Thanks to Erin and Blaine for hosting a fun fat ass today. It was the first time I'd seen a lot of the Monsters since before Christmas. The eight mile loop (one of which was enough for Rick and me today) was mostly on very well-packed trail with some ice and interesting footing in the woods. The weather cooperated fully with bright sunshine and very little wind, which makes cold temps a non-issue. The near-zero conditions did make the group fun to look at during the couple of stops - lots of steam rising off of bodies and some really cool frosted faces. I think there was the largest group pee I've ever witnessed; I believe marking the trail was the given excuse.
One fat ass stuck out more than any other - because it was in a neon-pink, lace thong over running pants (thankfully!). But (butt?) I'll take that over the mooning Jim did at Ian and Emma's fat ass!
Since we only did the one loop, we got to see more of little Sam. That's one sweet baby! And socialize with Erin, Christine, Sara, Mindy, and Danielle as well as multiple puppies. There was lots of yummy treats. One of the hi-lights was combining Sara's mac-n-cheese with Christine's butternut squash soup.
And since I haven't gotten my running log yet (my favorite one, that I've used since 1986, sold out), I have to mention that Linda and I ran a loop of our fat ass course yesterday. That gives me another 5.17 for the week.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Amazing
Friday I had planned to walk the fat ass course with Chris's Garmin to make sure the loop had sufficient mileage. The low teens and howling winds discouraged me; I decided there was no way I was gonna be out there that long. So I ran it. That would seem the normal choice, but with all the rain we had and, knowing the terrain, I was sure I'd get my feet wet. Somehow that made it even more of an adventure.
From our house it looks like there are no trails left. The fields are very open to the wind, sun, and other elements. As soon as I got to the back fields, the trail that Jerry had dragged for me was evident. As suspected, there were areas I had to tread very lightly. I broke through to water several times, but pulled my foot out before getting wet. There were places where the water had flooded over the trail. The ice there was as smooth as a hockey rink. Perhaps I'll investigate the more aggressive screws.
The wind nearly stopped me in a few spots where it seemed to be funneled right at me. Leaning hard, eyes watering, snot flowing, I made slow progress. If the ice had coincided with those windy spots....
The amazing part was the mileage when I stopped - 5.17!!! I didn't look at it and adjust along the way. 5.17 x 6 = 31.2. Pretty damn good!!
From our house it looks like there are no trails left. The fields are very open to the wind, sun, and other elements. As soon as I got to the back fields, the trail that Jerry had dragged for me was evident. As suspected, there were areas I had to tread very lightly. I broke through to water several times, but pulled my foot out before getting wet. There were places where the water had flooded over the trail. The ice there was as smooth as a hockey rink. Perhaps I'll investigate the more aggressive screws.
The wind nearly stopped me in a few spots where it seemed to be funneled right at me. Leaning hard, eyes watering, snot flowing, I made slow progress. If the ice had coincided with those windy spots....
The amazing part was the mileage when I stopped - 5.17!!! I didn't look at it and adjust along the way. 5.17 x 6 = 31.2. Pretty damn good!!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Fun with Technology
I embraced the synthetic fibers as they came out. Cotton wasn't the best thing to run in after all. Some of SportHill's running clothes simplified cold-weather running. Farther back (a lot farther back), I remember switching to real running shoes after having run a few years in my basketball shoes, Chuck Taylors. What a difference! So technology has helped.
Besides that, I guess I've relied on my sports watches, but that's it. I didn't like Rick's training with the heart monitor. I couldn't stand running as slow as it wanted him to run on his easy runs and I couldn't keep up with him on his fast days. Once, I called the Gu people to ask a question and they asked me something about my heart monitor and ...something. I said, "What heart monitor?" It was like they automatically thought me not a serious athlete cause I wasn't using one.
I have had Garmin envy though. Today Linda called me and said that she had gotten Chris's Garmin 305 back. She and her family had wanted to be sure they had all Chris's runs/info that they could get saved. After that, she sent it out to be refurbished. I felt very honored to be the first one to use it. It was way easier to use than I anticipated. I ran 7.16 miles at 9:35 min/mile pace on the USM Gorham campus. Soon I'll figure out the rest of the software and get a look at the elevation profile. Tomorrow I plan to walk (only because it's way to wet right now) my fat ass course to make sure it's the right length.
