August 31, 2004
A.M. Fartlek and P.M. Water Running
Morning Workout
This morning I learned parts of the women's cross country course on campus. The team did a 20 minute warm up and then stretched in the nearby community gardens. We then ran three different loops that were a little over a mile in length each, running 2 minutes hard and 1 minute easy. I decided to run with the second pack of women because there were four women running together in a nice pack, three of whom were freshmen. The women were able to maintain a decent pace for the 2 minutes hard, probably about a 6.20 pace or so depending on the terrain. It was very muggy out and we were all sweating like crazy. The second loop had a steep hill in it just after a field of corn. The third loop had two steep hills in it which made the finish a bit challenging for some of the team members. When we were finished we jogged for 20 minutes on campus. It was really good to get a feel for the fitness levels of the athletes. I felt good for most of the workout and it was only in the last two or three efforts that I could feel my quad start to tighten up. The rolling terrain helped to alleviate the usual stiffness that I experience.
Puffer's Pond
The team met at 3:30 for a team pond run. We drove over to Amherst and ran in Puffer's Pond for forty minutes. It felt so nice, the water was nice and cool and the scenery was really great. The team had a chance to chat and catch up. It was a very relaxing second workout of the day. Water running was new to some of the women on the team but everyone seemed to enjoy it. Most of the women on the team wore aqua vests and three of us ran in the water without them. I really enjoyed the pond and am looking forward to going back on my own before the weather gets cooler.
Posted by mary at 8:06 PM | Comments (1)
First Run in Northampton
Meeting the Team
Monday was the first day I met the college team that I will be assisting during the fall season of cross country. The team is composed of ten women, four of whom are freshmen. We met at 3 o'clock and stretched and introduced ourselves. We then left for a 7-8 mile run. I am really unfamiliar with the area so I'll have to describe the course for now and fill in the blanks later. The women wanted to run on trails due to the humidity. We ran on the roads heading behind the campus for about a mile and then hit a connector trail which took us to a nature sanctuary where we were not supposed to be running. When we got to the nature sanctuary we walked across the parking lot so that we would not cause a commotion. We then ran on a dirt road that was bordered by fields of corn and grass. At the end of this dirt road we came to the central downtown area and made our way back to the campus via some side streets and side trails. The run was an easy pace and allowed everyone to catch up. I really enjoyed seeing a different part of town and trying to figure out where we were going. I am looking forward to learning new routes with the team. The team that I am coaching is a fairly young team and seems to have a lot of potential. It should be a fun season.
Posted by mary at 8:00 PM | Comments (1)
Easy Run
Rest Day
On Sunday I was feeling pretty tired when I woke up so I decided to run an easy 4 mile loop. I felt ok once I started running but not really motivated to run any longer. The temperature was high, around 94 degrees and the humidity was high.
I spent the afternoon visiting with my Grandfather at his house. I was at his house for almost five hours. By the time I left his house and got home it was already almost 9 o'clock. I had been hoping to do an additional run but I decided to listen to my body and only do one short run for the day.
Posted by mary at 7:57 PM | Comments (0)
August 28, 2004
Sad Day for the Family Dog
A.M. Easy Run
I woke up this morning to very humid weather. I was hoping it would be cool so that I could complete a 13 mile run. Since the air temperature was so warm I decided to do the Poplar Street 3.5 mile run and run a 10 mile run later in the evening when it would be cooler. I ran a very easy morning run and felt fine with the exception of excessive sweating.
Sad Day for our Family Dog
When I got back from my run my Mom asked me if I could give our dog, Chandler, a bath. Chandler had gone to the vet the night before because he was bleeding from his mouth and has been loosing a lot of weight over the past few weeks. The vet gave the dog some antibiotics and took some blood tests. Today, the dog was worse than ever. Chandler was not eating and was not walking around much. It was a very sad sight.
I put Chandler in the bath tub and filled it up to his waist with cool water. Chandler is a King Charles Dog, a cavalier. He is a very handsome dog. When I first put him in the tub his legs were covered in blood and so was his face. He did not mind the water at all. He just sat there. My Mother and Father watched and could not believe how still he was in the tub. We wondered what we were going to do with him. After the bath we carried him outside. We all sat with him in the sun and watched him dry off. He would not eat or drink anything. My Father called the vet and reported Chandler’s behavior. The vet informed my Father that the blood tests were not good. Chandler's blood had an excessive amount of protein in it and his white blood cell count was very high. His kidney was probably failing him. His body was basically killing itself. He asked my Father if he was ready to put the dog to sleep. My Father asked my Mother and she said she did not want to see him suffer and it probably was time for Chandler to be put to rest. I offered to go to the vet with my Mother.
On the way to the vets I ate a banana and reassured my Mother that she was doing the right thing. The vet is a family friend of ours so we felt fortunate that he would be doing the procedure. When we arrived the vet reminded my Mother that she was doing the right thing and commented about how frail Chandler had gotten. When the vet tried to put the anesthesia in the dogs front legs it did not work. The dog’s blood pressure was not high enough. The vet had to shave some of the back leg and apply the shot there. Once the shot was given Chandler died. It was very peaceful. Chandler looked at my Mother the entire time. My Mother was very sad.
