Weekly Recap: 2/29/16 - 3/6/16

Monday – (8.1)  Last day of February, it’s finally over, the extra day and all.  I struggled on this run, still sore from Saturday is the only thing I can put my finger on. 

Weights at the Y, I’m pitching out the leg extensions and curls, they really bug my knees.  I miss TRX, have to find another class.  

Jax’s turn for a walk, two hiking adventures for Gus and he needed to give up his walk to his little brother.  Jax was good for nearly the whole walk, usually just before mile 2 his eyes start spinning in his head and he is looking for trouble to get into.   

Disappointed there was not a Downton Abbey to catch up on.

Tuesday – (6) The weather alert on my phone said 45 MPH wind gusts, but I couldn’t figure out the time frame.  Crossed my fingers it would be the usual amount of windy on my run.  Pulled the trigger on the fall ultra, all signed up, I’m terrified in that fun roller coaster ride sort of way. 

Yoga was much needed to settle my mind.   Dave was out for the night, so I made a quick stop at the Packy on the way to Yoga and picked up some new to me stouts and porters.  No I didn’t get them cold, I got them warm.  My brain was not engaged.  I did have a few things I like in the fridge at home.  My MI beer stash is very sparse,  and I need to go visit my parents,  how fortunate! 

Wednesday (6) The wind was at it again, I know living and working on the coast it should be expected, but wow, this has to be some sort of record of windy days.  Always reminds me when my youngest brother asked our father “Where does wind come from?”  Dad pointed him to the encyclopedias in the library, “Look it up.”  Back in the days before google I wonder if he ever did find his answer, he sat on the floor in the library surrounded by the encyclopedias for most of that afternoon.  I don’t know if he ever bothered to ask another question after that. 

This 6 was a struggle for me, I zigged and zagged a bit to mix it up.  Maybe next week 6 will seem normal to me.  I have some mental block with 10 miles that I am going to conquer over the weekend. 

Spin another interval class wiped me out further.  Hopefully I'll sleep like a rock tonight.

Thursday (3.2) Non-running day, and I really wanted to make it a super slug day and do nothing.  Dave took Jax out to Burlingame and he was nice and tuckered out after dinner.  Gus, on the other hand, hadn't been anywhere since Sunday and was bouncing between the silent treatment or breathing in my face.  Clearly, he was not going to let me get out of a walk, so at 9 p.m. we went for a walk.  The wind had died down so it was actually pleasant weather, and a stary night with the clear skies.  Of course this made me wired before bed fortunately Gizmo was very snuggly, Jax was happy to have someone to curl up with, so they pinned me down and the three of them serenaded me with calming boxer snores that lulled me off to sleep.

Friday (6) Probably the last snow globe run of the 2015 - 2016 winter...  it was very joyous until "The Last Train to Clarksville" popped up on the iPod.  Huh?  There have been a few songs lately that have me scratching my head 1) I don't remember putting them on one of my Running play lists 2) I don't remember even adding them to iTunes 3) Maybe the being that stole the filler hose for my windshield washer reservoir also has been messing around with my iTunes?  So that passed, eventually.  While I did like the Monkey's at one point in my life and played the hell out of my Mother's album I can't for the life of me understand how this happened.

Saturday (9.3)  Mystic Hare Hop 5K recap here.  Fun 5K.  I needed to push myself more than I did.  I'm satisfied with my time and I had an awesome time on the horrible hill out and back because I got to see everyone!!  

Took a quick shower to make it out to the spot where I planned on spectating for the Ocean's Run 1/2 Marathon, I knew quite a few people running it.  Crutch was also planning on the same spot.  Great minds.  We were at about mile 7.5, and I though the race started at 9:00 so 9:30 would get me there a bit before the front runners would be rounding the corner of Shore Road and Noyes Neck.  Well the race started at 9:15 whoops.  Crutch thought it started at 10 so he would have totally missed them, better early than late?

I wish I could have gotten an athlete list so I knew more people to look for!!!  I missed quite a few.  Got pictures of may, I probably should post the ones of the people I don't know to the event page, I won't.  I'm not in all that giving and kind mood, of late.

