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February 23, 2008

Trail Running

We had a great flight to the Bay area. For once in a long time we had no delays or no changes to our flight. We even arrived to our final destination a half hour early. It was very nice.

Friday - We were up early Friday for an interview Mark had in San Francisco. I was happy to enjoy some Peets coffee and catch up on San Francisco news reading the paper. After the meeting we returned to Marin and I did an eight mile run with Liz on the ridge near her house. I felt very tired from our travels and from the first mile of uphill running. However, the longer we ran the better I felt. It was the first time in a long time I was one step ahead of Liz during a run. She is feeling under the weather. I hope she feels better soon. In the afternoon I returned to the city for two more interviews while Mark rested at Liz's house. We went to a nice Italian restaurant for dinner and got to bed early.

Saturday - We got up early and met Frank for a run at Phoenix Lake. Mark ran the first two miles with us and then went back to the parking area. Frank and I continued on an 11 mile loop around the upper lakes and around the perimeter of the golf course. My quad was really sore for the first half hour but then I felt good the rest of the run. My leg aches now so I am hoping with some rest this week it will feel better. This afternoon and evening we will babysit for Sage my niece while Liz and her husband do a scavenger hunt contest in San Francisco. Tomorrow we drive up to Mendocino to begin our mini-course with the students for some hiking, running, and trail work. I can't wait to explore the trails and area.

Posted by mary at 3:07 PM | Comments (0)

February 21, 2008

Off to Northern California

Thursday - After school today I leave for the Bay Area to spend time with my sister, visit with friends, explore some old favorite trails, and work with some of my sister's students for a few days in Mendocino doing some trail work and running. I can't wait is an understatement. It has been cold and icy the last few day in VT and the winter break always comes at a good time. I'll have no time to run or do much today but that's ok because I'll be up for almost 24 hours by the time I get to CA. I'm sure I'll catch a few zzz's on the plane if I don't get too obsessed with Project Runway. We don't have tv and the last time I flew Jet Blue they had Project Runway episodes playing and I really enjoyed it and loved the creativity and pressure of it.

Wednesday - I went to Hot Yoga which is about an hour and a half. It is definitely helping my hamstrings to loosen up. After yoga I ran five miles on the treadmill and did the last 2.5 miles at marathon pace (6.52). I felt good.

Tuesday - Basically a day off but I did a few laps around the school's nordic ski trails. The conditions were icy so I did not do as much skiing as I wanted to. I also ran around the course twice setting up a scavenger hunt but it was a stop and go run.

Tomorrow - Looking forward to running on Crown Road tomorrow and visiting some of my favorite trails off of this loop in Marin County with my sister. I also have a busy afternoons with some interviews in San Francisco. In the evening I think we are going to dinner with my sister and her family. I am looking forward to spending time with my neice who is a year and a half and humming a lot these days.

Posted by mary at 11:11 AM | Comments (0)

February 19, 2008

Icy Roads

Monday - It was very mild on Monday - about 40 degrees. I ran an easy six miles with a student around Stowe. She wants to do a half marathon so our agreement was that she runs with me at least once a week and we'll build up her mileage gradually. She has very good endurance and did the six miles effortlessly. She is a soccer player unfortunately so we don't get to coach her for cross-country. I am really glad she enjoys running despite her choice to play soccer. It's a hard sport to compete with. After the run I went to hot yoga and then did a few sit ups and push ups afterwards.

By the time I was driving home the roads were very icy. I drove very carefully. Our driveway is very long, it adds an extra .1 to all of my runs and it is uphill. As I was driving up the hill the car slid right off the driveway and I ended up in a ditch on the side of the driveway. Mark and I worked on getting the car out for over an hour with no luck. I was very frustrated that I lost concentration once I hit the driveway and let the car slid off as it did. I am happy it did not happen on the main roads.

Tonight we are hosting a Social Ski to celebrate our nordic ski team and encourage more individuals to get involved with the sport. We will have a scavenger hunt, music, ski lessons, an outdoor slide show of the team skiing, and pizza from the outdoor brick oven to help get people excited about the sport. I will do some easy skiing tonight and that's about it. I have already asked some of the members of the ski team if they can come over after the ski event to help us lift the car out of the ditch.

