Long run success

As I mentioned in my last post, I had planned to meet up with a couple people from my running group for the second half of their long run this morning.

I was very excited to wake up to much warmer morning than earlier in the week. This combined with a later run start for myself, and I was looking at ~40, sunny, and no wind at the start of my run. Perfect! I was comfortable in capris paired with long sleeves over short sleeves and even took off the long sleeves about 2 miles from the end.

They were meeting family members at the turn point to switch our bottles. I didn't want to run the full 9 miles or so that they had plotted for the second half, so I walked about a mile down the trail and waited to join in after they had reached the turn point and were heading back.

As soon as I joined them, they told me that after several weeks of running long together, they had run out of things to talk about. I took the lead asking questions and telling stories of my own to help the pass time. I also tried to remind them to hydrate.

When they reached their scheduled run distance, they walked another mile or so to their cars as a cool down. One of them gave me a ride back to my car. All in all, I logged ~7.5 miles running, ~2 miles walking. They were happy to have company, and I enjoyed helping out. It was pretty much a win-win all the way around! I hope to do it again next weekend.

But this weekend's excitement isn't over yet. I've got some virtual cowbell to ring for Wes as he chases Iron in Arizona. Go, Wes, Go!

Three Things Thursday

It has been freaking cold in the mornings out my way. Tuesday & Thursday I was scheduled to run, which I did. Wednesday I went out to walk the dogs. Each time it was 22-24 deg at 6:30am. Luckily, we don't get much precipitation here in the high desert, so no worries about ice. My legs, torso, fingers, toes, and head have been comfortable enough. But the cold air on my face (and into my lungs) is bothersome. I think I need to try running with the balaclava. Up until now, I've only worn that for cold weather cycling.

But I won't be breaking out the balaclava anytime too soon. Saturday morning I plan on joining two of the folks from my running group on the second half of their 17mile run. For me this means a later/warmer start time as they will be about 1:40 into a run that they started at 7am. I'm looking forward to this because it will be much warmer by then - at least mid 30s - and because ~8miles is my favorite distance. Plus I've offered to stay back if one of them hits the wall so the other can run through to the end. It's all upside to me really, and it's nice to be able to help out with their training.

Today I had an eye appointment. I was there for 1.5 hours because my eyes are very complicated. My left eye has extreme nearsightedness with amblyopia but decent close vision. The right has decent far vision except for asitgmatism, along with slight presbyopia and poor close vision. Over the years, I've tried all kinds of solutions from bifocals to reading/driving glasses, and even mono-vision contacts. For the past 6 months, I've been going without any correction during the day and using an old outdated pair of driving glasses at night. It's working fairly well for me except that I really can't see well enough to drive at night. I'm doing an experiment over the next week to help dial in a prescription for new driving glasses. While I was there, I found a cute new frames that are much more modern that what I have been wearing. I'm kind of excited about the prospect of being able to drive again at night sometime soon and do it with style. :-)

Tuesday Tidbits

Random thoughts on a Tuesday morning

• Got to try out my new SportHill pullover rated for 0-40 deg and up to 35mph wind as it was a brisk 22-24 deg while I was out running this morning. Love it! I was very comfortable. Here's a photo from afterwards.

• I just want to better explain that my frustration with the race going long wasn't so much about the extra distance. 5K, 6.2K whatever. I just couldn't believe that they didn't mark the turn point - a bridge off a dirt path - at all (no sign, no chalk) because they were expecting a volunteer to be there; then didn't make sure the volunteer was actually in place. Unbelievable!

• My daughter was in Berkeley last weekend visiting her brother. Husband & I rather enjoyed the weekend alone. This whole upcoming empty-nest thing might not be so bad after all.

• I'd like to share one tip from my changed eating habits. Restaurants notoriously serve way too much food. I've learned to ask for a to-go container at the beginning of the meal and put away the part that I don't plan/need to eat right up front. I'd eat the whole thing otherwise.

• Local, hilly 5K Thanksgiving run - to do or not to do, that is the next race question.

• Call me crazy, but I prefer cold weather running over hot summer running. I might feel differently about this in another month or so, but that's my opinion at the moment.

Sunday Race Report - good, bad, ugly

Background

This morning Husband & I ran a local race to raise money for a preschool. I chose this race over the Veterans Day 11K because it offered a "5K" option that would have us "running on the dirt trails on the ditch banks in Corrales." The start time was later than the 11K, the venue was closer to home, and I *love* running on dirt trails.

Good

• Husband decided to run this with me and he ran my pace the whole way.
• The race venue didn't disappoint with regard to the dirt trails.
• 10am start time meant a leisurely race morning, no early wake up, no rushing.
• The beginning of the course (first half mile) was well marked.
• The t-shirt is a lime green color.
• I am happy with my performance.

Bad

• Husband tried to sign up at packet pickup. They wouldn't let him. He had to pay an extra $10 to register at the race site. Ugh.
• The post race refreshment offerings included lays potato chips. You read that right, potato chips.
• This was no 5K. More like a 6.2K.
• I started out too fast. Again.
• I spent most of the race trying to catch up to and overcome a 10yr old kid wearing a blue shirt. I failed. I'm not sure which is worse, making a 10yr old kid my target or failing to beat him to the finish line.

Ugly

• The turn point wasn't marked at all. No chalk mark, no sign, no volunteer. Nothing. I think the lead runners just finally decided to cross a random bridge and everyone else followed.
• The image on the race shirt looks like a man running in his underwear. Kind of disturbing given that a bunch of preschoolers are taking home a shirt adorned with this image.

Thoughts

I was really ticked off about the poor (more accurately non-existent) course marking for the turn point when I realized that this meant that the course would run long. I let that mess with my head for a little bit and slowed way down. Eventually I got over it and decided to run the best darn however-long-this-race-was-going-to-be run that I could.

Here are my splits by half mile. It shows that I ran the first half mile way too fast, then settled into my 5K pace. It also shows the slow down when I realized the race would be long and got frustrated, then a pick up when I got my head back into the race.

Garmin logged my 5K time at 29:47, that's a bit faster than my last 5K and this run was entirely on dirt. I'm pleased with that. I know it would have been even better if the race had actually been a 5K and I had kept my head in the race for the duration.

Garmin says that our final time for the full 3.85 mile course was 37:02, a pace of 9:38. That also makes me happy. If I had known that the course would be closer to four miles than three, I would have guessed a slower pace and finish time. Apparently I can run faster at longer distances than I think.

[updates:

1) Apparently they did time the race, earlier I thought not. My bad. I removed that statement from the Bad list.

2) They have me at 36:55 for 3.83 miles, which is still a 9:38 pace. FYI - they asked those of us with Garmins what we measured for distance and averaged the results. I applaud them for acknowledging the correct course length after the fact.

3) the kid I was trying to beat was 9 years old, not 10. Sigh]

In retrospect, am I glad I ran this today? Absolutely. Would I run this race again? No way.

Another Success Story

I haven't blogged much about my weight loss over the past year. And I'm not sure why I chose a Saturday to share my story (most of you don't read blogs on the weekend it seems), but I did.

I was very thin in high school. Even as a young adult. But as my age crept up, so did my weight. Given that I'm in my mid-forties, this is not a surprise. But that doesn't mean it's something I needed to accept as fact. I simply needed to change something.

