Today's run was great!

Well, it's over with, and that's the best thing about it!  I did well, but it was hard.  I was having thoughts like "maybe I'm just not cut out for this running thing...  maybe I'm not really a runner-girl, but a walker-girl!"  It was hard!  I was also thinking about the fact that it's 99 days until my half marathon and I am nowhere near ready for that.  Not even close!  I'm reminded of one of my favorite movie quotes: "If it wasn't hard, everyone woud do it.  It's the hard that makes it great!"  Therefore, today's run was great!

I was supposed to run yesterday, but was lazy about getting around to do it and it was too warm when I finally dragged myself out of bed.  Shame on me.  But... I made sure to do it this morning, and have a shorter run scheduled tomorrow.  Plus, I have somewhere to be early tomorrow, so I will definitely be up to do it early, when it's coolest out.  Sunday I have a long run.  I tried not to think about that when I was out this morning because it was discouraging to think that today's run was so difficult and Sunday's will be 50% longer.  Maybe we'll just go with 50% greater...

It certainly was beautiful out this morning.  I was out just after sunrise and it was a teeny bit hazy.  I saw way more cars than I ever do when I'm out.  And I have to admit that, now that I'm done with my run, and have cooled off a bit, I do feel really good - and not just because I'm not running at the moment!  Walker-girl... hmph!  That just doesn't have the same ring to it at all.  I'm a runner-girl, and I CAN do this!

Yesterday I slept in a little, sat around the house, played on my computer, did a little house work - and I felt guilty because I didn't run.  Yesterday was a scheduled rest day!  I wasn't supposed to run!  Why was I feeling guilty?  Upon reflection (today, while I WAS running), I started thinking that maybe it wasn't exactly guilt but was something different.  Yes!  What I was feeling was something new.  I wished that it HAD been a run day.  I missed it!  My husband told me that I was weird - like it was something I didn't already know. Ha!

So, after feeling like I was missing out on running yesterday, I got up bright and early today and headed out.  My run was solid.  No improvement.  I'm not quite where I want to be for my Chicago run in 12 days, so I need to work hard for the next couple of weeks.  But I was happy with my performance.  It was a great start to the day, which was followed by a very promising meeting about a new job, then lunch back at home with hubby.  Hoping to hear about the job later today or tomorrow.  It will be good, since my previous position simply disappeared during a reorganization as of July 1.  I can't complain about the time off, but have to admit that it has messed with my schedule and I do a lot better with running when I'm getting up at the same time every other day to  run before work.  Consistency is very helpful in keeping me on track - with everything.  We won't even talk about how I'm doing with Weight Watchers right now, but it is proof positive that a consistent schedule is the way for me to go!

It doesn't look like the Chicago Perimeter Ride is going to happen this year.  It's usually in August and there hasn't been even a murmur about it yet.  We were looking forward to it, and I was confident that I could do the 100-mile ride, since it's a leisurely, all-day, event.  Bummer!  But, we found a different cycling event that we're going to do, instead.  It starts in Mackinaw City, MI and has 4 different routes, taking you as far as Harbor Springs (just NW of Petoskey) before heading back to Mackinaw.  You can choose to ride 25, 50, 75 or 100 miles, and it's a non-competitive ride.  Since it's a little more hilly than Chicago, I think I'll aim for the 50 mile ride, then the next day all of the participants ride across the Mackinaw Bridge at dawn.  That's just over 2 months away and I think it will be loads of fun.

There was a small group of runners out this morning, and they kindly let me join them for a while.  I liked them!  They made me feel pretty speedy!  Here are the 5 members that I saw first, but when they joined the others, they unanimously decided to go swimming instead, while I continued on my run, alone.  I'll be back again on Thursday, running the same amount of time, so I'm looking for a little more distance in that run.

Heat relief... FINALLY!

I've been a bad runner!  But to my defense, it has been brutally hot here in the lower mitten!  Record breaking temperatures nearing (or over) 100 degrees.  Overnight it would cool down to the mid 80s. I was supposed to run twice in the last 4 days, and set the alarm, but when the time came, it was just too damned hot out. I did get out and walk on Thursday, and went along at an okay pace, but didn't put it in my running log, and (obviously) didn't write about it here (until just now).

This morning it was 70 degrees when I went out and 73 when I got back home, an hour later.  Not too bad!  My pace was slower than I would have liked, but not bad.  I've certainly been a whole lot slower!  We had a lovely thunderstorm in the night (I love thunderstorms, especially at night) that ended just 2 hours before I got up to run, so it was quite humid out, making my breathing a little harder than normal.  I ran all over our neighborhood, covering few places twice, and hitting every street, but one.  First time I've done that route.  Decided not to hit the gravel roads after the rain... I don't want my running shoes to get all dirty!

Before I run I usually have a class of water and about 8 oz. of coffee to give me my initial boost.  Sometimes, I also have a Fiber One bar for a little bit of carb energy.  Today we didn't have any bars in the pantry, so I had an oatmeal, chocolate chip, walnut cookie instead.  Probably not the best pre-run snack, but it tasted good!  Sometimes, when I'm doing a race and don't have any coffee, I'll drink a 5 Hour Energy, but don't like them very well.  I don't really like any of the pseudo-carbonated soda-pop-like energy drinks, especially not before running. I have a neighbor who loves him some Monster!  Enough to put ELEVEN stickers on his car that I can see from one side!  Seriously... there are 11 of them!  If you don't believe me, you can count them yourself!  Now, I'm all for showing support for the brands that you're loyal to, but I think this is just a little extreme.


