One of the things veteran parents like to tell expectant parents is that having a kid changes everything. But until you actually have a child, you don't really realize they meant EVERYTHING.
Yesterday, while out on a long run with my foul-weather running buddy (the one person I seem to be able to count on to meet for miles even when it's raining... or snowing...), and she regaled me with a tale of a child-less bride who pitched a fit about a bridesmaid bringing her newborn baby along during the wedding weekend. Because... can't you just leave a 6 week old with a sitter for two days?
(I cannot wait until bridezilla has a child of her own...)
I could fill a ream of paper, in tiny print, with hundreds of examples - big and small - of ways in which kids change your life.
Some change are wonderful. (Toddler laughter is the BEST THING IN THE WORLD.)
Some are annoying. (6:45am is now "sleeping in.")
Some just are. (Playgrounds are my new cross-training gym.)
And some changes are more unexpected than others. Sure plenty of parents go back to running and racing. I know lots of mamas who ran halfs or marathons while pregnant, just after giving birth, and have logged many, MANY training miles pushing jogging strollers.
So the biggest surprise for me, personally, is that I have completely lost my interest in the starting line. Maybe it will return some day. I'd be surprised if it didn't. I used to live for race mornings! But now I'd rather push a jogging stroller along the waterfront, stop for a coffee, and wrap up at the playground.
My miles now are for fitness and for fun. There are no track workouts. There is only play.
And while that change surprises me, it's not one I'm worried about.
Showing posts with label long run. Show all posts
Showing posts with label long run. Show all posts
Monday, November 30
Saturday, February 9
A little encouragement from your friendly neighborhood superhero
Just a normal Saturday morning run in Pensacola...
6 miles into my run this morning, I passed a group of superheroes hanging out in a downtown Pensacola parking lot.
Wonder Woman waved to me and said:
"Good for you for getting out and running this morning!"
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| Image source |
No, I'm not on drugs (performance enhancing or otherwise).
No, I wasn't dehydrated and hallucinating.
No this is not a joke.
Superman was walking with Wonder Woman when she gave me a little encouragement for my run. Ask him. I'm sure he'll corroborate my story!
And Spiderman was hanging from the top of a truck in the background. Maybe he heard Wonder Woman cheering me on?
Anyway... my reply to Wonder Woman was: "Thanks! I'm trying to burn off some calories before I start drinking at the parade this afternoon." (complete with drinking-a-beer hand gestures)
She laughed. I waved and ran on. She went back to help out with her Krewe's Mardi Gras float.
On my run I passed no fewer than 8 krewes putting the finishing touches on their parade floats. My run would have been good anyway - 67 degrees. Blue skies. Cool breezes.
But this run improved considerably when I swung through downtown and my trek turned into a traveling dance party, with songs like Scream & Shout and Party Rock Anthem blaring from speakers all along my run route. (Some days I really do love this town...)
...now it's time for a quick shower before I go back to catch beads!
Laisses les bon temps rouler!
Sunday, July 8
Time on your feet and tackling 26.2
Yesterday I planned to run long.
I woke up at 5:45 to "beat the heat" (whatever that means when it's already 80 degrees and 90 percent humidity at 6am). Unfortunately I knew I was going to have a dragging-arse day before my feet even hit the floor.
Most mornings I look forward to my long runs. Yesterday neither my head nor my hydration were in the game. (Yes, I know long runs are 90% mental. Yes, I tried every motivation trick in the books. I was still dehydrated and unmotivated.)
Ultimately I got out the door by promising myself that I could walk some... as long as I got out the door. My planned "16 miles or bust!" turned into a somewhat underwhelming "16 miles or 2 hours and 45 minutes, whichever comes first."
Thrilling, no?
Surely the Olympic marathon trials are in my future...
But, in all honesty, sometimes time on your feet is as important as covering a set distance.
And I'm not just saying that to justify a lackluster run.
In my case, I'm working on base-building before marathon training begins in earnest. Hitting a goal pace is less important right now than just getting my body used to being on the move for 3+ hours. Also, I'd like to not hate running (or get injured) before marathon training starts. Forcing a certain pace and distance at this point in the training cycle would be foolish.
Oh wait...
I haven't told you about marathon training yet?
Until now, I've only mentioned this to a handful of people...
I've signed up to lead a pace group for marathon training. This means 16 weeks of 5am wakeup calls. Plus, I not only need to run, I need to run evenly, consistently, and strongly enough to lead others on each and every run.
No pressure.
