Tearin' up the track, trail or treadmill 5/5/08-5/11/08

[mrgarak]

Deb - Have fun running in the rain. I got poured on while running in the trails today. The trees only protect so much.

Kathryn - Glad to see you back. I hope to run around 21:30 for the 5K on the 18th.

Tate - I would want to run (not walk) away from that instructor and not look back. I enjoy soreness that makes me feel like I accomplished something and will make me stronger. However, when things start hurting, then it is time to back off. I used to run with a friend that always wanted to run fast. After running with him for three days, my calf muscles hurt like crazy. I stopped running with him and healed up in less than a week. He kept running hard day after day. The last I heard he is retired from running.

Suzanne - Thank you for the invite should I be in your area. It would be interesting running in the heat and dodging the pigeons.

Micki - Having 7 dogs and 12 cats must never feel lonely. I thought my vet bills were high with having 4 cats.

Today I ran 51 minutes in the trails. Overall I felt good and not too sore from yesterday's 5K tune up. At one point about halfway into the run, I felt a dull pain in the bottom of my left foot. It was very noticeable and I might have stopped if it had continued. However, as fast as it started, it faded. The rest of the run was fine and it hasn't bothered me since.

Tomorrow will be just a trip to the gym. I went yesterday for some light weights and abs. Tomorrow, I will ramp it up a little.

Dean

[debbiedo]

Ran just under 46 minutes. Did a bit over 4.3 miles. Not too many out tonight due to rain. Thing is the rain had practically stopped once we got onto the trail. Plus the trees are a great canopy. It was so humid I felt very warm. I didn't want to run too hard tonight and still did a decent pace. Ran with a women who has to stop and walk. I kept her moving till we came up the last hill at the end. The hills aren't bothering me so I am hopeful they will not kill me during Saturday's race. It is one of the toughest 5 mile races we do with the club. Weird thing is I still ran it fast for me last year.

Trying to get my youngest running and he complains about every ache and pain and drives us crazy. I bought him new shoes and now he complains his feet hurt. My poor husband got stuck with him tonight. He does need the exercise and he needs something he can feel proud of but he whines so much it is hard to have patience with him. He will be 17 tomorrow but he is very immature and has emotional and learning challenges so running would be good for him.

[micki]

Originally Posted by mrgarak

Deb - Have fun running in the rain. I got poured on while running in the trails today. The trees only protect so much.


Micki - Having 7 dogs and 12 cats must never feel lonely. I thought my vet bills were high with having 4 cats.

Today I ran 51 minutes in the trails. Overall I felt good and not too sore from yesterday's 5K tune up. At one point about halfway into the run, I felt a dull pain in the bottom of my left foot. It was very noticeable and I might have stopped if it had continued. However, as fast as it started, it faded. The rest of the run was fine and it hasn't bothered me since.

Tomorrow will be just a trip to the gym. I went yesterday for some light weights and abs. Tomorrow, I will ramp it up a little.

Dean

I always have a running partner, although lately they have been giving me dirty looks. (not another walk!)

ps we walked in the rain today too

[RunForYourLife]

21:30 Dean! I can only dream!! Much luck to you!!!

Deb - I understand what you mean about getting the young ones to run. He just needs to find his comfort zone. Once he finds it, he'll be hooked. I think it's easy to find ways the sport hurts, but once you know how much the sport loves on ya, it becomes your mainstay. So no lightening, huh? That's great!!

I swam laps tonight - wow, that was different!! I feel totally relaxed tonight, though. You know that feeling after you've had a good cry? I feel like that. Swimming is so different from running, and yet so similar...

Kathryn

[Tate]

I played some kick butt r-ball----still lost 2 out of three, but played well and got a great workout!!

[Tate]

Wow---really quiet here lately. I took yesterday off, but ran 5 miles today outside and then went to the gym and lifted weights. Now I am off to a small carnival the local elem. school is having---taking my son, my youngest dd and her friend.

Hope everyone has a great day!!!

[Suzanne]

Originally Posted by westside

"Pain is just weakness leaving the body"

Suz, I think some indian down your way came with that.

To be PC, we don't have indians, but we do have a very large population of indigenous Maya. There is also an unusual event each Dec 12 that involves promises to the Virgin of Guadalupe, then a committment to run a certain distance (sometimes several hundred miles or more) carrying a torch. They run it like a relay with a large truck or bus following along with the team. It's a terrible traffic problem but pretty interesting to see all these people running to and fro carrying torches. In the last few years, there have been bicycling teams, too.