At its simplest, weight loss (or gain) is a matter of calories in vs calories out. I do pretty well on the calories out side of the equation, but was out of control with regard to calories in. As a result, my weight was heading in the wrong direction. I began carrying some extra unnecessary pounds and was best described as chubby.

Here's a photo from Sept 2009, to demonstrate the chubbiness:

This year, I've made some significant changes to reduce calories in, and the weight began to come off. I hit my target weight in September. No small feat given that I was unable to run all summer due to issues with my knee! I didn't mention the weight progress here, because I was afraid somehow that I would jinx it. But my weight has remained steady for 2 months, so I figured it was time to share.

This photo from Sept 2010 (courtesy of my self portrait project) shows off my new, slimmer and more athletic figure. I chose this one for comparison because I'm standing in roughly the same position as the one above:

I feel better than ever. Yesterday I went jean shopping and actually came home with a few pairs of size 4 Levis. Did you get that? Size 4! I haven't worn size 4 since I was in high school!

If anyone out there is struggling with weight, my only advice is to be honest with yourself about what you are consuming. It's not easy to change old habits, but it CAN be done.

Have a great weekend folks!

P.S. I finally made a decision and will be running the 5K tomorrow. :-)

Keeping it Fun

I figured out a way to take an afternoon break during my work day yesterday and get out for a 5 mile run. Today will be a rest day. Finding a way to get out tomorrow is my next challenge.

The problem with running yesterday was that it was supposed to be my rest day. I really felt it in my legs. But since it was supposed to be an easy run anyway, I just slowed down a bit more and tried to enjoy the afternoon. I was running on a portion of the acequia path that I've never been on before. This particular section wasn't as pretty as my usual route, but it was still interesting and I got to run on dirt, which is my favorite.

Most weeks, I don't have much trouble fitting in my runs. The time change makes it a bit more difficult, but my problem this week is mostly due to an unfortunate work schedule. But my main goal for the next two months is just to get out and run. There is no reason to stress about this. I'm not training for anything big right now, just doing short, fun races here and there to maintain my base over winter. This is something I need to remember. Keeping it fun is most important right now.

Which brings me to my dilemma for this weekend. Had the 11K not been on my radar for months, this decision would be a no brainer. And the more I look into it, the 5K has a lot in its favor. It starts later in the morning, is much closer to home, and is on a dirt path (oh, yeah!). Really, the more I think about it, it's hard to imagine any reason why I would choose the 11K at this point.

Later in the evening, Husband asked how my run had been. I told him that it really wasn't one of my better runs. My legs were feeling it, and it was a bit of a struggle. He replied, "But it was better than not running, right?" He was absolutely right. A mediocre run on a dirt path on a fall afternoon beats no run, every time!

Mind Meanderings

I tentatively have a race on Sunday. An 11K for Veteran's Day. I haven't signed up for it yet and I'm not really sure that I want to. Can't explain why, I'm just not excited about it anymore. There is a small local 5K the same day, and I'm leaning a bit toward running that instead. I'll decide one way or another in a few days.

Husband & I took the dogs out on the acequia path for a nice walk yesterday afternoon. It was the first time that we took the dogs out onto that particular path. It must have been like Doggy Disneyland to them, so many exciting sounds and smells. While it was nice to walk them somewhere different, it's actually much easier to control them on our tried and true hill.

Daughter turned 17 last week. Kids just grow up way too fast. I really don't know how this happens. One moment they are little, the next thing you know they have turned into young men and women. Anyway, she and her boyfriend organized a paint fight at a park to celebrate. Very creative. Apparently good times were had by all.

I have a friend that suffers daily due to rheumatoid arthritis. I saw her yesterday at church and it is obvious that she is in a lot of pain. Now I am very excited about my fifth running of the Jingle Bell run for arthritis in about four weeks. This time it's personal.

I bought new silverware last week. It had gotten to the point where too many forks, spoons, etc were missing. Where do they disappear to? Is it a conspiracy related somehow to the socks that go missing in the dryer? We now have service for 12, all matching. This makes me happy.

I need to find a way to run two days this week. As it turns out, this morning would have been a good day to run. But I didn't realize that until I wasted my morning away drinking coffee, reading and posting, and finally got around to perusing my calendar for the week. Tomorrow, my work day starts at 6:30am. Bleh. Wednesday morning looks good. So does Thursday morning. But then I'd be running two days in a row. Maybe I'll aim for Tuesday evening and Thursday morning, that would stretch it out a bit.

Back on my feet

Thanks everyone for the well wishes. After a few days of extra rest, I'm feeling much better. Better enough to head out for my long run today with just a slight modification of the plan.

The original plan was to run something in the 7-8 mile range. I wasn't sure about running that far coming off of some kind of bug, so I chose a route closer to 6.5miles to run, and followed it up with a 2 mile walk up and down the hill with the dogs. I still got the miles on my legs, but didn't push it too much. I think that was a reasonable compromise.

It was a beautiful fall day. Here's a photo I took with my phone at the turn point of my run.

I'm thankful to be feeling well enough to run again and to have this wonderful path so close to home. :-)

Three Things Thursday

1- Had a really good 5 mile easy run on Tuesday. Felt terrific. Then on Wednesday, I started to get body aches and chills, like I'm getting the flu or something. Today I'm feeling better, but not good, so I'm skipping my run in favor of rest. I hope to be able to run easy again tomorrow, or at least do my long run on Saturday. Otherwise, I may choose not to do the 11K next weekend and opt for a local 5K instead.

2 - There happens to be a local run on Sunday for the Humane Society. A few years ago I signed up to run with Bandit. We arrived at the venue on time, but never made it to the start line. It was simply a madhouse with all the various dogs going crazy. We ended up turning around, getting back in the car, and going home. I've thought (briefly) about signing up at the last minute if I feel better, but doing the 'humans only' race. There's no way I would try to bring either of my dogs to that after my past experience, though.

3 - This is a photo from the dirt levee road portion of the 10K last weekend, just to give some idea what I was talking about when describing the race. I found this particular surface to be relatively easy to run on (the single track, however, was another story all together). This part was nice and wide and not many obstacles, very similar to the acequia that I run on near my house. See the bright lime green shirt in the upper right back by the cones? That's me.

October Tally

Numbers

• 100.0 miles by feet (39.9 miles walking, 60.1 miles running)
• 8 trips up the hill
• 1 10K off-road/trail race
• 7 Rest days
• 1 hula hoop mastered
• 0 issues with knee pain

Thoughts

• No, I didn't plan on hitting 100.0 exactly. I had to check my numbers twice after I realized how it added up.
• Rest days are good.
• I accomplished *all* my goals for October. Yay!

Plans for November

• Be flexible with regards to races/goals
• Figure out how to keep running with the shorter days and cooler weather.

Bosque Boogie 10K Race Report

There were two local races being held today. One is a road race promising fast times, the other an off-road adventure promising scenic views. I chose the latter and signed up for the 10K distance. It's worth mentioning that I haven't run an official 10K in over two years. And I've never been good at figuring out how to pace myself for this distance, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

The race started behind a shopping center. We ran on road for a short distance. Then onto twisty single track for roughly 2 miles. The bulk of the remainder was on dirt levee road that was loose and uneven, but straight. It finished on a very short hard surface again.