To be honest, I'm both excited and (more than a little) nervous about this. I've trained for dozens of races before (from 5k to marathon to Olympic distance triathlon) but I've always trained alone. I was only responsible for getting myself across the finish line. If I had a great day, I could roll with it. If I had a bad day, only I would be affected.
I've also led running groups before, but for shorter distances, and with few specific time goals. If I had a fast day, I could lead the pack. If I needed a rest day, I could hang back and someone else would step in to lead.
This marathon training program is new territory.
I'm looking forward to the challenge!
Have you ever trained with a group before? Coached group runs?
What's the best running advice you've ever received?
I woke up at 5:45 to "beat the heat" (whatever that means when it's already 80 degrees and 90 percent humidity at 6am). Unfortunately I knew I was going to have a dragging-arse day before my feet even hit the floor.
Most mornings I look forward to my long runs. Yesterday neither my head nor my hydration were in the game. (Yes, I know long runs are 90% mental. Yes, I tried every motivation trick in the books. I was still dehydrated and unmotivated.)
Ultimately I got out the door by promising myself that I could walk some... as long as I got out the door. My planned "16 miles or bust!" turned into a somewhat underwhelming "16 miles or 2 hours and 45 minutes, whichever comes first."
Thrilling, no?
Surely the Olympic marathon trials are in my future...
But, in all honesty, sometimes time on your feet is as important as covering a set distance.
And I'm not just saying that to justify a lackluster run.
In my case, I'm working on base-building before marathon training begins in earnest. Hitting a goal pace is less important right now than just getting my body used to being on the move for 3+ hours. Also, I'd like to not hate running (or get injured) before marathon training starts. Forcing a certain pace and distance at this point in the training cycle would be foolish.
Oh wait...
I haven't told you about marathon training yet?
Until now, I've only mentioned this to a handful of people...
I've signed up to lead a pace group for marathon training. This means 16 weeks of 5am wakeup calls. Plus, I not only need to run, I need to run evenly, consistently, and strongly enough to lead others on each and every run.
No pressure.
To be honest, I'm both excited and (more than a little) nervous about this. I've trained for dozens of races before (from 5k to marathon to Olympic distance triathlon) but I've always trained alone. I was only responsible for getting myself across the finish line. If I had a great day, I could roll with it. If I had a bad day, only I would be affected.
I've also led running groups before, but for shorter distances, and with few specific time goals. If I had a fast day, I could lead the pack. If I needed a rest day, I could hang back and someone else would step in to lead.
This marathon training program is new territory.
I'm looking forward to the challenge!
Have you ever trained with a group before? Coached group runs?
What's the best running advice you've ever received?
Sunday, June 3
Dry humor & sweet rewards
Yesterday I went out for a long run, and some funny things happened in that 2.5 hours.
Frozen assets:
Normally I head out the door with a frozen water bottle. In Florida summer heat the bottle melts by mile 3. By mile 4 it's bath-water warm (which is as gross as it sounds).
So I (finally) realized that if I run my first mile or two as a loop from home, I can leave the bottle in the freezer and pick it up mid-run. Brilliant!
This is the first time in more than a year that I've had cold water past mile 5.
(Should I be glad I thought of this trick? Or disappointed that it has taken me so long to figure it out?)
Sweet rewards:
90 minutes into the run, my water supply was running low, as expected. I planned to stop at home for a refill, so I decided it was a good time to head back in that direction.
As soon as I turned toward home, I saw a yard sale in full-swing. I scanned the odds and ends, and was about to keep going when, lo and behold - buried among the tchotchkes was... (do my eyes deceive me? is it a mirage?) a lemonade stand!
It always makes me smile to see little kids selling lemonade, but under the circumstances, this stand was particularly sweet.
Thankfully I always run with a couple of bucks tucked into a pocket. I handed over a sweaty $1 in exchange for a 50-cent cup of lemonade and told the budding entrepreneur to keep the change. It was a small price to pay fornot hearing "eww gross" about my sweatiness a refreshment that made the next couple of miles much, much easier. (Plus, who wants to run with loose change jingling in a pocket?)
Dry humor:
Still, I needed more water.
Eventually I made my way home for a pit stop, where I sweet-talked Hubby into joining me for the last 3 miles.
Hubby runs faster than me.
Hubby runs much faster when I'm into double-digit miles and he's on fresh legs.
I wasn't about to risk injury by trying to keep up with his 5k pace after my half-marathon run. And he wasn't about to shuffle just for the sake of shuffling.
So what did he do?
He ran circles around me.
Literally.
It was hilarious.
(Maybe I was giddy from dehydration? Maybe that little girl spiked the lemonade? Either way - I can't remember the last time I got the giggles during a long run the way I did every time Hubby would lap me.)
