Quick run, day two of my streak!

So, I went for my run this morning.  Just a short one, so that I could say that I ran today - I planned to do a mile.  Once I got going, I figured that I might as well make it  a little more worth my while so I made it 2 miles.  I'll be running again tomorrow - W6D1 of Couch to 10K for a total of 73 minutes.  I think it's supposed to be raining!


Today's "seen on my run" photo (below) shows what I ran by in the middle of my second mile.  Two police cars sitting in front of a neighbor's house.  Always a curious occurrence.  The van pulled in after the police were there and when she finally got out, she stayed by the garage, talking to the police from across the driveway.  No idea what was happening, but they were there when I turned the last corner.  I'm not sure if the fact that they were there made me more, or less, comfortable.

I did my fastest miles ever, today!  Probably because my run was so short! It felt awesome and then I showered and went out for breakfast.  Great way to start my Saturday.  Catch you all tomorrow after a longer run...

One week + NO running = Naughty Runner!

Yes, it's been a week - just over, actually - since I have run.  I allowed the onset of chilly weather, some rain and a holiday to interfere with my running schedule and I shouldn't have.  I decided back on November 17 (the last day that I ran) to doing some running every day from Thanksgiving until the end of the year.  Here's my tweet making that commitment:

mishlnaz mishlnaz 

@ 

I'm in! @runnersworld We're pledging to run every day from Thanksgiving through New Year's. ow.ly/7wTE1 Who's with us? #RWRunStreak

I can't believe that I skipped out on running yesterday and already messed that up.  Maybe I can start it today...


During my little hiatus I did go to a 5K to cheer on some of my fellow DetermiNation team members.  That was fun, and it was great to get to know them after the run!  It was a cool, sunny day in Wyandotte and they all did well.  I did see a couple of scary things while I was there, though.  One poor little girl (about 9) was at mile 3 and she ended up along side the trail, on her hands and knees, throwing up in the grass.  I felt so bad for her.  Hopefully, that experience won't be the thing that she takes away from this race so early in her life.  She did get up and run to the finish when she was done getting sick.  I also saw an older man running along (also at mile 3) and he could see the finish line when he veered off the track.  Medics ran to help him but he kept telling them "no" as he got further and further off the track, when he collapsed.  They got him up and to the medical tent, but I don't know what happened to him.  I hope that turned out well.


Today was a gorgeous day to run!  Blue sky, 51 degrees.  Beautiful!  It was pretty windy - 19 mph - but I only really noticed it a few times.  I actually improved my pace a bit - probably all that rest from not running for a week!  I went just over 4 miles and then did some stretching back at the car.  It felt SO good! I can't believe I have neglected this for a week!  Something for me to remember, and think about, next time I want to ditch my run!


As I look ahead at things that I want to accomplish, like next year's half-marathon and running over the Mackinaw Bridge, I don't see the appeal of doing a triathalon.  Well, I SEE the appeal, but it doesn't appeal to me!  I've never been sure why, maybe because I'm not much of a swimmer.  Okay, okay... I haven't been swimming in years!  When I was doing my cool-down walk, and headed back to the car, I walked by the pond and saw this sign, which cleared it all up for me!


Well, that's it for me, today.  I'll be back for a quick post tomorrow, after a short run, then will do a longer one on Sunday.  

Well, I got up early and went for my run this morning and, if I thought it was chilly out on Tuesday, it didn't really compare with today!  It was 45 degrees on Tuesday, but today the temp was 30 with a wind chill of 22!  I was prepared for the weather and wore my new cushy running sock which were AWESOME!  They kept me feet warm and dry and now I want a pair for every day that I run!  I also wore gloves and a hat, and a new running jacket (having a pocket is very convenient for my iPhone and house key).  My running tights left my legs a little cold, but otherwise I was comfortably toasty.


While I was out I saw all the usual suspects, except for the guy who was warming up his car for half an hour on Tuesday.  His truck was there, although it wasn't running.  It probably ran out of gas!  The air was really clear and there were loads of stars visible when I started out.  By the time I finished the eastern horizon had begun to lighten and was turning a wonderful royal blue.  I was pretty sure that I could have seen my breath when I exhaled, but it was too dark to actually see.  I'm guessing that you could, though, because about a second after I would breathe out, I would hear my frozen breath crash to the pavement and shatter into a million pieces.

I had great music to run to today! Everything from Def Leppard to Katie Perry and Adam Ant to Pink.  My tunes all had a great tempo to run to, but I was just a hair slower than Tuesday.  I did W4D2 of Couch to 10K and it was a little shorter than the last time.  The one I do this weekend will be 5 minutes longer and then longer, yet, when I move on to Week 5.  So today, I am proudly wearing my Runner Girl necklace (see left), and am happily going to skip the bagels that I'm taking to work today to celebrate an office birthday.  I have no intention of undoing the good I've done by eating as many calories as I just burned in simple carbs. 


Well, I'll be  back on the weekend for more of the same!

Cool, damp, November morning run...

Just got back from my first run after my Sunday race.  Went further than 5K this morning.  Just a hair short of 4 miles, in fact.  I was planning to cover the full 4, but my neighbor, Kirby, and her person were outside, and Kirby ran over to say good morning to me (with person in tow), so how could I pass that  up.  I was actually done with my Couch to 10K portion and just cooling down to finish up the last 10th of the mile, anyway.


So, today I moved on to W4D1 of the C210K program and it went really well.  I was a bit slower than during the race, but I expected that.  It was a chilly 45 degrees and the air was heavy and damp, with fog and 89% humidity.  Besides that, I didn't have the great adrenaline that racing provides, along with the desire to pass that girl in the black shorts and purple jacket.  Next run - this Thursday - will be a teeny bit shorter, with the same running/walking intervals.  


The circumference of my neighborhood is just about a mile, so I circled it 4 times.  Twice, when I approached one of the houses, I noticed that their sensor light was on, but there was no one around.  Usually I can walk by on the sidewalk and not activate the light, so it had to be something IN the yard, or on their deck.  Both times, the air was heavy with the unmistakable (and overwhelming) aroma of skunk!  I was glad not to have any reason to go into their yard, because I imagine my shoes would really hold on to that!


