Mud Part Deux

Running a looped course is like trying to run from your problems, it really doesn't get you anywhere  you end up right back where you started.   Isn't that how it works, the harder you try and run away from something the quicker you end up right back in its lap?

I ran a different loop of Bluff Point tonight and still ended up at the same place.  Go figure.

The dogs licked off a lot of the mud...

My mom has Lung Cancer.  She is 5 years post diagnosis. 15% of people with Lung Cancer make it 5 years.  That is a shocking and sad statistic that has not moved since Nixon declared war on Cancer in 1971. It is important to note the Breast Cancer 5 year survival rate climbed to 95% at the 5 year mark.  My mom's mom passed away with Breast Cancer in 1976 after a 2 year battle.  Way back then Cancer was discussed in hushed tones in the back of the room.  Now, Breast Cancer is out there, Save The Ta Tas, Pink Ribbons...  it is always in our face.  People donate, they care, oh you have Breast Cancer, "I am so sorry".

I remember telling the first person outside of my immediate friends my mother had Lung Cancer.  His first question was, "Is she a smoker?"  I had no idea how to answer that question or what drove it.  My mom smoked until she was 40.  She quit in 1984, it was torture for all of us, especially her.  Smoking is a bitch of an addiction to kick. Statistics say that 20 years post quitting your chances of developing Lung Cancer are that of a non-smoker.  I said "She was." and the conversation ended at that point.   The smoking stigma slapped me right in the face.  I had no idea what had just happened, NO IDEA. I stopped talking about it and only to my closest friends.  It wasn't until 2011 that I started to wake up and talk about it, more and more and more.  Now it is a main topic of conversation.

A bit of history on my mom, January of 2007 my mother starts having these awful pains in her back and shortness of breath.  Doc ordered an x-ray, nothing.  Her smoking history wasn't considered, she was technically a non-smoker, so her primary care physician prescribed painkiller after painkiller   Nothing worked. The pain was so intense and constant nothing was numbing it, nothing. Eventually the question of Cancer came up.  Why is this the LAST thing considered?  From January 07 - July 07 the tumor grew around her ribs and spine pinching nerves (the pain she felt) to a whopping 8cm when it was finally diagnosed as Lung Cancer.  I am blathering towards the why this has me all twisted up at the present time.  Next week by this time we will know if that bastard tumor, which has been dead for the last three years, remains dead.

I came home from my run muddy and crying.  Hubb called me when I was about a minute from home, too late for me to even attempt to pull myself together.   My poor hubb can't understand me through my sobbing and just looks so desperate to help me.  He did say, "Well at least you are muddier than yesterday.  So maybe I'll believe you, this time."  That garnered the giggle it was meant to. I had so hoped he would be off at his evening commitment so I could just collapse on the kitchen floor and have the dogs demand their dinner.  I don't like to explain myself, I just like to be left alone until I am feeling my normal sarcastic smart-ass self and then live on, avoiding talking about whatever...  That poor man, God love him, I know I do, just sat there trying to figure out what was going on and be supportive to this hot muddy mess standing in front of him.  Seriously, I'd rather have the dogs deal with me, they would just lick my tears (and my muddy legs) and breathe their stinky wonderful dog breath on me and eventually one of them drags over a toy as if to say, OK, enough, let's play and most likely box me in the face!!!  We would play and wrestle there on the floor till I felt better.

Hubb just said, "Hon, it is OK, your mom is more energetic and positive than she was this time last year, everything is fine. All is fine.  You had me worried there for a second."  And he suggested that I was a little muddy and ripe and wouldn't a shower feel good, he turned up the hot water heater.  A super hot shower, hmmmmmm....

So crying and running doesn't work so well, you become more of a mouth breather and erratic ..  oh well, at least I felt like I was beating something evil out of me through every footfall, as erratic as they were.

All in all the run helped, I got to splash through a couple puddles, I didn't want to do all of them, MCM is happening in less than 4 weeks, I cannot be injured and that includes blisters. First rain post MCM and I'll be hitting ALL of the mud and the puddles.  After all I am a 12 year old boy disguised as a middle aged woman.

Stats:

Summary

The loop from yesterday starts and ends at the green dot but through the green area....

Yeah, lacking consistency.  The trail was so beautiful.  

Sincerely,
Beth, the hot mess.

