Jenna’s BCBSR Diary, Week 4: Dating Discord

Jenna Bergen

MONDAY, MARCH 21
I made it to the gym after work to log three miles today. I felt pretty good, although I wished I had gotten home while it was still light so I could have run outside. The treadmill is definitely getting to me. However, this is the first Monday since beginning training that I was able to make my Monday run instead of flip-flopping it to a Tuesday. Feels good to be on schedule!

TUESDAY, MARCH 22
I’ve been seriously slacking when it comes to yoga. Over the last eight months or so, I slowly but surely started trading my mat classes for barre work and running. At first, I didn’t notice a huge difference in my flexibility, but it’s finally caught up with me. My hamstrings are incredibly tight—which is why I packed my yoga bag this morning and swore to myself I would make it to a yoga class this evening no matter what. And I’m proud to say I went to Power Yoga Works in University City. It felt so good to stretch! I can see it’s going to take some time to reach the level of flexibility I used to have, but I was happy I made it to class.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23
Wow. My body is certainly feeling yesterday’s class. I think I forgot what a great workout power yoga can be. However, I still logged my three miles today. No more running until a 5-miler on Saturday. I think my body will need time to recoup.

THURSDAY, MARCH 24
I was hoping to get in another yoga class, but my legs are even more sore today than they were yesterday. I decided to take a rest and do some light stretching at home. My boyfriend (who is also registered for Broad Street) and I decided to drive to Cherry Hill’s Seasons 52 for dinner.  As we were waiting for our meals to arrive, I couldn’t help but ask him if he was planning on making any of this week’s runs. He signed up to run the Philly Half Marathon with me last November, but ended up hurting his knee after joining me for the eight-mile loop around Kelly Drive without building up to it and wasn’t able to compete. So far, while he’s been staying active with hiking, he’s only done a few runs for Broad Street. Hence, my terrible need to nag, albeit gently. He promised me he’ll run this Saturday, although I clearly got his point: No nagging allowed.

FRIDAY, MARCH 25
Second rest day in a row! My body is still super sore from yoga, especially my hamstrings. This week has definitely shown me that getting back into a regular yoga routine is a must. I cannot believe how tight my muscles have gotten in the last few months. Hopefully next week I won’t be as sore after class and I can get in a few more weekly workouts. On the plus side, my boyfriend and I enjoyed dinner at Horizons. It was, believe it or not, our first time there and we were definitely impressed. He loved the BBQ seitan, and we both couldn’t believe that it tasted so close to the real deal. My favorite dish was the Bánh mì. I loved the mix of flavors from the lemongrass tofu, pickled daikon and spicy vegan mayo. Afterward, we ended up meeting another couple for an apres-dinner drink at Johnny Brenda’s. Somehow they agreed to meet us for a five-mile run on Kelly Drive the next morning. Should be a good time!

SATURDAY, MARCH 26
Even though I’m the only one from my Saturday morning group who’s been consistently training for Broad Street, I was still the slowest! Not by much, but I was looking at my friends’ backs for most of our five-mile run. I channeled the tortoise more than once as I plodded along through the chilly wind. However, the guys set a good pace, and I finished in about forty-seven minutes. Not bad, except for the fact that my boyfriend loved that he was still faster than the person who’s been nagging him about training these past few weeks. Why is it that guys can always run faster? (Or, at least, always run faster than me?)

To celebrate our morning workout, my boyfriend and grabbed brunch at Green Eggs. I quickly forgave him for gloating over a cup of tomato soup and a cobb salad. Yum!