Close to the end of my run I got to see Charlie and he loudly encouraged me to go, go, go!  He's quite the cheerleader and I did, indeed, speed up a little when he said that I should.  I barely had a chance to say hello to his person!

Next run is Tuesday morning. I think it's supposed to stay a little cooler this week (cooler being upper 80s?) so I'm hoping for comfortable mornings for running.  Rock 'n' Roll Chicago is 2 weeks from today and I want to do well there but my Mackinaw Bridge Run is in less than 3 months and I'm not at the pace I need to be for that.  I may need to be more aggressive with my training (meaning not be such a wimp about the heat and get my butt out there, anyway!)  The half marathon is just 2 weeks later, so the clock is ticking!

Well, I set the alarm for 5:30 am so I could get up to run while it was still cool-ish out, but it was storming so I stayed in bed a little longer.  I did get up and out the door at 8:00.  Boy was I in for a shock when I stepped outside!  The air was on in the house, so it was quite cool inside, and I was fully aware that it was 75 degrees outside.  What I wasn't prepared for was the humidity.  Why didn't I think of that? It HAD just rained, after all!  It was like stepping into a sauna.  My glasses steamed up and it felt momentarily oppressive.  I stepped back inside to announce that it was "sweltering" out there, then headed back outside.

It turned out to be not so bad.  I mean, it was a little hard to breathe, but I persevered and actually matched my fastest speed, to date.  It helped that today was an exceptionally short run - only 30 minutes.  It may also have helped that there was another woman out there running.  I've never seen her before and don't know where, in the neighborhood, she lives, but our paths crossed twice and there was no way I was going to let her look like she was moving along faster than me!  I'm just a little competitive!  It was nice to see someone else out there doing the same thing as me, and we exchanged pleasantries both times that we saw each other.  

Not a new tattoo, but it means even
more, today!

About a mile into my run it started thundering again.  I was thinking of it as a crowd of fans clapping for me as I zoomed by on my Brooks branded go-fasters. Well, maybe I didn't exactly zoom, but I was keeping an eye on my pace and felt really good about it.  Then it started raining.  Not much - and certainly not enough to cool me off, but it felt kind of good to run in the rain.  There were quite a few people around. I guess 8:00 is the popular time to go to work.  

I got home and my husband left for a long bike ride and when he gets back we are celebrating my 5 year cancerversary and meeting up with friends later tonight (did that last night, too).  I am thrilled to say that I'm officially no longer a cancer patient!  Five years ago I had no idea what the future held - today I'm preparing to run the Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank International Half Marathon! Yay me!

First day of July and it's a mowing morning!

New territory

Today was a longer run than the rest of the week and it didn't go all that great.  Still not feeling quite up to par so I ended up walking a good share of the time, but went along at a decent pace, so all was not lost.  I tend to have some seasonal allergies and, naturally, there were a number of mowing.  It's been dry so lots of dust and stuff in the air.  That was nothing compared to the field that I went by where they were harvesting wheat!  Okay, I don't really know if it was wheat - could have been any grain, for all I know, but the combine was surrounded by a cloud of dust.  My eyes are still burning!

Looking to the right

I saw more people than usual.  Probably because I waited until 9:00 to head out.  That was dumb!  It was hot, and I was mostly in full sun.  The weather site said it was 84 degrees, but my iPhone said that it was 97 where I was running!  I believe it!  I covered more ground than I have in the past, at least since I started running on the gravel road nearby. Today I got to explore 2 more gravel roads on my trotting travels.  I ran by a couple of famers... their pick-up trucks stopped alongside the road, one guy leaning on the other's truck, chatting with his hands in his pockets.  They were friendly and said hello to me.  Another lady was backing out of her driveway and rolled the window down to wish me a good morning.  Plus, almost all the folks out mowing waved, and most people who passed in their cars did too.  I'm really not used to that many friendly people when I'm out there!

Looking to the left (you can see the combine across the
field in the middle of the picture)

My right calf is still feeling really tight.  I need to work on some extra stretches for that when I have a rest day tomorrow.  I'll be back on the road on Tuesday and Thursday, then both weekend days.  I'm not working this week, so I have lots of time - but will still plan to get up, and out the door, early.  It's supposed to be a hot week!

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...

Back to running today with a new "problem"...

Yes, my runner-girl pendant has been looking like she's feeling neglected for the last 10 days, but I tested my ankle out and was able to do all of the activities and remain pain-free, so I headed out this morning.  It was great!  Not a long run... just 2 miles to see how it would feel, and I ran the entire distance without any difficulty.  I did, however, encounter a new problem.  My running tights are too big!  I had to hike them up every few minutes the whole time.  Yes, I have a goal of losing weight, but I just bought 2 pair of these tights a few months ago.  And they weren't cheap!  I'm going to see if I can have them taken in, so I can continue to use them.  I already have one pair that I've retired to just wearing around the house.  I hate to add two more pair to that list just yet.

I splurged yesterday and bought 2 more pair of Balega running socks!  I simply LOVE these socks!  I wish all of my socks felt like the ones that I run in.  At $11 a pair, I can't have these for everyday, but if I had tried these socks years ago, I would have started running much sooner just to wear the socks.  So, now, I have 3 pair of socks for running, and won't have to try to get them washed between every run.  My biggest concern is that they will go the way of so many of my other socks and one will disappear in the wash.  I don't know how that happens!  We do our laundry at home so it's not like we leave one in the dryer at the laundry mat!  I've decided  to pin my good socks together when I put the in the hamper, in hopes of keeping them together and not losing any of them.

