Work Day Run

Had to run on my own during lunch since Roxanne was still recovering from her concussion. I hate running with the ipod, but I kept it low and made my loop around the WWII memorial and the Lincoln. I took a different way back up by the State Department to get in the little hill.

Total miles: 3.5 miles

oops wrong turn

Tuesday night fun run with Pacer's, thankfully it wasn't as cold as it has been. I dressed in layers, and was stripping them off less than 3 miles in. Jo and I have been cutting the roughly 5.5 mile long route short and only doing 4 miles the past few weeks, but I made the brilliant suggestion to "keep going a few more blocks and then turn". Little did I know that the ridge in Del Ray cuts at that one turn and then you're stuck going the whole way. I had thought I wanted to do the whole route but knew Jo's knees were recovering from physical therapy that morning. She was a trooper and did the whole thing at a great pace!

Finally feeling like Janaury

Cranking up the miles with the Pacer's fun run marathon team. Our Tuesday/Thursday group has formed four teams to run the National Marathon so we're all on the same general path. I'm probably on the low end of the miles, but I also know that I don't need to do three 20+ milers this time around. Well, my real reason is to save the knees/feet/etc. Brian, the organizer plotted out a great point-to-point course along the Potomac. Some folks did the full 20, I only did 16. I felt a lot better after 16 than I did after 14 though. My knee was only slightly stiff at the very end, but my left foot was still a little sore through parts of the run, not pain, just sore.

Total miles: 16 miles

Mall running

Thursday run with Rox. Just 3 miles down to the Mall and back, there';s nice downhill there and a slight hill on the way back (feel the burn). Her hip was hurting and my toe was aching still so we were a pair. Not a bad run, a little slow...and COLD.



I found this site, a great place to map routes and see the elevation http://www.usatf.org/routes/map/


Total miles: 3

I hate being late

Somehow time slipped away from me and I left work late which means I got to the Tuesday night Pacers fun run a couple of minutes late. As I was pulling up the group was pulling away. I could see them a block and a half away as I parked. Three blocks away as I stood on the other side of the street and waited for the light to change so I could cross (never jaywalk in Old Town during rush hour). By the time I started running I knew I would have to run as fast as I could to catch up to them. Forget stretching, I just wanted to run with someone, keep my routine. Not stretching was the first bad idea, running on my toes to help with speed was my second bad idea. About half a mile into the room I thankfully caught Jo at the back of the pack. Totally out of breath I asked to stop to stretch a little; my left shin was throbbing, a typical not stretching enough feeling. But then another mile into it as we hit the Commonwealth hill I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time, and didn't ever really want to feel again, I felt an sharp sting in my broken toe. I wiggled my toes a bit and knew I hadn't re-fractured it, but about 30 seconds later it had turned to a dull ache. We stopped and I stretched my foot.
At the 2 mile point we turned to come back down the hills and I walked down the hills to avoid jamming my toes in the toe box of my shoes. Either the ache went away or else is just spread over my left foot and I finished strong.

Finally thawing out

It's finally winter and as if the 30 degree weather wasn't cold enough let's throw in 20-30 mph gusts...BRRRR. The wind chill made it feel like it was in the teens. I always dress in layers when I run in the cold: winter running tights (light fleece lining on the inside) and then a tank, long sleeve wicking top and a light jacket or fleece. And always gloves. My hands get so cold even when it's not this cold. I mimic the "milking the cow" motion to get blood flowing back into my fingertips and warm them up a bit.

Today I ran with the Pacer's fun run group that's also training for the National Marathon. Some folks were on a taper week and only did 8, some others were up to 18. I did a nice steady 14. A very slow first half with some girls and then a much faster second half on my own. The only thing I noticed was that my knees started to ache a little around mile 8 and then at the end they were just flat out tired. I iced a bit when I got home, but I think I need to go see Dr. Kathy again and start up with my leg exercises

Here are some great winter running tips from the marathon guide.

Crazy Runner Thing to Do:
The picture above is from a Chicago University Polar Bear Run. Some how this is a spin off of the polar bear plunge, where crazy people will get in their bathing suits, often for charity, and jump in some body of water with a bunch of other crazy people. This kind of run sometimes involves people wearing their bathing suits and running a 5k-10k in the dead of winter. But this Chicago race involves people wearing their birthday suits and going for a 5k run. Hence the bear is covering his eyes. As for my, I'll keep my fleece earwarmer and stretchy gloves, thank you very much. Here's funny video from YouTube of a Polar Bear trying to work out (also known as why I hate treadmills)

Better than lunch

My co-worker is training for the Lake Placid Ironman and she and I have both been talking about how we need a running buddy to get us motivated to get in a second run during the week. So we've decided to do a regular Thursday run during lunch, just a quick 3-4 miler down on the mall. For me, my goal is to finish a 26.6 miler, her goal is also to finish a 26. miler, but before she even starts running she'll have finished a 2.4 mile swim and a 112 mile bike ride. I don't like walking an extra half mile before a marathon. I am in awe of ironman triathaletes. They have 17 hours (HOURS) to finish the races. The winning men finish it in the mid-8 hours. I can't even begin to imagine...