It was very sad to see that the RD wasn't able to get someone to marshal that corner, it was fairly busy with turning traffic.  

Took Gus out for his first trail run, we went to Grills, it seemed like if (when) I got turned around (lost) it would be easy enough to get un-turned around (found).  Yes, staying ON the marked trails would be the smart thing to do that didn't happen after I found "The Big Hill" and Gazelle's secret fort plastered with Rod Stewart album covers and empty bottles of Cherry Schnapps.  

My plan was to go on the Blue trail to the Yellow / Red trail to the Yellow trail and then the Blue trail and back to the car.  Somehow I got on a Red trail and the "Big Hill" then no marked trails.  I missed the Yellow marker?   Guess back in the day this was a big dirt bike course?  After I got down from "Big Hill" there were 'trails' unmarked and definitely worn in just not used a lot, my legs were scraped and bloodied, nothing picture worthy.  I followed a few till I really felt completely disorientated and knew the RR tracks needed to be to my right and the sun to my back to find my car.  Well I found the RR tracks so we ran along them for a while, till I found what looked like a cut in, then a Yellow trail, then no markings and well I should have stayed on the Yellow trail, we turned around.  Then found the Orange x-country ski trail, ahhh, I knew that would lead back to the car, and BOOM there was "The Big Rock" from last week.  And eventually Vinnie.

Grills Trail Map (I should probably have with me)

My GPS - the black circle is where the "lost" happened.
The yellow dots are Big Hill (the lower dot) and Big Rock (the upper dot)

Garmin gave me 5.28 miles, WoofTrax gave me 5.7 miles.  Nothing is ever exact with GPS. I'll take the 5.3 and call it good. 

Took a mile for Gus to figure out what we were doing, then he was great about letting me "chase" him, and we'd take walk breaks as needed.  Eventually he'd stall and sniff for a while and then race up behind me and pass me and look over his shoulder with this "ok runner girl, catch me if you can" look.  It was SO fun.  It has been a while since I've seen him run like that.  I think this is going to be a lot of fun for both of us.

Gus on top of "Big Hill"

Sunday (7.3 + whatever I lost in my first attempt) My plan was for 10, my bodies plan was to rebel. I got to the end of the street and it was clear I needed to turn around.  I did that.  Fixed that problem, Gizmo was on edge, comforted him for a while and contemplated this 10 miles (the mistake, thinking).  I'm having a real hard time with that number for some reason.  It is completely mental because clearly with the double yesterday I was nearing 10 and with the GPS fudge, lets call it 10....  Next weekend is Faith and Joe's wedding and the Bolton 5 miler with this hill Faith won't shut up about.  So that's got me wiggy.  I 'ran' up Mt. Washington Auto road, not once but twice and this 'hill' has me wigged.  I need to reprogram my brain!!!!

I started out on my usual route to see the cows, twice.  Made it along Canal, and stopped, and turned around.  I was done 2.1 miles, done.  I cursed myself and wondered what the hell was my problem. As I'm slogging back a Volvo Station Wagon slows down and stops and a big hairy arm comes out the window.  Ahhhh Gary on his way to Agway for chicken feed.  That made me smile, I'm looking forward to the boys stories on Monday morning.  They all got together and played cards at Gary's on Friday night.  Still didn't perk up my pace.  I did remember I do this for fun and at least I attempted the run, so no point in beating myself up.  This gem popped into my head on and off as I self medicated with the small amount of endorphins I could pull from this run.  As I passed Grey Sail Brewery Gary was back by with his chicken feed!  At least I was still running at that point.

Editor's note: Gary said I looked like I was suffering.  Not sure if this is validating or if it makes me feel better.

The afternoon was a trip to the beach for Gizmo.  It is a project getting him loaded in the car then 'walking' him through the heavy sand.  I look forward to this and I don't.  He had a grand time dragging me this way and that on the beach and finally had enough and hightailed it back to the car on the hardtop parking lot.  Goofball.  We went about 1/2 mile, easy.  

Giz at Misquamicut

Feet: 45.9 (37.4 Run 8.5 Walk)  3958 against a straighline target of 363.7

Sincerely,
Beth, Wondering if it is time for a cutback week or integrate longer runs and one more rest day?  And I wonder if it is going to be warm enough to bike to work next week!

