drought Tampa has had in years and years.
I’m off to work a little bit and then go get my hair done! All I want to do when the weather is like this is curl up in my jammies in bed and read all day but I have to force myself to be a little productive 
I have a delicious dinner planned. Can’t wait!
{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }
your lunch looks so yummy! can’t wait to see the new do
Enjoy your rainy day! I love baking on rainy days and then enjoying some cozy movie or reading time with some yummy snacks
Hey Jenna. Sorry to hear about your shin splints still acting up. Do you ice your shins often? That often helps relieve some of the pain. Also, you can strengthen and stretch out your shins by walking on your heels with your toes up in the air (I think they’re called toe raises, go figure). It looks kind of ridiculous, but that’s what my high school cross coach would always have us do.
Slow down, Jenna.
I think it’s awesome you’re training through your shin splints, but please be careful! And yummy-looking lunch, of course. 
www. HelpMeghanRun .com
Your lunch looks great! Heidi is such a genius.
Enjoy getting your hair done
Argh, that sucks about the no-show instructor. And definitely work on slowing down, we don’t want to see you get hurt!
Quinoa + chickpeas sounds like magic with lemon tahini dressing. I am so obsessed with Heidi’s blog. She makes everythinggg look so good!! Especially her desserts, yum!
Oh I am so happy to hear you are having such a great, relaxing day Jenna!!
YUM! Your salad looks delicious. Glad you got in a good workout even thought spinning fell through. I hope you have a great afternoon getting pampered. I love getting my haircut – just a little “me time” that mommy needs every now and then
We must be channeling each other today! I am having a chicpea salad for lunch too! AND I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS RAIN! I can’t get enough!!!
Sorry the instructor was a no show. What a bummer!!! Looks like you salvaged your workout though =)
Enjoy your rainy day!
Ugh! I would be SO MAD if the instructor didn’t show! I think at my gym we would’ve staged a riot! There are some hardcore spinners. Hehe. But it sounds like you got some good running advice, so hopefully that made up for it a little bit.
Hope you’re enjoying your day!
I always want to lounge on rainy days too. Be careful with your shins!
I feel the same way on rainy days
so cozy! I do need a new book though…I just finished reading Jodi Piccoult’s book “Plain Truth” which was fantastic!! i feel kind of empty when I don’t have a book that I’m reading though so I need to get on finding a new one!
I totally agree, rain makes everything cozy! That’s exactly how I would describe it
I’m totally going to make that quinoa recipe for lunch! Yum! 
Painful shins really suck
Hope that running plan will help a bit 
I feel that rainy day love. There is nothing better then curling up with a mug of something warm and just settling in all cozy and warm. It’s the ONLY thing that makes me look forward to rainy days!
Enjoy your rainy day!! I love how interesting and different you eats are now that you aren’t working that crazy schedule at the bakery!! Definitely inspiring me to try some different things!!
Glad you are getting the rain you need. We go through droughts like that every year. People do crazy things like water their lawns in the middle of the night so they don’t get caught. Crazy.
I’m so curious about raw cheese now. I’m lactardic, but LOVE cheese. Any chance raw cheese is lower in lactose?
Hey Jenna- I have a question. I’m trying to get better at pushups, but I find that I can only do 10-15 at a time. Do you do all 25 in one set, or do you split it up? You must be super strong to do them all at once!
Thanks!
I second the notion that short runs should only be around 2 miles. To make it more interesting, I always would set short speed goals for myself (i.e. run this next .25 miles in 1:30). Intervals make 2 miles go by fast and fun!
I love the creamy look of that lunch! I’m excited to see what you’ve got up your sleeve for dinner!
I have to just suck up the price one of these days and get some raw milk cheese… i just love it!
hi Jenna honey!
I am sorry about those shin splints… but shoot, 2 miles is awesome! Just kick it out at a nice polly pace
and enjoy! Yay for mom on the way to bikram and the lemon drop off. Hope you haircut is relaxing and yummy-ish if that is possible at a hair salon. 
XOXO
I am the same way with rainy weather too. I just wanna curl up with a book and forget about time
Yep, rainy days can be just as great as sunny ones.
Looking forward to seeing your dinner!
I love how your mom dropped by just to give you a lemon! I wish I lived closer to my family – I don’t see them driving 6 hours to bring me a lemon anytime soon.
slllooow down, girl
Glad to hear you found a method that seems to be working! 
at least you still got in a good workout!