Once again, I was in my 2nd mile and couldn't remember what route I had taken for mile 1.  That is such a weird feeling!  There are a couple different routes that I take in my neighborhood and I got to the opposite corner from where I live, for the 2nd time this morning, and truly had no idea when way I went the first time.  It was like it never happened!  I heard great music while I was out.  Oddly, my fastest song was Ice Ice Baby, which is not a particularly fast song.  I'll be out again on Saturday and on Sunday.  Speaking of Sunday, If you are interested in what I am doing with DetermiNation, how it works, or would like a little more information, I will be at the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run and you can stop by the booth after the run and I'll give you more info.  Just look for the ACS DetermiNation sail and I'll be there.

Still no running, but soon...

So, my ankle is doing much better.  It was not broken - good news!  My doctor determined it to be a grade 2 sprain involving the Calcaneofibular ligament.  I've been following the her orders to a tee, with the icing, elevating, compression and such.  She told me to give it 10 days (which will be Wednesday) and see how I do with a list of test movements and if that goes well (which she - and I - expect that it will) that I can get back to my regular activities.

I did, however, go on a nice bike ride this morning - the first active thing I've done since I fell off my bike over a week ago.  Rode a little less than 12 miles at a nice leisurely pace  in Ann Arbor and didn't have any ankle pain at all.  It is really hot today and I do have a bit of swelling but not much and I iced and elevated it when I got home.  In fact, the only thing about it that hurts at this point is where I scraped the skin off the inside of my ankle right over that lump that is the bottom of my tibia.

We saw all kinds of wildlife on our ride this morning.  I didn't stop to take any pictures, although I wish I did of this big, scary looking bug (or something) that was on the path.  It looked kind of prehistoric and I have no idea what it was!  Some of the other things that I was able to identify were:

• Swans flying - I don't think I've ever seen swans in flight.  Very graceful... and big!
• Chipmunks - 3 of them.... Maybe Alvin, Simon and Theodore?
• Rabbits
• Red-winged blackbirds
• Goldfinches  and
• A snapping turtle!

There were lots of friendly people out, and that was nice to see.  I think they were mostly in good moods because it is a holiday so they had the day off from work and were able to spend it doing something fun, rather than whatever they have to go back to tomorrow.

Sidelined for a couple of days...

I went for this great bike ride yesterday and was going to run just after dark last night - the temp was in the 90s yesterday, but at least riding a bike creates a breeze.  Unfortunately, toward the end of my ride, I was getting off my bike and, somehow, fell into a garden, twisting my ankle along the way.  You can see the swelling, here, but in addition, the right side is bruised. I've been following the RICE method of treatment, but am not quite sure how long I'm supposed to (R)est it.  I'm glad I got a pedicure a few days ago, since I'm sharing this foot photo with you.  I was going to flip it so that my flamingos are right side up, but that makes the room upside-down and made me kind of dizzy!  You can also see that the weekend is laundry time, so we had a pile of "lights" sorted in the background.   Because I was (E)levating the ankle, I decided not to get up and move the laundry pile for the picture... I figure, you all do laundry too, right?

Tashmoo

Since I have no running news to share at the moment, I will tell you that I had an awesome ride yesterday - with the exception of falling off my bike.  We parked in downtown Detroit, then rode out to Tashmoo, this pop-up bier garden in East Village, where we met up with a couple of my DetermiNaition teammates.  After that, we peddled to Belle Isle and around the island before heading back toward downtown and taking the Dequindre Cut  up to where we could loop back to the car (I fell just before Dequindre) after that we met up with some friends to go watch an awesome Detroit Derby Girls bout - and I mean awesome... It was an exciting grudge match and the score was tied several times!

So, I wish that I had something running-related to say, other than I'll get back to it in a couple of days.  Am heading to Kalamazoo for a "Dine and Donate" for my DetermiNation fundrasing (Bennigan's on Gull Road - all day... with this flyer, will donate 20% of the procedes to ACS in my name).  I'll be posting updates to let you know what's going on with my ankle and when I am getting back to running.  Hope it's soon because my half marathon is a mere 5 months away!

Trash day always makes for an interesting run...

I learn so much about my neighbors!  More on that in a moment, first I'll tell you about my run.  It was actually more of a walk, because I had stomach cramps.  That was the reason I cut it short the other day, too.  Today I was determined to finish the whole distance, even if it took longer because I had to walk!  It added 10 minutes to my time.  All in all, I'm glad that I completed it, but I either need to not eat so late or change what I'm eating the night before or something.  I believe some investigation is in order.

Remember the flamingo picture that I posted last week?  Sadly, the beautiful Charger that was parked at that house wasn't there this morning.  I suppose they may have left already for work, but it wasn't even 6am yet.  Hope it wasn't a visitor...  But I digress (not unusual) because I was talking about the flamingos.  I had another flamingo sighting this morning but they were clearly U of M flamingos (or would that be fanmingos?)  Anyway I took a picture because they were cool and I certainly haven't seen any Michigan State ones around! Sorry Liz.  (No I'm not!)