Weekly Recap: 2/22/16 - 2/28/16

Monday - (8.2) We are into week 3 of this cold, I'm counting the week I woke up with a headache every frigging day as the first week.  What a miserable bug this one is.  Seems like I'm sick every couple months?  Guess the last one was pre Thanksgiving... better start keeping track, somehow.

In the process of training for training for this ultra I feel the need to set my sights on minimum runs, if I'm going out, it won't be worth it unless I run X miles.  Since the beginning of the year I've aimed for 5 for my runs and I think I'm pretty good with that.  While that may not seem like a lot to some, it is still 50+/- minutes of time for my pace so I have to balance in the time it takes.    This week I'm aiming for 6 and see how this goes.  I know training plans have varying miles per day in my mind I believe I need to do this, mental stamina training, not cutting short at 5 miles.  Daily runs may only be able to top out at 6 or 7 for be depending on how long I can get away at lunch.  Or run before work... which may need to happen in the summer.   But who knows my company is going through some upheaval, hard telling where it all will fall out in the late summer.

Did weight training after work.  I feel odd putting that as public entry in Strava.  It had been a few weeks and I definitely needed to drop 5 lbs on a couple things and up a couple others.  The leg extensions and curls bother my knees.  And yes, free weights and squats and lunges would be the better substitute.   I'll get all this figured out as my insecurities about free weights wane

Tuesday - (8.4)  That 6 mile run was tough, the wind made it fun, gloves would have been nice, my fingers were icy and the defrosting process wasn't as painful as I thought it might be. The wind was mostly coming from the East, I ran into it for stretches. The most was 1/2 mile stretch directly East. It was fun, in that perverse way running into the wind can be. When I was treated to running with the wind at my back I was impressed with how far the wind would carry my spit (I'm a child). 

Bailed on Yoga sometimes I need a quiet evening.  Dave was supposed to be at band practice so the house would be quiet.  No dice, between the bass playing and the equipment running in the basement I should have gone to yoga.  Oh well, perhaps tomorrow night.  He only had one thing to finish up so it was quiet when I got home from a snowy walk with Gus, I don't think he was all that much into the walk, but he wanted to go, so, oh who can figure out dogs anyhow?  Dave and I settled in to watch Monday nights episode of Better Call Saul, we aren't totally sold on the prequel thing but the shows are actually pretty good so far.  As evidenced by me talking to the TV.  He just laughs, and agrees, it was a good episode.  If I'm quite then it usually wasn't a good episode.  This is probably why we don't go to many movies, me talking to the screen.  

Wednesday - (6.2)  Met up with Eric on the way out of the building, he said his run was good, the weather was actually nice, IF it didn't down pour.  Considering I didn't want to run 6 and the thought of a down pour...  oh well... what needs to be done, gets done.  I decided to torture myself with two laps of the hill Faith and I did on Friday (in 'the neighborhood') for my wanting to say 5 would be good enough.  As I got closer to campus the rain was coming down harder, it was refreshing.  Plus I knew Thursday I'd be in NY with no opportunity to run so I should really enjoy this run.  

Spin at the Arcadia Y, good interval class, I think the floor boards warped under my bike from all the sweat.

The rain and lack of energy prevented a dog walk.  I made pancakes and shared them with the hounds, hoping that a little real maple syrup would gain me some forgiveness and not upset any stomachs.

 Thursday -  (2.9)  NY for the day.  The weather was cranky and my meetings were scattered hither and yon, so I ate 6 cookies and a salad for lunch.  For dinner I picked up a Left Hand Brewery Hard Wired Nitro Stout, ok 2.  Brought Ruta Sepetys new book "Salt to the Sea" with me.  Fifty pages in and I was riveted.  Similar to how "Between Shades of Grey" captivated/gripped me.  "Out of the Easy" was about a different time period however a similar escaping destiny theme.

To say it was a stellar diet day, would only be appropriate dripping with sarcasm.   Got home to nothing but noise and Gus nosing me to take him for a walk.  Sure at 8 p.m. perfect time for a walk...  I wanted to go to sleep I was crashing from my poor dietary choices and having to be up at 5:30 a.m. and on the ball all day.  I took him, he's such a sad creature sometimes, he will never fully recover from the abuse he endured the first 3 years of his life.  It is nice to see him happy and confident.