There was also a fair amount of traffic in my neighborhood this morning!  It was the same time that I've been going, so I don't know what the difference was, but several people were leaving between 5:30 and 6:00 today.  I went by one house and the guy was outside starting up his truck and I nodded to him.  Then next time I came by, his truck was on,  but he wasn't in it.  Keep in mind, I had gone about a mile.  The next time I came by... STILL running and he was indoors.  I can't imagine why he had to warm his truck up that much on a day like today.  Yes, it was chilly, but there wasn't any frost on the windows, or anything.  Seems like a huge waste of gas, to me!


That's how things went for me today.  Unremarkable, but that's fine.  It felt great and I enjoyed it.  Had a great musical soundtrack for today's run, which is always great.  I'm wearing my Runner Girl necklace today, since I earned it!  I'll be back on Thursday to tell you about the next one.

I did it again! (But better, this time!)

Yep! Ran my 5K Jingle Bell Run today and improved my time over the Detroit 5K a month ago by a good 5 minutes. When you're as slow as I am, that's less of a big deal than it is to someone who is actually speedy, but still... I was very happy for the improvement! Especially since it was really windy!  22 MPH!  I've included a picture taken about 5 minutes before the race started.


I ran a good portion of the route and met up with Karrie, Rachel and Mary at the finish line. I started out feeling a bit intimidated by the whole thing because I know that I am slow and have to remember that I am only competing with myself. My mantra was one of my favorite Penguin quotes today: "The only person I have to outrun is the person that I used to be." And that's true. And I did!


I don't know how many people were in this race, but I certainly didn't finish last. I have no idea how I ranked in my age group and am hoping that I wasn't last, but if I was, I was. I went to the starting line and I finished along with lots of other people. I passed some people and got passed by others. Sometimes I passed them, then they passed me back and then I passed them again!  All in all, it was a very good experience and I'm really glad that I did it.


Here is Karrie, Rachel and me at the finish. Piper and Digby ran, too! They are great runners! We all had a really good time (and Karrie is an awesome cheerleader - thanks for running that last bit with me)!

Sunny November Run... Beautiful!

Well, last Sunday I was wondering how many more chances I was going to have to run on a beautiful, sunny, fall day.  I'm not sure what the answer is, but I had at least ONE more.  Today!


I did a combo of walking and running (Week 3 Day 3 of Couch to 10K) and covered nearly 4 miles.  Not great speed, but an improvement over last time.  It was 55 degrees with wind hitting me at 17MPH.  The last two running segments that I did were facing the wind and the last one was up a hill, so I was okay with my pace.


Something that I suddenly realized was that I am the girl that I talk about when I see someone running, and turn to my husband and say "Woa!  She needs a better sports bra!"  I definitely need to get a new one.  I guess the ones that I was wearing at the beginning of the year - weighing almost 50 pounds more - just don't do the job any more.  


I felt really good about today's run.  I wore my brand new go-fasters!  Got them yesterday and they feel like there were made just for my feet.  They are Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10s and they feel great!  Much better than the shoes I've been wearing since I started running in the spring, that have now lost the grippy nubs on the soles and loosened up so that they were rubbing the balls of my feet.  I am sure that the new shoes did, indeed, help me to go faster, although I made every effort to keep it under 10 MPH, since that's the speed limit on the trails in the Metro Park.


I am doing a 5K tomorrow in Kalamazoo.  well, Portage, actually.  It's a Jingle Bell Run for the Arthritis Foundation and I'll be hanging with my pals Karrie and Rachel.  Also my old friend, Mary, will be there, so I hope to catch up with her, too.


I'll report in tomorrow to tell you about my race.  If you happen to be at the Jingle Bell Run tomorrow, I'll be the one with the reindeer antlers!

Awesome run on a chilly morning!

So, on Tuesday I started with Week 2, Day 1 of Couch to 10K and then decided to bump up a little and today did Week 3, Day 2, which increased my run to walk ratio.  It felt great and I really enjoyed it!  It was 39 degrees and pretty windy - the weather report said 8 MPH, but the gusts were a lot stronger than that!  Either way, it was chilly and breezy but it felt really good to be out there getting a morning run in.


I have realized that I truly need to refresh my playlist that I use for running because it's getting quite stale.  There are a handful of songs that I am still excited about when they pop up but, for the most part, I feel pretty indifferent to the music on my iPhone.  I plan to remedy that this week!  Some of my favorite tunes for running are "I Hate Myself for Loving You" (Joan Jett), "Because I'm Awesome" (Dollyrots), "Unskinny Bop" (Poison), "I Wanna be Sedated" (Ramones) and "Baby Got Back" (Sir Mixalot).  I know, I know... That last one got into that mix and I don't know how, but it's really fun to run to.

I only saw two people out and about at 5:35am.  One guy was getting into his car as I was trotting by and actually said "good morning" to me.  The other person was driving away, presumably to work.  Other than that, not another person, dog, cat or skunk to be seen.  Well, I did see something run across the road a ways ahead of me, but I couldn't tell what it was, so I'm just going to assume it was a cat!  That seems pretty safe.  I took this picture at the end of my run and it is representative of the whole time I was out.  The neighborhood was dark and deserted, as far as I could tell.  I'll be interested to see what it's like when we start getting a little snow!  Well, I know what the neighborhood is like when it snows, but I haven't run in it before, so that will be a whole new experience! 


I decided that, as an incentive to do my runs on my scheduled mornings, I am going to reward myself by wearing my new favorite necklace.  I got a runner girl necklace when I did the 5K in Detroit last month and I just love wearing it.  If I run in the morning, I get to wear it that day.  If I don't, I have to pick a different necklace.  I have several necklaces that are special, but that one has a little different meaning right now.  Wearing it reminds me of my accomplishment, so it seemed like a fitting way to reward myself for sticking to my schedule.  I'm proudly wearing it today, and will get to again on Saturday (Sunday, too, because I'm participating in a Jingle Bell Run).  


If you are reading, I'd love it if you would leave a comment.  I can see stats on how many people ready my blog (more than I would expect), but it would be great to hear from you, and learn how you came across my blog and where you are.  On that note, I'll sign off for today, but will be back the day after tomorrow.

It's official! I run slow!

Yep!  I always figured that I walk faster than I run, but now I have concrete proof of that!  Well, maybe not faster, but I do have confirmation that my running pace isn't far ahead of my walking pace.  I'm using an APP on my iPhone called iSmoothRun and it gives me a ton of information about my run, including: Where I ran; Running time; Total time (running time + time that I was stopped to take pictures, tie my shoes and things like that); Total distance; How I felt (I have to input that - it doesn't automagically know); Average pace; Average speed; Total calories burned; Ascend; Descend; Weight (again, I have to input that); Weather and something called Track points (no clue what that is!).


