A Pair

I've gotten in a couple this week. A solid handful on Sunday and another solid handful today. The Sunday I enjoyed it and modulated my pace to keep it interesting and spent some time thinking things over. It was a good and fun run. I was scheduled for yesterday but the weather was Nasty (note the capital "N") so I bailed. I got out today though it was pretty good. Footing was crummy, lots of crud, rhime, water and poor footing. I enjoyed it though, and it was good to get out in the middle of the day.

I signed up for the Timberman Tri. That should be fun. Weekend at PR's place in August!

Phew!

I went out for 10K today in preparation for Falmouth on Sunday. I'm on a bit of a crash course training right now but it's OK. The run felt pretty good despite that fact that I think the inside of a rice cooker is less humid than the air right now. I'll try and do one more either tomorrow or Friday. It was tough to breathe but it was good to get out and move.

I'm looking forward to Sunday, I actually feel more prepared this year than the last though not sure why -- it might be mental at this point more than physical but last year I was empty and this year, right now, I'm not. Either way, I'm just running to run and keep up a tradition of running this race until I have a collection of at least 12 coffee cups (it's the yearly race gift). I'm going to run, enjoy it and not stress about time -- the goal, as always, is to run under 60 for 7 miles. We'll see where I net out.

And, Another One

I got in a 40 minute run that didn't feel so great and I'm not sure if it's because I lost a bunch of conditioning in my most recent hiatus or if I came back harder than I went out even though I was trying to do the opposite. It was quite cold and the wind was swirling and the sun was fighting to come out and stay out so there was some weather challenge today. This was a check it off, run, today, totally.

Dropping Temps

I got out towards sunset today and had a nice run. The scheduled called for 5, so I did it I think -- I had no watch on and have no idea how long I was out nor how far it really is though it felt close to five. I felt pretty good through the first half and little tired on the second half. The footing was crummy again -- we had more snow yesterday -- so much energy was wasted in slips and slides. Today was a cold day and it was amazing how quickly and how much colder it got as the sun set. It seems silly to say it out loud, ("Yes, Agricola, when the sun sets it gets colder . . .") but the temp drop was dramatic and rapid. The cold felt like a face-slap today and sort of stung. I also didn't have my wind-undies on today, and though not windy I've still got some residual twinge in the unit which got a little chillier than I like it to. I'm racking up some toughness points though, so that's good, I guess.

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.

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!

Final 2008 Run

I got in my last run of 2008 this morning, in the snow, again. Today was a tougher run than my solstice snow run. It was about 10 degrees colder, much windier and the snow was fine and abrasive. However the course works the wind was in my face very often and I could hardly see along certain sections of the road. The snow was caked in my eyelashes and brows and my face was wet and cold. I toughed it out though and finished the year strong.

On the gear front I wore my entire new Sugoi rain suit and it was nice. It's not as warm as my trusty Patagonia, but the jacket's neck fits more snugly and that's a great bonus. It was very comfortable and kept me dry and warm while breathing well.

So, here we are, again, another year in the books. I think it's been a good year on the blog. We've certainly posted a lot and run/worked out a lot. It's good to see. Thanks for doing this, it's very gratifying as the instigator of this experiment to see that it works -- both as a workout motivator and as a way to keep in touch. It's succeeded beyond my goals and that's because it's so active. Thanks guys.

A happy, healthy, safe, prosperous, blessed and mileage filled New Year to all.

Solstice Snow Story

I've been thinking a lot about this blog and how really it's a collection of good stories, some better than others. This thought has lead me to start trying to go for runs that are good stories. I got one today. I headed out around 12:30 this afternoon for a run in some crazy, snowy conditions and it's the Winter Solstice: sunrise was 7:10 AM and sunset is 4:14 PM . . . I covered somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 - 3.5 miles. Not my longest, but given the conditions, good enough for today. I was slippery but not too bad, and I adjusted my stride a bit and all was good.

I saw one other runner today just before we got to church at 9:45 AM and then no others the rest of the day. I was basically alone on my trot. There was no gradual increase in snow on this run, it was snowing the hard whole way. I wore a couple pair of socks and that was good -- something I'll do more of this winter -- as well as a GoreTex raincoat with my hood up. I was very comfortable. I once heard that the Inuit have seven words for snow to describe different types of snow. Well today I ran on/in powder, packed powder, plow churned, foot trodden, tire packed, slushed and just-snow-blown snow. I'm not sure that's what the Inuit had in ind, but they live where they live and I live where I live.