Debbie, your brother will be running the Disney with Eric! I'll be watching since I am only doing the half. Good luck getting your son to run. We recently discovered that our DH (remember I posted about him running like a big puppy with floppy feet?) has extreme outer rotation of his knees. The chiropractor who examined him said it's because he swims for an average of an hour a day, some days two or three hours. So he runs like a fish out of water. The dr recommended bicycling with foot baskets to help him develop aligned muscles and strengthen the opposing muscles that he doesn't use while swimming. It was really interesting. So now we try to do family biking a couple evenings every week.

Kathryn, you can whine all you want about your sore foot. Is it getting any better? We do actually live near the jungle, or right on the edge of one. The pidgeon was in the city Even on my boring 2 to 2.5 mile loop (sort of around the golf course which has a layer of jungle between course and the road where they haven't built houses yet) I see all kings of cool stuff. Agoutis, flocks of parrots, chachalakas (like a pheasant but really stupid), boas, green tree snakes, on rare occasions a small Yucantan deer, and I even saw a toucan recently. Now that is a weird animal to watch flying in the wild.

Dean, good luck on your 5K. I believe you can do 21:30!

Today is Mexican Mother's Day (always May 9) so I get to have 2 Mother's Days every year. The kids had a huge musical presentation yesterday so I missed my run with all the costuming first thing in the morning. And today my goal was to sleep in as late as possible. Unfortunately the phone woke me up at 7:30, then DH had to leave to take DD for her 3rd rabies vax. So I've had two days off, which is good. I was starting to feel some pain in my shins and that is usually a signal to lay off a bit. Tomorrow I hope to get out early for a long, slow run. Long at this time of year is 10K. Maybe I'll do some pilates today, I always feel so good when I do them.

Happy Mother's Day to all the rest of you mommies!

[debbiedo]

Today was the second annual BT 5 miler. Interesting thing is the race director mismeasured the course last year and it was short so this year he extended the distance into the grass field beyond the driveway of the community center but.... it rained big time and was muddy and swamped so the race was short again so I think they need to call it the Bethesda Trolley almost 5miler. My Garmin measured 4.89 miles this year and if I remember correctly 4.91 last year. Go figure. So the weather was interesting. It was pouring and in the mid 50s. The temp was fine. The rain actually stopped and then was fairly light during the race. The road and paved trail was a bit puddled and some mud here and there. This race is very hilly the first mile and haf. The rest is not so bad and it ends totally downhill. I had an intention of running my best and coming in between 45-46 minutes but wanting to break 45 minutes if I could. I came in at 45:02 on my Garmin which I forgot to stop until I was out of the chute. The race clock said 45:06 but I think Bill who hits it with the start is always a bit behind. I believe my Garmin but will live with the official race time. The whole thing is really just a fun run and doesn't count towards the Championship Series for points. It had only 130 runners and I was number 80.

So mile 1 is straight up hill with one steep down hill in there. I did it in 9:05. The downhill was so steep it was hard to go fast. The next mile had more hills and then it was more down but inclines you are aware are down not steep down hill. I passed the water stop and had no need to stop on either the out or the back.You basically run down hill the last mile and that was my fastest mile. My overall pace on my Garmin is messed up because I hit the start button and added on some time and a few tenths but was around 9:12 average which was fine. I felt like I was running alone most of the time because there were so few runners around me. Hard to push myself when there is no competition to pass. I caught up with one guy but he passed me at the end. I tried hard to catch up with a 70 plus year old named Jack but he had a great finishing kick when he was about 2 miles from the finish. The weather was stinky and the road felt slick especially down hill. I did my best. I didn't kill myself and I had fun. Last year I ran the same race faster but will have to check the time. I think I did great!!!

I went to "bagels" after the race and hung out with the group that was there. Small group there too. Now I have no more races till June. Not sure if I will do one or two races. I may volunteer the first 5K because it would mess up my long run schedule and then do the second one mid June. That one will be my 3rd time doing the race and will be the anniversary of my first race since I started running. It is all women and the course is part trail, part road and it is not easy but it got me hooked on racing. I really did great last year and even coming close to that pace will be a miracle this year but I will go for it when the day comes.

Off to warm up with a nice hot shower and warm dry!! clothes. I never mind running in the rain. People wimped out today and stayed home. Tomorrow will be a great running day but I will be working.