I went out at 5:40 this morning and did Week 2, Day 1 of Couch to 10K.  I probably could have started a little further along,  but wasn't sure, so I stuck to the program today.  I may bump up a little more in a week or so.  When I headed out it was drizzling and not particularly nice out.  The drops stopped coming down about  halfway through, but it was still misty and foggy.  When I was done, my hair and clothes were wet from it.  On the up side... when I was done I looked like I had worked really hard!


If I were to attach a picture from this morning's run, it would just look like a black square on the screen.  It was really dark!  I hope that I didn't step on any (or at least very many) worms, of which there were many, squiggling along on the sidewalks and streets.  I could see them, and did look out for them, when I was near a street lamp, but in the areas where there was no light... I have no idea how many worms were around.  My co-workers all laugh at me because they found out that I pick the ones in the driveway up and toss them into the lawn so I don't drive over them on wet mornings, but I don't think that's really so odd.  Certainly, the worms have done nothing to deserve to be squashed into the oblivion, but I also don't want to see them later, or have them stuck onto my tires - or the bottoms of my running shoes.


So that's about it for today.  Tomorrow I have Zumba after work, but will hit the streets again on Thursday for my next running adventure.  This morning's run was just over 3 miles.  Will try to spped things up a bit.

Still plagued, but better...

I haven't done much of anything since my last good walk because I've still been sick and just not feeling well, and really tired with no energy.  After an ear infection (both ears), a 10-day round of antibiotics and a bit of rest, I think I'm ready to go again.  Yesterday was World Run Day and I was supposed to be doing an individual run for that in the Metro Park.  I did a walk, instead, that was just shy of 4 miles.  It felt good and I enjoyed it.  More about that in a minute.


I downloaded an app for the Couch to 10K program, which I am going to start using tomorrow.  Although I'm not really down at the "couch" level, I thought that would be a good program to work with, since I haven't been as active for some time, and I want to work some strength training into the program.  That should put me at the 10K level by the end of January and I'll maintain that, while improving my speed, until I start the Half-Marathon program in the Spring/Summer.  My goal is to do my Half in 2:30 or less.  I have no idea whether that is realistic or not.  I chose it because it was smack-dab in the middle of my age group for the 2011 Half.  I may adjust it later if I learn that it's not an appropriate goal to aim for.

While I was walking yesterday it was beautiful out!  Almost 65 degrees and sunny.  Quite breezy and late in the day, so I watched the sun (nearly) set as I was finishing up.  As the sun began to sink to the horizon, the temperature certainly did begin to dip.  Daylight Savings Time has caused it to get dark by 5:45, so I knew my time was limited when I got to the park, but really wanted to walk for an hour.  I took a new route and looped back to the car a little early, so I ended up starting the loop again, but only going for about 10 minutes before I turned back to the parking area, so I could finish just before it got dark out.  While I was winding through the trails, in the woods, I didn't really see any wildlife, other than geese gathering to leave on their winter break.  I suppose it's just as well that I didn't, given that there are coyotes and other gnarly critters out there.


There were a handful of other people on the trails.  I crossed paths with another woman twice and was relieved to see her the 2nd time, since it help me to verify that I wasn't lost on this new trail.  Only saw a couple of cyclers and 2 other runners.  There was a couple walking in front of me but they were clearly there for leisure purposes... I could tell by their slow, meandering, gate, and because they kept stopping to make out.  Not to mention that they were wearing jeans and coats!  I had on running capris and a t-shirt.


I will report in tomorrow after my first day of Couch to 10K.  I'm doing a Jingle Bell Run 5K this weekend, and will likely walk most of it... we'll see how things go.

Plagued by the plague - or a really, REALLY bad cold.

Yes, I've been sick for the last 7 days now.  Late in the afternoon, after my 5K last Sunday I detected a sore throat.  The next morning I felt pretty lousy, and had a doctor's appointment, where they said my temperature was close to 100.  By Monday evening, it was closer to 103, where it stayed for a couple of days.  I missed a lot of work - and I missed a lot of workouts!  Today I finally felt enough energy to, at least, take a walk.  It was nice to get out in the cool sunshine of fall in Michigan.  I used a new app to record my (very leisurely) walk called iRunner and it was pretty cool.  I think you can glean a lot of information from it, especially if you upgrade to the paid app, and it seems quite easy to use.  It also partners with the program that ACS uses for their training, which will come in handy later.

Since my walk way a leisurely one (3.4 miles in 1:04) I had time to enjoy the scenery a bit more than usual.  Peak color is nearly gone now, but the MetroPark was still really pretty.  Lots of leaves crunching underfoot - at least I'm assuming so... My head and ears are still so blocked that my hearing is really bad right now (for example I can't hear the microwave or the car beeper telling me when I un/lock it).  I saw lots of people out walking, riding and running.  It really was a beautiful day and I was glad to see so many people out taking advantage of it.  I've included a couple of pictures from my walk here.


In addition to the nice scenery, I saw some very interesting bugs along the way.  One may have been a Katydid of some kind.  It didn't look quite right.  I saw a couple of magnificent beetles.  I don't have a clue what they were.  Several abandoned wasp nest were along the path, on the ground.  A few wooly looking worms were crossing the path rather pokily.  Also, I saw what looked like a smooth, curvy stick, but upon closer inspection, it was a little striped snake - only about a foot long.   He seemed to be enjoying the sunshine next to the path, but my leering must have made him uncomfortable because he suddenly slipped through the grass and into the brush.  Here I was, looking at this snake, thinking to myself "Oh, look, a little snake sunning himself" and I have no idea why it startled me so much when he moved.  I literally jumped back from him, like I thought he wasn't real or something.  Funny how our brains work.


So that was today's walk.  No running for a week now, and I'm not sure exactly what I'll be doing this week.  I slept in today, and right now it's not even 7:00 pm yet and I'm already looking forward to bed time, so my energy level is really low.  

To Do: Run first 5K... Check!

Well, I finished my 5K today and it was awesome!  It was in the low 50s, which is perfect for me, and it was spitting rain, off-and-on, which isn't so perfect, but wasn't that bad.  I wasn't fast - I knew I wouldn't be.  I ran some and walked some, but running with 1993 other people is vastly different than running by myself in my neighborhood or in the MetroPark!


Out of 1994 people, I came in at 1507, so certainly not in the very back of the pack.  Out of 134 women in my division, I was 101st, so, again, not at the very back. I did the race in just under 49 minutes (the first-place woman was 22 years old and did it in 16:58!!!)