Besides that, I guess I've relied on my sports watches, but that's it. I didn't like Rick's training with the heart monitor. I couldn't stand running as slow as it wanted him to run on his easy runs and I couldn't keep up with him on his fast days. Once, I called the Gu people to ask a question and they asked me something about my heart monitor and ...something. I said, "What heart monitor?" It was like they automatically thought me not a serious athlete cause I wasn't using one.
I have had Garmin envy though. Today Linda called me and said that she had gotten Chris's Garmin 305 back. She and her family had wanted to be sure they had all Chris's runs/info that they could get saved. After that, she sent it out to be refurbished. I felt very honored to be the first one to use it. It was way easier to use than I anticipated. I ran 7.16 miles at 9:35 min/mile pace on the USM Gorham campus. Soon I'll figure out the rest of the software and get a look at the elevation profile. Tomorrow I plan to walk (only because it's way to wet right now) my fat ass course to make sure it's the right length.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Double Rainbows
Was almost 30 minutes late meeting Four this morning for our run. Sorry, really. But he had his cousin's dog, Ephy, for the day and made me feel like he was fine hanging out waiting at the Back Cove. Thankfully, the day was beautiful and warmer than expected or I'd have felt a lot more guilty.
Ephy had boundless energy; I wanted to apologize to him for being slow. Yeah, the shoes make me feel fast, but, with my lingering cold, I'm really not. Still manage to do a lot of talking during the run.
On the way back, two fire trucks were parked at the end of Sewer Plant Rd., right at the start of the Eastern Promenade Trail. One of the trucks was discharging its firehose in a big arc right into the bay. There must have been five firefighters on the truck - um - helping? Well, it did look like fun. The thing was the trail was getting very wet. Four and I decided to just go for it. Besides getting very wet ourselves, we saw two amazing, full-arced rainbows over the water. We yelled to the firefighters and they were smiling back. Not fifty feet passed and they shut off the water. I think they could have stopped before we got there, but liked having the targets! The cold water wasn't a problem, I was overdressed for the day anyway.
I think we got in just over 5 miles. My being late cut us short on time. I would have liked to run longer to test the shoes a little more.
Ephy had boundless energy; I wanted to apologize to him for being slow. Yeah, the shoes make me feel fast, but, with my lingering cold, I'm really not. Still manage to do a lot of talking during the run.
On the way back, two fire trucks were parked at the end of Sewer Plant Rd., right at the start of the Eastern Promenade Trail. One of the trucks was discharging its firehose in a big arc right into the bay. There must have been five firefighters on the truck - um - helping? Well, it did look like fun. The thing was the trail was getting very wet. Four and I decided to just go for it. Besides getting very wet ourselves, we saw two amazing, full-arced rainbows over the water. We yelled to the firefighters and they were smiling back. Not fifty feet passed and they shut off the water. I think they could have stopped before we got there, but liked having the targets! The cold water wasn't a problem, I was overdressed for the day anyway.
I think we got in just over 5 miles. My being late cut us short on time. I would have liked to run longer to test the shoes a little more.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Gorham Reavers
Yeah, the title doesn't really fit, but...Sam and I always have to say that when headed to Gorham. Any other Firefly fans?
Another day of running the Gorham campus. I found a way to stretch my loop out even more and include a bigger hill. My new shoes have promise. Just need to play with the lacing a bit so that the top of my foot is not irritated. The good thing is they somehow made me feel fast. I really want to be able to wear them! I don't usually feel fast. And they're pretty!
The only bad part of today's run was that it reminded me of why I don't like the transition period between winter and spring. On my last loop the wind picked up a lot and pelted me with sand and salt. It got in my eyes, nose, and mouth. Give me back winter!
Another day of running the Gorham campus. I found a way to stretch my loop out even more and include a bigger hill. My new shoes have promise. Just need to play with the lacing a bit so that the top of my foot is not irritated. The good thing is they somehow made me feel fast. I really want to be able to wear them! I don't usually feel fast. And they're pretty!
The only bad part of today's run was that it reminded me of why I don't like the transition period between winter and spring. On my last loop the wind picked up a lot and pelted me with sand and salt. It got in my eyes, nose, and mouth. Give me back winter!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Everything Will Be All Right When We Go Shopping...
