Better morning

This morning was much better for running.  The temperature was similar, but it was overcast and, at times, gusty!  Other times there wasn't a lick of breeze, but it made me really appreciate the gusts when they came along. 


My speed was better.  Possibly because I was trying to escape the deer flies...  The air was pretty heavy, so I did take a couple of short walk breaks - and I swallowed a bug so I had to stop and choke for a minute.  There weren't many people out at 7am. In fact I only saw 2 - one guy working in his garage and a neighbor who was out with her dog.  It was the fluffy little dog who always barks at me.  We actually got to meet this morning and his name is Charlie and I almost got to pet him!  I was done with my run by then, and walking back to the house and was (amazingly) not at all uncomfortable about the fact that I was talking to this neighbor for the first time and was a sweaty mess.  Maybe the fact that she was wearing a bathrobe and curlers helped.


I did see a goose walking down the road.  It was pretty funny... he was just waddling down the middle of the lane, like he had a driver's license. I also saw a cat, and apparently interrupted it's morning hunt and he ran into the woods.  


So I do feel like my running is improving, despite the little blips that I've had this week.  I am feeling less stressed today, but still experiencing the effects of my overstressed stomach. I have some things in the works next week that should help to eliminate that stress, so I foresee much improvement in how I feel - and my running - in the near future.  

How you feelin'? Feelin' hot, hot hot!

Yes... it's hot!  It was close to 80 degrees when I got done running this morning, and I was totally overdressed.  Definitely need to arrange to have some cooler running clothes available. I was wearing a pair of running capris, but shorts would have been much better, and my choice of an oversized non-wicking t-shirt was a poor one.  It weighed at least 10 pounds when I was done.  Well, that might be a slight exaggeration, but I truly was soaked when I got home.


The run itself wasn't wonderful, either. I have a list of excuses for why I was kind of slow:

1. Calf cramp
2. Foot cramp
3. Tight muscles
4. Nausea from being a bit (or a lot) stressed
5. High temperature (the air, not me)
6. The smell of manure in the air
7. The distinct odor of a resident skunk
8. Too sunny

Okay, #8 probably isn't really a valid reason, but the rest certainly came into play.  I've been pretty stressed out this week, and I know that exercise is supposed to help. What I haven't figured out, though, is how to get past the constant feeling of needing to throw up so that I can run without feeling like I need to make a mad dash for the bushes!  And let me also point out that #s 6 and 7 did not help that situation!

I took a few walk breaks and was, consequently, a little slower than usual.  Slower than I usually am?  who would have thought it possible?  I used to run with the mantra "the more I run, the sooner I'm done" But now that I am going for time, rather that distance, that doesn't work.  I tried imagining that there was a dog chasing me and I had to run faster to  get away, but as it turned out, my imaginary dog was quite friendly and just wanted me to pet him.  Go figure!  All in all, it wasn't a bad run, but I'm looking forward to a better one tomorrow.

I'm a runner!

I know I am, because I got up this morning at 4:30 to run!  I MUST be a runner to do that, right? Never mind that I had just slept for nearly 18 hours.  Yes!  18 hours!  But I was up for the 30 hours prior to that, so it all evens out.

If I thought I was out there all alone on Saturday morning, I was REALLY alone today!  I was up and out before most of the birds!  Today was my longest run yet - both time and distance.  I ran for nearly an hour, and ran the whole time with no walk breaks.  I did go a little slower than I have recently, but not much and I was really concentrating more on running the whole way - granted, most runners probably cover the same distance in about half the time, but I wasn't trying to break any speed records.  Good thing!

I know I said that I signed up for the Lansing Half-Marathon next April and a friend pointed out this weekend that it's 6 months after my first half marathon.  Six month to the day!  I thought that was pretty cool.  I knew that it was about half a year after the Detroit Half, but didn't really pay attention to the details.  I think that will be a great way to commemorate the completion of my first one! Follow it up with my next one exactly six months later!

I wish something exciting would happen on my run so I had something more interesting to report to you.  Maybe when I start carrying my pepper spray!  In the meantime, I'll be out again tomorrow morning for a shorter run, so I'll check in here again after that.