Highlights: It *was* beautiful. And I had a few fans waiting for me near the turn around point. Husband surprised me by bringing the dogs out! I did stop for a moment to give him my long sleeve shirt so that I didn't have to run with it tied around my waist. That was helpful. And shortly afterwards, I found myself running with a lady who was keeping my same pace at that point. We started talking during the final mile and finished together.

I think this graph from my Garmin tells the pacing story better than simply looking at mile splits.

Three observations:

#1 - I started off too fast. I know better, but I did it anyway. I believe this is mainly due to my inexperience with this distance. I wasn't really sure what my 10K pace felt like.

#2 - The single track section was much more *difficult* than I imagined it would be. I enjoyed it for the first mile, then I was ready for it to be over. I definitely need to practice running on single track if I'm going to do more of these types of races.

#3 - Once we got out on the dirt levee road, I fell into a pace that I was able to (mostly) hold onto for the rest of the race. I'm pleased with that.

The official results have me at 1:03:15, 10:11 average pace. That's less than a minute off (aka slower than) my personal best 10K time which was a road race, so I am thrilled with this finish time given the race surface. I believe that I have a personal best 10K inside me just waiting for the perfect race to make itself known. ;-)

All in all, a great way to spend an autumn morning. I realize that I am truly blessed to be able to run right now. I hope whatever you all did this weekend was equally wonderful.

Edited to add - Official results are posted and I'm happy to see that I finished 11 of 23 F45-49. It is *nice* to be solidly middle of the pack these days. :-)

Steady Run

My plans to run this morning were thwarted by an early morning work meeting. I ended up meeting two guys from my running group after work for a 4 "steady" run instead. My steady pace is supposed to be 10:30-10:50. Here's what happened:

mile 1 - 10:41

mile 2 - 10:37

mile 3 - 10:31

mile 4 - 9:44

The first three miles were bang on, but that last mile was a tad bit fast. I think we sped up because it was getting dark. That last mile wasn't exactly what was on my schedule, but it served as a nice confidence booster for the 10K on Sunday.

[edited to add...looked more closely at my Garmin data. We didn't really speed up until the last half mile which was actually at a 9:01 pace...that's faster than my 5K pace. Aye carumba! ]

Of course the downside of running tonight was that I didn't get to test my race outfit for Sunday. Which might not have been such a bad thing, since I haven't figured out what I'm wearing anyway. Hahahahaha.

Weather

I grew up in Northwest Ohio and moved to central New Mexico as a young adult. One of the things I had to learn when I moved was how to plan for high desert weather. Two important points:

1) The coldest part of the day is actually the half hour just as the sun goes up. This is due to thermal conditions. I observed this today. It was ~31 when I woke up, and dipped down to 29 as the sun started to rise. Brrrrr.

2) The combination of high altitude and sunny skies means more heat loss when then sun sets than what I grew up with. There simply isn't anything to hold the warm air to the earth, and we experience ~30 deg difference between the low and high temp for the day. This is useful for knowing how to dress for the day. Also useful for deciding whether to run morning or evening.

With that in mind, here is the forcast for the week.


I would like to begin by saying that they LIED when saying the low for today would be 35. It was much colder than that when I woke up. I suspect the high won't quite make 60 deg. I wasn't quite ready to don my winter gear and head out in the cold, so I decided to postpone until the evening. At that time it will probably mid 50s and falling. I plan to wear capris and probably a long sleeve over a sleeveless shirt. I wouldn't be surprised if I find that I've over dressed once I start moving.

Thursday I will try to run in the morning. It is supposed to be low forties and rising. To me that is more palatable than low thirties like today. More importantly it is supposed to be same in the morning as race day (trust me on this even though I'm not showing Sunday in the snip above). That means I may get a chance to test my race day outfit (which is still tbd) to see how it works with the weather.

Of course weather predictions are always subject to change, so we'll see what really happens...

---

Note to self: I ended up wearing my Lotta Breeze Capris and teal long sleeve Nike shirt this evening. It was perfect for starting temp ~55, ending temp ~50

Saturday Seven

First off, thanks for all the responses to the questions I asked in my last post. We did end up getting thunderstorms Thursday evening, so I did my miles easy on Friday morning so as not to interfere with my "long" run this morning. I also went ahead and ordered compression sleeves. I'll let you know how I like them once I have some opportunities to try them out.

This morning I planned on joining one of my running partners for a seven mile run. He was scheduled for 12 miles and wanted to start closer to 7am. I was scheduled for seven miles and wanted to start closer to 8am. We found a perfect solution...he ran 5 solo and I joined him for the next 7.

This was a win-win in many ways. One of the benefits for me was that we agreed to meet close to the venue for my 10K next weekend and run a portion on the race course. It's going to be a fun race. I really enjoyed the single track section; it was awesome! The dirt levee road was kind of fun too. It benefited him as well. He seemed to be struggling for the last 4 miles or so, and I think I was able to help keep him motivated to run. It's always easier when you've got someone to pull you along.

Oh, and I've decided not to register for the RnR half-marathon in Phoenix. I just can't justify the expense for something that really doesn't fit well into my plans. Plus, while I'm happy about doing some running during the winter, the thought of following a training plan for a January half-marathon doesn't appeal to me right now.

Enjoy your weekend folks!

Three Things Thursday - with questions

1) It seems like my back acts up every autumn. Maybe it's coincidence, maybe it has to do with the weather change, who knows. It started bothering me this weekend and I wanted to get ahead of it this time. I decided to call the chiropractor. I know that chiropractor's are controversial and I'm not really sure how I feel about them myself, but I do know that the chiropractor makes me feel better, at least in the short term. I tend to go when I have pain, but then don't go in for regular adjustments when I feel better. Anyway, I called the office, only to discover that my chiropractor passed away unexpectedly about 10 days ago. Wow. Another untimely death. Anyway, one of his friends who is also a chiropractor is seeing his patients temporarily. So I was able to get in for an appointment. I'm already feeling better, and have another appointment on Friday. Do any of you see chiropractors? Do you go for regular adjustments or just when you have pain?

2) I'm still struggling with the morning vs evening weekday running. I ran Tuesday as the sun was setting and really didn't dress appropriately. That was the first time this autumn that it got dark while I was out running. I need to be more diligent about wearing reflective clothing. Today I am scheduled for a tempo run. On the one hand, it would probably have been more comfortable to run this morning. But I had decided to run after work. Now I see that the forcast calls for thunderstorms this afternoon. D'oh! If the weather isn't cooperating, I'm thinking that I will run Friday morning instead. Which means my tempo run will be back-to-back with my long run. That is probably not ideal for someone like me who is prone to injury. I'm not sure what to do, I'd ask my Coach, but he left yesterday for vacation. What should I do if today's tempo doesn't happen? Run it Friday or just run easy Friday so I have fresh legs for the long run on Saturday?

3) I'm thinking about getting some compression leg sleeves. I'm more interested in the sleeves than the socks because I'm afraid to wear anything other than my regular socks. I'm not sure if I run enough to really need the sleeves though. But since I'm a slowish runner, I'm out there a long time even though my mileage isn't that high. Is it based on time on feet instead of miles?! I'm just not sure. Anybody know at what point compression socks/sleeves are useful?