Hubby would sprint ahead a block or two, trot back, circle me, and repeat.
And I would chuckle every time.
Under other circumstances, I might have been peeved that Hubby was running laps around me. But yesterday it worked. Hubby got a solid interval workout. I got company for the (always hardest) last few miles of my long run. And we both got a good laugh out of it.
When is the last time you bought lemonade from a child at a roadside stand?
What's your most recent belly-laugh moment?
Frozen assets:
Normally I head out the door with a frozen water bottle. In Florida summer heat the bottle melts by mile 3. By mile 4 it's bath-water warm (which is as gross as it sounds).
So I (finally) realized that if I run my first mile or two as a loop from home, I can leave the bottle in the freezer and pick it up mid-run. Brilliant!
 |
| "Licking blocks of ice on a hot day." Refreshing but disturbing? Image source |
(Should I be glad I thought of this trick? Or disappointed that it has taken me so long to figure it out?)
Sweet rewards:
90 minutes into the run, my water supply was running low, as expected. I planned to stop at home for a refill, so I decided it was a good time to head back in that direction.
As soon as I turned toward home, I saw a yard sale in full-swing. I scanned the odds and ends, and was about to keep going when, lo and behold - buried among the tchotchkes was... (do my eyes deceive me? is it a mirage?) a lemonade stand!
 |
| 5-cent lemonade. Image source |
Thankfully I always run with a couple of bucks tucked into a pocket. I handed over a sweaty $1 in exchange for a 50-cent cup of lemonade and told the budding entrepreneur to keep the change. It was a small price to pay for
Dry humor:
Still, I needed more water.
Eventually I made my way home for a pit stop, where I sweet-talked Hubby into joining me for the last 3 miles.
Hubby runs faster than me.
Hubby runs much faster when I'm into double-digit miles and he's on fresh legs.
I wasn't about to risk injury by trying to keep up with his 5k pace after my half-marathon run. And he wasn't about to shuffle just for the sake of shuffling.
So what did he do?
He ran circles around me.
Literally.
It was hilarious.
(Maybe I was giddy from dehydration? Maybe that little girl spiked the lemonade? Either way - I can't remember the last time I got the giggles during a long run the way I did every time Hubby would lap me.)
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| Nothing beats a belly laugh. Image source |
And I would chuckle every time.
Under other circumstances, I might have been peeved that Hubby was running laps around me. But yesterday it worked. Hubby got a solid interval workout. I got company for the (always hardest) last few miles of my long run. And we both got a good laugh out of it.
When is the last time you bought lemonade from a child at a roadside stand?
What's your most recent belly-laugh moment?
Thursday, May 17
Sweet treat
What do you get when you take a 14-mile paved trail around San Diego's Mission Bay, add 2 dozen cupcakes, and sprinkle in a handful of friends?
Answer: 1 happy runner.
I've been doing long-run training solo since I moved to Pensacola. Hubby paces me for the first mile or two, then speeds off into the distance.
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| The fitness trail, east side of Mission Bay. |
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| The "runner's bathroom" at Mission Bay. Is there any doubt that this is a runner's town? |
I've been doing long-run training solo since I moved to Pensacola. Hubby paces me for the first mile or two, then speeds off into the distance.
It was a delicious change of pace to have company for my miles yesterday. Not only did my friend, C, pace me for nearly 2.5 hours, she also provided some post-run treats.
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| Post-run fuel-party: Homemade cupcakes, milk, almond milk, and water. |
When I got back to my hotel, I had just enough energy left to take a shower and call for a plate of room service risotto... Room service can feel like a total cop-out when I'm surrounded by both great restaurants and plenty of friends to dine with, but the run wore me out (in a good way) and I did dine with friends first... We feasted on cupcakes served from a sidewalk cafe!
I am one happy runner.
What's your post-run food of choice?
Do you train solo or with a group?
Monday, April 30
Upward mobility (and cross training challenge)
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| Image source |
"The people that get to the top of the success staircase first are the ones that keep moving their feet even if given the chance to ride an escalator. An opportunity to rise to the top should be used as a way to climb faster, not as a chance to relax on the ride up."I was feeling low motivation for long-distance running this weekend, so I took a different approach to keep my feet moving. I split my run in two parts: 1 part muddy trail adventure, and 1 part (slightly) shorter-than-planned road run. The end result: higher total mileage and much more fun!
~Molly Ford
Speaking of mixing things up... Again, I have left the new-to-you cross training challenge to the very last day. (But I haven't missed a month yet!)