[debbiedo]

so I couldn't catch up with a 77 year old man. He was 8 seconds ahead of me. I came in first in my age group but there were only 3 of us and my time was 45:08( I had 45:02 but who's being picky). Oh and they had the course measured as 4.943 for the sake of pace and my pace as 9:08 which is fine with me. Consistant for my previous races. Last year I was 44:21. I was really doing much better last year but I was 100%. Not true anymore.

[Suzanne]

Debbie, that is an AWESOME race! Especially with the rain! You are running so incredibly well; I can't believe what a great comeback you have made in the last months. I wish there were races here, and people to run with. I'm still trying to find other runners but there are only two or three of us and DH is one of them. I'd like to start a running course at the kids' school, but don't feel like I am professional enough to teach running, not that any of the other coaches are any more experienced in their sports than I am....

Dean, maybe you could send me some of your coaching programs. The only thing we don't have is a track, but we do have a nice paved 1 km loop in one part of the community.

[Tate]

Debbie---WTG on your race---you have made a spectacular comeback and continue to do well---good for you!!!!!

[debbiedo]

thankyou I know I should be very proud. I am happy to be running and kind of want to go run now because the sun has come out and the day has turned pretty. hubby and I need to go buy some graduation cards. lots of friends graduating both college and highschool. means gift giving time. one is my middle son's best friend and hopefully room mate if they get the apartment they want. off to see a movie tonight and I work 12 hours Mothers Day. My husband has plans to run with some club friends and if my son wakes up he will go walk and run.

[mrgarak]

Deb - Excellent job in your race today! You are kicking butt this year!

Suzanne - That's great you are looking to start a running course for kids. My coaching was actually more being there for safety and encouragement to the kids. It was a learning experience for me since it was my first time in a coach like role. If I can give you any pointers, it is to make it fun, encourage the kids to run easy when necessary, but push in harder workouts (without overdoing it). In addition, I found always stressing the positive (even if it was a slight increase in speed or just finishing an event) was a strong motivator. It sounds like you have some great resources with the 1 km loop and track. You can probably find some programs online. Good luck with it all.

Dean

[mrgarak]

Today I got out and ran a very nice 93 minutes into trail leading to the next town. On the way back, I went into some cross country trails and saw a kids bike race in progress at one of the State Parks. I diverted away to avoid any collisions. When I got back into town, I went on the side roads and into the cemetary. I had to go on the long path leading to my development due to a funeral. It seems like I was diverting a lot today, but it was worth it. The weather was perfect with temps in the low 60's and partly sunny.

Dean

[westside]

suzanne,

My reference to 'indians' was ment to relate to the New World migration model from Eurasia to the Americas, although that is somewhat debated. In any case the reference to Mayas as indians was only meant in the purest sense

[Suzanne]

That's OK Bill, I know you weren't being intentionally politically incorrect. However, to the Maya, if you were to refer to them as "indios" it is the greatest possible insult. There is a huge class division here and anyone who is not pure Maya does their best to hide any "indio" lineage. On the other hand my Maya friends who are of almost pure Maya descent, take great pride in their culture and consider themselves Maya before Mexican. The synchronism of the Catholic and Maya religions is very interesting. And there are a lot of really good Maya runners! Not quite in the league of the Tarahumaras, but they run incredible distances for the Virgin of Guadalupe each Dec.

Do any of you eat steel cut oats? I found a great way to speed up the cooking time. Last night I put one cup of SC oats in 3 cups of water and let them soak overnight in the fridge. It only took 10 mins (instead of 30 to 40) to cook them. I like steel cut oats much better than regular oatmeal but the cooking time has always been too much of a hassle.

Now I really need to get my lazy self on the dreadmill since I managed to sleep in late for American Mother's Day. It's already in the mid to high 90s. Yesterday I saw 102F on my truck's exterior thermometer.

Happy Mother's Day!

[Suzanne]

Dean, I am so jealous of your weather! Sounds like a wonderful run even with all the diversions.

[Tate]

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there!!!!

It is absolutely gorgeous outside and I thought about walking, but my legs are pretty whipped and I think a rest day is in order.

[debbiedo]

will be pouring in the morning so may defer my run till Wednesday. Having some back issues so may just give myself a break. The hills took their toll yesterday.

[Tate]

New thread.
Tearin' up the track, trail or treadmill 5/12/08-5/18/08