Based on the neighborhood trash that I passed this morning, someone has a new microwave, there are a couple of new lawn mowers, a kids 4-wheeler and 4 big new flat screen TVs!  The trash in front of MY house was just that... trash!  Plus some yard waste.  There was also a LOT of yard waste on the curbs!  Tons!  A couple of houses had at least 10 bags of yard waste each out and I'm still trying to figure out just how anyone with a small yard, like ours, could possibly have that much to dispose of.  Tis the season, and I don't think it's going away again until November, this time.

Well, no running tomorrow (although I may do a really short one since I have the day off from work and don't have to be anywhere until noon) then I have a short one Saturday (plus a bike ride) and a longer run on Sunday.  It's gonna be a great weekend!

Not quite up to standards...

Actually, not at all up to standards!  I had some difficulty and had to bag my run halfway through.  I went into my house and called a re-do, which will be re-done tonight.  I deleted this morning's outing from iSmoothRun on my iPhone and did not export it to Training Peaks, so it's like it never happened.

Two for One Blogging

I didn't get a chance to write on Saturday after my run so I'm rolling it into today's post.  I was supposed to go again yesterday, but we were out of town and up really late on Saturday so I didn't push it and try to run before Mother's Day brunch, and put it off until today.  That said, I did run this morning... 50% further than I did on Saturday!  I really do need to speed it up a little, though.

I made note of some interesting and unusual things that I saw on the roads on Saturday's run that I wanted to share.  Most of them were still present this morning. Number three was not:

1. Someone on the other side of the neighborhood has a pretty new deep red Dodge Charger. I was hoping that it wasn't some visitor and that it would be there again, and it was.  I didn't linger because I didn't think they probably wanted me drooling on their new car and didn't want to get arrested, since I had someplace to be in a couple of hours.  Remember the flamingos?  It was in front of that house - neighbors with excellent taste!
2. Used condom - Just assuming it's used... It's unrolled and that's already more than I need to know!  I had to see it, so you get to hear about it, too!
3. Huge tree root that someone dug out and thought that they could put in their yard waste. Nope!  It was tagged, to dispose of it some other way (and get it off the sidewalk)!
4. 1979 Chevrolet El Camino.  I used to hate El Caminos (this weird old man that my dad knew used to come over for breakfast on Saturdays when I was a kid and he had a yellow and white one).  This one is actually pretty cool.  It's in pristine condition. I guess it was kind of an auto-centric run.

Saturday, after my run, we did a bike tour of various historical brewing sites in Detroit.  It was great fun (and the reason for not lingering around the Charger) and we had really nice weather for it.  I'm posting a picture of some of the group, including our awesome tour guide, Steve.  It was a small group and he does a couple of different tours through his company Motor City Bike and Brew Tours.  I highly recommend checking them out!  The tours are a leisurely ride of 10-15 miles and generally include lunch (and beer).

Today I hit the road early to accommodate the additional distance.  It felt great to start my week out with a run.  I'll be out again tomorrow, doing my shorter distance again, then longer again on Thursday.  I had a huge squad of starlings in a tree cheering me on this morning.  A LOT!  I hope they're around again tomorrow - I can always use cheering!

So I did a really uneventful run this morning.  It was cool out... only 43 degrees with a wind chill of just 38.  Humidity was 75% with a slight breeze but the sun was coming up and it was a beautiful morning.  I'm really enjoying the lovely flowers that I see on my runs these days.  So much nicer that the early spring months before anything was blooming or greening up.  Of course my very favorites are the miniature lilacs that are blooming in my own front yard, and sharing their wonderful scent with the neighborhood.  Many of the other lilacs have already come and gone, but this miniature variety seems to bloom just a bit later.  Twelve years ago I was traveling for 3 weeks in May and completely missed my lilacs.  I was so sad about that, but in late June, one lilac bloomed at the top of the bush, just for me.  I was thrilled to have that single bloom when there were certainly no lilacs to be found, and it's done that pretty much every year since.

Today's run was pretty slow, despite some great music.  I heard Kid Rock, Fun., Chickenfoot, The Dollyrots, the Ramones and Joan Jett!  It was a great lineup of entertainment this morning and it kept me moving even though I wasn't feel all that great.  The strangest thing happened, too.  I've heard of this, but have never experienced it.  I zoned out for a part of my run.  I don't remember a good share of my first mile.  I wasn't thinking about anything and was just running.  When I think back on my run, there are places that I really only remember being once - but I did the loop twice.

My next run is Saturday morning.  Then I'm supposed to be in Detroit for a bicycle tour at 9:45 am.  I also will be running on Sunday, which will be different because I'll be in a different city, so I'll have a whole new route that I've never done before.  Should be interesting.

Seis de Mayo Run in Detroit

Yes, it was the Cinco de Mayo run, but the parade is always on a Sunday and the run is always right before the parade.  The run went very well.  There weren't a huge number of participants, but, as far as I know, I didn't come in last.  Actually, I have no idea where I finished in the line-up because the results don't seem to be available anywhere.  They probably are... I just can't find them.

I ran a little better than my 5K three weeks ago for Feet and Friends Fighting Colon Cancer.  Just a few seconds, but I'm pleased with any improvement.  I was especially happy with the improvement since the race started at 11:30 and it was fairly warm out.  Most of the run was in the direct sunlight (you can see that in this picture of me at the start of the race) and since it was along the parade route there were a lot of people lining the street.  The runners were accompanied by police cars and motorcycles, so that was different, too.  All things that I'm not really accustomed to, and that doesn't even take into consideration the fact that I was out late last night seeing "Weird" Al Yankovic at the Fox Theater in Detroit!