Don't let my procrastination fool you, I love this challenge because it encourages me to vary my workouts, which keeps things interesting after so many years of running. Variety is the spice of life, no?
April's adventure: "100 Ups."
The exercise is deceptively simple. It looks like (and is) slow-motion running in place.
Should be cake, right?
In the true spirit of the exercise, I did the 100 Ups barefoot. By 50, my heart rate had risen. By 90, I could feel tension in my calves and quads. I won't say it burned, but I definitely felt those muscles working.
The verdict: 100 Ups are definitely going in my strength training rotation.
My other new-to-you cross training conquests to date:
- January = burpees
- February = cardio kickboxing (with reviews of free, online workout videos)
- March = stability ball strength training
Also in the new-to-me files: Twitter!
Follow me @RunTraveler
What do you do to keep training/work/life interesting?
Saturday, March 31
Post run sweatpocalypse
You might call it Sweatmageddon.
Sweatpocalypse.
A Sweat Tsunami.
Summer has arrived on the Gulf Coast and my evening 12-miler was a sweaty affair to say the least. Thankfully Hubby was around to document the damage.
Don't judge.
After 2 slow, slogging hours in the sun, I wanted nothing more than to cool off and put my feet up. The floor tiles just happened to be the coldest thing in the house. If I could have taken a nap in the refrigerator, I probably would have.
What I didn't count on was condensation. 2 minutes after laying down, I realized I was making a sweat puddle.
Sexy, I know.
But I'm proud of it.
Today tried really hard to be a no good, very bad day. (I did my fair share of cussing, whining, and complaining, to be sure.)
This morning's thunder and lightning tried to sideline me. My mid-day was steamrolled by project deadlines at work (yes, working on Saturday. Ugh.) and California non-resident tax forms. (Hello California, could you make the forms any more confusing?)
When I went out the door this evening, I was already in a pissy mood. The temperature could have turned me around for home. The heat was just another straw on the bad-day camel's back.
But, knowing I needed a little extra motivation, I packed my mp3 player (rare event unless I'm on a treadmill). I played some of my favorite running songs and just kept putting one foot in front of the other for 120 minutes.
I admit that I wussed out a little and turned down streets for their shadiness or lack-of-hills, rather than tackling a tougher route. I won't claim this was my "best run ever." In fact, there were times when it was downright ugly. (Photo above is an excellent case-in-point...)
I did, truth be told, stop back at home at the 100-minute mark, grab a glass of ice water (my water bottle was bone dry) and ask/beg Hubby to come trot with me for the last 20 minutes.
He obliged.
And then took the photo.
..but it will be harder for him to use it as blackmail now that I've posted it on the interwebs. Heh.
What's your strategy for coping with a bad day?
Sweatpocalypse.
A Sweat Tsunami.
Summer has arrived on the Gulf Coast and my evening 12-miler was a sweaty affair to say the least. Thankfully Hubby was around to document the damage.
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| Post run: The cold floor tiles feel sooooo good! Just ignore the puddle of sweat... |
After 2 slow, slogging hours in the sun, I wanted nothing more than to cool off and put my feet up. The floor tiles just happened to be the coldest thing in the house. If I could have taken a nap in the refrigerator, I probably would have.
What I didn't count on was condensation. 2 minutes after laying down, I realized I was making a sweat puddle.
Sexy, I know.
But I'm proud of it.
Today tried really hard to be a no good, very bad day. (I did my fair share of cussing, whining, and complaining, to be sure.)
This morning's thunder and lightning tried to sideline me. My mid-day was steamrolled by project deadlines at work (yes, working on Saturday. Ugh.) and California non-resident tax forms. (Hello California, could you make the forms any more confusing?)
When I went out the door this evening, I was already in a pissy mood. The temperature could have turned me around for home. The heat was just another straw on the bad-day camel's back.
But, knowing I needed a little extra motivation, I packed my mp3 player (rare event unless I'm on a treadmill). I played some of my favorite running songs and just kept putting one foot in front of the other for 120 minutes.
I admit that I wussed out a little and turned down streets for their shadiness or lack-of-hills, rather than tackling a tougher route. I won't claim this was my "best run ever." In fact, there were times when it was downright ugly. (Photo above is an excellent case-in-point...)
I did, truth be told, stop back at home at the 100-minute mark, grab a glass of ice water (my water bottle was bone dry) and ask/beg Hubby to come trot with me for the last 20 minutes.
He obliged.
And then took the photo.
..but it will be harder for him to use it as blackmail now that I've posted it on the interwebs. Heh.