As soon as the shot was given I realized that I felt very dizzy. I told the doctor and my Mother that I needed some fresh air. I left the room. Apparently, my Mother told me I was as white as a ghost. When I got to the lobby I had to sit down because I was so dizzy. The next thing I know I was on the ground lying down disoriented with about five people surrounding me. I had passed out. I have never fainted before so it was strange to me. When I realized what had happened I started sweating like crazy. I was really hot. I wanted to leave. The women in the room wanted to call an ambulance. My Mother reassured them that I was fine and probably tired from my run and stressed from the dog's death. I was so embarrassed. I wanted to get up and run. I tried to but the women stopped me and gave me water. To my left, was the vet. He was making sure that I was ok. Everyone in the waiting room was staring at me. I was ready to go. As soon as I drank the water, I left with my Mother. I told my Mother I thought we should go get some lunch. As soon as we had lunch and I got some food and water into me I felt much better.
I canceled my second run of the day and did a lot of shopping with my Mother for the rest of the day. I am not 100% sure why I fainted. I guess I am not a big fan of needles. About a week ago I had to get all of my shots for school and the same dizzy sensation came to me but I did not pass out. Perhaps, because I saw the dog die or I knew he would die because of the shot. I'm not sure. I then wondered if I was absorbing enough iron in my diet(typical runner). I do not eat any meat and have only recently started to eat fish on rare occasions. I think I may start taking some iron pills again to make sure everything is on track.
My family has another dog, a koon dog, which they got from my brother who lives in Tucson, AZ. This dog's name is Daisy. Daisy is a wild dog who is almost two years old. It is a lot bigger than Chandler and will probably never snuggle with my Mother as Chandler did. My Mother does not want another dog because she has had to watch too many dogs die. Tonight will be a hard night for her because Chandler has always been with her. She made a comment that was interesting to me. She said that no matter how she looked, how she felt, how she acted Chandler was always there for her. It didn't matter if she was mad, sad, angry, happy - he was always there, so loyal. I am not a dog owner but when she made that comment I realized how important a dog can be in a person’s life.
Posted by mary at 9:09 PM | Comments (5)
2 x Poplar Street Loop
Mini Speed Workout Day
Today I wanted to work on my speed a little. I decided to do a 3.5+ mile loop that I know and run the last mile of each loop at a hard effort. Initially I wanted to do the loop three times so that I could complete three hard miles. However, I started my run too late and only had an hour to finish the workout. I ran the first 2.5 miles pretty easy for a warm up. When I got to the last mile of the loop I ran at a fast pace that felt hard but not all out. I finished the first mile in 6.27 and was pleased that it was faster than the previous night of 6.37. I continued on for the second loop starting out pretty easy for the first part and picking it up slightly until I got to the last mile again. I wanted to improve my time from the first mile so I focused on running the first half of the mile a little faster. I ran the first 800 of the first mile at 3.04 and I ran the first 800 of the second half at 3.01. I think my 1/2 mile may be off because I don' think I am slowing down that much so I'll have remeasure my course. Anyway, I finished the second mile in 6.24. It felt more relaxed and comfortable. I was pleased with the effort. Next time I will try to do the loop three times so that I can complete three hard miles. After this workout I had to do chores and errands for the rest of the day so I was unable to get anymore running in for the day.
Posted by mary at 9:04 PM | Comments (0)
Aetna Loop
Morning Run
This morning I decided to go out for a 10+ mile run. I ran the Aetna street loop which meanders around a few different neighbors near my parent's house. The temperature was nice, not too hot and a nice breeze, around 85 degrees. The run passes the Aetna Insurance Building and there are a lot of loops that the employees of the company run near the site. While I was running I saw quite a few people from Aetna running. It was nice to see people taking a break to get a run in during their work day. The loop that I did is probably somewhere between 11 and 12 miles. I am guessing it is about 11.5 miles. I ran pretty easy and relaxed the entire way. Towards the end of the run I was tempted to time myself for the last mile to see if I could improve from yesterday's time. However, I held back and ran a slightly different way home so that I would not know the exact mile markers. When I finished the run I did some light stretching and then helped my Mom organize her office for the rest of the afternoon.
Posted by mary at 8:59 PM | Comments (0)
August 25, 2004
Out and Back Christmas Tree Loop
Late Night Run
I stayed up way too late last night so my day today was very delayed. Everything was set back by about four hours. I helped my Mother clean her office at work for most of the day. When I got home it was already 7:30 p.m. By the time I got out the door for my run it was 8:20 p.m. I wanted to run at least 7 miles and hopefully maybe 10 miles. I decided to run an out and back course and once I started to feel good I changed my mind and decided to run the Christmas Tree 10 mile loop that my sister and I run every Christmas morning. I felt better through each mile. I wore a head lamp so that cars could see me and was really impressed that the cars moved over so much when they went by me. After about 35 minutes I passed a barking dog that was going berserk. It was out of control. I was on a dark woody road and felt uncomfortable. At that point I decided my run would be an out and back run. After 37.30 I turned around excited from the barking dog and decided to run a negative split run and pick it up on the way home. I felt good the entire way home so with a mile to go I decided to do a time trial. I hit the split time on my watch and took off. I felt really good and was excited to be testing myself after avoiding it for way too long (it's been almost a year since I have done any real speed work due to a knot in my quad that is impossible to break up, every time I run under 7 minute pace it seizes up!). I decided not to look at the watch until I got home. I could have checked my split at the half way mark but I did not want to be distracted. I was anxious to see my time and see where my fitness was. When I hit the driveway to our house I stopped the watch and looked down. The time was a very disappointing 6.37. I was crushed. While I was running I felt great. I was not terribly out of breath but I felt in control and was secretly hoping for a 6.10. My overall time was 1.08.03 so I definitely ran a lot faster on my home so that aspect of the run was good. My quad tightened up with 400 meters to go when I really tried to extend myself. After tonight's time trial I am determined to try to incorporate more speed workouts into my running despite some discomfort I may feel in the quad. Testing myself will remind me that my quad is tight and force me to massage it more often. As soon as I entered the house I used the stick to massage the muscle and try to work out the kinks. I could feel with the stick where the knot was because there is a bump when you go over that part of the muscle. I hope I can pay more attention to that area and over time work out the knot. Tomorrow I think I may try to do a long fartlek run to begin working on some speed again.