Pondering

I really should keep my focus on my upcoming races, yet I'm already thinking about next year.

Two of the folks from my running group are running the full marathon at Rock & Roll in Phoenix next year. I had briefly entertained the notion of joining them and doing the half, but I thought the race was the weekend of the 23rd, which would be a no-go for me due to an important personal conflict. So I wrote it off. Then yesterday, while talking with someone, I realized that the race is on the 16th. Really? I could actually pull that off. And it sure would be nice to get a chance to run a low altitude and see what I can do. Many of you may not realize that I live about a mile above sea level...and the lack of oxygen affects my performance in a negative way. But if I got the chance to run a flat course at sea level, just maybe this high altitude training would result in a surprise finish time...

BUT before you jump on the band wagon and tell me to DO IT, you need to realize that there are pluses and minuses of this race. And the biggest minus is that it really doesn't align to my goals for next year. Allow me to think out loud.

What have I posted about recently? Wanting to do more trail running. That's a very real goal for me. This past year two local races got my attention. One is called Dirty Half Marathon and it was in the Sandia mountains. I've heard good things about it from the folks who ran it. Another is the Sandia Mountain Shadows Trail run. In essentially the same venue, with a 10K or 5K option. Both of these races are close to home, no travel cost, and relatively short drive from my house. Which means I can stretch my race budget to include more events. And they fit the bill nicely to align to my goal of trail running.

Another race that's on my radar is Run the Caldera Trail Run up in Jemez Springs at 8000+ ft above sea level. I'm interested in either the 10K or the HM. It would be challenging, but beautiful. And it's a little farther away, but certainly doable from home with an early wake-up call.

Then there's an event that I've wanted to do for the past 2 years but have always been out of town. It's the Shamrock Shuffle 10 mile race. Historically, this one has been on mixed terrain partly off road and partly on road. I've never done a 10mile race and this year, I actually think we'll be around for it. Another local race with minimal impact to my race budget.

I'd really like to be able to run Mount Diablo out in California with JoLynn next year. From her photos, it looks beautiful, running with JoLynn would totally rock, and it would give me a great excuse to go out and check in on my son at Cal. This one involves travel expenses, but with the opportunity to spend time with both JoLynn and my Son, it would be well worth it.

And while I wasn't very happy about the single wide bridge crossing early on in the Albuquerque Half marathon this past spring, I sure would like another try at that one next year.

And of course, running the half at Duke City instead of being on the sidelines would rock.

Which brings me back to pondering the Rock & Roll in Phoenix. Why is it that this one has appeal for me? Mainly the opportunity to run at low altitude. But it's a road race, not a trail race. It involves travel cost that I'm having a hard time justifying. I'd probably end up running solo (which I don't like) because Husband would likely need to stay home with Daughter. And I'd have to train for a HM during the winter and over the holidays when the weather is going to be cold and unpredictable.

It really isn't a good fit. Yet, for some reason, I'm thinking about it. Decisions, decisions...

Getting My Cheer on

I've run the Duke City Half-marathon for the past 3 years. I really wanted to run it again this year, but my knee just wasn't cooperating and I got back to running about a month too late to be sufficiently prepared. I certainly didn't want to risk re-injury, so I reluctantly stayed on the sidelines for this one.

My running group had a 6-person co-ed relay team in the full marathon. Two of our runners were doing the half. Two of us were planning to sit this one out.

I wasn't running, but wanted to participate in a meaningful way. I decided the best way to do so was to show up and cheer for our solo runners. I decided to position myself near the half-marathon turn point. Since I didn't want to miss my runners, and I wasn't sure where I find a parking space, I made sure to get out there early.

While I intended to take photos while I was out there, in reality the only photo I took was of the 7 mile marker that I was standing near. Exciting, huh?

Of course, I couldn't just stand there silently and wait for my runners. Soon I fell into a cheering rhythm. CLAP CLAP CLAP "Good job runners" CLAP CLAP CLAP *pause* (repeat)

The first person that I saw that knew me was none other than the hills repeat guy! In our interchange that one day, we hadn't introduced ourselves by name, so he called me by the name of the village that we live in. "Hey, Corrales! " Hahahahahaha.

I almost missed my first runner. To my surprise, one of the other runners that I thought had sat out this race was running with her. He had mentioned the possibility for making a last minute decision to pace her (I think there was time to sign-up at the expo). As he ran by, he stopped for a moment, took off his long sleeve shirt and handed it too me. I was happy to help out, but it was pretty gross...all sweaty...when I got it home, I put it into the wash immediately. LOL

Since I was near the turn point, I was able to cheer for my runner directly after the turn around. She was looking strong and I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up with a half-marathon PR.

Back to my routine of CLAP CLAP CLAP "Good job runners!" CLAP CLAP CLAP *pause* (repeat) while I waited for my other runner.

I want to mention something. When I run, I make it a point to thank the volunteers and folks on the course who are out cheering. I've never been very sure how many other people do that. Based on my experience yesterday morning, I'd say that maybe 5% said thank you as they ran by while I was cheering. That's more than I expected, and it made me happy.

I had no problem finding my next runner. To my surprise, he was running with one of the guys who had run an early leg of the marathon relay who was essentially doing a cool down. When they saw me they said that they had been looking for me and were really happy to see me which warmed my heart. I gave some encouragement and made a few jokes as they ran by (both times). It was good to see them smiling.

I stayed for a little while longer, then decided to head home. I would have preferred to be out on the course running myself, but in lieu of that, cheering was a surprisingly satisfying alternative.

The best laid plans...

Today's schedule called for 7 miles easy. I had decided to run a loop starting on the ditch bank (in the sun), and ended up on the acequia (in the shade) on the way back. This was as the temperature heated up, I'd stay comfortable. A perfect plan.

Here I am all pleased with myself for devising such a good plan for my run. I expected the sleeves would last 2-3 miles, then I would tuck them in the hydration belt. Which is basically what happened.

But it wouldn't be much of a story if the plan was without incident. You see, there was one minor issue. I had failed to map out the course in advance and didn't quite know where to turn. I thought I would figure it out while I was out there. But I was wrong.

When I realized that I had gone a little over 4 miles without hooking into my return route, I decided to turn around and head back the same way that I started. Which meant that I was not running a 7 mile loop with the return route in the shade. Instead, I was running an 8.25 mile out & back in the sun. Uggggh.

It's not all bad. While the run didn't go as planned, I did get to work on mental training. I wasn't happy about messing up my route and running longer, but I decided to make the best of it. And I made darn sure to figure out exactly where to turn for next time.

Have a great weekend folks!

Steady Runs

I love my coach. I feel that he really listens to me about my personal goals and creates training plans and offers encouragement to help me reach those goals. During my last training cycle, for a Half Marathon, he respected my desire to finish strong, pain-free, and happy at whatever pace I found could achieve that. He gave other runners pace targets for the occasional steady or tempo run, but let me run by feel.

Fast forward to this training cycle. When I was talking to him about my upcoming 10K, I explained that it's a distance that I really struggle with. Too short to justify running easy. Too far for me to sustain running hard. I've never felt good about this particular distance, and it shows in my finish times.