What's your strategy for coping with a bad day?
Washed out
Last night, even after a late date-night with Hubby that involved 3 glasses of wine, I set my alarm for 6am. The coffee maker was programmed to brew bright and early, too.
When the alarm went off, I did not want to get out of bed. But I did, because I have one last long run on the calendar before my 2012 half marathon #3. Today my training schedule called for 12 miles.
I rolled out of bed and poured myself a cup of coffee.
I thought I heard the pitter-patter of rain, so I opened the blinds and saw:
...but I was determined to go out for a run!
So I started getting ready to head out the door.
And then I heard a rumble.
And another...
And it wasn't my tummy.
Thunderstorms are one of the few things that will keep me indoors.
If it clears up, I'll try again this afternoon. Otherwise it looks like I'm long-running tomorrow.
Are there any weather conditions that will make you change your training schedule?
When the alarm went off, I did not want to get out of bed. But I did, because I have one last long run on the calendar before my 2012 half marathon #3. Today my training schedule called for 12 miles.
I rolled out of bed and poured myself a cup of coffee.
I thought I heard the pitter-patter of rain, so I opened the blinds and saw:
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| Rain dripping from the eaves... |
So I started getting ready to head out the door.
And then I heard a rumble.
And another...
And it wasn't my tummy.
Thunderstorms are one of the few things that will keep me indoors.
If it clears up, I'll try again this afternoon. Otherwise it looks like I'm long-running tomorrow.
Are there any weather conditions that will make you change your training schedule?
Sunday, January 8
Recipe for a Sunday run
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| Freshly baked run! |
1 runner
2 shoes
1 bottle of water
3 pieces of gum
12 miles
1 Bloody Mary
Bodyglide (optional)
Directions:
- Put shoes on runner.
- Be sure to double knot the laces, because they keep coming undone. (This annoyance might be enough to convince this runner to switch to barefoot running.)
- Grease sides of runner with Bodyglide to prevent chafing.
- Hand runner 1 bottle of water and 3 pieces of gum.
- Push runner out the door.
- Sweat at 73 degrees (yes, in January) for 2 hours, or until 12 miles are done. Whichever comes first.
- Feed gum to runner if runner complains that it is too F#@$%ing hot for the middle of winter. (Repeat up to 2 more times. More than that, and the runner's jaw will seize up... which, on second thought, might be a good way to stop the runner's cussing about the heat...)
- Add more water to achieve desired hydration level.
- Top off with Bloody Mary when finished.
Sunday, December 4
Twelve sucky miles
Some runs are amazing and make you glad to be alive.
Others are like today.
Sunday.
Long run day.
SUCKED THE BIG ONE.
I intended to take it easy, but short of walking, no amount of slowness was making the run feel any better. Maybe I was dehydrated? Maybe Friday's hill workout was tougher on my legs than I thought? Regardless of the reason, I was just glad when it was over.
The good: I finished the mileage I intended to.
The bad: I was waaaaay slower and more miserable than I've been on a long run in years. No amount of telling myself "Just enjoy the weather. It's gorgeous outside!" made it feel better.
The ugly: My foot started cramping as soon as I got home. Ouch!
The consolation prize:
Hubby made a Bloody Mary for me to sip while I sat in an ice bath (after properly hydrating with lots of water, of course). Allegedly pickle juice helps prevent muscle cramping. While I can neither confirm nor deny that home remedy, I wasn't about to turn down a dose of pickled okra in one of my favorite post-run "recovery drinks." (What? It's loaded with electrolytes! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!)
The funny thing...?
Sitting at brunch with Hubby after we cleaned up and changed into presentable clothes, I felt more relaxed than I have in ages.
Maybe sometimes the joy in running is that it makes simple things, like sitting and resting, feel better by comparison.
How do you deal with unpleasant runs?
Others are like today.
Sunday.
Long run day.
SUCKED THE BIG ONE.
I intended to take it easy, but short of walking, no amount of slowness was making the run feel any better. Maybe I was dehydrated? Maybe Friday's hill workout was tougher on my legs than I thought? Regardless of the reason, I was just glad when it was over.
The good: I finished the mileage I intended to.
The bad: I was waaaaay slower and more miserable than I've been on a long run in years. No amount of telling myself "Just enjoy the weather. It's gorgeous outside!" made it feel better.
The ugly: My foot started cramping as soon as I got home. Ouch!
The consolation prize:
The funny thing...?
Sitting at brunch with Hubby after we cleaned up and changed into presentable clothes, I felt more relaxed than I have in ages.