One thing I learned is that it's difficult to drink from a paper cup while you are running!  Now I know why I see runners squeeze the cup so it creates a spout.  When I do my next 5K, in 2 weeks, I hope to come in a little faster.  The weather is difficult to predict at the end of October, so I don't know what I'll be in for, there.  I'll pretty much be happy if it's not raining.  Or really windy.  Or sleeting.  Or... It's Michigan so I know that if there's anything I can count on, it's NOT the weather!


All in all, I was happy with my performance.  I got a hug (and a kiss) from Paws after the race, which was pretty cool.  I got a hug and a kiss from John, too, which always makes me happy.  In other sports news:  Paws is, unfortunately, now on winter break, since the Tigers lost last night's playoff game.  That's a bummer.   And our Lions lost their first game of the season this afternoon, just block away from where I finished my run.  Not the best weekend in professional Michigan sports.  Also, U of M lost to MSU in the big college football battle.  I'm happy to cheer for MSU when they're playing someone else, but when they're up agains UM...  Oh well.  Go Blue. Go Honolulu Blue and Silver - and go Me!

My first non-post-run entry!

I did not run yesterday.  I slept in before work, instead, and they we had things to do after work and I got home much too late to run.  I did not walk today... I slept in again, and then went to the race expo for tomorrow's run.  That's okay! I feel like I'm ready and am excited to go tomorrow and finish my first 5K. As actor David James Elliott said, "Every time I go out there, I win.  Every time I finish the task that I've set before myself, I win again."


I also did something really exciting yesterday!  I signed up for next year's half-marathon through the American Cancer Society DetermiNation program.  I have said here that I was planning to do that, but I was thrilled when I actually got to register for it.  I was the first  registrant - probably because most people are thinking about this weekend's race, not the one in 365 days. I will be running my first half-marathon on Sunday, October 14, 2012.  If you'd like to read more about DetermiNation you can go to my personal page, here.  


I will be fundraising in may different ways to reach my goal for next year's race, but if anyone is inclined to donate to the ACS in support of my run tomorrow, gifts to my DetermiNation fund, at the link above, would be most welcome and appreciated.


I'll write tomorrow to report on my very first 5K.  Here I go!

GREAT run this morning!

Yea!  I went out about 5:45 and it was kind of foggy, in the mid-upper 50s and it was perfect!  I spent a little more time than usual in the morning (before work) and got a further run in.  I felt really good doing it, and even better when I got done.  Ridiculously invigorated and ready to tackle the day - and it needed some tackling!

Tomorrow, I'll do a slightly shorter run and then Saturday I'm still planning to walk for an hour        and I'll be good to go at  7:25, when the gun fires in Detroit (it's okay... this gun is supposed to be fired in the middle of this crowd of people).  My plan is to do a little more walking during the first mile, so I can run the last 2 miles of the race.  I know for any runner, my little 5K seems like a morning stroll, but it's a big accomplishment for me, and I'm totally geeked about it!

There were a number of distractions during this morning's run!  First, I was rounding a dark corker and an opossum darted out from under some bushes at me - well, as much as an opossum can dash.  As soon as he realized that he was coming toward me, rather than away from me, he turned and scurried through 3 yards.  He finally found shelter in another bush that I was, obviously, not going to dive under to get him.  

Even scarier than the opossum... a school bus full of kids!  I never see the buses, and usually just forget that they are out there picking the kids up in the morning, but my timing today was just so that I ran by 2 of them.  I see all the kids on Halloween and know that they are unpredictable and not trustworthy, so I try to stay as far away as possible.  Can't believe I had to run right by them today.  

Finally, I found out that I can register for next year's half-marathon tomorrow, which is really exciting.  On the American Cancer Society's web site, I looked at the DetermiNation page this morning and they posted the registration, so I can commit to the race, and start getting my things in order, and begin fundraising!  This is the most exciting thing that's happened to me in a while (unless you count this morning's flu shot), so I am really stoked and that's really going to help during this weekend's race.

More tomorrow...

Well, that was different!

I just got home from my first nighttime run.  It was just in my neighborhood, where I run all the time, early in the morning while it's still dark.  I knew that this would be a little different... different traffic and people out, etc.  I only saw one person outside, talking on his cell.  I passed him twice near the park and he kept moving away from me like he was worried that I might trot by and mug him, or something.  I also saw a couple of cars heading in or out of the neighborhood, not quite as many as I usually see in the morning.  


The run was good.  My pace was improved, I think, and I went about 2.5 miles.  Somehow my Nike+ didn't get turned on, as I thought, so my run didn't get recorded.  Since the sun had gone down (being 10:15 pm, and all) it was nice an cool - just 61 degrees.  Not a lot of humidity and a very slight breeze.  It was a pleasant run and I felt really good - although I really should go a little longer.


Some of our neighbors really decorate for Halloween.  Orange lights, pumpkins, ghosts and cobwebs...  In fact, I ran through some cobwebs that went from a low-hanging branch to someone's car and it felt like the real deal.  It even had a lifelike spider in it and a few bugs caught up in the web.  I was also taken back to 1976... I remember seeing the advertisements for The Omen on television.  I never saw the movie, but the commercials scared the bejesus out of me, with vicious, wild looking dogs all over the place.  They made me think of hyenas or jackals back then, when I was 10! There aren't any jackals or hyenas in my neighborhood, that I know of.  There are, however, coyotes that frequent the large field in back of the houses across the street from us.  I could hear them yapping back and forth and it kind of freaked me out.  Maybe it made me run a little faster!


Just one week until my first 5K and then 3 more in the next month.  That might just qualify me as "a runner" now.

I can do this!

Seen on my run today

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. Which one sounds better? Today's run didn't go all that well, so I'm not quite sure where my "can do" attitude is coming from just now, but we'll go along with it. Today I did a combination of walking and running and went a little over 2.6 miles at a slightly faster pace than last week. It was kind of hot out - upper 70s. Very sunny for about half of my run, and lots of bugs.  Small bugs that kept getting in my mouth and in my eyes.  The ones that get in my mouth I can spit out, but the little ones that get in my eyes are a little harder to deal with.  