One of the things that he brought to my attention is that I've never trained for a 10K before. I've trained for HMs, then run a 10K (too slow). I've trained for 5Ks/sprint triathlons then run a 10K (crash and burn). I've even showed up relatively untrained, then run a 10K (train wreck). It's no wonder my finish times are all over the map.

But this time I'm actually training specifically for a 10K. And with that, I find today scheduled to be the first of several 'steady' runs before the race. Which means I'm supposed to run at a prescribed pace. A pace, I might add, that looks scary fast to me. Gulp.

Of course, my immediate reaction was "I can't do this!" My next thought was that since I ran a virtual 10K as part of my 7 miler last weekend, I'll count THAT run as my steady run, and cop out and run easy today.

But then I came full circle. I'm ready to try this. And since I think my best chance of success for this steady run will be to run with the group, that's my plan for the day. I may not hit the prescribed pace, but I'm going to give it an honest try. Wish me luck!

[Updated to add: I hit the prescribed pace window for 2 of the 4 miles that I ran. Missed it on the other two miles. While certainly not a perfect result, I am satisfied. Gotta' remember that this training cycle is a work in progress; race is still a few weeks away.]

Good Bad Ugly of Morning Run

Good

I was all kinds of happy when Mr UPS man came up the driveway yesterday evening and dropped off my package from Zappos. My Lotta Breeze Capris are here! And they fit! They performed well on their debut 5 mile run this morning. YAY!

[Sorry that I don’t have a photo, I was running late (pun intended) and really couldn’t take the time to get a photo this morning. I’ll get one some other time though, I promise.]

Bad

99% of the time, I come across people out on the trail who seem harmless. Most runners and walkers are like-minded in that they are out there for fitness/fun. This morning, however, I came across someone best described as a Crazy Lady. I couldn't understand what she was trying to say to me, perhaps it was a friendly (enthusiastic) warning about loose dogs up ahead, but she made me very uncomfortable. As a result, I made the decision to reroute myself to put as much distance as possible between myself and Crazy Lady and whatever it was that had her all up in arms.

The unintended rerouting messed me up a bit, because I was no longer quite sure where my turnaround point should be. It worked out okay in the end though; I guessed right and managed to get the full distance in. But now I’m a little leery about taking that other path on a weekday morning… :-(

Ugly

There is a reason I don’t generally follow the Galloway method. It’s not that I don’t believe in it, I do. I think it's great. It’s just that I suck at it. The method involves defined intervals. A seasoned Galloway runner would do something that resembles this: RUN walk RUN walk RUN walk RUN

When I try to implement it, it goes more like this: RUN walk RUN walk run WALK run WALK WALK.

And that’s basically what happened on my 5 mile morning. Needless to say, I was not happy about the resulting splits...

Getting My Shopping On

Today is a dedicated rest day, so I don't have anything much to report. Except for the results of a weekend shopping spree made possible by a few giveaways.

On Friday, I was contacted by Cafe Press to see if I was interested in my own Runner Sigg Bottle. Heck yeah! I could really use that to help keep myself hydrated at home. I knew exactly which one I wanted, because I often browse through their stuff. CafePress offers millions of personalized gifts where you can make your own custom Christmas ornaments and even personalized holiday photo cards!

Next, using a $100 Visa that I won from The Happy Runner, I settled on the Skirt Sports Lotta Breeze Capris. I don't want to retire my skirts for the season just because the weather is turning cooler. Plus I really could use a second pair of capris. I can't wait until they arrive so that I can test them out. Just hope I chose the correct size. I ordered through Zappos, just in case I didn't. Return shipping will be free if needed.

Had some extra leftover after that purchase and dedicated it to a pair of Dirty Girl Gaiters. Even though I'm just getting my feet wet (so to speak) with trail running at the moment, I'm beginning to understand how these could be useful. Somehow ever rock, stick, burr seems to find it's way into my shoes at the moment. Again, still awaiting the package arrival.

That's it for my shopping spree. Now I wait for the goods to arrive. Happy Monday! Have a wonderful week everyone!

10/10/10 10K Virtual Race Report

This weekend, my training scheduled called for the dreaded 7 mile run. You know, the one I was doubting myself about earlier this week. I had also signed up to participate in Running Diva Mom's Virtual 10/10/10 10K so I decided to run the first 6.2 miles faster than my usual slow run pace. Then take it easy on the remainder of the run.

This is the race bib that I designed for myself for the virtual race. I wore my cheetah/pink skirt and a grey with pink stitching sleeveless shirt. Had to color coordinate the bib with the run outfit, hence the color scheme. And I added a roadrunner because I live in New Mexico.

It was a chilly morning, maybe 46 deg when I woke up. But it warmed up to ~51 when the sun came up over the mountains and was expected to get up to ~55 while I was out running. Perfect running weather, if you ask me.

I couldn't have been happier with my run. I felt great at the turn point and was able to maintain a reasonable clip for the 10K portion of my run. My 10K time was 01:03:34, a pace of 10:14 (shoot, if I had run just a little faster, I could have hit a 10:10 pace...how cool would that have been?).

I'm quite pleased with that result. To be honest, if I can hit that time at my 10K race later this month, I will be very happy. Although I expect it to be slower due to the offroad nature of the race, and that is okay with me. :-)

I stopped for a walk/water break when I hit the 10K point. Then I finished up my run at a much easier pace (~11:30). Total mileage for the day was 7.1mi.

Thanks, Running Diva Mom for hosting the virtual race. It turned out to be just the confidence builder that I needed during my current 10K training.

Three Things Thursday - "This vs. That"

1) Morning vs. Afternoon/Evening Running

I generally think of myself as a morning person. But that doesn't mean that I'm an EARLY morning person. While I do prefer running in the morning over running in the afternoon or evening, I simply don't have the desire to get up stupid early to run. So perhaps I'm more accurately described as a mid-morning person.

Why am I bringing this up? My body seems to be in sync with the sunrise/sunset. And as the sunrise moves later, I find myself getting up later. And that results in insufficient time to run in the morning before work. Which forces me into the option of running in the late afternoon/early evening. Which I'd rather not do. Vicious cycle!

I'm planning to continue running throughout the winter, so I am going to have to work this out somehow. Just not yet sure what the solution is going to be...

2) Run vs. Cross Train vs. Rest

Right now, a lot of my cross training involves walking, which doesn't seem to give my legs enough recovery time, so I feel that it is very important to take at least one rest day per week. With that in mind, I have decided that Mondays are designated as rest days. That leaves Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday as running days and Wednesday/Friday/Sunday for cross training. I can work with that.

3) Road vs. Off Road vs. Trail

In my limited experience, I've observed road running to be faster, higher impact, and more boring than off road vs trail running. Trails tend to be slower, more difficult/technical, most interesting/scenic. Off road (flat wide dirt levee for example) is somewhere in between. Next year, I want to add in some real trail races, but right now I'm taking baby steps and testing out off road running.

Why am I mentioning this? Well, my upcoming 10K is described as "all terrain." A small portion will be on paved road, about a third is on single-track, and the remainder is on a wide dirt levee road. My fastest 10K was on road, my slowest was a hilly all terrain course the day after a metric century . In all likelihood, I'm probably going to finish this next one somewhere in between my best and worst time. There is really nothing to worry about. If I can get past doubting myself, the race should be all kinds of fun!