Wisely had decided that this would be a day off. That makes for a very long time in Portland with little to do. OK. Thanks, Barenaked Ladies, but I don't normally like to shop....EXCEPT for running shoes! I spent a lot of time at Maine Running Company deciding between two road shoes because, of course, the ones that worked were being retired. I opted for New Balance 905's. I'll let you know tomorrow if they're the ones.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Sugar, Sugar
Another hard day on the trails. Rick and I ran the six we planned, but it felt more like 10. Several times along the way I reminded us that we could have chosen the roads - that always makes it seem like a good choice!
Anxious to see how much rain we actually get tomorrow and what it does to the fields.
Anxious to see how much rain we actually get tomorrow and what it does to the fields.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Beautiful Morning
Linda and I planned to run at 10am before it warmed up. We were hoping the cold night would have firmed up the trails....Nope! But it was such a beautiful morning it didn't really matter that is was very taxing. I just hope things are a lot firmer by my fat ass (boy, that sentence could be misunderstood!). Not sure who would want to run 50k with these trail conditions - no matter how lovely the day.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Campus Loops
Finally have a USM parking permit, so was able to park on campus in Gorham. I'd forgotten my bag with license (had all my running gear, though!), so was happy to drive as little as possible. I'm not happy running the roads in Gorham normally and wasn't eager to run with the snow crowding any shoulder. So I just did laps around the school.
Anyone familiar with USM's Gorham campus will know that meant I did hills. I even added some long stairs up. I felt like the Rocky music should be playing. Don't know how often I'll repeat that workout, but I definitely had fun with it today. Ran what I guessed to be 5 miles.
Anyone familiar with USM's Gorham campus will know that meant I did hills. I even added some long stairs up. I felt like the Rocky music should be playing. Don't know how often I'll repeat that workout, but I definitely had fun with it today. Ran what I guessed to be 5 miles.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Urban Adventure
So I'd taken Monday as a planned day off, but Tuesday turned into one also. It was Sam's first day back at USM and I figured I'd run down there. Well, the commute was no fun with all the snow. All totaled we saw four accidents, two minor, two not. His class was in Gorham. I don't like running there in good weather and didn't want to be on the roads in such slippery conditions; I have screw shoes, most cars....Besides, my brother kept telling me I wasn't getting better cause I was trying to run through it. I think he's sick of me coughing in his ear on the phone.
Monday and Wed, Sam has a 9:30am class in Gorham and then a 2:45pm class in Portland that gets out at 4:40. I dropped him in Gorham and headed to Portland; He can take the shuttle bus between campuses. That's a lot of time to spend in Portland with nothing to do. There was no way I wasn't running.
What a run! I think I packed my entire running attire and shoes, not knowing what conditions I'd see. I chose tights, my favorite hooded top, and road shoes. From what I'd seen driving around, the sidewalks were just wet. The Back Cove looked practically untouched. If I'd remembered to include my gaiters, I'd have just run that with my Inov8 screw shoes. Instead I drove to the start of the Eastern Prom trail. I headed out towards Commercial St.
Initially, the sidewalks were just wet. As soon I hit High St on my way to the Casco Bay Bridge, I felt like I was on trails. I was jumping slush puddles, crunching snow, watching out for ice and having a blast. I followed the bridge all the way down instead of taking the footpath down into the park under the bridge; it hadn't seen any snow removal. To my surprise, the walking path out to Bug Light had been snow blown. It looked slick, but even my non-aggressive tread (might even call them pacifists) on my Lunar Trainers seemed to get traction. Instead of following it all the way to the lighthouse, I wandered down streets in the neighborhood around there. I could pretty much run down the roads.
The few people I encountered were digging out cars and driveways. Everyone was friendly and seemed to be, well not enjoying but, not minding the task. By the time I decided I'd better turn back, I'd been running nearly 38 minutes and the snow was falling again and the wind had picked up.
Map My Run says the round trip was 7.8 miles. I was slower on the return, but I was coughing a lot by then. There was just enough time to head to Whole Foods to change. I was on my way to USM when Sam called to say they'd gotten out a little early. So I still have today's NY Times crossword puzzle to do.
Monday and Wed, Sam has a 9:30am class in Gorham and then a 2:45pm class in Portland that gets out at 4:40. I dropped him in Gorham and headed to Portland; He can take the shuttle bus between campuses. That's a lot of time to spend in Portland with nothing to do. There was no way I wasn't running.