Friday - (5)  The wind was NNW, so I decided to run to the Gold Star Bridge and back, about 5 miles, not hitting my 6 goal but I have a race tomorrow?  Does that count?  Yeah, probably not.  So I ran up hill into the wind for most of 2.5 miles and then similar hill profile on the way back to campus. The second half of the run was considerably faster than the first.  I enjoyed the wind in my face, well except for the part with the street sweeper and the dirt, and then enjoyed the wind at my back.  Kind of felt like flying in either direction.  I'd of run the bridge, even with my ballast a good gust probably could have lifted me up and over the fence. 

Gus didn't get a walk, he didn't seem to distraught about it.

Saturday - (10.1)  Belleville Pond 10K 3rd in the 4th Season Trail race series (recap to come)  I placed 5th in my age group and 114th overall (130 finishers)  33 minutes after the winner, no wonder why there was barely a car left in the parking lot!!  HA HA HA HA!!  My time was just under 3 minutes slower than my fastest time on this course.  30ish seconds a mile, I'll account that to 1) age 2) the extra 10 lbs of beer belly I'm harboring like a criminal and 3) oh who really cares!!

After hobbling home, holy guacamole not running trails since Old Mountain Field really showed in my knees and my bum and weirdly my shins (that's a new pain), I tried to nap however Gizmo wasn't having any of that and wanted his walk around the block, he won, of course.  I read a bit in "Salt of the Sea" and then took Gus, no matter how much he hates car rides, he does enjoy the destination (other than the vet) I took him to Barn Island.  I hobbled and he waited for me to catch up as he sauntered hither and yon. 

Sunday - (7.7) 10 a.m. meet up with Jennifer B and Jennifer W to run the hills by Jennifer B's work.  JB is up to about 4 miles and we were good with that.  She brought along Mox, her adopted 8 year old lab.  She is Mox's 3rd and final home.   He, like most adult rescues have a sad story.  Honestly I have a hard time calling a puppy a rescue, the mom of the puppy is the one in rescue probably because she got knocked up, and she is the tough luck case, the puppies well, they have the misfortune of being born to an abandoned (and possibly abused or neglected) bitch.    Mox enjoyed the run, his second guardians were runners and used to take him for runs, so he knew the routine.  Labs are built for running, for sure.   It wasn't a break neck pace it was 4 miles, much needed recovery miles for me.  I am so surprised how much Belleville Pond beat me up.

Cute trail marker!

Took Gus for a stroll through Grills Preserve in the late afternoon, I've never been there and I've seen the guys run in there quite a bit.  Wow, I am really missing some nice easy relaxing trails.  Gus and I wandered here and there, I got lost, per usual.  Fortunately the trails are fairly well marked (also USUALLY I can remember where the sun was when I started out and know it needs to be opposite to be heading back to the car) and we ended up back at the starting point for both loops we did!  Next weekend, time and energy allowing we will go for a run there.  I think he will enjoy that.  He has proven time and time again he will listen to me when I say stop and he doesn't get more than 10 feet ahead of me, he takes note of squirrels, birds, and mice running hither and yon however he doesn't dart off to chase them. 

Don't go around, go through!  Good Boy!!

Bi Ped Bridges are for sissies!

Wow, that really IS a big Rock!

Mileage:

Feet:  
Week: 48.6 (33.7 run 14.9 walk)  
MTD:  349.1 against a straight line target of: 325.1


Sincerely, 
Beth, exhausted and starting week 4 of the mookus cold.  Blargh.

Weekly Recap: 2/15/16 - 2/22/16

Monday - (3.6)  I managed to convince myself my bare calves could get frost bitten because of the cold temperature.  I was so sure it was going to be 30F just like the weather prophets promised.  No deal.  It was 12F, no sun, was it really tights, not capri weather? how long could my bare calves be exposed??  Truly proves how much impact the mind has on the run!  It was a peppy run too, alas, I cut it short because I was thinking - thinking is bad, I should stop....  There is always tomorrow.