A case of self-doubt

Confidence (or lack thereof) is a funny thing. I met up with the running group last night for a four mile run. I was running "easy" pace, but sometimes even that doesn't make the run seem easy. For some reason, that last mile was a real struggle.

With the struggle on that last mile, I started to doubt that I could run the prescribed seven this upcoming weekend. Then I began to seriously doubt that I'd be ready for the 10K at the end of the month.

Huh? Where did that come from?

I ran a 5K not less than two weeks ago. I ran a 10K long run this past weekend. I'm not injured. I'm not sick. I'm following my training plan. Why on earth wouldn't I be able to run seven miles this weekend or be ready for a 10K that's a little over three week away out?!

Looking at it rationally, that logic doesn't even make sense. I'm not sure why the self-doubt was so powerful during that last mile, but it's clear that I have some mental training to do over the next few weeks.

Dream it. Believe it. Then do it.

Self portrait project

For three weeks in September, I captured whatever I was wearing to run/walk that day. Some looks are better than others. I took 19 photos over a period of roughly 3 weeks. My photo skills didn't get much better over time, but at least I know how to use the self-timer feature on my camera now. The dogs make an appearance in every photo! How funny is that?!? I'm posting just a sampling here.

Some skirts are good for running, some are only good for walking. This is one that I have deemed a walking skirt.

Generic black on black. See a lot of that at races. Nothing wrong with it, but not a good combo if your cheering squad is trying to find you in a crowd. I learned that as a spectator. Of course, nobody is trying to pick me out in a crowd most mornings, so I wear it too.

Here is one of my favorites. I need to keep this in mind for an upcoming half-marathon. It's comfy and the lime green should make it easy to be spotted.

This next photo is from my recent 5K day. They gave us flags at the finish line and I was still carrying mine around when I got home.

Including this last one because it features one of my pairs of Moeben sleeves. These are a size small, which is too tight. So I took out the elastic. Then they were too loose. Then I added custom elastic back in. Now they are just right!

The complete collection is posted on FB, friend me over there if you want to see it. Although I warn you in advance, it's not all that exciting. Just a bunch of photos of me wearing different athletic clothing.

10K Non-Race Report

This morning I completed my run in honor of Runner's Bug First Annual 10K Non-Race. Which, by the way, you still have time to participate in and can choose 5K, 10K, or 10 mile distances. Hop over to his blog and join in the fun!

The purpose of the non-race is to run for the love of running. So I won't include any splits because that doesn't matter, just photos that I took along the way!

I started from my house and ran about .8 mile to the acequia. What's an acequia? Essentially this is a diversion channel with water from the Rio Grande that is used for irrigation. It's a nice path for running because the surface is dirt and most of it is lined by trees. Here's a photo that I snapped when I got to the acequia. Doesn't it look peaceful?

I stopped after another mile or so to take another photo. Doesn't look too different from the first one, but gives a good idea what it's like running through here.

This photo is not too exciting, it's from my turn point. Shortly after crossing over to the other side for the route back, I saw ducks in the water. That would have made a better photo. Oh well.

One of the yards along the ditch housed a pair of cows.

Another had horses and a goat

Near the end, I had to run in an area that wasn't tree lined. It was getting hot, so I didn't like that sunny part very much. I stopped momentarily to take a photo of my shadow:

When it was all done, I was back at my front door.

Thank you, James, for hosting the virtual non-race. I had a wonderful stress-free 10K run this morning. Hope you enjoyed "coming along with me."

September Totals

Numbers

• 103.2 miles by feet: ran 54.1, walked 49.1
• 19 trips up the hill
• 27.0 miles on seat (bike)
• 1 race
• 1 rest day
• 8 days with two activities logged

Thoughts

• All in all, it was a good month. However, I didn't realize until the end of the month that I had really shorted myself on rest days. I'll fix that in October.

Plans for October

• Run trails!!
• Learn to hula hoop
• Take rest days
• Participate in Bosque Boogie 10K

For the love of trails

The best part of the 5K this past weekend wasn't the fact that it was my fastest 5K in two years. Although I must admit that was a nice surprise. No, the best part was that I realized just how much fun trail running is in comparison to road running.

And it just gets better. I'm having trouble finding current information on the 10K that I have tentatively scheduled in October, but a description from an earlier years' race described it as follows: "This unique off road race will run through the beautiful level road and single track trail network of the west side Bosque." Assuming they haven't changed the route too much, I think I'm going to have a blast with that one as well.

I think smart training includes running on similar surfaces to upcoming races. So for this next one, I plan to train primarily off road. I also want to mix it up a bit. I have a tendency to run the same routes over and over. That's going to change. And I started by taking a new route for my 4 miler this morning. Fun stuff. Plus a friend of mine showed me how to find some single track nearby. Can't wait to check that out.

Looking at my training schedule for the 10K, all I can think is "Bring on the trails!" This training cycle is going to be fun!

Corrida de Corrales 5K Race Report

Last night we went to an Oktoberfest party. Carb loaded on brats, homemade pretzels, spatzle, gurkensalat, and too many desserts to name. What? That's not the most healthy pre-race dinner? NOW you tell me...

The race venue is maybe a 10 minute drive from my house, so I set the alarm for 6:40. And hit the snooze button once before getting up. No rush, it was an 8am start time.

Wasn't quite sure how to dress. I knew that the race was starting on a shady dirt surface along the acequia. It was a bit chilly in the shade (57deg), but would be much warmer in the sun if the route went took us off that path. Decided to go with capri tights and a sleeveless shirt. Turned out to be a perfect choice for the 5K. Roughly half of the race was on the dirt, and half was on the road in the sun. Love the dirt portion. The surface was uneven and I had to occasionally duck for branches. So much fun! The part on the road was in the sun and not so much fun. [I think I may be a trail runner at heart, and need to seriously think about adding real trail races into my schedule. More on that later]

The power of adrenalin never ceases to amaze me. I managed to run the 5K in 29:51 which by my calculations is roughly a 9:37 pace, something I haven't seen in training anytime recently. Plus it was a good 40 sec faster than my 5K in Feb. [Wow. Where did that speed increase come from?] It put me at 5th F40-49. Very pleased about that. [edit: 1st overall F was in the 40-49 AG, so she was removed from AG results, so I ended up being recorded as 4th in my AG]

Now some photos!

First up, a poor camera-phone self portrait. I did capture the whole ensemble post race as part of my photo project, but you'll have to wait on that.

Tables set up with post race goodies: water, apples, green chile cheese bread, cinnamon raisin bread, juice.

They gave us flags at the finish line. Here's a photo of my shadow holding mine. The wind blew the flag into the photo just as I took it, I think it turned out pretty cool.

I stayed to cheer on the remaining 5K and 10K racers. This last one is just a random photo of the finish area.

All in all, it was a really fun event. I'm glad I signed up for this one and hope to do it again next year!

Friday Follies

What I learned from my post a few days ago, is that many of you like/need a schedule, but you don't necessarily follow it exactly. That's pretty much how it is for me as well.

I was originally going to run 7 miles easy today. Coach wanted me to scale that back to 4 miles easy since I'm running a 5K on Sunday. But then a friend of mine wanted to meet for an early morning 4 mile trail walk. Couldn't say no to that! Decided to walk first, then cut back my run to something closer to 3 miles. To make up for decreased distance, I figured it would be a good idea to push the pace a little and try to achieve negative splits. So that's what I set out to do.