I suppose the "can do"  may come from the fact that everything I see about the Detroit Marathon, Relay, Half Marathon and 5K says in big letters YOU CAN DO THIS! If you see it enough you start to believe it?  Actually, I know that I can do it, but I'm concerned about the beginning of the race.  I'm worried that I'm going to start out with 2,499 other 5Kers and my brain will start telling me that I'm not very good, and I'm going to fail and that I really can't do this - at least not without doing so poorly that I will be defeated and humiliated.  I have been working hard to squash those feelings up to this point, but I also know that I haven't worked as hard as I could have and I question whether I'm prepared.  


Now, if I had signed up for the marathon, or the half-marathon... well, I could NOT do that, but the 5K?  I've done that before in my training, I can slow down to a walk if I need to, and it's a nice, fairly flat route.  No reason for me to be worried that I can't do it.  Plus, it starts at 7 25 am, so it will be nice and cool out, and I'll line up toward the back of the group and try NOT to compare myself to other runners.  Oh, and I got my race bib number yesterday!  I am runner 25259!  That's pretty exciting!  


I'll be out and running again tomorrow and will report in then.  I'll want to get 3 runs in next week, but will walk on Saturday so I'm rested and ready to go Sunday morning.  

What an awesome morning!

I wish I could have gotten a picture of what the sky was like when I went out to run this morning at 5:55!  it was chilly out and wonderfully clear. I think I could see every star in the sky.  It was gorgeous and, despite my somewhat icy fingers, it was a fantastic temperature.


The run, itself, felt really good.  I sped things up from Sunday's run, which was great.  I didn't go as far, because I had to get ready for work.  My legs are sore from Sunday, but running made them feel better and then I had a good stretch afterward. I only ran 2 miles this morning, and took a quick - 3 minute - walk break in the middle.  I could tell that I was moving along at a faster clip than usual, while I was running and, oddly, I never quite got to that "Crap! What am I doing out here? What makes me think I'm ever really going to be a runner?" feeling that I sometimes get.  Starting out with sore legs, on my second run, after 3 weeks of inactivity seems like the perfect time for those feelings to crop up, so I think I'm making progress, despite that.  Looking forward to my Detroit Free Press and Talmer Bank 5K in 12 days!  Then the Run of the Dead, two weeks later.


When I first went out, I was walking for a few minutes to warm up my muscles, and was only about 6 houses away from my own, and this little white dog ran up to me barking feverishly!  Yes, it was a small dog, but it really startled me with it's sudden yappiness, dashing toward me in the dark.  There were no lights on in, or around, the house, but I finally did see that there was a woman attached to the other end of the leash - it's a good thing that I didn't trip over her dog.  She looked kind of grumpy!


Well, tomorrow I have a Zumba class, so I won't be running again until Thursday.  Check back then to see how it goes (and I might even tell you a little about Zumba).  Laters!

Wake me up when September ends...

Oh, wait!  It ended already. So much for that Green Day song, huh!  I'm not sure what happened, but I was sick a couple of times and my schedule was out of whack for a week, but I didn't run for THREE!  This does NOT bode well for the 5K that I'm doing in just 2 weeks, does it?

I went to the MetroPark today and went 3.33 miles. I was slow.  Very slow!  I ran the first mile and then walked for a while, ran another half mile and then walked some more.  All in all, I did run about half of it, which isn't too bad, given my lack of running in September.  I wasn't thrilled with my performance, but wasn't totally disgusted by it, either.  I'll really be cracking this week and next, planning to run 4 times each week.  

I was at the park much later than usual, since it's now much cooler out.  It was 60 degrees, which was wonderful.  It was pretty windy, which did add a bit of challenge to the running AND the walking portions.  There are a LOT of people at the park at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday!  Lots of people walking their dogs, walking their kids, riding their bikes... One guy had a radio attached to his bike so he didn't have to miss the Lions vs. Cowboys game, AND shared it with everyone he rode past.  The Lions won, by the way.  Pretty awesome game.  In fact it was a great weekend in Michigan sports.  Michigan, MIchigan State, the Lions and the Tigers all won their games this weekend.  Yay!

But, I digress...  Many people were out enjoying the park today and it was a beautiful day for it!  I was on a route with just a few hills, about the same amount of shade as not, and the weather and temperature were lovely.  I couldn't have asked for a better day to jump back into my running routine.  Now, I'm trying to decide what I'll do the rest of this week.  Follow some part of C25K?  Run 3 miles each day, alternating running and walking?  Run up to 3 miles each day, running as much as I can, but walking when I have to?  I just don't know!  I'll do a little research tonight to find out what is recommended, and I'll let you know what I settled on when I check in tomorrow or Tuesday.  Until then... stay hydrated, my friends!

Sunday run - Indoors!

Well, we got up this morning and it was raining.  So we went back to bed for a while, and when we got up a couple of hours later, the rain had stopped, but the humidity hadn't.  The air was heavy, the ground was wet, and we decided to go to the gym to work out, instead of the MetroPark.  I did a 5-minute warm up on the Arc Trainer (I love that machine) and then headed for the treadmills.  There was a woman a few rows ahead of me, on another treadmill, and she looked like she was exerting WAY too much energy to run.  Her arms were high, with her elbows out, rather than being in close to her body.  Her feet were coming up above her knee level in back of her, and she looked like she was wearing herself out.  I certainly couldn't have kept that up for very long! 

I got on the treadmill and started my run. Rather than following the C25K program today, I continued for 45 minutes at a comfortable pace (ie: pretty slow compared to most people) and then increased my speed incrementally for the last 5 minutes, topping out at about 6 MPH when my cool down kicked in.  I used my Power Song for inspiration during those last few minutes.  Thank you Joan Jett!  That doesn't sound all that fast but I'm short!  My inseam is only 26, so 3.5 mph is a pretty steady jog for me.  5mph... That's runnin'!  I felt good.  Really good!  I felt comfortable (mentally and emotionally) and when I finished I went to the stretching area and was very happy with what I had done.

Aside from working out, it's SO much fun to people watch at the gym!  There was the woman using all of her extra reserves.  A guy who was holding himself up with rigid arms while his legs ran really fast.  And there were a number of people who looked like picture-perfect runners.   I try to pay attention to my running form and make sure that I am looking somewhat like those people running who look like very natural in their running. 

Tomorrow morning is supposed to be 63 degrees with 99% humidity, so I'm not sure what the day has in store for me.  Detroit Free Press Marathon and 5K is just 5 weeks from today!

I also want to say a special thank you to all of the people who serve and protect us on the 10-year anniversary of the tragic things that happened in our country on September 11, 2001.  Thank you to those who continue to offer their service, and their lives, to maintain our safety and our freedom, and let us never forget those who have given their lives, so that we may enjoy ours. 