It was a fun run and I'd love to do it again next year.  Apparently, last year was more rainy at this time, because the people running the race were talking about how the ground was too soggy in the park where the run started and finished.  Actually, the weather was perfect, if a little too warm for me - I'd always prefer that it be a little chilly as opposed to any too warm!

Later this afternoon I also went for a 10 mile bike ride at the Metropark, which was great.  Add a little swimming in there and I would have done a mini-tri!  This week I'll be running Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.  Saturday I also have a bike ride that we are doing in Detroit, before going to a family function.  Since next Sunday is also Mother's Day, it's going to be a busy weekend. I'm already looking forward to it!  My next 5K is in three weeks (May 26) and is also in Detroit.  Lots of training between now and then, so I am looking forward to greater improvement with that race.

Friday morning swim... er... I mean, RUN!

Well, it could have been swimming, with the amount of moisture in the air this morning.  The air was so heavy that it was hard to breathe and sometimes looked, and felt, like I was running through clouds.  It was so humid that these lovely tropical birds weren't even moving and one even had a dew drop hanging off from his chin.

Despite that, the run was pretty good.  Less distance than yesterday (again, per Coach Luke) but the pace was a bit faster.  Speaking of Coach Luke, I was watching my favorite inspirational running movie yesterday, The Spirit of the Marathon, and I saw Luke in the movie!  I've seen that movie a dozen times, but I just signed on with Luke and wouldn't have noticed before.  When they show the start of the 2005 Chicago Marathon, there he is, in his Hanson's running shirt!  Out of more than 33000 people, he finished 18th, overall!  Super impressive!  And he's MY coach!  If you haven't seen the movie, I highly suggest that you do.  It follows half a dozen runners through their training for the marathon - two are elite runners and the rest are regular folks who, for varying reasons, have signed up for the Chicago Marathon.  In addition, they talk to Jenny Hadfield, John Bingham and other running greats about the history and the heroes of marathoning.

So today's run felt good, even though it was sort of  like running through the shallow end of the pool.  I'm looking forward to the Cinco de Mayo run the day after tomorrow in Mexican Town and will check in on Sunday afternoon.  Tomorrow I may go for a bike ride before hanging out with some friends at a brewery in Plymouth and then heading to Detroit for my concert.  Enjoy your Friday and Saturday and I'll be back toward the end of my busy weekend!

Early run in my neighborhood

What a gorgeous morning!  For a run, or anything else, it was a beautiful morning to spend a little time outside before getting on with the rest of my day.  It was 63 degrees with an ever-so-slight breeze.  It was humid, (90%) but was cool enough that it wasn't bad - and the sun wasn't quite up yet, or it might have been a lot less comfortable.

I haven't run outside for nearly a week and was amazed at how much lighter it was out there at 6:00 am than it was just a week ago.  The sun rising on the horizon made the sky a beautiful color.  I saw a few people on their way to work, but not many.  One man was walking his fluffy little white dog, who either wanted to kill me, or was telling me how excited she was to see me. She was a fast talker so it was hard to understand her.

I felt good while running and increased my distance by 50% (per Coach Luke's instructions).  I did realize my error in eating too much wasabi on my California rolls last night, though.  Remember my comparison of running to wasabi?  Well, the two  may be similar in my desire for them, but it turns out that, together, they just give you a really bad stomach ache!  Not a mistake I will make again!

Last night I was at a steering committee meeting for DetermiNation, and those are always fun.  I got my official DetermiNation tech shirt, which is so cool. I may wear it this weekend when I run in Detroit.

Tomorrow I'll be out again, rest on Saturday (like I haven't done a lot of that lately) then on Sunday I have my Cinco de Mayo Run in Mexican Town, Detroit.  The race starts at 11:30, which is later than they normally start, but I think the run goes just ahead of the Cinco de Mayo parade.  I'm grateful for the late start though, because Saturday night I may be out a little later seeing Weird Al Yankovic (also in Detroit - maybe I should just stay overnight in the city).  We've seen Al before and he puts on a great performance - funny... iSmoothRun tells me my fastest song during each run, and today it was Weird Al's Alternative Polka!

Choices, priorities, realizations

I have to say, right off the bat, that I haven't run in a couple of days.  That's a bad thing!  Gwen, the girl on my runner girl necklace is feeling a bit neglected - and I don't blame her.  I'm feeling a bit neglected, myself and the person doing the neglecting is me!  Since I ran late on Saturday I decided to put off my next run until Monday morning... but it was storming out, so I put it off some more.  Decided that I was going to run this morning, and the alarm went off at 5:20.  I turned it off to get up, and don't know what happened.  I awoke again an hour later.  And I felt like a total loser!  I did some hard thinking this morning - when I got done bitching myself out - and feel a bit better, and somewhat enlightened.

First of all, this is something I'm choosing to do.  No one is making me run.  My job doesn't depend on it and neither does my life.  But I AM choosing to do it.  I want to be a runner!  So why the sporadic difficulty?  I clearly haven't developed the running habit, yet.  But that's a pretty lame reason!  The truth is that I haven't set any priorities.  I haven't made running a priority, and I haven't really made myself a priority.  I've certainly had days when I've felt totally committed, and there has been no doubt in my mind that this lifestyle is achievable, but then, some days, morning arrives so early and hits me over the head and tells me to go back to sleep, or it's too rainy, or I have a long day ahead of me, or a host of other reasons why I don't need to run right then.  Obviously family and work are also priorities, and work does take up a lot of my time - over 10 hours each day, 5 days a week, but I don't have children, so my family "duties" aren't inflexible.  I easily have an hour, or so, each day that I can put myself first and get my butt out there and run.  I just need to make it clear to myself, above all, that THAT has to come first.  My running coach gives me a schedule to run by, and goals - but I have to make myself a priority and he can't help me with that!