When I got home, I thought that I had completely failed on the run. Every time I checked my Garmin, it seemed like I was going slower. But I feel better now. I ended up running about 3.3 miles, and I nailed the progressive aspect. Plus there's a nice little pick up at the end:

I don't think I'm going to come anywhere my "normal" 5K race pace this weekend. This should be no surprise, since I haven't done any speed work or tempo runs in preparation. And the run this morning was a struggle for me. However, I still think it will be fun to be out there Sunday morning. In the end, that's really what it's all about, right? Fun. :-)

Three Things Thursday

All is going well with my self portrait project. Three observations so far: 1) Every one of my photos taken at home has my dogs in it; I think that's funny. 2) While I haven't blogged much about my weight loss this summer, I can see it in the photos and that makes me happy. 3) I have a lot of athletic wear, but of course I knew that when I started the endeavor. Hahahahaha.

It rained yesterday and last night. This is always big news in the desert; we always need the rain. I hope it doesn't keep raining though, or my race on Sunday will be a muddy mess. The entire race is on a dirt surface.

I'm 80% sure that I'm going to buy myself a hula hoop and/or a jump rope. Sounds like a fun way to cross train. Did some research to find a GOOD hula hoop and a GOOD jump rope. Now I'm trying to decide which I'd rather have first or if I should just bite the bullet and get them both at the same time. Probably ordering from amazon.com, so shipping cost is factoring into my decision. [Edited to add: Received a couple small awards at work that cover the cost of the hula hoop exactly, so went ahead and ordered one. Now I begin the phase of obsessive package tracking. LOL]

Pseudo Taper & Training Schedule

I've been without a training plan for awhile because I haven't been running. When I was able to start running again, Coach & I agreed that I'd just stick to running 4 easy 3x per week. Didn't really need a plan for that. But now that I have some races on my schedule, and after hearing that I was planning to run 7 miles on Friday, he mailed me a scheduled that gets me through October and up to the Bosque Boogie 10K.

He wants me to stick with a 4 mile easy run on Friday as sort of a mini-taper for the 5K. Even though it's a fun run, he didn't think my plan of running 7 on Friday was such a good idea. Something about having fresh legs on Sunday. Okay. Makes sense. Guess I'm in a pseudo taper!

I notice that the plan doesn't have any target paces for tempo runs for about another month. I like this for two reasons. No pressure in the short term; I'll just stick with easy runs which are my favorite. Yet there are some confidence building tempo runs closer to the 10K race. Perfect.

One thing that I do need to talk to him about are all these REST days on the calendar. In the past, he has annotated certain days are REST and other days as Rest/Cross Training. This time I don't see the "Rest/Cross-training days. I assume this is an oversight, and I will typically will cross-train unless I know it's really supposed to be a true REST day.

Do you prefer running with a schedule or winging it? I happen to do much better with a well thought out schedule. And his schedules always make more sense than the ones I try to put together for myself. Guess that's why he's the coach instead of me!

A little bit out of the ordinary

I've completed precisely two races this year, a 5K back in February and a half-marathon in April. Oh sure, I had lots of things planned during the summer (a few triathlons and half-marathons come to mind), but my knee was having none of that.

Now that I seem to be back on my feet, I'm putting some semblance of a race schedule together with one race targeted for each month through the end of the year. I was looking for races that are a little bit out of the ordinary. Here is what I'm aiming at:

September: Corrida de Corrales 5K

It is held in conjunction with the Harvest Festival, it's all off-road, and it's close to home. Plus they are giving out running gloves instead of race shirts. The gloves pushed me over the edge when I wasn't sure about running this. I'm treating it as a fun run, though, not going to push it too much.

October: Bosque Boogie 10K:

I've only done a couple of 10Ks and while I really don't care too much for that distance, I do like mixing things up. From the photos I saw from last year, it looks to be a mix of road and trail. I hope it is, because that's the main reason I chose that particular event over a few other options during the month.

November: Veteran's Day 11K:

No that's not a typo. It's an 11K, probably because Veteran's day is on 11/11. Even thought the actual race will be held on the weekend a few days later. Hey, if nothing else, this will be a PR since I've never raced that distance before. Ha!

December: Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis 5K or 10K

This would be my 5th year running. It's a race for a great cause and it's always been a lot of fun. I'll decide which distance when it gets closer, but at the moment I am leaning toward the 5K option. Want to have fun with this one. The first year I ran in a Santa hat. Wonder what I can come up with this time?

Out of the four listed above, the only one that I've actually signed up for is the Corrida de Corrales 5K. The race is this Sunday. Eek! I'm not ready! Oh wait, I said I was treating it as a fun run. Because of the race, I am moving my long run of 7 miles to Friday.

At the moment, I'm looking forward to the long run more than the race. That's mostly because 7-8 miles is my favorite distance in training. I'm sure I'll be more excited about the race when I pick up my packet on Saturday. Either that or I'll panic and freak out because I'm not ready!

Anything a little out of the ordinary on your race schedule?

Solo 10K and new project

No run group today, it was deemed a "run-on-your-own" day which is fine by me. I was out the door at roughly 8:20 for an easy-pace 10K run. I opted to wear a hydration belt instead of carry my hand-held and that worked out well for me. Other than the final six tenths of a mile or so (which was uphill and in the sun - double yuck), I felt terrific. I'm so happy that my knee is cooperating again!

It has come to my attention that I probably have more choices for what to wear for a walk/run than I do for going to work*. And yet I keep buying/wanting more athletic wear.**

What's worse is that my strategy for what to wear to a race is typically "whatever is clean." This has resulted in some less than stellar race photos.

So I've decided to start a self portrait project whereby I snap a photo (using the self timer on my new camera) in whatever outfit I wear to walk the dogs, do yoga, run, bike, or whatever athletic endeavor strikes my fancy for the rest of the month.

Why am I doing this? Well, by the end of the next few weeks I hope to accomplish the art of self-photography plus be able to pick out a few of my best looks to target as race-wear for the future. It's a win-win!

I actually started this project a few days ago and it's turning out to be kinda' fun. I'll probably post all the photos to FB and a sampling to my blog at the end. You'll just have to wait to see what I come up with!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* In my defense, I'm typically in the office 4 days per week, whereas I run/walk/exercise 7 days a week (sometimes twice in one day). It makes perfect sense to me that my athletic wardrobe would exceed my work wardrobe. Ha!

** Seriously, have you seen the preview of what's coming from runningskirts.com? Oh.my.gosh.too.cute. I'm all over that chocofleur skirt when it becomes available!

On Goals and such

One of my stated goals for the month is to hit 100+ miles by feet (run+walk). We are now smack dab in the middle of the month. So how am I doing?

drum roll please...

56.2 miles by feet (25.5 running, 30.7 mi walking).

Thank you, knee!! I'm on track!!

I also put a few tentative races on my sidebar earlier in the month, all 5K or 10K options. I've decided that I'm not going to do anything at Chips&Salsa so I will be taking that off my list

Which brings me to an interesting exchange that I had with someone yesterday.

