30-min track run,,,crutch-assisted

17-degrees

PainFree

========

not

an ROTC or Goose in sight,,,,,,

I've had worse

.............so what's everybody else up to??

Yesterdays race report ( Long I'm sorry)

My first 1/2 was actually supposed to be this June, but when I heard of a local running store putting on a race for charity near my house on trails I run and Mt Bike on all the time I figured, heck with it! now's a good time! The only entry requirement was $15.00 and donate an old pair of running shoes, easy enough! The course consisted of 6  2.13 mile loops around the reservoir with a 1/2 mile run to the finish at the end.

I lined up with about 200 other runners and at around 9:30 GO! was shouted and off we went. A few years ago I tore my MCL in my right knee, it usually bothers me for the first couple of miles, but then after that it becomes a non issue. In anticipation of the extra time and miles I would be running, I did what I never do and wore my knee brace for the run. I started off slow repeating to myself what I had been saying all morning leading up to the race, Go slow, just do the miles, don't worry about the time, just do the miles.

 After about 3 miles or so I heard someone yell.... You Run Too? I looked up and saw a guy on  a MT Bike, who was obviously talking to me... I smiled and waved not having any idea who he was......... The miles went by easy enough but it became obvious that wearing the knee brace was a bad idea.  after mile 7 my right knee was still hurting, and my left leg had abrasions from rubbing on the brace. I stopped took off the brace and stashed it in a tree.

The relief was immediate! My knee soon stopped hurting and my over all pace for the next two laps improved. At mile 11 I was entering uncharted territory, and maybe I psyched myself out a bit, and in all honesty I was getting a bit tired. I slowed my pace down for the last lap, but then tried to pick it up again for the last 1/2 mile to the finish. I was able to cross the finish at a decent pace and most importantly of all a smile on my face!

I realized almost immediately that something was missing, although I was happy, I had no one to share it with, I was surrounded by people but all of them strangers, The one face I am used to seeing at the end of my runs was not there, My D.W is in Mexico visiting relatives, and although I miss her very much, never as much as I did right then.

I was feeling a bit blue when I got home, but you all immediately lifted me up with your kind words, and congratulations! That made all the difference in the world! I really appreciate everything all of you had to say and to all of you a big THANKS! I needed that!

So here it is the next day, I feel great! No aches or pains to speak of. I'm already scouring the internet looking for my next 1/2!

Here are yesterdays totals...

Congrats on your HM, Jim!!  Good thinking on ditching the brace. Amazing how sometimes something we think is so helpful can turn out to be a hindrance.  It took some clear mid-race thinking to ditch it!

16.26 miles this morning.  I wimped out and couldn't handle the below 0F wind chill, and took the miles indoors.  3+ episodes of Breaking Bad later, and it was done!  Now I'm doing Valentine's day crafts and making a lovely Valentine's Day dinner: truffled deviled eggs with caviar,  and Momofuku bo ssam (check it out here:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/magazine/the-bo-ssam-miracle.html)  Homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert!

--Robin

Great run, Jim! I hope you remembered to go back to that tree for your knee brace... 

Mariposai, I'm taking that approach to my morning, too. Well, we do that most weekend mornings it seems. The day looks perfect for a long run though, and I've already told myself my speedy runs were earlier this week and it's ok to slow down for this one. Yes, even walk breaks on the clock (no turning off the Garmin to stop like I sometimes do!!). So... we'll see how it goes.

Nice run, Robin. I like podcasts that last at least 45 minutes or so. Really helps the time pass on the treadmill.

Tom, that's cool that you were hiking where Dove ran that race. That is some pretty tough terrain, for sure. 

Jim: I ran a half mary today. 

Today was local running club's half marathon at 9:30 AM.  It was in the low 20F's with wind chill between 7-9F.  Needless to say all but a few brave souls ran in short - most in tights and pants w/layers.  Park where race is held is all hills but it seemed today that they were longer and colder.  The wind was never at your back through the entire race.  Two loops on road at front of park  [2.7 miles each or 5.4 ]followed by 2 loops in the back [3.8 miles each or 7.6 miles] with the connecting causeway across creek making it 13.1 miles. 

 Weird thing is I ran the same exact route in June for another club event  w/same GPS and it  read 13.06 or 13.1. Today exact same route and 12.78 or 12.8.  I don't think GPS work to well in cold either or I am better at tangents..  Anyway I let mileage from GPS stand in my log even though I know it is off by almost quarter mile. With the headwinds which seemed to occur mostly when climbing hills it seemed more like 14 miles.  I was glad I hadn't dumped my windbreaker after the 2nd loop, since just as cold on 3rd and 4th loops.

Overally time was 1:46:45.05 or about 8:21 min mile pace.  Though last lap as I approached the chute GPS indicates 7:12 min mile [I won't even tell you the uphill times].  Finished 69th overall again but at least I wasn't lapped by the lead runners which on the uphills I was expecting at anytime.

Turnout not as large as previous races in the clubs winter series due to length and temps.  Also not everyone finished full race since club allows people to drop out after at Laps 2, 3.  They get points for participating but not counted as finnishing race,i.e., not 5 pts for those who did entire race..

Now drinking some re-heated coffee and enjoy the heat in the house.  My shower already drained the hot water heater.

Enjoy the weekend.

Shadowrunner - nice finishing time in spite of the cold and hills!   As for the GPS, I would put the 13.1 in the log, not the shorter Garmin-measured distance.  If the race is certified, you can believe them better than the GPS, which we all know is more of an estimate anyway.

C-R - nice racing for you as well, in the bitter winds out there!

I am such a wimp, I never race in the winter.  My first race this year won't be until March 25.

Nice running, everyone! Whether outside or on the treadmill, it all counts and it's all good. I ran outside today with the girls, 7.6 miles at a nice and comfortable pace. Was cold but we warmed up just fine. Then I came home and baked oatmeal craisin cookies from scratch, substituting some of the butter with applesauce. So far no one in my family has died from them....

Enjoy the day, all!

I am such a wimp, I never race in the winter.  My first race this year won't be until March 25.

Holly, March 25 is still winter here.   And you're a tough runner - not a wimp at all!  Glad you had fun tubing.  Skiing is an expensive sport,  but is manageable if you look for discount lift tickets.    Yesterday I skied at a local area called Eldora, and I got 4 lift tickets for $32 each through an on-line deal. A full price ticket at the ticket window is $72.   And a full day adult lift ticket at Vail is $105 this year! 

Jim, what a great race report!   Nice that you feel good today, with no aches and pains - that means you should run the next one faster!

Nice racing for Joe and Norm, too, in cold temps!

I really hate running on a treadmill - you folks who do long runs on them are certainly not wimpy in my book!  That takes an amazing amount of fortitude.

I ran 10 miles today, the first 5 with Tazzie and Ladybug.  It was 45 and sunny when I started, so I wore shorts, but it was down to 35 and snowing when I got home!  Shorts were a poor choice...   so I put on long pants, a jacket, hat, and warmer gloves, and went back out in the snow for another 5 miles.