What a run! I think I packed my entire running attire and shoes, not knowing what conditions I'd see. I chose tights, my favorite hooded top, and road shoes. From what I'd seen driving around, the sidewalks were just wet. The Back Cove looked practically untouched. If I'd remembered to include my gaiters, I'd have just run that with my Inov8 screw shoes. Instead I drove to the start of the Eastern Prom trail. I headed out towards Commercial St.
Initially, the sidewalks were just wet. As soon I hit High St on my way to the Casco Bay Bridge, I felt like I was on trails. I was jumping slush puddles, crunching snow, watching out for ice and having a blast. I followed the bridge all the way down instead of taking the footpath down into the park under the bridge; it hadn't seen any snow removal. To my surprise, the walking path out to Bug Light had been snow blown. It looked slick, but even my non-aggressive tread (might even call them pacifists) on my Lunar Trainers seemed to get traction. Instead of following it all the way to the lighthouse, I wandered down streets in the neighborhood around there. I could pretty much run down the roads.
The few people I encountered were digging out cars and driveways. Everyone was friendly and seemed to be, well not enjoying but, not minding the task. By the time I decided I'd better turn back, I'd been running nearly 38 minutes and the snow was falling again and the wind had picked up.
Map My Run says the round trip was 7.8 miles. I was slower on the return, but I was coughing a lot by then. There was just enough time to head to Whole Foods to change. I was on my way to USM when Sam called to say they'd gotten out a little early. So I still have today's NY Times crossword puzzle to do.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Garlic
Lots of people have colds right now, including me. Here's a garlic soup recipe that might be worth trying. It came from an old Sunday magazine section of the news paper years ago so I can't credit the source. The article claimed immune-boosting properties for the soup; We love the spicy heat and comfort.
Herbed Garlic Soup
56 oz vegetable broth
2 heads garlic (about 30 cloves), peeled
2 med. onions, peeled and quartered
3 Tbsp each, minced fresh parsley and cilantro
2 tsp. each, minced fresh mint and basil leaves
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
I like to garnish with some parmesan cheese and one of the green herbs for color.
56 oz vegetable broth
2 heads garlic (about 30 cloves), peeled
2 med. onions, peeled and quartered
3 Tbsp each, minced fresh parsley and cilantro
2 tsp. each, minced fresh mint and basil leaves
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- In a large sauce pan, combine all ingredients except lemon. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool somewhat.
- In food processor or blender, puree soup in batches. Return to pan and add lemon. Reheat.
I like to garnish with some parmesan cheese and one of the green herbs for color.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Weekend Runs
Good thing Rick woke up early on Saturday. With my cold, I've been having lots of trouble sleeping and would not have woken up in time to get to Bradbury. Even so, I thought we'd be late (didn't deter me from taking time to go to Dunkin Donuts for coffee). Well, we weren't the last ones to pull in, but close.
It was a large group of Monsters that included two energetic pups. We headed out across the street (Scuffle side) to the snowmobile trail. I can usually keep up for 4 to 5 miles (when the faster group is doing a longer run), but, with my cold, I fell off the pace after just a mile. Rick dropped back with me. It was nice to see him running strong again. I've been noticing him come back to form (knock on wood). Yay!! We were planning on running an hour though most of the others were looking at 15 miles. I had to get back to meet Linda's son Jerry. He was going to drag our FatAss course. We turned around at 30:00 and made it back at 1:00:36 - pretty even splits. After looking at Jamie's post with elevation map, I figure we did 6 miles.
I had time to change into warm clothes and have a hot drink before Jerry showed up to drag the course. I jumped on back and pointed where to go. After we'd done the course, he attached his groomer and went around a couple more times. It looks pretty good, but we need some cold temps to firm it up. He plans on coming back periodically to work on it.
Linda and I got out early (7:30am) today to run the course before it warmed up. Unfortunately, the temps didn't go as low as they were supposed to. It was 28 degrees when we started. Most of the going was pretty difficult. Our course goes around the edges of all the fields. Most of the deepest snow lies there. Since it was the first time it had been packed since the big storm and it didn't get cold enough over night, it was very slow going. Linda had done a longer run yesterday (and she hasn't been able to get out that often because of work) and was a little sore to start. By the time we'd gone just over 2o minutes, she opted to run the snowmobile trails that were well established. I decided to stay the course. There were so many coyote tracks. Don't know if there were lots of coyotes or just a couple that were very active. I think they liked having some groomed trails. My five mile run took 58:23. I did have to take a few breaks to cough up the very lungs I was counting on. Also took some time to break branches and prickers that were in the way.