Also, I realized that I need to do more than just run.  I'm not talking about other exercise, or even eating right (which I already do) but every single night I set myself up to fail the next day.  I said that I eat right - and I do!  I have time set aside every night to make my breakfast and lunch for the next day, and enter it in my food journal, so I know that I will have a successful day, food-wise.  And I do get my running clothes out and ready to go the next morning, but then I don't go to bed.  Why would I feel committed to my goals and choices at 5:30 in the morning, when I've only had 5 hours sleep - on a good night?  Duh!  I need to get more sleep!  So I'm going to make some changes.  Because I CHOOSE to be a runner, I will make myself a PRIORITY and, now that I have come to the REALIZATION that not getting enough sleep is really detrimental to my choices, I will get ready for bed and be tucked in by 10:00.  I know this is long for a day that I didn't even run.  Thanks for reading and I'll be back tomorrow!

Indoor running... I don't think I love it, yet.

So we recently joined Planet Fitness and tonight was the first time that we used the gym.  We had been members of a much larger gym with more amenities that we simply didn't use and decided that a gym with fewer extras (and a lower monthly fee) would be a better choice for us.  The equipment was very nice!  I warmed up on the ArcTrainer and it didn't make any grinding, or thumping, noises at all.  I, then, moved on to the treadmill for my run.

I'm not used to running on a treadmill and it was a little more difficult that I anticipated. First of all, I'm used to having a bit of a breeze when I run, and there was definitely none of that inside the gym.  The treadmill stays at a much more consistent speed than I run on the road, which is a good thing, but felt a little harder for me while I was running, because it was - I couldn't slow my pace without actually changing the speed on the treadmill.  Not what I'm used to.  The run felt good, if a bit slower than I had hoped.  After my run I put 5 miles on a stationary bike, so I did get a little more variety into the workout, as a whole.

The most disappointing thing for me was the fact that the program that I use on my iPhone to record my runs didn't work on the treadmill.  I suspected that would be the case, but was still disappointed when it turn out to be so.  My runs are recorded on iSmoothRun and then I send them to Training Peaks, and I was able to enter my run manually into Training Peaks so it's all there, but I love all the details that I get from iSmoothRun.  I can't turn the little bit of information that I know about my runs into the nifty graphs that I normally get to see on my iPhone.  All in all I'd say that running on the treadmill is fine in a pinch - maybe better for consistency - but my preference is definitely to run outside when I can!

Of course, since we were already out and about, my gym workout was followed by a visit to a local pub where I had a beer, along with a chicken breast and broccoli.  The number of places to get a meal at midnight is somewhat limited, so the pub worked out well (with the kitchen open until 2 am) and the beers were on special, so I HAD to get one, right?

Tomorrow I have a longer run scheduled.  I'm not sure if I will do it on the road or at the gym.  Either way I will be increasing my distance by 50% and am looking forward to seeing how it goes.  Just 4 more training runs before the Cinco de Mayo run in Detroit, so I am excited to keep moving on, and after that I don't have another 5K for about a month.  I'm hoping that I'll be in the company of a few of my DetermiNation friends, but am not sure that any of them are doing this race.  Regardless, the run is followed by a parade and there are tons of activities to celebrate the holiday so I think it will be a fun day!

Am I really a morning girl?

I definitely run better in the morning than I do in the evening - and even better when it's a little later than 6:00 am.  I guess that's a good thing, since most races seem to start between 7 and noon.  Although noon is late (and technically not morning), I say noon because my next 5K starts at 11:30 am.  I'll be doing the Cinco de Mayo run a week from this coming Sunday (on Seis de Mayo, if you read my post last weekend) and I'm still taking a few walk breaks while I run, so my goal is to actually run the entire 3.125 miles.  Today I did well, but took 3 short walk breaks and wasn't quite as fast as I was at my race last weekend.  I felt great though.

I went out just after 6:00 and was amazed at how light it was.  It's becoming quite noticeable, now, how much earlier the sun comes up.  Not many people were up and about, but Thursday is is trash day in my neighborhood and it's always funny to see something  at the curb the first time I go by, then see that it's gone on my next go-round - and I'm out before trash pick-up.  I got barked at a few times, and tried to avoid the many worms that emerged  with the overnight rain.  Lots of birds were out getting breakfast and the doves were mournfully accompanying my running tunes.  It was quite peaceful!

I am learning the importance of garments that wick moisture away from my body.  It was humid this morning, although not all that warm - only 52 degrees.  I found myself really wishing for more of a breeze.  Funny, the other night it was too breezy and today I wanted more.  It's like wasabi!  First I'm thinking "oh my god, my scalp is peeling off, my ears are melting and my eye balls are going to fall out"  but as soon as the pain goes away I want another bite.  But I digress...  Wicking apparel is essential and I think I'll invest in a few more items before the weather actually warms up.  I really love my running socks and wish all of my other socks were as comfortable, so I think I'll get a couple more pair of those, as well, so I don't have to wash them quite so often.  I don't wear them for every-day because they are too pricey for that.

Well, Luke has me running on Saturday and Sunday this week, so I'll cruise on back here in a couple of days to tell you about my Saturday run.