Errands took up the bulk of the evening, guess that happens when you don't leave the house or your own block for two full days!  Weight training is making a difference, bad idea to put it on hold.

Tuesday (6) Ahhh that's more like it 6 miles at a peppy pace and half of it into 20 MPH winds.  I have to admit I have a perverse pleasure of running into strong wind.

Yoga was perfect I really missed it last week, I did enjoy catching up with the friends I went to dinner with, life has to have balance.

Wednesday (7.3)  Frigging head cold, I am fine if it stays in my head and I don't get a fever then it's ok to run.  I ran with Ro today, it's been a few weeks, she was on a birthday cruise then the weather has been ghastly, she has her limits with the wind.  It was awesome to catch up and jibber jabber for a few miles.

Spin was good, I'm still dreading and looking forward to the class all at the same time.  I need to get another hour in on the bike.  When to fit it in is the question.  It probably won't happen, so I won't get all stressed about it.  I'll commute on the bike more this summer and that will solve some of my training issues.

Gus finally got a short walk after a week long hiatus.  Between the cold and evening plans he's been left in the lurch, poor guy.  He seems a little happier and less anxious.

Thursday  (3.4) Non-running day, honor thy rest day. Gus got a decent walk, he seemed pleased.  Dave took Jax and his fat bike out to Burlingame and Jax chased him on the fat bike for 4 or 6 miles - I couldn't get a straight story and Dave isn't as obsessive about logging every inch as I am!   Jax was passed out on the dog bed shortly after dinner and didn't move.  Which also meant no one else bothered to move because he wasn't pestering them to play.  Made for nice quite night for me and my cold!  All four of us were in bed early as Dave was out playing bass with some friends.  Loaded up on the NyQuil and passed out, no one noticed him come home, whoops.  Nice to see him getting back into music.

Friday (5.7)  Faith gave me a choice: 5 miles at a 9:30 - 9:45 pace or 4 miles of hill work.  I don't know that I'm ready/willing (you choose) to hold a 9:30 - 9:45 pace for more than a mile I probably could pressured enough, bottom line: I'm lazy. I had her check out the hill I ran last Thursday night and she said that looked good.  It's about 8/10 of a mile all the way around, 4 laps would be fine, 5 probably better but we did 4 and then The Bitch.  Excellent hill work out.  One of the best I've had.  We jibber jabbered up the hill well Faith more than me, I jibber jabbered more on the way down.  After the second I said can we hike the third, by the time we got to the bottom I was feeling recovered and ready to run it again so we ran it and then did a 4th.  That pesky mind again, thinking I couldn't run it three times let alone four!

Dinner out with Dave was nice.  I wasn't feeling much in the mood to cook however I was hungry.  Food makes me feel better when I have a cold, weird.

Saturday (11.1)  Run with the 'Gansett Gals!  I love my Saturday morning runs with them.  I wasn't feeling great when I woke up, BUT it was best I've felt all week!  I was glad for a 9 a.m. start time so I could start my day very slowly.  No NyQuil induced sleep last night so that was good.  Finally could breathe without lathering up with Vicks, I know sexy but damn that stuff works.  Eight miles were on tap and when we started out on the loop and cut back at the 5 mile loop mark I had hoped for the 8 mile loop to end up with the last 3ish miles with the wind at our back.  Nawwww, we needed to support Jenn in her Boston training and end with hills.  WE DID.  She peeled off for a few miles to do tempo pace (I think its somewhere in the high 8's) then looped back to meet up with us to finish out our and her run.  It was kind funny when she zoomed through the middle of Nicole, Diane, and me!  I said "We got lapped by Jenn!!"  She slowed up once she hit her miles and the four of us ran on.  I think Jenn and I sped up for a bit.  We had all sorts of boring things to catch up on, KonMarie progress, hey it's nice to talk with someone else going through the process.  Plus it's nice to have something to talk about to get to know Jenn better.  We met back up at the cars at 5 miles and then did 3 of hills, in to the wind for the last mile and a half.  Ah well, good for mental training too!!

Gus and I got out for 3 miles, that's about all I had in me energy and time wise.  I had a pretty packed Saturday day and really wanted to walk him in the daylight rather than at night.  