Early Saturday run all alone

And I mean ALL ALONE!  Didn't see anyone else out there.  It was just me, the doves and the robins.  No. The doves were not crying.  The robins did, however, sing "tweet-tweetly-tweet" as one would expect on such a lovely, cool morning.

The run was a bit slower than yesterday.  I felt a little stiff-legged as I headed out and am not suprised that I slowed down a little.  It's fine, though.  I feel great about this morning's run.  I also paused for a moment to admire the thin layer of fog blanketing the field, which took a few seconds off my time.  It felt great to get out there so early (6:00 am on a Saturday!) and now I'm ready to go set up my Relay site.

That's about it for today's uneventful run.  See you here on Monday, after a significantly longer - and earlier - run. 

Good run! That is all!

Didn't run yesterday because I chose to sleep in, instead.  Ah... the dangers of taking a day off from work!  I ran today and will be adjusting my schedule a bit this weekend to accommodate being at Relay for 24 hours.  I really don't see how I'm going to be able to take the time to run for nearly an hour and then drive home to shower and get back there, so I'm going to do that run on Monday morning, before work.  Getting up that early sounds nearly as challenging, but it's only once (right now).

Today's run was awesome!  One of my best yet and it felt great!  Same pace as last time...  improvement would have been nice, but I'll certainly take staying the same.  Absolutely nothing interesting or exciting happened on my run.  The gravel road is, once again, packed and I saw more cars there than I ever have.  I was out at 7:05 so that must be when people are going to work.  I felt a little sorry for them - having to go to work, and all, when I'm taking today off.  Well, except for the ones flew by me, kicking up gravel, and I didn't feel bad for them at all.

It was much cooler this morning.  A balmy 64 degrees! Well, maybe BALMY is pushing it a little.  It was very humid, but still nicer than it has been.  I when I woke up yesterday it was 83 out, which is why I didn't just go later. My run in Chicago - the Rock 'n' Roll mini marathon is one month from today!  Woo hoo.  Looking forward to that, whatever the weather is!

Sweets for sweat?

I've seen some odd things on my runs, but this may be the one that has me the most curious.  I'm tooling along, and on the sidewalk, I see this pan of hard candy.  I don't know why.  There was no one around (it was 6:15 am).  I seriously doubt that someone set it out there in case I needed some quick energy on my run - although if they've seen me run, I suppose that could be the case.  Probably not, though.  It tops my list of strange things I've come across on my runs.



This morning's run went quite well.  Speed is improved, but I am having my doubts about Sunday's run...  At some point, my iPhone app switched from using the GPS to using the accelerometor on Sunday and I think it thought I ran a bit further than I did.  Not that it wasn't a really good run, but I'm thinking it wasn't quite as great as I thought.  Regardless, today's run went very well, despite the temp of almost 80 degrees and super-high humidity.


I signed up for the Lansing Half Marathon taking place in April 2012! Decided that it would be helpful in keeping me focused over the winder, so that I'm 13-mile-ready in the spring.  And, as a bonus, when I'm done with the run I'll be able to go hang out at Eagle Monk Pub and Brewery! Ha ha!I haven't even gotten to my First half-marathon yet, and I'm already planning my 2nd one... including where I'm going to go afterward! I've always been one to plan ahead!


I'll be running a little longer on Thursday, than I did today, but I have the day off from work, so that will be good.  Tootles til then!

Know what I can do?

Anything I choose to do! Yep! My time running increased today and I am thrilled to say that each mile was faster than the last! I headed up my gravel road (which is packing Dow rather slowly) and there was a woman out getting her newspaper. She said "Wow! You have more motivation in the morning than I do!" I appreciated that because it was actually 10 degrees warmer today than yesterday morning and I could have easily skipped out on my run knowing that I wouldn't like it put there. I told her that I knew if I didn't get out and do it, it wouldn't get done. I know... Profound.

 I thought about my dad while I was running. I think he would be proud of what I am doing. Running with the DetermiNation team to raise money for the American Cancer Society. I wish that I could wish him a Happy Father's Day today and tell him all about this morning's run. He passed away, after a long battle with cancer, 9 years ago today. I'll be back on the road on Tuesday morning with a little shorter run than today, but I'm looking forward to an awesome week of improvement. I really do feel, after today, that I truly CAN do anything I set my mind to do.