Windy night time run

I was supposed to get out this morning but didn't get up in time so I knew that I was going to run tonight.  I knew it!  I  thought about putting it off until tomorrow morning, when it's not as windy, not as late, not as dark...  But I didn't!  I headed out at 9:30 with 19 mph wind and 59 degrees.  It wasn't too bad, actually.

I was definitely slower than at my 5K on Saturday, but that's ok.  It was a different time of day and outside of my usual routine.  I did learn that Edy's Slow Churned Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter Sundae ice cream doesn't make great fuel for running.  LOL  I heard coyotes in the field across the street from my house.  One "barked" or whatever they do, then another across the field, and then another on the other side.  I'm not sure what they were discussing, but was hoping it wasn't that their dinner was getting away down the street, wearing a pink hat!

I'll be going out again on Thursday morning.  Definitely first thing in the morning!  I'm looking forward to  a better run and I'll be back then with a more interesting post.

First Goal Accomplished!

I ran this morning at the Feet and Friends Fighting Colon Cancer 5K (they also had an 8K but I stuck with the shorter distance).  It was great!  The starting horn sounded at 8:45 on the dot.  It was 37 degrees and the 11 mph wind resulted in a wind-chill temp of just 30!  Brrrrrr!  My fingers were frozen and I was seriously wishing I had thought to bring my running gloves.

I had a little bit to eat this morning, hoping that it would help my stamina a bit.  Seemed to work!  I had my best pace so far!  My average pace today was .17 mph faster than my previous PR, so I was thrilled with that.  My goal was to not come in last in my age division, but when I saw how much my time had improved I didn't really care where I finished in relation to anyone else.  I did NOT come in last, though.  I was 18th out of 38 women in the 40-48 age division.  Yay!  AND, overall, I came in 114th, out of 281 people!  They had music at the finish line, and just after I got done they played Joan Jett.  It couldn't get any better than that.

Teammate extraordinaire, Corey, accepting his award for
finishing 2nd in his age division!

Actually, it did get better, when my DetermiNation teammate, Corey, came in 2nd in his age division.  Go Corey!  He finished 14th overall (5K in less than 24 minutes) - and I was thrilled to be only 100 behind him!  While they were announcing the winners and handing out awards, the sun came out to warm us all up a bit, and many of the runners seemed to stick around to see the awards presentation.

It was a great time and I had a chance to get to know some of my teammates a little better.  I can't think of a better way to have spent my chilly Saturday morning. After the run we hit up the local coffee shop for some caffeine and sandwiches and hung out for a while.

I'm excited to continue on from here!  My next race is 2 weeks from tomorrow and is the Cinco de Mayo run in Detroit.  It's actually on Seis de Mayo, but that's close enough.  Definitely looking forward to that run through Mexican Town. I imagine I'll be running again on Monday - I'll know when Luke updates my training program based on today's run.  Till then...

Oops - didn't post yesterday - but I DID run!

I simply had a really busy day and just didn't get a chance to write here.  I went out bright and early yesterday morning and did more of a walk/run (more walking than running this time, unfortunately).  For some reason it was kind of tough.  I felt great.  The wind was 9mph, but the temperature was mild.  My legs felt kind of tight, and there were times that it felt like I was attached to bungee cords that were attached to something behind me trying to pull me back.  Forward motion was difficult.

I had a couple of thoughts about why my run was so slow after I checked to make sure there were no bungees attached to me.  Possibly something off about my form?  Maybe I need to learn more about Chi Running...  That's supposed to be more natural for your body's forward movement than some other forms.  Also, since my runs are short I haven't been fueling at all before hand, but it is first thing in the morning, so maybe that's a problem.  I drink 16 oz. of water before I go out, but have had nothing else for at least 9 hours.  Now that I see that in print, and examine how long it is since I've taken in any energy, that looks like the most likely issue...  

Since I had a little extra time I got a slightly later start.  Funny how that works!  I was getting dangerously into the time when school buses roll through the neighborhood and the LAST thing that I want to do is run past a bus stop piled with kids (especially teenagers -ugh).  I really try to avoid that time of day.  There was lots of activity out there, too.  Several cars on the move, dogs outside, a few empty school buses driving through...  That was good incentive to get up early and avoid all that.

Today I am going to pick up my run packet for tomorrow's Feet and Friends Fighting Colon Cancer 5K at Hudson Mills Metro Park, and I guess I won't be avoiding anything by running with 375 other people, including my DetermiNation team!  Then it will be off to a team breakfast and I'll head home to tell you how it went.  My only goal is to not come in last for my age group!  I can do that... right?

Thunder and Lightning - Very very frightening!

Well, not today, but that was my excuse for not running on Sunday morning and then that night it was very warm and quite humid.  Yesterday it was just windy.  Up to 40 mph!  I know that I'm going to have to start running in less than perfect conditions so I can get used to it, but wasn't up for that quite yet.   Today was perfect, as you can see here.  43 degrees with 63% humidity... Clear, still air with a thick sliver of moon just above the trees.

There were actually quite a few people out this morning.  I think I was about 10 minutes later than usual, and I saw several cars filled with neighbors leaving for work.  I scared off a fluffy bunny when I ran around a corner.  Truthfully, he startled me, as well!  I also saw a few dogs.  One cute little sheltie ran out to greet me and tell me how glad she was to see me this morning, and her person assured me that she was friendly.  I knew that, she was my morning run cheerleader!  I stopped momentarily to give her a pat on the head before she went back in her house and I went on my way.  The birds were also especially cheerful this morning.  Lots of fluttering about and chattering aloud.   All in all, it was a lovely morning for a run.