Where have you been? It's been over a week!

Did you forget about me?  Oh wait!  It's me that hasn't been here, isn't it?  Well, it's not totally because I haven't been doing any running.  It MOSTLY is, but not totally!  Went for a quick run on September 2, which was a Friday and then we had a busy holiday weekend with a variety of family things  happening.  Friday's run was okay - not great, but I was happy enough to get at least some running in.  With our busy weekend I, sadly, neglected my blog.

Monday (Sept. 5) was Labor Day and I went to the MetroPark to run there, but had difficulty mustering up enough energy to run for more than about 5 minutes, so I ended up walking and totaled 50 minutes.  By Monday night, I was sick!  In retrospect I should have seen that coming, based on my lack of energy that morning, but it kind of took me by surprise and I spent that night and the next 24 hours with a fever of 102!  Needless to say, I was doing a lot of sleeping this week and didn't get out again until this morning - although I returned to work yesterday.

This morning I got up and around and hit the road for a walk/run combo.  I only did 2 miles, but over half of it was running with a couple of short walk breaks.  It felt great, and I wished that I had more time, but this weekend I'll head out for a longer run.  I wasn't sure how I was going to do today, given that I still have sinus issues from my cold and, despite the nice cool temperature of 63 degrees, it was extremely humid (96%) making the air heavy and difficult to breathe.  It did make a difference, but I was fine for the short distance that I ran. 

Now that it's September, it's really dark out at 6:00 am!  A corner in my neighborhood seems to have one less streetlight than normal and it's really, really dark!  I went around there this morning (twice) and I noticed for the first time, just how different it is at 6 am now, than when I started running in June.  Of course the temperature is my biggest complaint in the summer, so I'm grateful for the cool mornings we are having these days.

I will be back in a few days with tales from the MetroPark.  Not sure which day, as we are supposed to have rain on and off all weekend, but it will happen! Just 37 days until the 5K in Detroit, so I better get crackin'!

Does running help dementia?

Overslept a little yesterday and it didn't allow me quite enough time to get out and run before work, so I was going to do it last night.  But... it was kind of warm out - mid 70s and I knew it would be cooler this morning, so I decided to postpone until this morning.  I was truly bummed that I had overslept because I heard on the radio that it was 59 degrees and that is SO my kind of weather for running.  I got up this morning and did a 20 minute run, in 62 degrees, and it felt great.  I think I sped up a little, too, and tomorrow morning will be a 5K run.

Although I had enough time this morning, I did get up a little late and went out at about 6:10.  it was considerably lighter when I started and I saw more people leaving for work than usual.  When I run I have lots of time to think about whatever I want - or nothing at all.  I usually take in what's happening around where I'm running, along with how I'm feeling, trying to be aware of my breathing... things like that.  Sometimes, I really just kind of zone out and run and don't think about anything.  Today, I was contemplating the possibility of early-onset dementia.  My short-term memory kind of sucks!  I've recently learned that menopause can be a cause of that, which makes me feel a little better, but I just don't know.  I forget what I went into a room for, what I sat down to the computer to look up, what I was going to say when I went to a co-worker's office.  Today, I walked into the bathroom when I was getting ready to run and couldn't remember what I went in there for.  Pretty sure I was going to get something that was in there, but couldn't figure out what.  Looked around... No idea!  Must not have been very important, right?  I walked back out, into the bedroom, and then I remembered.  My shirt!  I went in there to get a shirt to put on!  Yikes!

Well, as of today, I've been running for 11 weeks.  I'm finding it kind of hard to believe that I've stuck with it this long.  I'm finding that I really do look forward to it (even though I'm not speedy or a very  talented runner) and really do miss it when I don't do it.  In a couple of weeks I'll be adding in 2 yoga classes and 1 Zumba class each week.  I think that will round out my activity a bit and then all I need to do is add in some strength training!  In the meantime, I'll be back tomorrow after a early  morning 5K run!

Oh! The distractions!

 
Wow! Talk about a difficult run... I knew I was in trouble when we pulled into the Metropark and I saw the sign indicating that there was a Classic Car show in the park today. I joked with my husband about the pancake breakfast that they were also having, but it was the steady flow of awesome cars cruising into the park that was going to get me! 


It was a fantastic morning! The temperature was a cool 64 degrees (17 C) and breezy. It was sunny, but I ran on a path that had a lot of trees so I was in and out of the sunshine. It felt wonderful and I think my speed improved a little. Still don't have my Nike+ sensor but I figured out what happened to it. It died right after I did my 5K and I think it had a heart attack! I mean, here we are consistently running a couple miles 3 or 4 times a week and then I up and run over 3 miles and also tack walking on to the front and back of the run. The sensor blew up!


I set off running and shortly after my warm up walk ran by the many classic cars displayed off to one side. But I ran BY them, not through them. So I planned the rest of my out-and-back run so that I would turn around and my cool down walk would start close to the car show and could walk through for my cool down. That worked great and I've included a few pictures of the distractions that I had to overcome. Ok... The corn dogs weren't really a distrction. Good thing I ate a hard boiled egg before I left the house!


Seriously, though, I did have an interesting realization when I ran by the car how the first time, and then again at the end of my run (I didn't plan quite as well as I thought and had to run into the area where they were displayed).  I was running with many people around. People who could obviously see me, because many of them said hello or waved at me. In the past, having that many people around would have made me terribly self-conscious - probably enough so that I would have slowed to a walk AND gone a different direction to be sure that no one saw me trying to run.  This was a huge breakthrough for me!  Whenever I have run - or done much of anything active like that - I been a closet exerciser.  I don't want people to see me exercise because I'm afraid that they are judging me and thinking that I'll never be able to finish.  That was different today.  Actually for a while now, but I just realized it today.  And it felt really great!  And maybe - just maybe - there was someone who saw me who thought "Hey, look at her.  She's a middle-aged woman and she's a new runner.  Maybe I could do that!"  Perhaps, by my having confidence in myself, I can inspire someone else!  I'll be out running again tomorrow morning. 

Fab Friday running

Another beautiful morning for a run.  Actually, I've jut learned that, based on my pace, I'm not quite running - I'm jogging!  But, despite my usual preference to be more precise when dealing with such details, it's taken me a long time to call it running, and myself a runner (as opposed to airquote running and airquote runner), so I'm just going to stick with running!