I said I was a-goin' runnin' but my legs said no, no, no!

I'm not sure who stole my legs, overnight, and replaced them with a pair made of lead, but I didn't appreciate it!  My legs had a bad attitude this morning and we're going to have a talk a little later!  They MADE me take walk breaks!  Consequently, my speed was slower than it has been, but that's okay...  I'll be out there again tomorrow, increasing my time, so I'll be sure to get out there early - with excellent results!

I went out at 7:50 and it was already feeling kind of warm to me.  Not like it's going to be later today, when we clock in at 90 degrees... it was only 64 degrees but the humidity was near 90% and there was barely a breeze. Are you seeing a trend in my posts?  I really hate heat and humidity.  Maybe I should live in Saskatchewan!

Other than my ornery legs, my run was supremely uneventful!  I saw a couple of people being walked by their dogs and only a couple of cars.  Looking forward to tomorrow and a longer run!

Gravel and ghetto?

Got up early this morning to hit the road - er, I mean gravel - and had a really good run.  I was surprised to see that the gravel road on my new route was wet when I approached that part of my run and was even more surprised to see that it had been (very) recently graded.  Scraped to smooth the wavy, corduroy-like surface... and loosen all of the stones that were so nicely packed into the road on Tuesday.  This slowed me down ever-so-slightly and I stepped on a particularly large piece of "gravel" and rolled my ankle a bit (not the one that I sprained a few weeks ago) but was able to easily recover from my misstep.  Interestingly, the 2nd half of my run was faster than my first.  Usually it's the other way around!

Seen on my run... anybody home?

I think I mentioned the couple of interesting houses that I passed on that road in my last post.  I paused long enough to take a couple of photos this morning (I'm blaming that AND the loose gravel for my slightly slower speed today) just because these kinds of things fascinate me.  This is a country road and on the other side of both of these building is a farm field.  They are not part of the same property so it seems like an unlikely place for the kind of graffiti displayed here, and the house looks fine, with the exception that everything is overgrown and it's empty.  It makes me wonder what happened that we ended up with these two places so close to my neighborhood.  Is the empty house a result of foreclosure?  Did someone move away and they just weren't able to sell it?  Did someone pass away and no one else in the family wanted the home?  And what about the colorfully tagged building just a few doors down?  Is there anything in there?  What was it used for?  There is a house fairly close to it that is occupied and looks well-kept... does it belong to them?  Who put the graffiti there?  It's nice that the scenery gives me these things to contemplate while I am running.  The time flew by!  Oh!  And my fastest song was by Marilyn Manson!  Who wouldn't run a little faster away from him?

Seen on my run... I want the story!

I saw no wildlife (or even domestic life) this morning.  Okay, I saw a few robins, but that was it.  And only one vehicle that was out and about went by me.  Must be the first day of summer break.  Great!  Now I wish I was on summer break!  daydreaming...  snap back to reality...  The temperature was awesome, at only 54 degrees with a tiny breeze that was just enough to keep me cool.  Humidity wasn't bad either and my run was very enjoyable.  Not sure what my route will be on Saturday.  I'm looking forward to going out early and then heading to Rochester Hills with friends, so I doubt that I will venture far from home.  Sunday is a longer run, then off to visit family for Father's Day.  I'm SO ready for the weekend!

Hey! Where have YOU been?

Oh, wait, I guess you should be asking ME that question!  I've been a bad runner!  I was super busy at work with a big event that we put on last Saturday and just didn't drag my @$$ out of bed in the morning to run.  I'm embarrassed to say it, but I was tired and it was hot and I didn't make myself do it.  That kind of behavior is not acceptable and I know it! I have just over 18 weeks to get ready for this half marathon!  I know I don't like to run in the evening, when it's hot outside, and all I really want to do is relax for the evening so I HAVE to get myself out there in the morning those 4 days a week that I am supposed to run.  No matter what!  No more excuses!  Yoda was right: I must "Do, or do not!! There is no try!"