Curling up with a book sounds like bliss! What are you reading at the moment?
I’ve never had raw cheese – I’ll have to look out for some to try.
Jenna, coming from a person who has run for most of her life (including at the division I college level) and has endured numerous stress fractures and plantar fasciitis problems in my feet and heels, I have to suggest going to a running shoe store where they can watch you run and look at your feet. IT could be that you’re in the wrong shoe and/or need more support. A lot of the over the counter orthotics are just as good as the ones that cost hundreds of dollars made by podiatrists and physical therapists. If you repeatedly are getting shin splints, it means you’re either increasing your runs too far and/or too fast and/or you need a different shoe possibly with more support. Over-pronating (where your arches collapse and ankles roll in too much) is the often culprit of this problem, so instead of a shoe with cushion (ie Nike Air max triax) you’d probably be better off in a shoe w/ more support such as an Asics 3010 or a Saucony. I’ve gone to some specialty running shoe stores in the past and they were EXCELLENT in helping myself and my brother to find the right shoes that cleared up all of our shin and feet problems; I hope this helps you!
I know ALL about illegal watering. When I was a kid (growing up in Reno Nevada) we had a seven year drought. when I first went away to college and my roomate (who was from Pennsylvania) left the water running while she brushed her teeth, I was in TOTALY shock.
Enjoy the liquid sunshine!
hi beautiful!
food looking good, everything looks superb.
guilty of loving rainy days over here.
absolutely love cuddling up to a good movie, some tea..
mmmm the best <3
have a fabulous night pretty!
<333
erin
Hi Jenna~
Funny, my Sunday spin instructor was a no show as well. Most of the class left but we had 5 hardcore peopke spinning it out for 30 min +. It’s REALLY hard without music though..
One lady had her ipod going and she was just singing away..loudly. It was pretty funny. Anyway….thankfully the instructors usually show up:)
Hope you get that Wine girl gig..i can totally see you doing that job!
Barbara
Ha. here in NC we just got OUT of a drought. Our sprinklers can now be turned on
It was rainy here yesterday and pretty much all weekend, and now that it is gone I miss it! There is nothing like a good book, warm blanket and pjs for a rainy day!
Sounds like a good recipe, hopefully I will have all the ingredients to make it tonight! thanks for sharing!
Hello there. I’ve been following your blog for awhile and am in full sympathy with you regarding the shin splints…have been trying to start running again after 3 years off and have had a lot of trouble with my shins. But I’ve found something really odd that helps…a pair of shoes called Vibram five fingers. They’re really odd looking but I find that that they somehow make me change my stride and muscle usage enough that my shins are hugely improved. If you have a look a chi running/POSE running they talk more about specifically cultivating this technique. However loads of people find that the shoes seem to do it for you. Food for thought at the very least! Good luck with the running and again, very inspirational blog!
I totally know the frustration of a spin instructor being a no show. We have a packed class at 6:05am which to get a bike you have to be there when the gym opens at 5:45am and then the instructor didn’t turn up! Luckily his friend also comes to the class so he got his ipod out of his locker and took the class instead but it wasn’t quite the same. Turns out he didn’t show ’cause he’d got a hangover from the night before!
Hi, Jenna! I have a quick question for you about juicing … Don’t worry, I read your creative loafing post, and I still have my question!
Does your juicer leave behind pulpy fruit and veg leftovers? I’ve been thinking about juicing, but I don’t want to “waste” food … I borrowed a juicer once and it left a bunch of pulp behind (kinda like applesauce, which I used to make muffins). I wonder if that juicer was just a cheap model or something … Thanks!
Sorry about the spin class! Sounds like you had a great workout anyways!
Ugh that stinks that the instructor never showed up but you definitely made the best of it. I could use a session in a steam room I too love that feeling of being warm.
It’s raining lightly over here too.. i love it!
hey i’ve never tried raw goat cheese, but today i had some mexican candy called “Glorias” that is burned goat milk with pecans and sugar. it’s so chewy and good! i hope you have the chance to try it one day..
have a nice day Jenna, can’t wait to see your haircut
Your shin splints sound like they hurt.
I wonder what it is that makes some people, like me, love rainy days.
I hope the rain holds off a bit tomorrow. My hubby and I are moving into our new apartment!
Your shinsplints might be caused by tight calves. Do you know how to stretch them and roll them out with the foam roller?