This morning I did a 35 minute run.  It felt great!  Well, at one point I did feel like slowing to a walk, but knew that it wasn't really necessary and kept going.  The feeling passed and the run was uneventful.  It was a wonderful 63 degrees (17 C).  I only saw a couple of cars while I was out - one with a dog named Max riding happily in the back seat with his head out the window.  He gave me a look like "You're running to get somewhere?  How primitive!"   From a distance I also saw my husband leaving to go to the Metropark for his morning bike ride.  We'll both be headed to the Metropark on Sunday to run and ride, then meet back up when we're done.  Still don't have my Nike+ sensor replaced, so none of my miles this week are recorded on my log. =(

I heard some great music on today's run.  Whenever I sync my iPod the playlist resets and everything shuffles into a different order while some songs are replaced.  Today I was accompanied by Queen V, Adam Ant, Nickleback, The Detroit Cobras and others.  Lady Ga Ga sang a techno version of Just Dance throughout my warm up, and it was a good start. 

I will be back on Sunday to report in on my next run, but will hopefully have my post up about meeting The Penguin and Coach Jenny tomorrow.  I didn't want to post about it until I have a chance to get the pictures off  my phone to include with it. Til Sunday...

What an amazing morning!

So I was supposed to do a 5K run yesterday morning.  I got ready and headed out and about 1/4 mile in realized that (me + running + darkest  before dawn + uneven sidewalk = FAIL).  Okay, maybe not fail maybe more like fall!  Did I give up?  Well, yes and no!  No... I HAD to get back home, and walking was my only option.  Yes... I quickly learned that my nice wicking pants were getting stuck to my road rash, and what skin was left on my knees was going to be rapid rubbed off, so I picked my self up (after looking around to be sure that no one saw me) and pulled my pantleg up, while blood dribbled down my shin, and took myself home.  

I tried again this morning, being much more mindful of the terrain, and ran without incident.  I did not, however, run the 5K that I had planned.  I only went about 2 1/3 miles and spent part of it walking.  I did run the majority of the distance, but my right knee is pretty stiff, and I didn't want to overdo it.  It was absolutely gorgeous out this morning!  After a wicked storm last night, the sky was a beautiful royal blue at 6:00 am today, and clear as a bell.   The moon and many bright stars illuminated the sky.  It was the prettiest I've seen in since a clear morning in 1997 that we went to an isolated area to see Comet Hale-Bopp or the time we were driving to the upper peninsula of Michigan and went to a park to see the milky way and the millions of stars that you can see from an unpopulated area on a clear night.  I wish I could have taken a picture of the sky this morning, because it was truly glorious!

The most exciting thing about this week, though, is that I got to meet John "The Penguin" Bingham and running Coach, Jenny Hadfield last night.  It was a thrill because I read so much by them and about them, and they are like running rockstars.  John, especially, is an everyday guy who started running in his mid-forties (like me) and has been doing it almost 20 years now.  I will write a separate blog post about meeting them, along with a couple of pictures.

So that's my story for today.  Will run again tomorrow morning, then on Sunday.  Planning on shorter runs than I planned today, and the next 5K run will be next Wednesday - the last day of August!  Where has the summer gone, when I'll be starting my 13th week of running (and no one is more surprised than I am!).

That didn't suck nearly as much!

Actually, it didn't suck at all!  Not my most awesome performance, but this morning's run was certainly respectable.  It was an absolutely awesome 56 degrees (13 C) when I headed out at 6:00 am.  I would love weather like that for every run!  Since my upcoming races are planned for October and November, I am excited about the temperature during those months.  I have, however, seen some days that the Detroit Marathon brought really cold weather, and spitting icy rain.  I'd certainly prefer dry, but I'll totally take cold and rainy over hot and sunny!  I once signed up for a 5K in July that started at 11:00 am and was on a sunny course.  Horrible experience!  Well, it wasn't JUST the weather with that one, but it cured me of signing up for any in the hot months ever again.

There was a lot of mist just outside my neighborhood, in the fields this morning.  Seeing the sun come up over the trees and begin to burn it off was quite pretty, and I enjoyed watching the sky come to life.  It reminds me of a chapter from one of my favorite children's books "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster.  An orchestra plays the sunrise (and sunset) and each note is a dancing ray of light or a twinkling star or the last bit of orange sunlight slipping behind the horizon.  It's very visual and it changed the way I saw the sunrise/set after I read it in the 2nd grade.  I've read it many times since.

But back to my run... I went back to Week 7, Day 1 and will do my 5K run on Wednesday, then days 2 and 3 on Friday and one of the weekend days.  Next week I'll do the same with Week 8.  I did well with it and ran the full 25 minutes without any trouble.  I was quite happy with that, since my eating yesterday was little improvement from the previous 3 days.  I am, however, nicely back on track today, and am quite confident that Wednesday's 5K run before work will be great!  I love how strong my legs are feeling and kind of like how they're beginning to look!  I do need to concentrate more on stretching, though.  I don't do nearly enough of that!

Well, that's about all there is to tell you today.  See you in a couple days, after an awesome 5K run around my neighborhood!

Wow! That really sucked!

I mean really! I had decided to not do my longer run, since I was going to the MetroPark, and was unsure of the distances from where I was starting. When we arrived John asked if I wanted mosquito spray but I declined the offer. I hate using that when I work out cuz I always feel like my skin absorbs more if the toxic stuff when I sweat. Besides I breathe harder and don't like inhaling it. Ironically, before I got done with my warm up walk I was headed back to the car. I wanted DEET and lots of it! The 100% kind.


Once again I spent more time walking than running. I had my protein shake this morning, but my diet has been totally crappy for the past three days. That must be the reason that I felt so sluggish. I probably could have actually run more than I did, but I wussed out and walked a lot. At one point I heard someone jogging up behind me and I was thinking "showoff!" when he passed me. It was an old man! Like twice my age!!! Okay, not twice, but I'll bet he was around 70! He got a ways ahead of me and I noticed that he slowed to a walk, but only for about 30 seconds. Showoff! Actually, I don't begrudge the fact that this man past me and was doing great. I aspire to be in that shape at his age, being that active. Hell, I hope I can be in that shape when I'm 50!


Oh... To top things off, my Nike+ sensor died. When my iPod couldn't detect it I checked to be sure I was wearing the correct shoes. Yep, they were definitely my running shoes. I kept waiting for it to pick up the sensor, but it never did. I have to say that I've gotten a much longer life from the sensor than I expected. I imagine that's mostly because, until 2 1/2 months ago it didn't really get the amount of use that it was designed for. I'll get a new one next week. Seems silly since I won't need it when I get my iPhone, but that's a few months off, and I really like using the Nike+ so I'll go ahead and get it.