Posted by mary at 8:13 PM | Comments (2)
Hurd Park Run
Running with Excited High School Runners
Today I scheduled a run with my nephew. I was nervous about the run because I had no idea how I would feel after my poor long run on Monday. My stomach felt better but I was feeling sluggish and I wondered if my pace would be horribly slow for my very fit nephew. He has been diligently running 10 miles a day to prepare for his sophomore year of the cross country season. When I met him I warned him that unfortunately I may be slow due to my long effort the day before. He surprised me by having his friend with him. His friend was very talkative. He talked more than I did on the run which is saying a lot. We ran a 4.6 mile run, out and back to Hurd Park. It was on the road the entire time. The temperature was perfect, nice and cool. The first half of the run was a pretty decent pace, around 7.30 to 7.20. The boys were very relaxed and chatting away. When we got to the turn around I told them I had to stretch out my quad which was tightening. On the way back we really picked up the pace and were probably running between 7 and 6.45 pace. It was fun to run back at a faster clip and to feel 90% better than I had on Monday. My nephew and his friend are definitely fit enough to make the varsity team this season. They have an alumni cross country meet next Monday. I am anxious to see the results.
After the run I took my nephew to the Run In in Rocky Hill to buy him some new running sneakers. His current sneakers are a disgrace. They are falling apart. We were the only ones in the store so my nephew got to take his time and try on about ten different pairs of shoes. He found a pair of saucony that were light weight and comfortable after about 30 minutes of shoe testing. The service was excellent.
I dropped my nephew off and wanted to squeeze in one more run before I met my brother and his wife for dinner. I decided to park the car at a trail run and just run out and back for about 12 minutes. It was an easy three miles that felt relaxed and comfortable. The trails were a bit rocky but very scenic, overlooking the CT river. When I was done I went to my brother's house and had a great home cooked meal of macaroni and cheese with a delicious green salad.
Posted by mary at 12:55 AM | Comments (1)
Monday's Looooong Run
The Long Run
Even though I was out until almost midnight on Sunday night I managed to get up at 5:15 to do my long run. Fortunately, my things were already prepared so I did not have to get up earlier. My friend from DE had given me a great recommendation to try doing my long run on the new Farmington River trail that runs from Cheshire to Hamden. This was a terrific suggestion. I had told her that I wanted to run on a bike path to practice running on the roads for my upcoming 100k race. I was wanted to be in an area where I could see how far I had gone. I parked the car at the start of the trail head in Cheshire and planned to run to Hamden and back (11 miles out and 11 miles back) and then I was hoping to add on another four to six miles depending on how I felt.
The first three miles of the run were measured out in kilometers. I started the run at 6 a.m. and was surprised to see many people out on the bike path. People were hiking, jogging, roller bladding. It was awesome to see so many people using the trail so early in the morning.
My legs felt stiff during these first three miles and my stomach felt a little unsettled. I was not happy with how I felt but I figured I was just warming up and was bound to feel better.
After three miles the trail was measured in miles, every 0.1 miles was marked. This was pretty intense. My goal for the run was to maintain an even 8 minute pace so that I could become familiar with that pace. I am going to try to maintain an 8 minute pace in my upcoming 100k race for as long as possible. I told myself I would only check my splits every mile. Of course, I could not control myself and checked every half mile. At first I was annoyed by my obsession but as it turned out it made the first half of the run go by very quickly. My mile splits for the first 11 miles ranged from 7.30 to 7.55. The pace felt relaxed and comfortable. My body did not feel great but I was still optimistic that I just needed to warm up some more. There was a lot of shade on the trail and any roads that we had to intersect were well marked. I was very impressed with the well groomed pathways. Along the side of the pavement were small dirt trails that were wide enough to run on and some trails meandered down to the river. There were also several benches along the trail. I stopped twice to stretch out my hamstrings as they were pretty tight.
Once I arrived at the end of the trail in Hamden I turned around. I decided to try to run very relaxed, staying as close to 8 minute pace as I could. This pace seemed very easy and I was getting bored. I also began to have stomach cramps and I could feel the one bloody mary I had the night before. I could not relax my stomach and felt very ill. I felt uncomfortable and was counting down the miles to go. I was feeling very negative which hardly ever happens on a long run. I began to think that I might be sick. I blamed the bloody mary but I am sure it had nothing to do with my feelings. I told myself I would stop at the car which would give me twenty two miles and that relaxed me a bit. The last three miles were really tough, I was not engaged and my stomach was really cramping. I finished the run and was really beat. I was sad about my lack of interest in the run but really happy that I finished the run. I vowed never to drink a bloody mary again because that was an easy excuse for my stomach problems. I have never felt so uncomfortable in a run before.
For the rest of the day my stomach would not relax. I never rejected food but I never felt at ease. I decided to drink a lot of water and rest as much as I could. I convinced myself it was a one day stomach bug and I would be fine the next day. By the evening I was feeling better and looking forward to a run on Tuesday.
Posted by mary at 12:39 AM | Comments (0)
Did the long run happen on Sunday?