It was a large group of Monsters that included two energetic pups. We headed out across the street (Scuffle side) to the snowmobile trail. I can usually keep up for 4 to 5 miles (when the faster group is doing a longer run), but, with my cold, I fell off the pace after just a mile. Rick dropped back with me. It was nice to see him running strong again. I've been noticing him come back to form (knock on wood). Yay!! We were planning on running an hour though most of the others were looking at 15 miles. I had to get back to meet Linda's son Jerry. He was going to drag our FatAss course. We turned around at 30:00 and made it back at 1:00:36 - pretty even splits. After looking at Jamie's post with elevation map, I figure we did 6 miles.
I had time to change into warm clothes and have a hot drink before Jerry showed up to drag the course. I jumped on back and pointed where to go. After we'd done the course, he attached his groomer and went around a couple more times. It looks pretty good, but we need some cold temps to firm it up. He plans on coming back periodically to work on it.
Linda and I got out early (7:30am) today to run the course before it warmed up. Unfortunately, the temps didn't go as low as they were supposed to. It was 28 degrees when we started. Most of the going was pretty difficult. Our course goes around the edges of all the fields. Most of the deepest snow lies there. Since it was the first time it had been packed since the big storm and it didn't get cold enough over night, it was very slow going. Linda had done a longer run yesterday (and she hasn't been able to get out that often because of work) and was a little sore to start. By the time we'd gone just over 2o minutes, she opted to run the snowmobile trails that were well established. I decided to stay the course. There were so many coyote tracks. Don't know if there were lots of coyotes or just a couple that were very active. I think they liked having some groomed trails. My five mile run took 58:23. I did have to take a few breaks to cough up the very lungs I was counting on. Also took some time to break branches and prickers that were in the way.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Home!!
Sunday the family headed to NJ to have our Christmas with Rick's folks. It's nearly an eight hour trip so no running that day. One nice note about the drive; We saw so many hawks we were calling it "the Cluster Hawk to the Granparents". Also there were easily over 100 swans on a short stretch of water, the Muscoot Reservoir, along Rte 684 in NY. When I used to drive that way on the way home from college, I'd be amazed if I saw a three or four.
Monday, Rick and I drove to the shore to run. The temperature was in the high 30's with brilliant blue skies. No matter where we picked to run, the sand was very loose, even at water's edge. Reminded me of running in the loose snow before the snowmobile trails were packed. Even though it was very tough going, we had a good time. I think it might be the best time to run on the Jersey shore. We may have passed 5 people during our 4 miles. I decided to run the roads back to Rick's folks, but opted to change into my road shoes first. It was only 2.5 more miles, but it felt good to open up a bit. I chuckled to myself at the couple other runners I saw - They were so bundled up!
Tuesday I headed out from the house solo. Ran to the ocean and back for a nice 5.
Wednesday, Ryan, Rick, and I headed to a county park. Rick thought they'd done some of their cross country runs there in high school. If so, the trails were gone or at least paved. Still it was good to be out of traffic. We also got a laugh at one of the signs heading into the park. I think everyone has seen the fire threat signs at parks, well, this one had an icy road condition sign with the same graphic. We were informed that there was a moderate chance of icy conditions. The temp was well above freezing. It did look like the paths had snow on them, but they were just heavily salted. NJ doesn't do snow well. We ran helter-skelter for what we guessed was five miles.
Yesterday was another travel day. More hawks, swans, and deer.
Today, very happy to be home, I headed back onto the snowmobile trails. Since we had a high of 39 I was a little worried the trail would be too soft - It was the best conditions of the winter!! Got in a little over 5 miles.
All along I've been dealing with an annoying cold. I practically had to isolate myself on the trip because I cough non-stop and would keep everyone awake. I know I kept me awake. Rick and I are planning on heading to Bradbury tomorrow. I just hope I'm not too annoying to other Monsters with all the hacking.