Posted by mary at 11:59 AM | Comments (0)

February 18, 2008

Soreness

Sunday - I was very discouraged because my quad was sore all night long. It becomes inflamed and I get a little bump where I have scar tissue after I have done some effort that takes too much out of it. I met up with two friends to run around fresh pond. The first loop my leg felt horrible and I was just getting by. I did decide to run the second loop around hoping it would loosen up and it did. By the end of the second loop it felt 75% better.

We were headed to Jackson to go skiing but realized we would only have about two hours of daylight by the time we arrived. Instead we went home and Mark skied at Trapps and I went to hot yoga. Hot yoga made me feel a lot better. I was really focused and able to maintain many of the poses I usually fall down in.

I was feeling really depressed about how badly my quad hurt. Foolishly before the 20 miler I was considering running the MadCity 100k which is the USATF Championships. I was feeling really fit and thinking I could easily maintain an 8 minute pace for the entire race. Now, I know, while I may be able to cardiovascularily do this my quad will not be happy at all. Running and racing on pavement can not be my top goal these days at all. I will stick to the longer races on trails.

What happens is I forgot how sore my quad can get after running on the pavement and I think just because I am fit I can run pain free. I do realize that with a taper I should feel a lot better at the Napa Marathon.

I am very excited to be leaving for California on Thursday night. I will be helping my sister with her outdoor education course in Mendocino for four days and spending the rest of the time in the Bay Area exploring trails and visiting friends.

Posted by mary at 7:55 AM | Comments (0)

February 16, 2008

Martha's Vineyard 20 miler Update

Saturday - I made it to Martha's Vineyard. It was an epic journey. We drove about 6 hours to Woods Hole and then took the ferry to the island. I really lucked out. It was a mild day on the island, about 30 degrees (I am guessing), very little wind, and nice clear roads - free from ice. I felt really good and comfortable the entire time. However, my quad was sore the entire race and got worse in the last 5 miles. Due to this I ran the entire race at a comfortable pace and never really pushed marathon pace. The first 10 miles runs along the coast and the second half runs up the bike path. The bike path was slightly rolling. I am discouraged that my quad hurt so much but I am certain it is because I really did not taper at all for this race and the entire run was on pavement compared to the softer dirt roads that I usually run on. I am hoping with a taper my quad will hurt less in the Napa Marathon. Now I plan to rest for the next two weeks and back down a bit.

Splits
mile 1: 7.27
mile 2: 7.18
mile 3: 7.26
mile 4: 7.01
mile 5: 7.24
mile 6: 7.14
mile 7: 7.16
mile 8: 7.10
mile 9: 7.12
mile 10: 7.27
mile 11: 7.11
mile 12: 7.12
mile 13: 7.55 (took a bathroom break)
mile 14: 7.10
mile 15: 7.27
mile 16: 7.30
mile 17: 7.29
mile 18: 7.19
mile 19: 7.32
mile 20: 7.11

Average: 7.21

My original plan was to run the first half between 7.30 and 8.00 min. pace and then pick it up to 7.00 min for the second half. I was hoping that 7.30 would feel easy and it did. I am just discouraged that I was not pain free for the run but I guess that is just how it goes. I am so glad I got to run in a beautiful place and that the roads were runnable.

Tomorrow I am going to meet a friend for two loops around Fresh Pond and then head to NH for some nordic skiing.