Sunday's procrastination
Staying up until 1:30 a.m. the night before my planned long run was not the best idea. I attempted to wake up at 5:15 a.m. but talked myself out of the idea. I decided that even if I managed to do my 20+ mile run I would be shot for the remainder of the day having only had about four hours of sleep.
I slept in until 10:30 and woke up to my Mother, niece, and nephew making French toast. This was nice! This, I thought to myself, is how most people wake up on Sunday mornings, rather than rushing out the door to get the run in. I took advantage of this rare opportunity for me and had two pieces of French toast and some tea and relaxed for awhile. The relaxing did not last long. I immediately had to start thinking about when I was going to do my run. I thought to myself geez; this breakfast would have tasted better had I just run 20 miles. Unfortunately, I no longer had time in my day to do that long a run. I committed myself to doing the long run on Monday morning and to doing a trail run later in the day.
After breakfast my mother, niece, nephew, and I went to a farmer's market that was being held in town. We walked around the many booths and bought ourselves some fresh fruit and vegetables. Towards the end of our afternoon we shared a delicious cinnamon apple donut. It was excellent.
I then took my niece and nephew home to New Haven. They live right near the Yale University athletic facilities. When I arrived I went for a three and a half mile run with my sister in law around the athletic facilities and through a nearby park. The run was nice and easy and relaxed.
After running with my sister in law, I left for a longer run alone. I ran to the reservoir that is on the border of New Haven/Orange. I ran for about nine miles up and down some rolling trails. The weather was perfect. It was not humid and there was a slight breeze. I did not see any other runners on the trails but I did see two sets of hikers and one fishermen. I really missed my twin sister on this run. I have run with her on these trails several times in the past. While running the nine miles I was wondering about my sister and thinking about how we would be negotiating with each other what the length and pace of our run should be. I imagined her pushing me to a faster pace and me extending the length of our course by encouraging us to just run around one more bend to see what was up ahead. Even though she was not physically with me on the run (she's living on the west coast) thoughts of her consumed me while on the trails.
In the evening I went to visit one of my brothers and his girl friend. They made a delicious pasta dinner and made me a bloody mary which I surprisingly drank. We had a great time catching up.
Posted by mary at 12:25 AM | Comments (0)
Delaware Vacation
Newark 3 miler and a few pull ups!
Last Thursday I drove to Newark, De to visit with my very good friend in her new hometown. I wanted to get up and run before I left for the trip but got up too late to squeeze in a run. Before I left for the highway I had to change the oil in the car and take care of a few small errands. I wanted to get to DE by 4 p.m. so my time was limited. Needless to say I was runless when I hit the highway.
The drive to DE was uneventful. I arrived to DE 10 minutes before my goal time and was happy about that. I also only needed two bathroom stops along the way which is great for me in a four hour drive. I am usually out of control and stop at least three times.
I met my friend at the mall and we then drove to her new home in Newark. We were greeted by her big dog Copley, a mountain dog. I got a nice tour of her house and the neighborhood and took my things into the house. My friend and I then got ready for a quick three mile run before dinner. I expected to run more that day but the weather was so humid and I was tired from the drive so I settled for an easy run. The loop we ran took us around the University of Delaware campus, along some streets and on a few bike paths. We finished at a play ground and attempted to do as many pull ups as we could on the pull up bar. I was pleased to do two and my friend was happy to complete three. We were covered in sweat by the end of the run and enjoyed a cool down walk back to her place.
In the evening we ventured out to cozy kitchen restaurant and had a nice dinner which was followed by a drink at a local pub. It was a relaxing evening.
Delaware Beaches
On Friday we decided to check out a Delaware beach. Neither of us had ever been to a DE beach so we just followed the highway signs which directed us to the beaches. When we arrived at the first beach town we began to look for parking. We were out of luck. Both of us were looking for a large parking lot for beach goers. Instead all we could find was parking metered spots and permit parking areas. We did not want to pay $10 for a parking space so we continued our search. I realized I forgot my sunscreen so we stopped at a store to buy some. At the store we asked some of the locals where a safe place to park could be found. They suggested a nearby restaurant. We found the site and parked the car there.
By the time we parked the car we were famished. It took a few tries to find a quick deli that would serve us lunch. We settled for a pizza shop. My friend got some pizza and I got a mozzarella sandwich that was ridiculously overpriced ($8). My friend, however, intervened for me and I was able to purchase the sub for a lower price ($5). We got our lunch and ate it at the beach, which was a close 200 meters away.
After finishing our lunch we spent the new two hours sitting on the beach making occasional trips to the ocean to refresh ourselves with a quick splash of water. I read the People magazine and enjoyed the sunshine.
Our attention spans could not handle more than two hours at the beach so after this time we packed up our few belongings and went back to the car. On our way home we stopped at a few outlets looking for great summer bargains. We did not find anything spectacular.
In the evening we went out to a great pub for dinner and caught up on old times. We did not run at all. It was a very relaxing day.
Pennsylvania/Delaware Trail Run
On Saturday morning we got up and took the dog for a walk around the block. The air was very very muggy and towards the end of the walk it was raining. I was relieved to feel the rain because I wanted the air temperature to cool down.
We drove to a park in PA and did a six mile trail run. The course was very very nice. The trail bordered a small creek and ranged from single track terrain to wider fire trails. Running besides the water and having a few drops of rain fall on us during the run was refreshing. The trail was mostly flat with one of two small uphill. The trails were very runnable. We did not see any other runners but we did see two or three fishermen.
After the run we showered and got some nice sandwiches at a Panini bread store. The sandwich hit the spot and fueled me for my drive back to CT. The drive back to CT took over 5 hours due to traffic delays in DE and NJ.