Monday, Rick and I drove to the shore to run. The temperature was in the high 30's with brilliant blue skies. No matter where we picked to run, the sand was very loose, even at water's edge. Reminded me of running in the loose snow before the snowmobile trails were packed. Even though it was very tough going, we had a good time. I think it might be the best time to run on the Jersey shore. We may have passed 5 people during our 4 miles. I decided to run the roads back to Rick's folks, but opted to change into my road shoes first. It was only 2.5 more miles, but it felt good to open up a bit. I chuckled to myself at the couple other runners I saw - They were so bundled up!
Tuesday I headed out from the house solo. Ran to the ocean and back for a nice 5.
Wednesday, Ryan, Rick, and I headed to a county park. Rick thought they'd done some of their cross country runs there in high school. If so, the trails were gone or at least paved. Still it was good to be out of traffic. We also got a laugh at one of the signs heading into the park. I think everyone has seen the fire threat signs at parks, well, this one had an icy road condition sign with the same graphic. We were informed that there was a moderate chance of icy conditions. The temp was well above freezing. It did look like the paths had snow on them, but they were just heavily salted. NJ doesn't do snow well. We ran helter-skelter for what we guessed was five miles.
Yesterday was another travel day. More hawks, swans, and deer.
Today, very happy to be home, I headed back onto the snowmobile trails. Since we had a high of 39 I was a little worried the trail would be too soft - It was the best conditions of the winter!! Got in a little over 5 miles.
All along I've been dealing with an annoying cold. I practically had to isolate myself on the trip because I cough non-stop and would keep everyone awake. I know I kept me awake. Rick and I are planning on heading to Bradbury tomorrow. I just hope I'm not too annoying to other Monsters with all the hacking.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Saturday
Got in 5.5 miles over the usual trail. The surface was very much like yesterday - Yay! The weather was bright sunshine with a stiff headwind on the way out. I was happy I wore my North Face hooded top (what a find - it was a $85 marked down to $15 during the annual North Face sample sale in Freeport - great for cold windy days). On the way out it was zipped so that only my eyes showed. Though the trails showed lots of evidence of snowmobile travel, I only encountered one in my 59:23.
We leave for NJ today. No run for me. Perhaps that's a good thing since my cough kept me awake most of the night. Rick and I hope to run along the beach while down there.
We leave for NJ today. No run for me. Perhaps that's a good thing since my cough kept me awake most of the night. Rick and I hope to run along the beach while down there.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Good Decision
I almost didn't run Friday. Thursday night I went to bed with a bit of a sore throat, headache, and stuffiness. I awoke feeling slightly worse. We're heading to NJ on Sunday to have Christmas with Rick's folks. After a couple days there, we'll swing by my dad's in Western MA. That meant I had present wrapping to do.
Well, I didn't have a fever. That's usually my "you can't run" rule. I was gonna run out of daylight if I didn't go. I piled on lots of my warmest clothes thinking I'd probably end up too hot, but it was the only way to get me out the door. The trails were packed much better than yesterday. It felt good to be able to run without struggling. As I warmed up, the gunk in my head started to loosen. I was able to look around and enjoy the scenery and not just focus on my footing.
After two miles, I decided to turn around. Didn't really want to push it. I wanted to end feeling good. Instead of 11.5 to nearly 12 minute miles, I did the four in 40:38! Not really concerned with the pace at all, but just demonstrates the trail improvement. I ran the 10 min miles with much less effort. I walked in the house with a big smile and a nice sweat going.
Well, I didn't have a fever. That's usually my "you can't run" rule. I was gonna run out of daylight if I didn't go. I piled on lots of my warmest clothes thinking I'd probably end up too hot, but it was the only way to get me out the door. The trails were packed much better than yesterday. It felt good to be able to run without struggling. As I warmed up, the gunk in my head started to loosen. I was able to look around and enjoy the scenery and not just focus on my footing.
After two miles, I decided to turn around. Didn't really want to push it. I wanted to end feeling good. Instead of 11.5 to nearly 12 minute miles, I did the four in 40:38! Not really concerned with the pace at all, but just demonstrates the trail improvement. I ran the 10 min miles with much less effort. I walked in the house with a big smile and a nice sweat going.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Not Complaining
It may seem like it, but I'm really not complaining about my runs. I guess emphasizing how difficult they have been might seem a bit whiny - but I could always run the roads. I'm choosing these conditions.