Mud

I peeked outside this afternoon and noticed it was looking damp.  Big Grin!  MUD!  I muttered something about "Woo hoo muddy run and Boy Wonder just smiled and said you really are crazy."  Duh....

Had a few things to pick up the grocery store, we were out of salad.  We go through nearly a pound of mixed greens a day, between Hubbs daily salad snack and dinner, yep that is about right.  Got the groceries (daily W.I.F.E. duties = done)

Off to Bluff Point!  Giddy up Vinnie!


I called Hubb and let him know I was going running on the trail.  He mentioned I hadn't been there as frequently as last summer.  I know, I am miserable, not running it weekly.  All he could say was "Enjoy your four wheeling."

It was a lovely wet run, not as muddy as I had expected, but then I didn't motor through ALL the mud puddles, while I love them, I do have a Marathon coming up in less than 4 weeks.  *bites nails*  Probably should avoid injuiries!!

When I got home, salad greens in tow, I was met with:

"Hon, If your story is that you were out running in the mud your shoes should at least have a little mud on them."

"Love, they do have some mud on them, I'm just so fast they don't have time to gather mud."

*chuckle chuckle*

The trail was wet rather than muddy.  I came home Thanksgiving morning WAY more muddy, and WAY more wet as the trail was flooded.  I think that is what he was expecting?

It was a great run.  Just running, not looking at my Garmin, just running, not even thinking much.  Well except for the long slightly inclining straightaway, my Godsmack Voodoo straight away.  For some reason the dulcet tones of Sully Erna guide me up that section more often than not. While Sully wasn't singing in my ear my mind was taking in the beauty of the fall woods nearing dusk.  Oh yeah, and hoping I didn't trip on a stick or twist my ankle on a rock.  Wouldn't that suck, less that 4 weeks away from MCM and I'm taken out by nature?

Stats:

Not a bad overall pace.

Well I really need to concentrate on NEGATIVE splits
but hey this run was for the love the joy the awesomeness of rain and mud!

Y'all have seen the trail before...

Sincerely,
Beth, who may actually sleep through the night tonight, fingers crossed!

She's Back!

What an absolutely gorgeous fall day.  I could NOT resist going for a run in the early afternoon. OK TRUTH I lacked some major focus today.  I ticked off the easy no brainers on the to do list.  When push came to shove I just couldn't muster up the focus to finish up a lagging project needing some serious TLC.   Perfect fall running weather didn't exactly help.  Never mind that I sit with my back to the window, the sun was beaming across my desk.  Of course when I packed for TRX and threw in a variety of running gear, just in case...  If I'm going to lug the gear bag I might as well be prepared for any opportunities which may present themselves!

As I skipped down to the gym to change and hit the pavement there was another runner leaving for an afternoon run.  I grinned from ear to ear and said "It looks gorgeous out there, ENJOY!"  I got the usual smirk and he looked at me like I was looney.  People... we only get to do these moments once, live it up, love it, enjoy it, embrace it!

He's a clock-stupid runner. We crossed paths on a long uphill stretch for me downhill for him.   Nice shady part of the route. Maybe someday I will run the route like everyone else does, feh, Scott never did, I'll keep up the rebel tradition. I did pass the same walker twice.  I did an out and back at Jupiter Point and caught up to her again just before going up and around Avery Point.  Wonder what she thought when I passed her twice.  I stopped at Avery Point a few times to document that my favorite running partner was back!

Hi Friend!  I missed you yesterday!

It was a wonderful run, not a fast run.  Someone did run a rainy wet cold 13.1 yesterday, so she can have a break, right?  Trying to find the best way to snap a pic of my shadow did take a little time, and well, it was so seriously gorgeous outside, why would I want to be inside?

TRX was a full class, which is 4 women and the leader.  Our Spartan Racer showed off her bruises from the Spartan Race two weekends ago in VT.  Still some pretty good looking bruises.  I want to run one of those... running, mud, and bruises, what could be better?

The jury is out if I will sleep like a rock or insomnia will pay a visit.  UGH... guess it is better than waking Hubb up with me singing or swearing in my sleep?

Stats:

Summary

Steady pacing even with the ups and downs!  And of course 4 stops for pics...  

Route - y'all must be bored looking at this upside down native american?

Splits not fast, not slow

Sincerely,
Beth who is glad to have her running buddy back and really really really wants to sleep through the night