Maybe sometimes the joy in running is that it makes simple things, like sitting and resting, feel better by comparison.
How do you deal with unpleasant runs?
Sunday, October 30
Caution: chafing ahead
The best thing about training runs is that they give us an opportunity to figure out what works and what doesn't work before race day. With any luck, we'll learn from trial and error about what food, hydration, pacing, clothing, and other strategies work best for us for the distance we're racing.
This weekend I learned one lesson well. (Perhaps a little too well.)
Lesson learned: I will make sure (very, very sure) that I apply Bodyglide
or other goo to chafe-prone parts.
In my mad dash to get out of the house on Saturday morning, I forgot this key element of my typical pre-run routine. Now my thighs, toes, and ribcage are very angry at me. They reminded me of my forgetfulness about an hour into my two-hour run. They screamed in anger during my post-run shower. I won't be able to wear a bathing suit in public for at least a week.*
So, to see if there was anything I could do (short of buttering myself like a biscuit in Paula Deen's restaurant), I looked up chafing on MedlinePlus.
I laughed out loud at their advice:
I have to assume this anti-chafing advice was not written by a runner.
Do you have any anti-chafing suggestions?
Have you ever goofed up royally on a training run?
*For those of you who survived Snowtober and can't imagine going to the beach this week: It is still mid-70s and sunny in Florida... But before you get jealous, just remember: summer here is 3-digit temperatures, mosquitoes the size of your cat, and fog-on-the mirrors humid. We get two, maybe three, weeks of truly pleasant weather all year. Don't be jealous.
This weekend I learned one lesson well. (Perhaps a little too well.)
Lesson learned: I will make sure (very, very sure) that I apply Bodyglide
or other goo to chafe-prone parts.In my mad dash to get out of the house on Saturday morning, I forgot this key element of my typical pre-run routine. Now my thighs, toes, and ribcage are very angry at me. They reminded me of my forgetfulness about an hour into my two-hour run. They screamed in anger during my post-run shower. I won't be able to wear a bathing suit in public for at least a week.*
So, to see if there was anything I could do (short of buttering myself like a biscuit in Paula Deen's restaurant), I looked up chafing on MedlinePlus.
I laughed out loud at their advice:
- First of all, cotton fabric is the WORST for running-induced chafing. Ok. Maybe wool is worse. But cotton is pretty horrible. I speak from experience.
- Second: The "appropriate clothing for the activity" advice directly contradicts bullet point number 1. There is no such thing as 100% cotton cycling shorts.
- Third: Sure "avoid the activity" sounds great. Oh, wait "unless it is... exercise." What kind of chafing is this person talking about? Ohhhhh.... nevermind.
- Fourth: Clothing stays neither clean, nor dry, on a two-hour run. This is my proof that the author is a non-runner.
- Fifth... Ok. Now we're talking. Which brings me back to my original point: BODYGLIDE.
Do you have any anti-chafing suggestions?
Have you ever goofed up royally on a training run?
*For those of you who survived Snowtober and can't imagine going to the beach this week: It is still mid-70s and sunny in Florida... But before you get jealous, just remember: summer here is 3-digit temperatures, mosquitoes the size of your cat, and fog-on-the mirrors humid. We get two, maybe three, weeks of truly pleasant weather all year. Don't be jealous.
Monday, October 10
Sunday soup and Monday miles
The head cold is officially over!
And I'm back on the wagon running-wise.
I hid away all weekend, drinking tea and eating spicy soup. (More on that later...)
Aside from cooking soup and sipping tea, I did absolutely nothing.
I skipped the symphony. I postponed Sunday's long run (though I did shuffle through a couple of miles, just to make sure my legs still worked).
But the long run cannot be skipped just for sniffles. So I laced up my shoes and did a 90-minute run this morning before work. (This was one of those run for time, not miles, kind of days.)
Post-run I feel fantastic. And because I have to work, I have no guilt about sitting around resting my legs all day. I wonder if maybe I should do long runs on Monday mornings from now on?
Then again, maybe my high energy level is just the week-long rest talking? Or maybe last night's dinner was good running fuel?
I made a big batch of one of my all-time favorite soups: Black-Eyed-Pea, Greens & Ham (from Food and Wine). This is a recipe I make on a regular basis, but it's even better when I'm not feeling well. (It's at least as good as chicken noodle, plus it's spicy. I don't know about the rest of you, but I crave spicy foods when I'm sick. The hotter, the better.)
The best thing about this soup: it works with any bean, green, protein combo. I've used spicy andouile instead of ham (soy sausage might even work for my vegetarian friends). Collards, turnip greens, or spinach instead of chard. Black beans instead of black-eyed peas. Success each time.