I got home at 9 p.m. and had some left over dinners that my parents had prepared. I then gathered together my supplies for my anticipated long run on Sunday. I filled up my camel back with water and made a peanut butter sandwich and cut it in half to put in the bag. I found my running cloths and laid everything out. I was ready to go for a 5:15 a.m. wake up call. My evening however, extended much later than I was expecting. I was up until 1:30 in the morning talking to my father. I was doubtful about the next days early morning run but I still set the alarm clock for the early hour.
Posted by mary at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)
August 18, 2004
Maine Running
Maine Vacation
After several long days in the car driving across the country I needed a break from the car. My car needed to be tuned up so while this was taking place my older brother invited me to go to Maine with his family to their camp. Needing a break and wanting some down time I said yes.
We left for Maine on Friday night from CT and did not arrive in Maine until almost 1 a.m. Once we were there we had to set up the cabin and unpack. The cabin has no running water so we had to use what water we had sparingly.
Saturday's Run
When I woke up on Saturday morning I did not feel 100% refreshed. I decided to do a three mile run right away and do a second run later in the day when I was hopefully feeling better. I ran out and back three miles from the cabin and passed two barns along the way. The roads were very cantered and uneven so I tried to run in the center of the road as much as I could. When I got back to the cabin I spent the next three hours cutting the three feet of grass that surrounded the cabin. I then helped my sister in law put up a huge outdoor screened in patio. We then rested for a few hours. After resting I decided it was time to do my second run. I ran the first three miles of my second run with my sister in law. We did the same run I did in the morning and she decided that the first half had too many hills and she'd rather get dropped off and run point to point the next day. After three miles with my sister in law I continued on in the opposite direction and ran a 5.6 mile lollipop loop into the center of the town. I felt much better during the 5 mile loop. I think my body had a good warm up doing the first three miles slowly and after having been awake for a good part of the day. We spent the rest of the day relaxing by the fire, roasting veggie burgers and eggplant for dinner. We had no rain in Maine on Saturday and the humidity was very very low.
Sunday's Run
Everyone slept in on Sunday morning. I was planning to get up and do a long run before we took a half hour drive into Farmington to go to church with the family but I was much too tired. My run would have to wait until the afternoon. We went to church and then had lunch and did some shopping in the town. When we got back to the cabin, my brother drove out ten miles from the cabin and dropped me off so that I could do a point to point run. The first half of the run I felt really horrible. The road was not smooth and I could not get my legs to loosen up. By the time I hit the last four or five miles I finally started to warm up and felt like I had a good stride finishing the run. When I returned to the cabin I did my core body exercises for the first time in weeks. My sister in law wanted to learn some new stomach exercises so I showed her the six moves that I do when I am very motivated that I learned from a Runners World article a few years ago. It felt good to do some ab work but I could tell that I had not been doing them for some time. I will definitely have to get back into the routine of doing the set.
Monday's Run
On Monday I decided to do a long run on the road to test my body to see if it was ready for its up coming 62 mile race on the road. My brother dropped me off 19.5 miles from the cabin at 7:45 in the morning and I ran back. I felt very very sluggish. I wanted to run an eight minute pace and was hoping that the pace would feel easy and relaxed. The pace felt ok but again the tilt of the road was very difficult to handle and on this day there was a lot of traffic coming by. Every two to three minutes a huge logging truck would come by and I'd have to scurry off the road and run onto the gravel trail along side the road that had a sharper tilt than the road. I was really looking forward to the last five miles of the run because I knew the roads were in better condition. With 3 miles to go I was very happy to see my brother and his family at the town green. My brother had his running cloths on and told me he was going to run the last three miles of the run with me. I was so happy but also a little nervous. My brother does all of his runs at a 7 minute pace and I was not sure I could maintain that pace at this point in the run. He warned me that he hadn't been running in awhile so his pace might be slow for me. When I began running with him the pace was definitely faster than my previous pace, we probably started to run a 7.3 to 7.15 pace. It felt really good but I knew there was an uphill in the last mile and my left quad was starting to tighten so I warned him that I was probably going to run the first two miles with him and slow down for the last mile. He told me he would not drop me but as soon as we hit the hill he built up a 100 meter lead which I was unable to shorten over the last mile. I could see him slowing down for me in the final 400 meters of the run but by that point I had already decided to finish at my own pace. I finished the run averaging about a 7.50 pace and was happy with the effort. However, I did really wish I was fresh enough to have stayed with my brother at the end. It was really awesome for him to meet me and run the last part with me. I warned him that if we had been on trails he would have seen some dust. For the rest of the day, we did some errands around the cabin and then went out to a nice dinner in the local pub.
Tuesday's Run
I should say that my running on Tuesday reminded me of a friend in college who used to divide her long runs into parts. If we had to do a ten mile run she might do five two mile runs. This is similar to what I did on Tuesday because I wanted an easier day and because I wanted to try some different routes.
When I woke up I ran the same three mile loop I had been running near the cabin. We then packed up the truck and went to Coos Canyon which was a nice picnic and swimming area about 45 minutes away. When we arrived at the canyon I did another three mile run on a snow mobile trail that took me a mile and a half up hill and then I turned around and sprinted the last mile and a half down hill. I felt really good on the trails. The trails were not very well maintained but they were soft from the recent rain and they were very fun as I had to dodge a lot of branches and prickers. When I returned from my run I went swimming with my niece and nephew in the river and had lunch. After lunch I built a dam in the river with my nephew and did a little more swimming. About an hour before we left I did another three mile run with my brother. We ran on a different snow mobile trail which again took us up hill for the first half, giving us a downhill second half. I was really happy to be ahead of my brother on this day after being behind him yesterday. I could tell that I felt more comfortable on the trails. Breaking up the mileage on this day into three parts was great because each run was very fun and did not tire me out. I also got to run in three different areas. I felt really good on all of the runs.