Sunday: 15 miles
Monday: Off
Tuesday: 10 miles and lifting
Wednesday: 10 miles and lifting
Thursday: 8 miles and skiing
Friday: 8 miles
Saturday: 20 miles
Total: 71 miles

Posted by mary at 6:35 PM | Comments (0)

February 15, 2008

Weekend Plans

Thursday - When I started my run yesterday my legs were very tired, stiff, and heavy. I had mixed feelings about this. Initially I was annoyed about it thinking why are my legs tired, I have been running on the treadmill. Then I considered the fact that I was beginning my run on a mile and a half up hill and I have been picking up the pace lately on the treadmill. I guess since I have not been doing any traditional track workouts the past few months it was odd to feel sore. Although, I rarely feel sore in the summer after track workouts unless I spend a lot of time on the track. I always run tempo pace so it does not take that much out of me. Anyway.. I felt creaky but was sort of happy and sort of surprised by it. I ran easy for my run and was planning to run only 6 miles due to the fatigue but by the half way mark I felt fine. I ran for an hour, probably about 8 miles. The roads were not too slippery and the sun was shining which made it very nice.

After the run I met some friends at Trapps Family Lodge and we skied for an hour. The conditions were great. We had our head-lights but almost did not need them. The stars were shining so brightly. We finished the night off with tacos and pink drinks at a friends house.

Friday and the Weekend - After school today I will meet my friend Ron for an easy 8 mile run. Following the run Mark and I leave for Boston to stay with some friends for the night. Tomorrow late morning I will run the Martha's Vineyard 20 miler. It is supposed to be cold. The first half of the course runs along the water so winds will probably be high. I plan to run most of the run easy and use it as my long run. If I feel good and conditions are not slippery I plan to pick it up to marathon pace for the last 10k. I am going to let weather and my legs dictate what I do. I don't want to waste any possible turnover or concentration I have stored up now. I'd rather use it for the Napa Marathon in a few weeks.

On Sunday Mark and I are going to New Hampshire to do some nordic skiing in a new area near Mt. Washington. It should be a great but busy weekend.

Posted by mary at 12:22 PM | Comments (1)

February 14, 2008

Lots of Snow

Monday - I had meetings for about three hours after school on Monday and decided to take the day off from training because of this and the fact that Mark was home sick.

Tuesday - Ran 5 miles with my friend Jen around town. It was cold out, under 10 degrees. Went to the gym afterwards and ran another 8 miles, ran the last two miles at marathon pace (6.49 pace). Felt good. Lifted for a half hour afterwards.

Wednesday - Big Snowstorm - school was canceled. I was not super productive with my day. I procrastinated with all of the things I should have been doing. I guess that means I was tired. I did go for a hike on Mt. Elmore with snowshoes with Mark and Seb. It was very beautiful. We had snow all day long. It was not very heavy. It probably added up to about 8 inches to a foot of snow. I went to the gym in the evening and ran 10 miles. I ran 7.20 to 6.50 pace for most of the run mostly because I wanted to get the run out of the way. I was a little bored so I figured running faster would be more interesting. I then did the gravitron - my favorite lifting maching and did my ab workout.

Today I plan to run afterschool, about 8 miles and then go to Trapps to ski with some friends.

Posted by mary at 11:20 AM | Comments (0)

February 10, 2008

Finally a speed workout!

Saturday - On Saturday morning I babysat for a co-workers baby. While doing this I went for a little snowshoe hike with the baby. It was beautiful. We are having an amazing year of snow here in VT. It is great for skiing and snowshoeing.

In the afternoon I did my first workout in a long time. I did a mile warm up on the treadmill and then ran 10 x 1 mile at marathon pace which is 6.49 pace. I took a minute off in between sometimes a little more or little less depending on if I needed to use the rest room. It surprisingly went by faster than I thought it would and I felt really good. Following this workout I lifted for a half hour.

Week in Review
Sunday - 18 miles
Monday - 10 miles and lifting
Tuesday - 13 miles
Wednesday - 10 miles and lifting
Thursday - 9 easy miles
Friday - 6 miles and lifting
Saturday - 11 miles and lifting
Total Mileage for the week: 77 miles

Sunday - This morning I got up at 6 a.m. to drive to Williston to meet a group for a morning run. I went to the wrong location and never found the group. I was really disappointed because I was looking forward to some company. I decided to run in the area anyway. I ran 15 miles an hour out and back. I was going to try a 14 mile loop I've done with the group before but could not remember the second half and did not want to get lost. I ran most of the run on back roads which was very nice. The course had two hills in it that were over a mile long. I felt strong but the last two miles my hamstrings were tight. I am worried that this has been happening towards the end of my long runs. Not sure if it is the mileage I am running, the slippery roads, or just lack of stretching. New shoes should arrive within a day or two. I am in desperate need.