So I DID get up this morning and did my scheduled run with no walk breaks and had the fastest time that I've had when I wasn't running in a race (I always do better in races - maybe the caffeine I drink on the way there).  I chose a new route today, so I had new things to see.  It was mostly on a gravel road not far from home and I encountered cats at two different cheering stations to encourage me on my way.  I also ran by a beautiful orange Dodge Challenger, which was nice since I was missing out on seeing the Charger on my usual route.  It had rained overnight so the road was damp, but not muddy because it was pretty well packed.  I saw very little traffic, as it was sort of in the country.  It was kind of overcast, and pretty humid, making it a little more difficult for me.  I saw that someone posted the question to my coach, Luke, asking what the best way to get used to running in hot weather is and his answer was simple.  Run in hot weather!  I suppose the same is true for running in high humidity.
My schedule is pretty much running on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday (with a longer run on Sunday).  I have 5Ks to do on June 30, July 22 (in Chicago!), August 11, then nothing scheduled until October 6 (my 5-miler over the Mackinac Bridge) then my half marathon on October 21.  I'll need to schedule something for September.  I also saw a discount on registration for the Lansing Half Marathon for April 2013 and am considering signing up for that to keep me on track early next race season.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!  I'll be back on Thursday with an even better run than today!

What a great day for a run!

Done running and headed for refreshments!

Fantastic weather for the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run! I'm here, just past the finish, watching the runners come in. Feeling very inspired. Men, women, all ages,all shapes and sizes. Most people looking satisfied... Every one of them a winner! There are people wearing banana costumes and people holding signs to encourage and motivate their friends, loved ones and teammates. My favorite sign so far: "Run like you stole something!" Seeing the heartfelt "congratulations" and hearing runners telling other runners how great they looked out there really demonstrates the relationships among the running community.  There was a man with his son (about 3 years old) watching for his wife to come in and they cheered for her when she came into site.  She waved and continued on to get some fruit after the finish line and then circled back to see them.  The little boy ran to her, and greeted her with a hug like he hadn't seen her in a week, and said "you ran fast, mommy!"

That's the way to relax after a race!

I ran this morning, too! Not as far or fast as these people!  But I ran, and am happy with that. It felt great with the exception of the humidity making the air feel really heavy to me.  I got to see my favorite things along the way... the new red Charger and the old El Camino, so that was cool.  The Charger hadn't been there for a while so I was worried that it may have actually been a visitor and I wouldn't see it regularly.  My training is changing, starting on Tuesday.  Rather than going for a specific distance with each run, I'll be running for a certain amount of time, and getting as much distance out of that as I can.  I'm looking forward to the change and seeing what kind of difference that makes in my speed

What is all this outside?

Wow!  I went out just after 9:00 am and I am definitely NOT used to running at that time of day. First of all, it's bright out!  Pretty overcast, but still kind of a stark bright, that I'm just not accustomed to.  It was windy, too!  Also, our neighborhood is having a community-wide yard sale this weekend.  We aren't participating, so I forgot about it completely.  There were cars everywhere. I never have maneuver around that much traffic!  Not to mention that everyone could SEE me!  In my bright yellow shirt!  Ugh!  Actually, one guy drove by - probably around 18 years old - and smiled and waved at me as if he approved of my efforts, so that made me feel a little better.  Why?  Still trying to figure out why I feel so uncomfortable when people see me run.  I'm doing something good for me and it has nothing to do with the other people out there.  I persevered and finished my run, and was proud of myself.  This afternoon I'm going to reward myself with a bike ride at the Metro Park.

I did have a bit of pain in the arch of my foot, so I slowed down a little for the last mile.  I finished up with a sprint and that was fine - or at least not any worse.  I'm thinking that it may have had something to do with the ankle sleeve or the way I had my shoe tied over it because it went away when I removed the shoe and sleeve.  I'll have to pay closer attention to how I put that on, tomorrow.

Running again tomorrow morning, before I go watch a bunch of other people run at the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run.  That will be inspiring for me.  I love seeing people finish their races, and hope to inspire others in the same way.  I think I'll do my blog from there tomorrow and post a few race pics. Til then...