Planning ahead:  I have decided that I will do a 5K run once weekly, on Wednesday. That way it's the same day each week, and it's during a run in my neighborhood where I have the course measured out. I won't do that the Wednesday before my races, but will inrease the distance a bit the week before that. Based on that I will be following C25K tomorrow, do 5K Wednesday, the C25K the rest of the week.  


Catch ya tomorrow!

Testing... Testing...

Is this thing working?  Oh wait!  It was ME that was having a bit of difficulty!  I got up this morning, ready to run.  I didn't plan to do 5K again today,  because I didn't feel that I would be able to do that so soon after Wednesday's 3.125 miles, and I was correct.  I also decided to test my strategy of having a protein shake before I run, and was right about that, as well!  I did my warm up walk and then started running and it wasn't long before I ran out of steam.  I walked for a while longer, then sped up to a jog, but again, I ran out of steam before very long.  My total route was 2 miles today, but I ran less than half of it.  I've come to the conclusion that, now that I am going a little farther and a little faster, I definitely need to get some protein before I run.  That may not be the case so much, if I were to go out after I have been up and had a meal or two anyway, but for running first thing in the morning, start-up fuel appears to be necessary.

It was a glorious 64 degrees (17 C) at 5:50 this morning.  Wonderful temperature!  As the sun rose, there was a thin layer of mist just above the ground, giving the field near our house a quietly mysterious appearance.  You could see it and see that it was a plowed field, but you couldn't quite see what was in the field.  I happen to know that lots of critters make themselves quite comfortable there, and many of them are the kind that I'd just as soon not run across in the dark of pre-dawn.  The raccoons and opossums are are not so bad, although I wouldn't really want to startle either of them - they do have sharp teeth.  It's the skunks and the coyotes that I really don't want to see up close. 

The only interesting thing that happened while I was out today was that a guy in an SUV stopped and asked if he could have the money out of my purse.  I told my husband that it was fine, so he went back home to get it, and then waived at me as he drove out of the neighborhood with his bike in the back.  He probably used it to buy breakfast after he "worked out" while sitting down on his bicycle.  Seriously... 21 miles while you're sitting on a bike?  The only way to really  work out is on your feet!  No... not really!  But I'd totally rather run that have my butt hurt from sitting on a bike for 21 miles!

Next run: Sunday at the park (which is 8 weeks until the Detroit Marathon/Half/5K).  Looking forward to a good run to finish out my week.  I think I'll plan to do another 5K, then next week I'll be fully back to M-W-F + a weekend day!  Goal is to do 5K at least once a week and possibly a slightly longer one (4 miles?) before my official first race!

Holy Freaking Cow!

So, I was looking at the calendar yesterday and realized that my first 5K, the one alongside the Detroit Marathon, was exactly 2 months away.  TWO months!  61 days!  Time to kick into a higher gear and get my tuchus moving, farther - and faster!  C25K has been going well, but I have yet to actually run 5K.  Until today, that is!  

I finished my new John Bingham book, Accidental Athlete, last night and really enjoyed it.  Definitely learned some new things, but mostly, it left me feeling totally inspired.  So, when I went to bed I decided that I was going to run a full 5K this morning.  Or at least I would try.  No walk breaks - just running (well, jogging, actually) for the entire 3.125 miles.  Of course, realizing that I haven't even tried this before, I was well aware that I could get into the 3rd mile and decide that I needed to finish up walking, but I was so excited about this new goal, that I had trouble getting to sleep last night!  

I got up 3 minutes after the alarm went off.  I walked for about 5 minutes, which got me to the point where I started mapping my 5K route on Map My Run then I started my run.  One mile...  feeling great.  I started out a little earlier this morning, knowing that it was going to take me longer, so it was still dark out.  Two miles...  still feeling really good, knowing that, in just over a mile, I would accomplish something major for me.  Three miles...  okay, I am now aware that this is more than I've ever done at one time, but am still feeling good.  Keep going... around the next corner, and I can see the intersection where my 3.125 miles ends.  Nothing can stop me now!  I kept on running and I did it!  And I couldn't be more thrilled if you gave me a medal (well, maybe if you gave me a medal)!  

My pace was slow.  I really want to pick that up in the next 2 months, before I run a timed 5K, in front of other people.  But that's okay!  That was why I wanted to do this today and see exactly where I am.  I know  that I can improve my time before my first 5K, and now I know where I am starting from, and will be able to see - and measure - my progress.  

YAY ME!  I think I floated the rest of the way home.  Now, there's NO stopping me!

Today is a good day to run!

A really good day!  It was beautiful weather, and I started at a point at the MetroPark that would keep me, intermittently, in sun and shade.  It was about 68 degrees (20 C) with about 75% humidity, which was a bit moist, but not too bad.  It was my third time, in a row, running 25 minutes, straight - and It felt great!  I was initially concerned because the paths in the park go over small hills that I'm not used to - none of those in my neighborhood.  I was very pleased to have finished today with my farthest distance and my best time for a mile!  Hooray!


The path went along some really pretty stretches of road that I enjoyed while I was running.  Since it was 8:20 am there weren't a huge number of people in the park, and I had some of the most scenic sections of the trail all to myself, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

My biggest complaint would have to be the mosquitoes, but as long as I kept running they didn't bother me.  It kept me moving right along!  Maybe I should thank them for my improved pace today.  As soon as I got back to the car and stopped to get my water and everything, they swarmed toward me with a thirst for blood and murder in their eyes.  They were huge - nearly as big as hummingbirds!  Okay, maybe not quite THAT big, but they really were some big-ass mosquitoes!


As nice as the weather was when I was out running (I can say running now without the quotes and feel quite comfortable with it) - anyway, as nice as it was, it's supposed to rain this afternoon and evening, which is kind of disappointing because I'm going to an outdoor concert.  My playlist today included both Sammy Hagar and Kid Rock, and I will be seeing both of them live and in person tonight, from the nose-bleed section at Comerica Park.  Doesn't matter... rain or not, I'm going to enjoy the concert and am looking forward to a great evening.  I hear that Kid Rock goes all out for his Detroit shows and I've seen Sammy before and know that he's awesome.   I'll include a brief concert report in my next run entry on Tuesday!  Til then, toodle loo!