Wednesday's Run
Wednesday was my last day at the cabin. I woke up before every else and just ran out for about thirty five minutes and then turned around. I tried to focus on picking up the pace on the way back and managed to run about three minutes faster on the way back. I was hoping I'd be a little faster on the way back but I was not too unhappy with the effort. I ran with no socks on which was a BIG mistake because I ended up with several blisters on my heels and on the inside of one of my feet. It was silly of me because I almost always wear socks when I run. I am wearing the Asics Gel Landreth now and am not quite used to them so I wanted to experiment and see how they'd feel with no socks because the socks I had with me were pretty thick. Tomorrow I think I'll try a thinner sock with them as I can't seem to get the right fit. We spent the rest of the morning closing down the cabin and drove back to CT. I leave for Delaware tomorrow to visit my very good friend from college. I hope to get a run in before I leave and to do some running with her on my trip. I will be with her until Saturday and will then have about a week in CT before I head up to graduate school myself. I am not sure what I will run tomorrow, probably about 8-10 miles.
Posted by mary at 10:22 PM | Comments (3)
NipMunk Trail Run
NipMunk Trail Run
I have a lot of catching up to do on my blog as I have been away for several days and have had no time to write in my blog. Hopefully once things settle down I can write on a daily basis.
My run last Friday the 13th of August was very fun but difficult due to the humidity of the run. I picked up my nephew who is entering his sophomore year in high school and we drove up to the Uconn campus in Storrs, CT. From there we ran on the Nipmunk Trail for about five miles out and five miles back for a ten mile run. I managed to get us lost in the first ten minutes of the run. I turned onto a side trail sooner than I was supposed to and we popped out onto a nearby road. I did know which road we were on so I told my nephew we could just stay on the road for a mile and hit the trail from the road. He was laughing a little asking me if I knew where we were going and I said I was just a little rusty after having a five year hiatus from the course. We caught up to the trail and after about twenty minutes I had to stop and pour water all over my head from a nearby stream that we had been running near. The air temperature was so warm and it was so muggy. The weather reporters were predicting rain and severe thunder showers at some point in the day and at this point in the run I just wanted the sky to open up and let the rain come pouring down. The only water that poured down on me was my own sweat and the stream water. After about forty five minutes we turned around. I estimated a much slower pace because I felt like I was dragging. Neither my nephew nor I had eaten much before the run. We each had a fig newton and it was now about noon so we were starving. By the time we had a mile to go my nephew who by the way was kicking my butt the entire time finally asked if we were almost done. He barely sweat the entire run and I made him do all the talking which is very unusual because usually I am talking away on a run. Yet, when he asked how much longer I was relieved, maybe he was getting tired? Later, he admitted, that he was just wondering if I knew where we were going. He is in great shape so I believe him. We did find our way out of the trail and managed to return to campus the way I had originally intended. We ran for about an hour and twenty five minutes and walked the last five miles. I was really glad to do this run with my nephew and was really proud of him. I told him I'd be better prepared for our next run. I would be adjusted to the temperature and eat before the run. As soon as we finished we got some cold beverages and then got some sandwiches from Ted's deli on campus. We enjoyed our late morning breakfast/lunch on top of cemetery hill and planned our next trail run.
Posted by mary at 10:08 PM | Comments (0)
August 12, 2004
West to East Coast Blur
Trip Summary
Today turned out to be a rest day and a catch up day after spending four long days on the road traveling from California to Connecticut. I expected to go for a run this morning. However, when I woke up at 11 a.m. which is really late for me, I did not have time in my schedule to make this happen. I decided to unpack the fully loaded car of worldly supplies that I possess and spent the remainder of the day visiting my Grandfather. When I got home at 8:30 p.m. I put my running sneakers on and started to head out the door but then realized that I was pretty tired and it would be best to enjoy a rest day after several long days of driving. I called up my nephew who is entering his sophomore year in high school and invited him to do a run in Storrs on the Nipmunk trails with me on Friday morning. I am really excited to run with him and to run on my old stomping grounds.
Trip Summary
The road trip went very well. I managed to travel across the country in my car in four days. Before I left for the first leg of the journey I ran a very easy three miles. The first night I drove from the Bay Area to Salt Lake City, Utah. I drove from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. I made stops for the rest room and stretching breaks. When I arrived to my hotel room that evening I made some Annie's Macaroni and Cheese and vegged out with some movies on t.v.
The second day of my trip I drove from Salt Lake City, Utah to Omaha, Nebraska. I was able to get up and run about three miles in Salt Lake City. I could already feel that my right leg was sore from driving so much. My run was nice and easy and basically just a wake up call. This leg of the trip started at 7 a.m. and concluded at 9 p.m. At the end of the day I was pretty tired and glad to have a nice room to relax in and enjoy the rest of my sandwich dinner.