Posted by mary at 2:41 PM | Comments (0)

February 6, 2008

More Winter Weather

The snow is coming down pretty hard today. The students are quite upset that we have school. We have school with no delay. It looks really beautiful outside. I too sort of wish we had the day off because the weather is perfect for a ski. I am glad that I decided to do a longer run yesterday because I thought the roads might be pretty bad today. When school gets out I will go to the gym if the roads are clear. If the roads are bad I will go home and either ski or do a snowshoe run.

TuesdayYesterday the weather was so mild. I was really happy to be able to run on some clear roads. The weather was 39 degrees which felt really comfortable. I took advantage of the nice weather and ran 13 miles. I was going to run another two miles but in the final two miles of the run my hamstring was really tight and sore. I decided to cut it short because there was no reason to go much farther except for the fact the conditions were great for running. It was nice not to worry about slipping on the ice. I ran a six mile loop and then I ran a three and a half mile two times. It was a bit boring because of the loops but I just wanted to stay on roads that were clear.

MondayI ran an easy ten miles on Monday. I ran five miles with my friend Jen and then ran another five mile loop on my own. My legs felt sore but it was good to stretch my legs out.

Posted by mary at 8:46 AM | Comments (0)

February 3, 2008

Craftsbury Marathon - a humbling experience

FridayWe had an icy winter storm on Friday that brought lots of ice and messy roads. We did not get a lot of snow accumulation, maybe 2 inches or so. School let out early so I was able to take advantage of the free afternoon and head to the gym. At the gym I ran a four mile warm up and then lifted for a half hour. I then ran six miles at marathon pace on the treadmill (6.48) pace. I was happy that it felt surprisingly good and comfortable.

Saturday - Saturday was the Craftsbury Marathon and the conditions were exactly what I was dreading, fast and icy. I am a novice skier who has only given skiing an earnest effort this past year due to our great early winter snow in November and December. I favor the soft powdery snow that is slow. I use waxless skis and I avoid steep downhills as much as possible. I am comfortable with a rolling course and love long uphills. However, most downhills you will find me using the infamous snow plow technique to get to the bottom of the hill. When bravery sets in I will stand upright and keep my skis relatively close together. Friends who observe me still tell me I am as stiff as a board and doomed for a bad accident should I fall since I am so tense. In addition to all of this I have absolutely no rhythm when skiing. It is rare and unpredictable when I feel that I am gliding on the skis feeling effortless. With this novice background yesterday's condition had me nervous.

I almost quit the race before it even started. The Craftsbury Marathon is a huge event with over one thousand competitors. It is divided into four different starts, top male racers start first, followed fifteen minutes later by top female racers, followed by the rest of the racers fifteen minutes afterwards. Lastly, the 25k tour participants begin which is where I started. The marathon itself is 50k, Mark was entered in this event. I was at the start about two hours before I needed to be there. The event was very festive and nerve racking. There was plenty of food and drinks to keep us warm. We had coffee, cocoa, bagels, and terrific pastries available to us. Additionally there were tons of tables set up for waxing and tuning of the skis. All the talk was about wax. No one knew exactly what type of wax to use, klister wax or not, red or blue wax. I only heard tid-bits. I was thankful not to have to worry about it with my waxless skis. When I tested the snow for the first time I felt embarrassed and nervous. I was slipping all over the place. I told Mark I was worried about the downhills and he suggested if it gets hairy just take off the skis and run down the hill. This relieved me. I decided of course this is a viable option, I am not racing - I am simply touring the course.

The scene calmed down a lot once the serious racers were off. Included with the serious racers was Nikki Kimball. Her brother lives in my town so she was at the race to compete and catch up with her brother. Her flight was a nightmare with the terrible storms we received. I was hoping to catch up with her after the race but she was gone before I had a chance to catch up with her.