My runs Wednesday and Thursday were pretty much repeats of Tuesday's 5 mile run, basically following the same trail. Wednesday I was joined by Linda. She hadn't been out since the deep snow was amazed at how fast her heart rate climbed so high. We also battled a pretty stiff headwind for half. The trail was better in a couple of short stretches where it had iced over. It gave me a hint of what I hope was to come.
With that in mind, I headed out Thursday expecting a little more improvement. Wrong. The snowmobile club had dragged the trail. Better for long term, but it broke up any crust that had been forming and I was back to sinking in and spinning my wheels. There was nothing for the screws to bite on.
I probably should do a couple of easy miles a couple times a week on the road to keep my road conditioning up, but... I know when USM starts back up I'll be running four days per week in Portland. I'm getting in all the trail runs I can.
My runs Wednesday and Thursday were pretty much repeats of Tuesday's 5 mile run, basically following the same trail. Wednesday I was joined by Linda. She hadn't been out since the deep snow was amazed at how fast her heart rate climbed so high. We also battled a pretty stiff headwind for half. The trail was better in a couple of short stretches where it had iced over. It gave me a hint of what I hope was to come.
With that in mind, I headed out Thursday expecting a little more improvement. Wrong. The snowmobile club had dragged the trail. Better for long term, but it broke up any crust that had been forming and I was back to sinking in and spinning my wheels. There was nothing for the screws to bite on.
I probably should do a couple of easy miles a couple times a week on the road to keep my road conditioning up, but... I know when USM starts back up I'll be running four days per week in Portland. I'm getting in all the trail runs I can.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Hard Five
There is another reason I'll try to get out early for a run - in hopes that the colder temperatures of the night will leave enough crust on the snowmobile tracks that I'll be able to stay on top and get some traction. The was the plan yesterday. I'm not sure if I got out too late or there never was the crust. At any rate, by 11:30 am, conditions were less than ideal. I worked very hard to cover five miles in 55:19. I was happy that I was able to do nearly even splits.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Sunday's Run
It didn't seem like the snow was ever going to stop. I'd given up shoveling a path for Spot and Scooter and switched to snowshoes to pack it down. That was still slow going and hard work. Deep snow is very bad for Spot's back. I have to put a leash on her and walk her down the drive to keep her from running. So glad no one will be able to do that to me when I'm old. I know it's for her own good, but I feel bad about stopping her joy.
Rick went out for a little over an hour on the snowshoes. Even with them he was sinking in past his knees for most of his walk. He was very skeptical when I said I was going to run off-road. I had really struggled yesterday and that was before the heaviest of the snow had even fallen... Still, I held out hope that the snowmobiles would have been through by the time I went out.
Nope. There was no way I was going to run our fields. I headed out King Rd with the idea that the trails off Littlefield Rd might be okay. I hate screw shoes on pavement. The click clack drives me crazy. I tried to stay on the semblance of shoulder but just managed to soak my feet in slush. I was rewarded though. The trails had been maintained, as a sign proudly proclaimed, by the Hillside Family Riders. The running was still not easy, but that's fine. I got in 5 miles over a trail I hadn't run in a long time.
Heading back, on King Rd, I got slushed by a car. Yup. The trails are so much better.
Rick went out for a little over an hour on the snowshoes. Even with them he was sinking in past his knees for most of his walk. He was very skeptical when I said I was going to run off-road. I had really struggled yesterday and that was before the heaviest of the snow had even fallen... Still, I held out hope that the snowmobiles would have been through by the time I went out.
Nope. There was no way I was going to run our fields. I headed out King Rd with the idea that the trails off Littlefield Rd might be okay. I hate screw shoes on pavement. The click clack drives me crazy. I tried to stay on the semblance of shoulder but just managed to soak my feet in slush. I was rewarded though. The trails had been maintained, as a sign proudly proclaimed, by the Hillside Family Riders. The running was still not easy, but that's fine. I got in 5 miles over a trail I hadn't run in a long time.
Heading back, on King Rd, I got slushed by a car. Yup. The trails are so much better.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Flailing
Just came in from 43 minutes of snow flailing. All I kept thinking was a coyote would see me as an animal in trouble - easy pickin's. Thankfully, they were too smart to be out in these conditions. Couple my run with hours of snow shoveling and I've had quite the workout today.
