Kickoff!

One.

I got out today and did tomorrow's run today. We're scheduled to receive 6-10 inches more of snow tomorrow so I did my scheduled fiver. I felt pretty good on the second half of the run though the first half was a bit labored. It will be easier to do three in the snow, though if we receive the predicted amounts (heaviest snowfall between 6-10 AM) then even that might be tough. The temp was 18 F and skies were largely clear though you can see the front's leading edge.
Things were quite frozen and footing was OK. There are larger stretches of bare pavement than there were on Sunday. It will be all crudded up again soon though.

Frozen 10K

I got out for a 10K this afternoon while the sun was still in the sky and there was a modicum of warmth from the sun. Warmth is a relative term these days and I keep defining it down with each cold snap. It was about 15 F when I got out today, and it didn't feel that bad!

Nothing major to report. The sidewalks and roads were a bit better today, and at least what was slush Friday is now more frozen and slightly better for running. A couple of young guys in cars mad me really nervous, and killed my rhythm as I slowed and hugged the shoulder. One kid was more concerned about hitting the pedestrian sign in the crosswalk with his father's Audi than he was of hitting the lunatic jogger whom he didn't see . . . the other kid was drifting my way as held his cell phone to his left ear with his right hand and steered with the left.

Anyway, I felt pretty good though the groin and thighs were feeling Friday's effects. I've got a way to go, but I've got 18 weeks to get there. The program starts in earnest tomorrow with a cross-training day. I'm hoping to do some yoga with Mrs. Agricola. My hope for this marathon training effort is to not get all wrapped up in the size of the effort (which I did last year) and just try and get out there as much as possible and come as close to 90 runs and 646 training miles as I can. I'm looking forward to it. Here we go!

Muscle Grinder

I got out again tonight. A social event last night prevented me from running on Thursday. I'll shoot for two more this weekend. I was going to go short, but decided to push it a bit and finished somewhere in the neighborhood of 5. It was an OK run but I was slightly hampered by traffic and lousy footing. The footing made this run a muscle grinder. I felt very tight in the muscles on the front of my pelvis that connect down into the thigh and I think it had to do with trying to control the flailing legs. Every foot plant on slushy snow (which were most of them) resulted in very little drive and my legs going all over the place. I must have tightened the muscles to try and control the flail -- it actually feels as if I did sit ups today the way the muscles in my lower abdomen feel. The inability to power forward was annoying. Some runs are annoying, what can you do? Back at it tomorrow and Sunday. Marathon training program starts Monday!

Cold, Dark, Icy, Slow

I went out late in the day again today. It was a cold, dark, icy and slow run. Because of the cold I went on my short route and picked my way over frozen slush, strips of frozen melt water and lots of packed powder. The poor footing forced me to be patient and methodical and that's a good thing right now. Aside from not taking a spill or turning my ankle, the best thing about today is that I got in my run, got my reps, got my blood flowing, heart pounding, lungs working and enjoyed the experience. Running in conditions like today's is like trail running. You have to be very tuned into the path, and your feet, and really watch where you are going. I felt very focused. One more run tomorrow then rest day on Friday. My legs and lungs felt good. I'm raring to go on the marathon training program which begins Monday.

Inauguration Day

I got a run in this evening. Nothing major, just a little trot through town, after sundown and before dinner. The roads were sloppy and gross, and it was chilly but it felt good to be running. I used the run to process some stuff and was reminded again of the therapeutic benefits of running. I came back in a great frame of mind versus my departure frame of mind which was fairly dark and frustrated. It was a good run.

I got the results from my New Year's Day 5K. I came in 16 out of 60. I am happy with that result.

Today is a good day for our country. An historic moment that proves yet again we live in the greatest country in the world. Inauguration Day is always a cool day in my book (regardless of who won the election) because of the ceremony and associated symbolism and the fact that this is the forty-fourth peaceful transfer of power over the past 226-odd years -- a remarkable accomplishment, to be sure.

Snowshoeing

I took the kids to a local golf course for some sledding and snowshoeing this afternoon. It was a beautiful, cold day. We walked along some fairways for a bit and when the kids got tired and grumpy I plopped them in the a sled and dragged them back to the car. By no means was it a major workout but it just what the doctor ordered. My layoff left my legs a bit sore today and tromping around in the snow has left them feeling good. Another run tomorrow.