Around 11:45 I took off with the tour. I nervously began the tour. The course was really beautiful and amazingly well organized. I highly recommend the event to anyone who enjoys skiing. The course was very well marked, every kilometer was marked. Course monitors were at every road crossing and snow machine crossing. Every 5k there was an aid station with hot soup, hot beverages, and gourmet food. It was really impressive and fun. Other skiers in the tour were very friendly and did not judge my unconventional skiing techniques. The downhills were crazy - I stayed on my skis but did a downhill crunch technique were I sat down in a chair position so I could be closer to the ground to slow myself down. I felt embarrassed going down the hill in this manner but was pleased not to injure myself nor anyone else which were my two primary goals.

It took me three hours and fifteen minutes to finish 28.5 kilometers. This is the humbling bit because compared to running I was incredibly inefficient. At least 100 50k skiers finished ahead of me. I was really surprised. I did not think I was out there for that length of time and I thought I was skiing a bit faster than five miles an hour. I was quick at the aid stations for two reasons. I did not want to get cold and I wanted to tackle the next section of the trail by myself. I usually am more brave without an audience and tend to take more risk.

All in all despite my slowness and my worries I absolutely enjoyed the event and will make it a goal to do at least one tour a year, if it works out. I need to improve my downhill skis. However, yesterday was tough for even the most experienced skiers which made me feel better. Mark and many of the top skiers had to stop to rewax and change wax multiple times on the course due to changing snow conditions. The snow was grainy in some places, icy in some places, and trail covered in snow drifts in other places.

Following the race there was an awards ceremony. It was the first time I finished the race and walked into an awards ceremony which was half way over. I was really happy just to have finished because I was going to skip it all together when I saw all the pro skiers at the start. In addition to the awards they had a lottery of awards. Both Mark and I won awards - we got a ski bag and a racing vest. There was also a big lunch for all participants after the race.

Mark finished the 50k race in about 3 hours and fifteen minutes and was happy since he has been out of training for three months and only had three weeks preparation for this event. He finished in about the same time as me covering twice as much distance.

Something to look forward to is if I continue to do some skiing I can make huge improvements on this performance.

All in all I would gladly do this event again. I love the memory of being on the trail and seeing tons of skiers ahead and behind me all in a row enjoying the amazing scenery. Seeing the new trails and new vistas was amazing.

My hips are sore today but hopefully they will loosen up after my run.

Summary of Last Week
Sunday: 18 miles and yoga
Monday: 11 miles and lifting
Tuesday: 0.5 miles and lifting
Wednesday: 14 miles and lifting
Thursday: 9 miles
Friday: 10 miles and lifting
Saturday: 25k sking
Total: 62 miles

Sunday - The roads again were icy and filled with wet snow this morning. I was not sure how I would divide my run. Initially I was thinking half of my 18 mile run would be on the road and half on the treadmill but since the weather was mild (about 25 degrees) I stayed outside. I get nervous about the treadmill and don't want to over use it because two out of three times it is an endless journey on the treadmill and the minutes never seem to pass. One out of three times I surprise myself and don't even realize I am running and it feels effortless and I forget that I am running in a building.

Today I ran the first hour with my friend Jen on some parts of town that were decently plowed. We still had to balance on the icy side walks when cars would pass by. For the second hour and twenty minutes I ran up to some dirt roads that still had a good layer of snow over the ice layer. I felt really good for the second hour. During the last three miles my hip flexors were very sore. I don't know why but I attempted a pick up in the last 200 meters of my run and stopped the attempt after about four steps. I think I thought it might loosen me up. I finished with a half hour of lifting. I plan to take it really easy for two days - some easy running and biking to give my hip flexors a break. The time on my feet feels good. I just don't want to pull anything at this point in my training.

I won't think too much about the fact that I ran 18 miles today an hour faster than I skied 17 miles yesterday! Yikes! Talk about an inefficient skier! I guess that is why my main sport is running.

Posted by mary at 8:24 AM | Comments (0)