I felt pretty good about the run, too!  Not good enough to think that I'm going to be able to run the whole 5K on Saturday, but I'll run as much as I can.  I'd like a time of 45:00 or better (remember how I said that I'm not fast?).  We'll see.  I'm looking forward to it, regardless.  I will be running again on Thursday morning, then the run on Saturday.  After that, Running Coach Luke is going to see how I'm doing and design the next part of my training program, accordingly.

Well, there really isn't anything more, that's particularly interesting, to tell you, so I'll sign off now.  Will definitely, absolutely, positively be back on Thursday to report in on my last training run before my next race.  I'll also be thinking about a goal to have in mind for Saturday's 5K.  After all, I will never reach my goal, if I don't set one!

Martian Marathon TODAY!

But I'm not participating in that one! I actually already did my run this morning and it was pretty good.  Not by best speed,  but I've been having some chest congestion, making it hard to breathe deeply and I think that slowed me down.  I think tomorrow I'll try using my inhaler before I run and see if that helps any.

I was planning to get up at 7am and run so we can go to Eastern Market then stop by the Martian Marathon to pick up some stuff for DetermiNation that I will be taking to the Big House Big Heart run tomorrow.  Nope, I'm not in that one either, but I'll be there with information about DetermiNation to see if there are people interested in joining the team.  But, I was awake at 6:00 so I decided to get up then and get outside. Just as I was getting dressed I heard sprinkles on the skylight, but the rain held off until I was done.

Who gets up in my neighborhood at 6am on Saturday?  No one, that's who!  Actually, I did see one car leaving, and at the end of my run a neighbor was on her deck letting her little dogs run in the yard for a minute.  They are the funniest little dog... they bark and bark at me, like there going to tear me up, and each one of them is about the size of my foot (and I have small feet - they go with my short stride).

That's me, running!  Yup!

So I run tomorrow, then next week on Tuesday and Thursday, before my 5K on Saturday.  I am hoping to build a bit more stamina by then, in hopes of not totally embarrassing myself in front of my D'Nation teammates.  Although I do find most runners to be very kind about us that kind of thing.  They are much more encouraging than they are critical.  When I am running and look down at the ground, it looks like I'm going fast to me.  And today I was wearing my new running capris and new run-girl tech shirt that I got from Women's Running, so I looked the part, and everything!  I felt great, even though it wasn't my best run!  Interestingly, my fastest song today was The Proclaimers' 500 Miles!

So this is where I stop yapping about running so I can get ready to go to Eastern Market.  Back tomorrow.

Brrrrrrrr... I thought Spring had sprung!

The alarm went off at 5:40 this morning and they were talking on the radio.  Current temperature was 36 degrees and it had snowed overnight, but didn't accumulate.  What?  36 degrees? snow?  It was about 70 when I went to the park to run on Saturday!  The daffodils have already bloomed and faded.  Tulips are out!  What do you mean 36 and snow?

Yes, it was cold out!  I decided that gloves were in order, along with my earphones that are inside a headband that covers my ears.  All in all, I wasn't that uncomfortable.  The wind was 11 mph, but I dressed warmly enough to get out and do my run.  I didn't do quite as well as Monday.  I slowed for a few walk breaks, but my pace was only slightly slower than the other day.  When I finished I was SO glad that I didn't consider staying in bed because it was cold outside.  AND I really didn't consider it.  I didn't even think of that today - the alarm went off and it was time to get up and go run!

I do a lot of thinking when I run, and when I'm not thinking, I'm counting.  More about the counting in a minute, but I was thinking about how discouraged I felt on the weekend, and how much better I feel now - just 4 days and 2 runs later.  I was really feeling like maybe I can't do this.  Maybe I'm not built for running.  I really wanted to do it, but I've had a lot of people tell me that I won't continue, I shouldn't run, it's not good for me, I need to be really careful and that running is bad for me.  This mostly comes from people I work with.  I was feeling like maybe the only reason I want to run is to prove them wrong - or prove that I can.  So this morning, while runnin' and thinkin' I decided that that isn't the only reason I want to run.  It may be part of the reason, now, but that's not such a bad thing, either.  The best way to motivate me to do something has always been to tell me that I can't!  But I've actually recently started calling myself a "runner" and THAT is the reason that I want to run.  I'm a runner!  Plus I like to prove people wrong when they think I'm unable to do things!  LOL  I read this yesterday: "You ran to eat and to avoid being eaten; you ran to find a mate and impress her, and with her you ran off to start a new life together. You had to love running, or you wouldn't live to love anything else. We were born to run; we were born because we run." - Christopher McDougall, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

The more I run, the quicker I'm done!  When I feel like I want to take a walk break, I try to look inside myself to find out why.  Am I out of breath?  Do my legs hurt?  Or do I just feel like it's time for a break?  Do I NEED to slow down, or do I WANT to?  I'm usually only slightly uncomfortable, and don't HAVE to slow down.  One of my favorite running quotes comes to mind.  Paul Tergat said "Ask yourself: 'Can I give more?' The answer is usually 'Yes'!"  That's so true!  That's when I start counting.  I know that 25 strides equals .01 miles and counting them off helps me to realize how much more I can actually do.

I'm running twice this weekend.  Saturday and Sunday.  You'll see me back here in a few days!