I started my third day with a quick three mile run near my hotel room. Much to my surprise I found a little park that was very nice as it meandered around beautiful fields of wild grass and flowers. Unfortunately, the surface was all white concrete. I hate running on concrete (coupling concrete with stiff driving legs made the run seem very difficult). Despite the discomfort in my legs from the horrible running surface and the stiffness from the long hours in the car I was thankful to be up early, to be enjoying the new park and, to be breathing in the fresh air. Traffic on this day was the heaviest making this day the most trying of the trip. I did not leave the hotel until 9:30 which resulted in me getting caught in rush hour traffic near the Chicago area. The plus side of this day was that I had great radio reception almost the entire day. I was able to listen to NPR almost half the day and hear some great programs which included great indi music. The Acoustic Rock program was having a special program in honor of its 500th show. They named the program the INDI 500 and played the best of the best. This held my attention. I was hoping to get to Cleveland, Ohio by the end of the day. However, about 50 miles before this destination I was struck by immense fatigue and I got off at the closest exit and found a hotel. I slept very well on this night and woke up late.
My last day of driving was by far the easiest. I did not run in the morning as the area of the hotel was very industrial. I never ran anywhere away from the hotel because I had my bike on the back of the car and it was not locked. I decided I would do a quick run with my parent’s dog when I got home. My last day I drove from 9:30 in the morning until 6:30 at night. There was some rain that seemed torrential compared to CA rain as I drove into New York State which slowed me down a bit. The slowest part of the day however, was entering CT on Highway 84 in Danbury. The traffic around 5 p.m. was very slow. When I got to my parent's home I was so relieved to be done with the trip and realized how tired the trip made me. I took the family dog, Daisy, out for a three mile run and felt very very tight and sore. My first mile was a very slow 8.40. I knew I was tired. After finishing the run I took a shower and made some fresh veggie sushi which tasted great after several long days on the road surviving on cheese sandwiches, bananas, water, and coke.
Exciting News
When I got home, I checked my mail and learned that I had made the U.S. 100k National Team. The U.S. sends 6 female and 6 male athletes to the World Championships every year. The qualifications are based on the U.S. 100k Championships and the U.S. 50 Mile Championships. Based on my recent 50 mile performance I qualified for the team. The race is fast approaching, September 11th. The venue for the event will be in Holland. I am entering my first year of graduate school and will need to miss about five days to attend the championships. If I will not be jeopardizing my status in the program I would love to go and experience a world event. I have no idea how I will do in a 100k race as I have only just recently done my first 50 mile race. However, I would definitely be motivated to give it my best shot. Over the next few days I should know if this race will be a possibility. If I am unable to go this year, I would certainly like to make it a goal for the future to attend one of these championships and have a chance to compete. In the meantime, it is back to training and getting ready for school. I definitely have to thank my twin sister for all of her awesome support on my road trip and on hearing my recent news!!
Posted by mary at 10:03 PM | Comments (4)
August 7, 2004
Black Diamond Mine Run
Black Diamond Mine Run
My plan this morning was foiled due to entangled bikes and fatigue. I was expecting to wake up at 6:30 and do a bike ride up Mt. Diablo with my sisters, her fiancé, and some of our friends who frequently bike in the bay area. However, when I loaded the two bikes into the car I jammed them together too much and they got stuck together. I knew I could not get them out. My sister's fiancé is a mechanic so I hoped he could release them. I was disappointed and stressed that I did this to my own bike which I really love. We decided we'd wait until the morning to get the bikes detangled. However, none of us woke up until about 8 or 9 a.m. so the bike ride did not take place.
We decided to do a run on the trails in Clayton. We ran the Black Diamond Mine trail with my sister's Weimaraner. By the time we got out the door it was 10 o'clock and very hot. My two sisters turned around after 1.5 miles. My sister's fiancé and I decided to continue up the trail and see if we could make it to Black Diamond park which was about 2 miles further up the trail. The entire trail gradually rises uphill on a fire trail that lies in between golden fields. It is very beautiful and feels very remote. My future brother in law had never made it to the next park before so I was excited when we touched the gate of the park. Once we got to this spot we turned around and enjoyed a downhill route home. We ran about 7 miles at a relaxed pace.
Big Move
For the remainder of the day I packed up my car to prepare for my cross country journey. I will be moving from CA to MA to go to graduate school. I am hoping that the trip will take about 4 days. Realistically, however, I know that is very ambitious. Therefore, I just plan to take it day by day. I've decided that I will not stress about my running while traveling. If I can I will run about 3 to 5 miles a day but most likely not very much more due to time constraints and not really knowing where I will be going. When I get to the East Coast I'll spend sometime with my family and friends in CT before heading to MA. I plan to update this blog when I arrive in CT.
Posted by mary at 10:49 PM | Comments (3)
August 6, 2004
Lollipop Run
Running with the Dogs
This morning my twin sister and I went for a run as soon as we got up. We decided to take her two dogs, Cosmo and Zander. Cosmo is a whippet and Zander is a border collie. They are great runners. However, if they spot a deer or a rabbit they take off. The loop we ran today was the lollipop course because the first and last half mile or so are the same and the rest of the course is a loop. The dogs run on the leash up until we hit the trail, which is about 6 minutes into the run. The dogs are then free to run along side of us or run ahead as long as we can see them. We ran for 1 hour and 14 minutes, probably about 8.5 to 9 miles. Today was the first day since the 50-mile race that I felt pretty smooth. By the end of the run I was actually able to pick it up a bit, which felt good, and I felt certain that I had not recorded the slowest time ever for the course. By the end of the run the dogs were pretty beat and ready for some down time. They had two water stops along the way during the run so they stayed hydrated. Most of the run was exposed because we were running along the ridge top trails in between two of the city neighborhoods. We had great views of San Francisco and Mt. Tamalpais and ran into a friend of ours and his dog on the run. My quads were still pretty fatigued but they are feeling a lot better. Now, unfortunately, I have to do errands for the remainder of the afternoon. However, tonight we will have a sister’s night - for the three girls in my family and kick back, catch a movie, and have some good conversation.