Hands-down, this soup is my favorite cold-curing home remedy.
Do you ever run for time, rather than for distance?
What's your favorite cold-curing home remedy?
And I'm back on the wagon running-wise.
I hid away all weekend, drinking tea and eating spicy soup. (More on that later...)
Aside from cooking soup and sipping tea, I did absolutely nothing.
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| Peanut demonstrating how I spent my weekend. |
But the long run cannot be skipped just for sniffles. So I laced up my shoes and did a 90-minute run this morning before work. (This was one of those run for time, not miles, kind of days.)
Post-run I feel fantastic. And because I have to work, I have no guilt about sitting around resting my legs all day. I wonder if maybe I should do long runs on Monday mornings from now on?
Then again, maybe my high energy level is just the week-long rest talking? Or maybe last night's dinner was good running fuel?
I made a big batch of one of my all-time favorite soups: Black-Eyed-Pea, Greens & Ham (from Food and Wine). This is a recipe I make on a regular basis, but it's even better when I'm not feeling well. (It's at least as good as chicken noodle, plus it's spicy. I don't know about the rest of you, but I crave spicy foods when I'm sick. The hotter, the better.)
The best thing about this soup: it works with any bean, green, protein combo. I've used spicy andouile instead of ham (soy sausage might even work for my vegetarian friends). Collards, turnip greens, or spinach instead of chard. Black beans instead of black-eyed peas. Success each time.
Hands-down, this soup is my favorite cold-curing home remedy.
Do you ever run for time, rather than for distance?
What's your favorite cold-curing home remedy?
Saturday, October 1
Albany - the Mohawk-Hudson Trail
Live from New York... It's Saturday Night!
Except I'm in Albany, not NYC. And as I type this, it's Friday, not Saturday.
So my weekend isn't as glamorous as Alec Baldwin's record 16th hosting of SNL, but I did wrap up a pretty fantastic 9.5 mile run. If you're ever in the Albany area, I highly recommend the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail. Why they left "run" out of the title, I'll never know... but people here seem to take the name seriously. I passed, or was passed by, at least three dozen people on foot and on 2 wheels, but only saw three other runners. Is Albany not a running town? With a trail like this, I can't imagine why it wouldn't be? But I digress...
I found the run by piecing together a couple of suggestions from MapMyRun's "search runs" tool. I have Hubby to thank for the map-my-run idea. I probably wouldn't have found the path, or the route from hotel-to-path, any other way. (The hotel front desk staff looked at me like I had three heads when I asked about places to run. Albany really isn't a running town, is it?)
Because my hotel was a couple of miles away from a trailhead, I only ran 4 miles on the trail, but the Mohawk-Hudson stretches about 40 miles along the Erie Canal. I'd love to come back and run more of the trail on another trip. But next time I'll find a way to start at the canal, rather than running to it. The stretch of bike path between my hotel (south part of map) and a business park (around 1 mile marker) was creepy and secluded. I wouldn't run that alone again.* Also, the little stretch of Route 7 was no fun either. There were sidewalks, but there were also way too many cars for my liking.
My run had short, ugly stretches that looked something like this:
But once I got near the river, it looked more like this:
Maybe it was the thrill of running in a completely new place, or maybe it was because the weather here is cooler than in Florida, but the miles flew by. I wasn't expecting to feel good at all on this run, as I did speedwork yesterday (4 x 400 and 2 x 800 @ 7:00), woke up at 4:45am, and spent all day in airports and on airplanes.
But the miles felt good. Rather than looking at my watch and wondering "how many more minutes/miles 'til I can stop" I looked at my watch and thought "wow, that much time has already passed?"
Mohawk-Hudson trail = win.
*Safety note: both Hubby and my brother knew where I'd be running and what time I'd be back. I'm a proponent of runner safety. Speaking of safety, by the time you read this I will also no longer be at the hotel. I enjoy shareing my travel experiences, but am not about to post my current location and room number here!
Except I'm in Albany, not NYC. And as I type this, it's Friday, not Saturday.
So my weekend isn't as glamorous as Alec Baldwin's record 16th hosting of SNL, but I did wrap up a pretty fantastic 9.5 mile run. If you're ever in the Albany area, I highly recommend the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail. Why they left "run" out of the title, I'll never know... but people here seem to take the name seriously. I passed, or was passed by, at least three dozen people on foot and on 2 wheels, but only saw three other runners. Is Albany not a running town? With a trail like this, I can't imagine why it wouldn't be? But I digress...