First Run
New Year's Day Linda and I set out just before 2pm to run the fields. The snowmobile tracks were slightly greasy even with screw shoes. It was easier in some ways to run off the tracks, more traction mainly, but that had its own set of difficulties. The warm temps (31-33 during our run) were enough to make breakthrough into slush and water more likely than yesterday. I don't think I had dry feet very long.
It was a hard run, but very beautiful and rewarding. Linda stayed with me an hour. I ran for a little over 20 minutes more for a total of 7.5 miles. A good start for the new year.
It was a hard run, but very beautiful and rewarding. Linda stayed with me an hour. I ran for a little over 20 minutes more for a total of 7.5 miles. A good start for the new year.
Friday, January 1, 2010
New Year's Eve
It was snowing pretty hard when I started running. I'd just gone over my idea for my birthday FatAss course with a friend of Jerry's who is going to try to keep it packed down with his snowmobile. I'm trying to keep it around 5 miles, but it is very condition dependent. Since I was in my running clothes at the top of the driveway while I talked with him, I was pretty cold when I actually began.
The chill and tight quads (from yesterday's snow workout) made the going slow to start. Ten minutes in was all I needed to work up a sweat. After about twenty minutes running on virgin snow, I crossed path's with Jerry's friend. He had a few questions about where I really meant. We made plans for me to ride with him when all the snow from this system is on the ground and point out exactly where I had in mind. I followed a lot of where he'd snowmobiled and just have a couple of additions. The newly made trail was almost harder than just running amok through the field since it wasn't packed yet.
I was out for 1:04:01. Map My Run leads me to believe it was about 6 miles. This brings my year-end total to 1766.1 miles. Pretty good, but I was on pace for my third year in a row of setting a record. Last year I ran 1815.6. It would have been cool to break that, but, I'm happy. Last year I may have set a mileage record, but I had a DNF at Pineland. Remedied that!
Now, on a cool, non-running note, we had fresh carrots from our garden yesterday! Rick grows a fairly large garden every year. He experiments with it all the time. Unfortunately, this was to be the year of the pepper - unfortunate given the weather we had this summer. He put in over a dozen plants of various types. We didn't even get that many peppers. But! What a great crop of carrots. In the fall we still had lots to harvest. I could have frozen them, but I'm the only one that really likes cooked carrots and it seemed like a waste of such tasty treats to just relegate them to soups. We'd tried storing them in the basement before, but ....sad, droopy carrots were the result. This year, Rick put a heavy blanket of hay over them. The hay, along with the relatively early snow, kept the ground perfectly frost-free.
They are sweeter now than when we were eating them in the summer and fall. By the way, Rick didn't grow the banana - it's just for scale.
The chill and tight quads (from yesterday's snow workout) made the going slow to start. Ten minutes in was all I needed to work up a sweat. After about twenty minutes running on virgin snow, I crossed path's with Jerry's friend. He had a few questions about where I really meant. We made plans for me to ride with him when all the snow from this system is on the ground and point out exactly where I had in mind. I followed a lot of where he'd snowmobiled and just have a couple of additions. The newly made trail was almost harder than just running amok through the field since it wasn't packed yet.
I was out for 1:04:01. Map My Run leads me to believe it was about 6 miles. This brings my year-end total to 1766.1 miles. Pretty good, but I was on pace for my third year in a row of setting a record. Last year I ran 1815.6. It would have been cool to break that, but, I'm happy. Last year I may have set a mileage record, but I had a DNF at Pineland. Remedied that!
Now, on a cool, non-running note, we had fresh carrots from our garden yesterday! Rick grows a fairly large garden every year. He experiments with it all the time. Unfortunately, this was to be the year of the pepper - unfortunate given the weather we had this summer. He put in over a dozen plants of various types. We didn't even get that many peppers. But! What a great crop of carrots. In the fall we still had lots to harvest. I could have frozen them, but I'm the only one that really likes cooked carrots and it seemed like a waste of such tasty treats to just relegate them to soups. We'd tried storing them in the basement before, but ....sad, droopy carrots were the result. This year, Rick put a heavy blanket of hay over them. The hay, along with the relatively early snow, kept the ground perfectly frost-free.
They are sweeter now than when we were eating them in the summer and fall. By the way, Rick didn't grow the banana - it's just for scale.
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