I have stuck with my tried and true shoes and have not had any of the PF pain I've been having.  Guess this tells me something either about my weekend of rest or my shoe choice...  either way it is nice to get out of bed and not want to cry out in pain.

Sunday (3.5) - After a very interesting BARRE class I noted the temps were in the 50's perfect for a bike ride.  I put the run on the back burner and dusted off Ruby and cool weather biking gear.  We had a nice spin around some of the roads I was contemplating running. 

So this BARRE class, essentially the hour warm up ballerina's do before they practice dance.  It was a lot of controlled micro movements I can really feel in my core.   I definitely enjoyed the class and will go again, now to figure out how to incorporate this into my already packed week.  Definitely not a budding ballerina, I'd need to drop about 40 lbs and grow a couple more inches!

Gus got a stroll and it was after 5 when we got back so I cracked a beer and listened to the latest sound track to my life...  Dave is starting to play bass with a band.  Saturday's song was a wee bit more mellow than today's song. It gets monotonous and eventually I can tune it out.  I did with the banjo when we lived in a 700 sq foot house.  The neighbors, not so much...

Feet:  300.5 against 286.5   (40.6 for the week  28.2 run 12.2 walk)
Bike:  90 against 286.5  (30 for the week)

If there is a take away for the week it is the mind is a powerful tool for good and for bad.

Sincerely, 
Beth, back to thinking positive and finding the enjoyment in all experiences

Zoolander learned to turn left, why can't I?I

Sage's remains made it home yesterday. It is nice to have her home, not in the form we would like; however you have to take what you get, right?  Hubb snuck her upstairs and I noticed on my second pass by the bookshelf.  Something looked off.  Pictures in our little family shelf were moved.  I haven't opened the box, it took me a while to open the can holding Diesel's ashes.

All seem to be adjusting.  Hubb seems more like himself and our eldest boxer boy and I went out to the beach this morning for a nice outing.  That perked him up.  I can't imagine what goes on in his mind, he is the eldest and has buried two of his furry family members.

Yes, yes, this is a running blog not a dog blog, not a knitting blog, so let us get to the running portion of the program.

Friday I was able to sneak out for a late morning run.  As I walked out to the guard shack to leave my badge a walker was returning from her walk.  She said "It is really windy and really cold and windy by the water."  I considered adding one more layer.  I packed my Marine Corps Marathon wind breaker and walked back to the building then turned around then back to the building then thought, no you'll be fine.  Just as I finished that thought I remembered how frozen my hands are the sans gloves day a few weeks ago, and it was warmer that day.

The wind didn't disappoint.  Because I just can't manage go left off campus I ran up hill into the wind.  The WNW wind at 16 mph and 32F (feels like 21F) not so much favorites of mine, however it was sunny and that makes up for a lot.  Until the route starts to get close to the water.  Brrrrrrrrr.....

Image from:  http://runningwithsquirrels.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/zoolander2main_300x300.jpg?w=538

I stayed away from the water, the houses blocked a bit of the wind...  still I was pretty cold when I got back inside.

Jackass and Number One Smart Guy went out to lunch.  When they got back they remarked how positively bitterly cold it was out there just walking from the building to the car and the car to the restaurant and repeating the process in reverse.  They asked where I was, they would have enjoyed my company.  I went for a run I said.  They said it is freezing out there, you are crazy...  All I could say was "your point is?" My thighs warmed up about an hour after I got to my desk...

My splits were pretty even, in fact slow to start, the first mile is mostly up hill, the second more down hill and the third up then down. 

This was curious, at each mile my pace went way up.  Think this is a function of the watch or is it me?  I'm stymied on that.  Thoughts?

Today I took the eldest pup to the beach for a wander about.  It was sunny and cold.  Nice for us to get out and he seems better.  Hubb went out for a mountain bike ride.  He came home seeming more chipper.

Tonight it is supposed to snow and tomorrow a.m. I am running the Vin Gormley trail, try out the YakTrax!! We are supposed to get an inch or so over night and then another inch or so through the day tomorrow. Wonderful the snow is so pretty and makes everything look so clean and neat.

Sincerely,
Beth, back in stride.