I was walking the dogs up the hill and came across a man who was doing hill repeats. I have walked this route 12 times already this month. Occasionally I see people running or walking up that hill, but I have never seen anyone doing hill repeats there before. So it really caught my attention.

On my way down, I happened to be walking by while he was catching his breath and taking a swig of water. Seemed awkward to pass by without saying anything, so I asked "What are you training for?"

He said "Just for fun."

Huh? Nobody does hill repeats for fun, do they? If you are doing hill repeats, I'm guessing you must be training for something. But whatever. I just kept on walking and left it at that.

After walking another half mile or so, I saw him again. He came running past me he said "Actually, there's a race here in a few weeks"

"Oh yeah, the Corrida de Corrales. I'm thinking about running that too," I responded.

Phew. Well at least I'm not crazy. He *is* training for something. And I am keeping that one on my sidebar for now. But I won't be doing hill repeats for it. LOL.

Two Things Tuesday

Morning Run

I opted to run solo again this morning instead of planning to meet the run group this evening. This time the decision was driven by convenience. The run group evening meeting time has changed from 7pm to 6:30pm and now 6:00pm in the interest of daylight. It's all good, except that it means I would really need to rush after work and that kind of defeats the whole running as therapy thing.

I also chose to run "naked," i.e. no garmin, no watch. I got a little carried away and also left the the house with no handheld. Oops. There's not much to say about the run, other than I went 4 miles easy and loved every moment of it.

JoLynn asked in comments on my last post "Why no photos?" The answer is simple. Husband had left for work already, daughter was sleeping, and I suck at self portraits. I could have had her take one when I got back, but by then I had forgotten about it.

To prove my self portrait suckage, I present the best of about a dozen photos that I took after my run this morning. Enough said.

Side note, the dogs are playing "bite my ear" in the background. It's non-stop with those two!

Speaking of the dogs...

A year ago, in the midst a difficult time in my life, we decided to adopt a 5mo old puppy. He had been rescued along with his mother and siblings at a construction site. I remember saying that he looked like he would be a big boy.

Here he is one year later. He seems to have topped out at ~80lbs.

I'm so glad we took him in. He's turned out to be a wonderful companion, he and Bandit are best buddies, he did great in basic obedience training, and he loves going on walks. :-)

Saturday Seven

Saturday morning I was scheduled to run with my group at 7am. Sounded like a good idea when I set the alarm Friday night, but when the alarm went off at 5:45 I had second thoughts. Most of the group was running eight, I was only running five. At most, I'd have a running partner for 2.5 miles and more likely only the first mile that we all run together because my usual running partner is out of town and the rest of the group is too fast for me. Plus, the weather has really cooled off. It was a brisk 50deg at that time of morning, but was only expected to be 60deg by 9am and 66 by 10am. No rush to beat the heat. I turned off the alarm, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

I woke up on my own closer to 7am. Had a leisurely breakfast & coffee and made it out the door for my solo run by 8:30am. I decided to debut the mini dots skirt and strappy top that had arrived in the mail Friday. And since it was about 55deg when I left the house, I added a long sleeve technical top for the first few miles. Sorry, no photos! Just trust me, it is a very cute ensemble. I know this for certain because when I got back home later in the morning, even my teenage daughter commented on how cute I looked. :-)

One of the benefits of running solo is that I can start my run from home, no driving required. Another benefit is that I can run my own pace; no artificial pressure. I took it at an easy pace and had no problems at all with my knee. In fact, I felt like I could have kept going. Next week, I will try running six easy and see how it works out.

Cooled down and had a snack when I got home. Then got the leashes and took the dogs for a walk up and back down my hill for 2 more miles. That makes seven miles total by feet and no knee pain. In my book, Saturday morning was a huge success!

[I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge September 11th. I know that it is an emotional time for many people. For me, it's now tangled up with the anniversary of my father's death (on the 10th last year). It was really good that I could get out and run today. That's really all I want to say about that.]

Three Things Thursday

1 - One of my goals for the month is to log 100+ miles by feet. I thought this was going to be easy until my knee decided to act up again. I need just over 3.3 miles per day on average to hit that number. I was counting on running 4s 3x week, walking 4 1x, and walking 2 sx. Now the running 4s is questionable. It takes FOREVER to walk so I don't know if I'll hit the magic number unless running is in the mix. Stupid knee. Which brings me to plans for today. I'm supposed to run this afternoon, but I'm thinking it may be wiser to walk and give it another day to recover before trying to run again.

2 - I bit the bullet and ordered the black mini dots running skirt from RunningSkirts. It was just too cute not to own. Now I'm tracking my package obsessively. Any of you do that? I'm guessing it will arrive Saturday. By the way, even if I need to take another break from running, skirts make great dog-walking wear. I'm quite certain that I'm the best-dressed dog-walker out in our neighborhood sometimes. :-)

3 - When my kids were little, I used to make their halloween costumes. Then they got older and wanted store bought ones. Then last year, Son asked me to help him sew up a Rorschach mask. I love little sewing projects like that! Well, this weekend is the Homecoming Dance at my daughter's HS. She wasn't happy with any of the dresses that she found shopping and decided to have me alter one for her. It was a fairly simple change. I made it strapless and it's much cuter on her that way. She also found a casual dress on clearance mark-down because it needs mending (it will be an easy repair). One of these days I should do a little sewing project for myself!

Perspective

Within the past 24 hours I walked 4.2 miles, cycled 27, and ran 4. I would be happy about that, but now I'm wondering if I over did it, because the last mile of my run consisted of a lot of walking thanks to a recurrence of knee pain. It seemed to hit me out of nowhere. Maybe I did too much in too short a time. Or maybe it was the cycling.

I'd be lying if I said that this experience this morning wasn't discouraging. And it seems downright unfair sometimes. Why do I struggle with this stupid knee issue? Why can't it happen to someone who is perfectly happy sitting on the couch?

Then I thought about someone we saw yesterday while we were out riding. It was a guy with one leg. Out on the trail. Riding a bike. Just imagine how difficult it would be to cycle one legged the whole way. A lot of people would give up or not even try, but there he was. And he has a big grin on his face.

Then I thought about my own situation. Here I was, out run/walking on a beautiful morning. Sure, my knee is bothering me, but I'm out here. So I smiled.

Right about then I passed the house of a neighbor with Parkinson's disease. He was taking his garbage can out to the curb while walking with a cane. I was running by (slowly) with a smile on my face.

Guess what he said to me?

He said, "What a nice way to start your day."

And he was right.

Seeing Progress

Had a good run with the group last night. I was actually able to keep up with someone else for a change. I think I'm getting my stamina back!

I downloaded the data this morning and noticed some nice improvement in the 4 mile run times that I've captured on my Garmin over the past few weeks. While they all aren't exactly 4.00 miles, they are close enough. It's clear that my body is slowly re-adjusting to running again:

46:46

45:33

44:29

43:35

42:35 * [Edited to add Saturday morning's run, progress continues!]

I'm sticking with fours for another week. Perhaps after that, I can start building up my mileage. Even if I'm not training for anything, I'd be very happy to have my weekend runs get up in the 7-8 mile range. That is my favorite distance for some reason.

Have a great weekend everyone! I have a long weekend, but nothing special planned because Husband will be working. No worries, I'll find ways to enjoy my free time. I'm going to start it off with a nice long walk with the dogs. :-)