Snuck One In

I spent my morning doing some networking and other things and then decided to hit the road at around 1:30 PM. I set out on stroller route, which is 4 and change, just as the snow was starting come down but continued to fill in and get heavier during the course of the run. The snow is very small flakes and fairly dry and blowing all over. It was blowing in my face for the last half mile or so and I have to admit that I was glad to be done because I could barely see. All in all it was fun, though and a bit out of the ordinary. It was cool to be out in the weather as it intensified. The weekend is supposed to be unsettled at best so I'll see what happens on the run front. I'm hoping to sled out back with the kids, and if there's enough snow, maybe we can get in a snowshoe on a local golf course. I'll let you know.

Crunch! Crunch!

Taking advantage of my under-employed situation as well as the facts that Mrs. A was working from home and that Child 1 & 2 were at school I headed out at 12:35 for a lunch time run. It was a classic, nasty fall/winter day: temps in the mid-30s, spitting rain and a nice crusty coating of ice and sloppy slush all over the place. I did 5.2+ (I missed a turn and added an additional block which actually equals two blocks because it was out and then a return). Still no watch, so no data.

I was just running, enjoying the late fall/early winter bleakness. It was cool to get on non-cruddy pavement because then the run got really quiet and peaceful, I was gliding. When I was on the crud I felt like I was making more noise than a stampede of bison. Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! I felt good throughout except after I returned. After each of my last three runs I've had some nasty . . . expulsions while sitting upon the pot, shall we say . . . I think that I am fighting some sort of stomach bug. Generally I feel fine all day, everything is normal except post-run. I guess, as long as it's post run and not intra-run . . .

Good Start

I had a good start to my running week yesterday and did 5.2 in 42:24. I went post church, like FA, and it was a breezy, chilly, windy day. Clouds scudded in and clouds blew away. As I finished my run it looked very November. There were many stretches with a stiff headwind and quite a few with a good cross wind that would buffet me in between houses or at intersections. It's pretty amazing how much a headwind can add to the work level -- there was one big gust that almost stopped me in my tracks and slowed me way down, and the road was flat. It was cool in a torturous way. I felt really good near the end. I caught one of those moments where running feels like gliding, the sound of your breath and your feet on the road disappear and you're just in the zone. I'm hopeful that I'm coming out of my down-cycle. Let's see what I do the rest of the week.
Sunday was a good start.

Plan vs. Reality

I planned to take Friday off and run for about 60 minutes on Saturday. My training schedule plan said I was supposed to run for about 48 minutes on Saturday and 64 on Sunday. Reality? I rested on Friday and Saturday and ran for 31 minutes today. Rain cut short today's run, but I was happy that I even got it in because there have been showers here all day. The 60 minute run will have to be tomorrow. It's all about being flexible and charging ahead. No rearview mirror in running, right?

Heading to the Cape mid-week for a last minute adventure with the family. It will be fun to experience some of the terrain that Agricola routinely describes here.

Slog

Today's run was a serious slog.  Summer running can be tough.  Everything hurt for the first 15 minutes -- my ankle, my head, my lungs.  I went short, 3.3 miles, and had one of the toughest runs at that distance that I've had in a while.   I attribute the pain-level in my lungs to the humidity -- it was brutal today.  I got in a run, that's good.  It was far from the best but not the worst; it got my heart rate up, my blood pumping and got some sort-of-fresh air, and a huge sweat -- all good.

Heat Wave

I did 38 minutes on Saturday. I had trouble with my pace and it was not exactly comfortable. I did the route that I was taking with C2 in the stroller before Burlington and that was taking me about 40 . . . I went out in 19 and change and back in 18 and change -- about a minute faster.

I didn't run on Sunday -- too hot, but I did spend a sweaty couple of hours bulling ACs around the house and putting them in place. I'm planing on going early tomorrow to beat the heat -- something very moderate and mellow.

Rain, rain

Rain, rain go away
I want to run outside today
With the snow and sleet and rain
Will I ever run outside again?

-- Getting out of shape in VT.