I found the run by piecing together a couple of suggestions from MapMyRun's "search runs" tool. I have Hubby to thank for the map-my-run idea. I probably wouldn't have found the path, or the route from hotel-to-path, any other way. (The hotel front desk staff looked at me like I had three heads when I asked about places to run. Albany really isn't a running town, is it?)
Because my hotel was a couple of miles away from a trailhead, I only ran 4 miles on the trail, but the Mohawk-Hudson stretches about 40 miles along the Erie Canal. I'd love to come back and run more of the trail on another trip. But next time I'll find a way to start at the canal, rather than running to it. The stretch of bike path between my hotel (south part of map) and a business park (around 1 mile marker) was creepy and secluded. I wouldn't run that alone again.* Also, the little stretch of Route 7 was no fun either. There were sidewalks, but there were also way too many cars for my liking.
My run had short, ugly stretches that looked something like this:
But once I got near the river, it looked more like this:
Maybe it was the thrill of running in a completely new place, or maybe it was because the weather here is cooler than in Florida, but the miles flew by. I wasn't expecting to feel good at all on this run, as I did speedwork yesterday (4 x 400 and 2 x 800 @ 7:00), woke up at 4:45am, and spent all day in airports and on airplanes.
But the miles felt good. Rather than looking at my watch and wondering "how many more minutes/miles 'til I can stop" I looked at my watch and thought "wow, that much time has already passed?"
Mohawk-Hudson trail = win.
*Safety note: both Hubby and my brother knew where I'd be running and what time I'd be back. I'm a proponent of runner safety. Speaking of safety, by the time you read this I will also no longer be at the hotel. I enjoy shareing my travel experiences, but am not about to post my current location and room number here!
Monday, September 19
In the long run
Yesterday's half-marathon training long run went off without a hitch. Well, ok. There was one hitch. Hubby and I started about an hour later than we intended to, but we'll just call that "replicating race conditions" (the half will start later than we'd like) and move on.
I've been running my long runs without music for the past couple of months because #1 - in Florida heat I sweat so much I'd short out my iPod, and #2 - my iPod hasn't been holding a charge for more than half an hour anyway. (I don't know about you, but I can't run 10-15 miles in 30 minutes. If I could, I'm pretty sure being faster than Usain Bolt would have gotten me a Nike sponsorship and a wall full of Olympic medals by now...)
Yesterday I decided to give the ol' mp3 player one last chance, and a good, long overnight charge. It must have worked because both my tunes and I lasted through 95 minutes of humid, shade-less, coastal trail running.
This morning my quads and ankles feel like someone whacked them with a tire iron (result of a long run on uneven terrain and soft sand) but it's that "good ache" that tells me I pushed my boundaries yesterday. I just wish I recovered as quickly as I did 10 years ago! (Cue clairvoyant voice: I see more ice baths and foam rollers in your future...)
Hubby finished his run before me (no great shock there) and snapped pics of me at the finish. This is the least unflattering of them (which is saying something about what I look like after a long run). But hey, at least I finished strong, right?
My favorite song from the run: Silversun Pickups "Growing Old is Getting Old" which came on in my last couple of miles. (Confession: I played it 3 times in a row.) Aging + running is definitely a theme from this weekend, but more on that later...
What song motivates you most at the end of a long run?
Have you noticed any changes in your running (or recovery) as you've gotten older?
I've been running my long runs without music for the past couple of months because #1 - in Florida heat I sweat so much I'd short out my iPod, and #2 - my iPod hasn't been holding a charge for more than half an hour anyway. (I don't know about you, but I can't run 10-15 miles in 30 minutes. If I could, I'm pretty sure being faster than Usain Bolt would have gotten me a Nike sponsorship and a wall full of Olympic medals by now...)
Yesterday I decided to give the ol' mp3 player one last chance, and a good, long overnight charge. It must have worked because both my tunes and I lasted through 95 minutes of humid, shade-less, coastal trail running.
This morning my quads and ankles feel like someone whacked them with a tire iron (result of a long run on uneven terrain and soft sand) but it's that "good ache" that tells me I pushed my boundaries yesterday. I just wish I recovered as quickly as I did 10 years ago! (Cue clairvoyant voice: I see more ice baths and foam rollers in your future...)
My favorite song from the run: Silversun Pickups "Growing Old is Getting Old" which came on in my last couple of miles. (Confession: I played it 3 times in a row.) Aging + running is definitely a theme from this weekend, but more on that later...
What song motivates you most at the end of a long run?
Have you noticed any changes in your running (or recovery) as you've gotten older?
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