Monkey Off My Back

All day today the temp was hovering around 8-12 Fahrenheit, but I didn't let it deter me. It was time to stop being such a wimp and get out there and run. I felt the urge strongly yesterday, but too near sundown, so postponed until today. I felt pretty good despite my layoff and the cold. I wore the yellow lenses in my Smiths. I'm not sure what the yellow lenses really do, but they do seem to heighten contrast in low light which was useful since I was running in the gloaming; and I think that they are fun. I wore my GoreTex rain coat with hood to help keep me warmer and it worked nicely. On the return leg I pulled down the hood because I was sweating pretty good; so much so that while stopped at a stop light steam billowed out from under the hood and fogged my glasses from the inside. That's kind of cool, actually.

I feel as if I got the post-holiday-dead-of-winter-monkey off of my back and that's good. Training for Vermont City starts 1/26/09, so this coming week is about running on the training schedule of Tuesday - Thursday, Saturday - Sunday with cross training Monday and rest Friday. I'm into it and feel confident this year. Last year the schedule wigged me out and I felt overwhelmed. I'm in known territory and am happy that my last marathon was less than a year ago rather than four ears ago -- like last year. Here we go!

Beautiful Run

Phat and I took a wonderful run today through his lovely seaside town, down quaint streets and past amazingly well-preserved 18th century homes. We ran out to a beach and stopped to look at the serene water of Buzzards Bay with a flat gray sky overhead and piles of scallop shells at our feet. I said to him as we approached the water "I love running. Though I don't always like it I do love it." Today, I loved running. Today, was a great run with a great friend, and it helped me reconnect with him, the weather, the surrounding world, myself, running . . . it was amazing. I don't know how far we went or what our pace was, but that wasn't the point. Running was the point, and it rocked. I'm psyched for my next run. Thanks, Phat.

Cape Cod Bluebird Day

As the photo above shows, yesterday was a bluebird day on Cape Cod (stealing a term from VTR). We went down to visit my in-laws before they depart for sunny Florida and I decided to sneak in a run. It was a gorgeous day and despite not being totally motivated I got out for 5+ -- how could I not?

There was a surprising amount of snow down there and roads with few year-rounders were downright treacherous, but it was relatively mild (high-20s, mid-30s) and gorgeous (see above photo). I saw a big hawk near the end of the run -- not a Red Tail, but I'm not sure what kind. I also stopped for a minute or so in the early going to watch some little ducks swimming and diving. I have no idea what kind of ducks they were as marine, riverine, estuarine birds are nearly impossible for me to ID.

My right hammy started tightening up on the run and that started to pull the back muscle above my right glute in an uncomfortable fashion. It's sort of twingy right now. What was the stretch that you guys were talking about prior to the CCM to alleviate this? My back has been bugging me for a bit, and I thought that it was injured from moving C3's seat around. That it's related to running is oddly comforting because I think it can be stretched out, and is not a lifting /weight bearing related injury.

First Run, 2009

With 60 other crazies I got out for a 5K road race in my town. It was about 9 degrees Fahrenheit with stiff breeze which made it feel even colder. I was joking with some of the other runners that I just paid $20 to run a course that I run all of the time for free, and not very often at 9 F!

I had fun and finished well. I have no idea how fast I went out and in what time I finished, but based on the fact that it was an out an back with a loop in the middle between mile 1 and 2 and I got to see the lead pack a couple of times I estimate that I was in the top quarter to third of runners. A cold weather survival tip: I put body glide on my face today and it seemed to work to keep me from getting totally chapped (Vaseline works well in this type of weather as well) though it didn't keep my face from going quite numb!

Some running resolutions for 2009:

1. At least one race/month (one down!)


2. Break 4 hours at Vermont City


3. Break one hour at Hale


4. Do another tri this year (maybe the Granite Man*)


5. Put together a team for "100 on 100" (anybody?)**


6. Run Falmouth closer to, or better than my 2007 time


7. Put together a couple of Cape Cod Marathon Relay teams

Happy new year!
*I looked up the Granite Man distances: .75 Mi. Swim / 15 Mi. Bike / 4.2 Mi. Run (also listed at 3.7 mi.). It also might be the same weekend as 100 on 100, hence maybe.