Posted by mary at 10:29 AM | Comments (1)
August 5, 2004
MA Dipsea Run
Pre-Run Lifting Session
My twin sister and I both overslept this morning. I was planning to get up at 5 a.m. to meet my good friend Frank for a light workout and to say my last good bye to my friend before I push off to the East Coast on Sunday. However, after a very restless night of sleep, checking my watch every hour to see if it was time to get up, I did not even hear my alarm go off. At 9 a.m. I woke up in disbelief that I had actually been sound asleep for a few hours of the night and disappointed that I had left my friend high and dry at the gym. I put zed around the house wondering what course I should do and when I should head out. My twin sister wanted to spend some time with me and said she'd do an easy run with me. Yet, she had just eaten something and wasn't quite ready for a run yet. I suggested that we head over to her school and do a quick lifting session before our run. After thinking about this for an hour she finally agreed and we went to her school and did about twenty minutes of light lifting. It felt pretty good and was not very tiring.
MA Dipsea Run
After the lifting session my sister recommended one of her favorite loops from school, which I had yet to run. Since I wanted to have some reference to this course of hers when she mentioned it I agreed to run it. Additionally the name of the course, MA Dipsea Run, was very appealing. The Dipsea Course is one of our favorite courses. It starts in Mill Valley and continues to Stinson Beach. It is the oldest cross-country race in the country and it is an annual handicapped race here in Marin County that is very popular and competitive. I have no idea why I thought my legs would want to run a hilly course just days after a 50 mile race but I decided if I ran slow enough it would be ok. My sister was very patient with me as I gradually crept up the two major hills of the course (each 7 or 8 minutes long at the least). The downhill’s bothered my legs the most but the flats, especially on the trails, felt very nice. The total running time was 1.01.30. It was 5 minutes slower than my sister's slowest time. Oh well, I'm just taking it easy for the rest of the month.
Yoga Session
Tonight I went to yoga with two good friends of mine who are always encouraging me to do more stretching. The yoga session was nice and mellow. Sometimes the classes can be very strenuous but even my friends admitted that tonight's class was easy. The lunges really tired me out but the downward dog felt great. It was a nice way to end the day. Tomorrow my twin sister has told me that she would reserve the entire day to help me out and shadow me. I am hoping that we do another Lake Tour loop tomorrow and then it will be errands at the DMV
.
Posted by mary at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)
August 4, 2004
Lake Tour Run
Today is my first blog entry. I think this will be a great way for me to keep track of my running and to help me to stay focused with my goals. My current goals are to run a fast marathon (sub 3 hours in the next year) and to continue learning how to race and train for ultra races, focusing mostly on the 50k and the 50 mile distance.
I ran my first 50 mile race on Saturday in Washington, the White River National Championship. Running 50 miles and trying to race it is very hard. The scenery, the support, the individuals in the race were all amazing. The course included about 8,000 feet of uphill running and 8,000 feet of downhill running. The trails were incredible. All but 6 miles of the course were run on single track trails that meandered through the White River bed and traveled up to and along the ridge top of two peaks in the shadows of Mt Rainier. The course was challenging and memorable. A six mile section of the course at mile 37 completely trashed my quads causing me to stagger in the last 6 miles of the race. Despite fatigued quads at the end of the race I finished with a smile and was anxious to try another 50 miler to improve my performance and enjoy a new area of the country.
I have taken three days off since the race. I did nothing on Sunday except to limp around Seattle looking for good food to fuel my hungry body. On Monday I road my mountain bike for about three miles while my sister and her fiancé went for a run. This definitely helped my quads to feel better. Tuesday I went to the gym and did some light lifting and road the stationary bike for about a half hour. I was really happy to be walking without a limp by Tuesday.
Today, I went for my first run with my twin sister. Sadly, I will be moving away from her to go to graduate school. Currently, I am living in the bay area and am surrounded by amazing trails to explore. Before I leave in a few days I am trying to do as many runs as I can with my sister on my favorite trails. This afternoon we ran at Phoenix Lake in Ross, CA. It is a terrific place to run because of the well groomed trails, great scenery, and amazing variety of trails (single track, fire roads, etc.). I told my sister I'd have to lead the pace as I was still feeling pretty fatigued. Initially I suggested a very ambitious loop that would end up being about ten miles. However, we then decided to take it mile by mile. We ran for about four miles before running into one of the students we coach. At that point we decided to turn around and run the last two to three miles with her. We had a great time catching up with the student who is preparing for the upcoming cross country season. My quads felt pretty good on the flat portion of the trail. Yet, on the uphill I could still feel the lingering pain of that six mile downhill. Needless to say I was happy that we cut the run shorter than I had originally planned. The temperature was warmer than we expected, probably in the high 80's, so I was happy that I took my water bottle along. My twin sister who rarely takes water on a run less than an hour even partook in the water.
My sister and I have contemplated doing another run later on tonight when the weather cools down. I am not sure that will actually happen as I am pretty tired from our earlier run.
I am looking forward to being 100% recovered from the race so that I can start training again with even more vigor. Currently, my quads are still fatigued and I can feel in my chest that I am still tired from the hard effort on Saturday. I'll take it easy for a few weeks and then start up again with some specific training for a 50k race in December. For the rest of August I'll just take it day to day.
Posted by mary at 7:04 PM | Comments (0)