Happy New Year!

I went for my second run since hurting my ankle in November. I didn't wrap the thing and just went out and hit it. I nearly bailed because I was feeling pretty lazy but sucked it up and went. I did my 3.3 mile route in 29:52. Certainly not my quickest for that distance but not bad. The inside of my shin above the ankle was sore but the ankle joint itself was not too bad. Swelling was minimal -- meaning the ankle was no more swollen post-run than it was prior to departure. I feel pretty good today but my legs are a bit sore -- oh, well, it's time to work back to fitness. I'm going to go again tomorrow and looking forward to it.

So, there are 7 hours and 22 minutes left in this year. All in all, it's been a good year and this blog has been lots of fun. I think that the blog did what I intended it to do when it started in February. It's been great sharing our experiences up here and keeping in touch. This silly thing is as much about life and friendships as it is about running, I think. So, to all of my fellow LDT-ers and anybody stumbling across our little blog, I wish you and your families a Happy, Healthy, and Wonderful New Year in 2008. Keep blogging. Keep running. Be well.

Skate Skiing

We spent yesterday (Christmas) afternoon at the VTRunner-in-laws, where I had the chance to get in a little exercise. As we've all seen on the blog lately, exercise events have been sparse, so I was glad to finally get out.

Mr. VTR-in-law keeps an amazing skate-skiing track around the field at his place, and I had yet to get in a skate this year. After a big breakfast, light lunch, and mid-day nap, I figured the time was right to hit it. I strapped on the skis and immediately struggled to find a skating rhythm. I felt like a baby moose on a frozen pond -- legs and arms everywhere, long poles flying, totally uncoordinated. Once I got my legs under me I took off (relatively speaking). One lap turned to four, which turned to eight, 12, 15 and finally 20. At each potential stopping point, I stood at the top of the field and couldn't think of a good reason to quit. The sun was setting, and the scene was perfectly quiet and calming. Even better, my lungs and legs felt great. Skate skiing can be a tough sport, both cardiovascularly and technically, but I felt like I could go forever. As demanding as it can be, it's also very rhythmic, like swimming, and can lull you into a meditative zone. At one point, I found myself thinking about the upcoming Burlington marathon. I was chanting something like, "3:15, where do you want to be?" with each stride. 3:15 is my stretch goal time for the Burlington marathon, and it was awesome to feel inspired enough to start visualizing the race. I felt strong, clear-headed and invigorated. At lap 20, I stopped because I knew cocktails and hors-d'oevres were waiting inside, not because I was couldn't go on.

I mention this as a reminder that the work we've put in over the year doesn't just disappear because we're taking a collective break to catch our breath and recharge. Sure, we might have to brush off a bit of rust, but the base of fitness is still there. I was completely surprised and encouraged by my skiing session. I'm looking forward to jumping back into the LDT life.

Hope you all had a merry Christmas. Happy new year!

Done

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Just registered for the VT City Marathon. It was strangely difficult.

You and me, Agricola. Any other takers out there?

Test Run

I went out Saturday for about 21 minutes. I covered somewhere between 2 and 2.25 miles. I had fully intended on doing something short and slow like this and it was probably a good decision. The ankle was pretty sore through the first half, but started feeling better on the return. It was tender afterwards as well, but nothing major to report. It was in decent shape on Sunday which was good because I was outside shoveling for about two hours. I was thinking about going today, but yesterday's workout and the fact that the world was an ice sheet today canceled those thoughts.

When running on level ground the ankle feels OK. As soon as the surface gets uneven or bumpy, or goes up or down a hill it's sore. Running in conditions such as we're experiencing now is always dicey, and even more so on a balky ankle. I lost more than a little conditioning and leg strength during my hiatus, which is a bummer, but both will come back. It was good to get out and felt good, mentally. I enjoyed the motion and was also happy to have overcome inertia.

I'm In

I just signed up for the Vermont City Marathon. I'm in.

Resolutions

So it's been a quiet blog lately. While I haven't been riding/posting myself (with only one spin on the bike since Labor Day) I still drop in occasionally. Injuries, cold weather and the holidays do take their toll.

Fart on that. I'm feeling fat and angry about the slothfullness that overcame the second half of my year. I am setting physical goals for 2008 and will be looking for support and input through this blog to help make them happen.

First, I am riding the Montauk Century this year -- rain or shine, alone or not. And I am aiming to train properly this time, which means more frequent weekday rides on the trainer and longer weekend rides in the park/VT/wider world.

Also, I am thinking seriously about trying a multi-sport event. Lake Placid Cyclery hosts weekly duathlons -- run one mile, bike 10, run 2 miles -- and I may have a go.

And I want to be involved in what you are doing, too, so let me know what you are shooting for in the New Year. I am excited and anxious to get back on track.

5K and Snow

I've been quiet on the blog mainly because I've been quiet on the running front. I ran my first Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, and it went well. I don't remember my time, but I finished in the top 10% or so and felt good.

The most remarkable thing about the race is that it's been around for about 10 years in my hometown, and I had never heard of it. I now have a new tradition, and I'm psyched.

There was a funny moment towards the end of the race. The run finishes with a 3/4 lap around the high school track. As I approached the school, I came up behind two boys who were probably 7 and 9 years old and were running a 7 minute mile pace (amazing). We entered the track, and people were going crazy for these kids as their pace (and mine) quickened. Suddenly, I was faced with a moral decision. Do I really step it up and pass the kids to record my best time (no pr, just the best time I could run on that day), or do I run a solid pace to the end, but let the kids finish ahead of me. If these were normal loping kids, I'll be honest and say I would've passed them just before entering the track. But these kids were legitimately hauling, and I would have had to find an extra gear to edge them out. Can you imagine that picture? An OG (old guy) leaning at the line to capture some glory while subsequently burying these two young aspiring athletes. Luckily, I'm not an idiot (at least not on that day), so I eased up a bit and followed the kids across the line.

Still the image of me just nosing the two "suckas" cracks me up.

On another front. We have a solid foot of snow up front, and I had a "meeting" at the Stowe quad lift at 8:00 this morning. It was my first legit day of the year and it rocked. It's still snowing (noon on Monday), and we're looking at another 10" or so by tomorrow morning. Spread the word and get up here to ski/ride. There is snow in VT!!