Like a NKOTB

...Hangin' Tough, that is. Oh yeah, I went there.

So, I'm still running. I'm trying to reflect back on the week. That seems like a long time ago, but now that I think back on it, Tuesday's run was worthless. Literally. I had some very uncomfortable tightness in my anterior tibialis and didn't make it for more than two miles. No biggie. (I'm doing my best to not just say that, but to really mean it). Thursday was better. Ran 4 1/4 on the treddy and didn't hate every single step. Saturday I made it out to Tinicum and did the figure eight loops. The mud on the Interesting Part of the trail slowed me down a bit, but I was totally fine with that... one, it gave me an excuse to be slow and two, I took a minute after emerging onto the connector trail to find a stick and rediscover the tread on my shoes. The remainder of the run was nice. I made a conscious effort to try to be in the moment and enjoy the scenery, the fresh air, and the exercise. Too often I find myself wishing my runs away... just waiting for them to end. That's no way to be.

Still a long way from where I was and where I want to be, but at least I'm hanging tough.

Uninspired

That's basically how I've been feeling about my blogging and, to a lesser extent, my running. But I'm going to try to stick with it (blogging and running) and see what happens.

Did the Art Museum loop yesterday all by my lonesome... ran it last weekend with Stacey and it was much more fun. The run itself was okay - weather was good and I felt decent. My splits were okay (9:07, 9:05; 8:53, 8:53; 8:40; 8:44; 8:46; 8:46). I don't want to be a speed whore, but it's hard not to be, especially with the company I keep. I don't know that I'll ever regain the speed I had a year ago and, really, I'm not sure how much I care about it. Of course I care, but not to the point where I'm willing to put in the work necessary to get there.

I think the hardest part for me right now is that I'm a lonely runner. I am fine running by myself during the week, but I miss having someone to chat to and commiserate with during those long runs.

So, that's where I am for now. Still running, but with less enthusiasm than I'd like. We'll see what happens.

Beat the Clock

First and foremost.... Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. No presents, no religious pretense.... just good food and lots of it. I was lucky enough this year to be invited to Steve's family friend's home for the holiday. Of course I couldn't show up empty handed, so I offered to make and bring a pecan pie - my momma's recipe.

The pie takes about 50-55 minutes to bake, giving me the perfect window to fit in a run. Of course, this then puts a bit of pressure on me to make sure I get back in time to ensure the pie isn't overcooked. My usual West Philly loop takes me about 45 - 47 minutes, giving me adequate cushion in case I didn't have a good run.

Luckily, I felt good throughout the run and made it back in just under 45 minutes, allowing for a nice cool down walk around the block before heading back into the kitchen to retrieve my perfectly cooked pecan pie.

South Street Bridge sign was up announcing its closure on or around December 8th - that's gonna suck.

Gym Rat

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I went looking for a picture of a hamster wheel and found this video, which is kind of silly and stupid, but made me laugh, so I'm sharing it for what it's worth.

All of that is a rather lengthy intro to what will be a brief post about my runs this week. As you may have already guessed, I did all three runs on the treadmill. I ran four miles on Tuesday, four and a half on Thursday, and a grueling nine and a quarter treddy-miles on Saturday. As much as I hate the treadmill, I hate the wind even more, so I suffered for the 9+ miles and called it a week.

Untitled

I'm having trouble getting this entry started. Not sure where I want to begin or end and I only have a vague sense of what I want to say in between. My body is tired from running the Tinicum figure eight a few hours ago.

My runs earlier in the week were very rushed... Wednesday's run was through the dark and rainy streets of West Philly. A much needed stress reliever run... one where I just wanted to keep going, but I had things to do and was a bit worried about slipping on wet leaves or tripping over some uneven pavement, so I cut it short. And I couldn't find my watch. My best guess was that I ran somewhere around three and a half miles.

Friday was, again, a beat the clock run. I had hopes of running at Ridley Creek State Park as I made my way home, but I soon realized that I didn't have nearly enough daylight minutes left, so I opted for East Goshen Township Park, which is about a half mile down the road from where I work. There is a paved loop around the west side of the park that is about a mile long. I was glad to have my iPod, as four loops around that thing was not the most exciting run ever. But, hey, at least I got some sort of run in.

This morning, I had designs on the Art Museum, but given that I was in West Philly and my running shoes were in Prospect Park, I ended up running Tinicum again... and, really, I was happy to be there. It was nice too, not to be constrained by waning daylight or anything else pressing upon me (except for the usual Sunday chores).

I'm getting better at being nice to myself when I run. I am doing a better job of just letting myself relax and not worry about speed. I run. I push it sometimes. I take it easy other times. I walk if I want to and I don't worry about it. My only goal for today was to do the figure eight loop and to run for at least eighty minutes. Done. My body is tired, but in a good way.... and with so few remaining glorious autumn mornings, I am glad I got out there.

Steady as She Goes

The good news is, I'm getting some consistency back in my running. The bad news is... I'm S.L.O.W. I know, I keep saying I'm not going to obsess over that anymore and I'm trying not to, truly I am.

So this week, I've run the usual four or so miles twice during the week. Friday I woke up obscenely early and made it to the gym when it opened at 5am to get a treadmill run in. I've been helping Amy move into her new house, so an after-work run was not in the cards. I miss working out in the morning. I miss the familiar faces, yes, even the annoying ones. Yes, I even miss Bruce.

This weekend, I had a wedding on Saturday evening so I wisely chose to get my long run in on Saturday morning. I set out to do a Seebeka loop, but ended up doing the whole figure eight loop around Darby Lake. Again... it was pretty slow going... probably averaging around nine minute miles, but I was really glad just to get the miles.

I love Tinicum. I know I've said it before and I will likely say it again. I love that I see more members of other species than I do of my own. I am fortunate to have that as my backyard and will be sad when the day comes when it is no longer so easily accessible.

So slowly I'm starting to settle back into some sort of running routine. Next week, I'll likely revive some of the old West Philly routes.

Art Museum

Its been a while since I've run the drives and given that it was such a beautiful fall morning, how could I resist? Of course there was some sort of regatta silliness going on and possibly a 5k run or something, making for nearly mob-like conditions. Luckily the parking gods smiled upon me (I had a weird feeling they would) and I found a spot across the street from Lloyd Hall.

It was one of those autumn mornings where it is crisp and sunny, making me unsure whether to wear warmer clothing. I was later glad that I left the long sleeves behind. I wasn't sure how this run would go. I haven't run more than six miles since late August. Most of my runs have been around four. Still, I wanted to run the drives and I figured that one way or another I'd get myself around the loop.

Not surprisingly, it was slow going the whole way around. I averaged about 9:10 miles which is a bit humbling, but I was really more focused on getting in the distance and trying not to feel too beat up.... Oh yeah, and enjoying the beautiful day. I've been having a bit of back pain recently and I found myself stopping to stretch my back out a few times as I made my way around the loop. I NEED to strenghten my back more. I really do not want a repeat of last June's torture.

So, I ran 8 of the 8.5 miles of the loop (73:15) and was happy enough with that. The best part of the run was stretching by the Lincoln statue and watching happy dogs chase frisbees and each other.

Somehow it wasn't as bad as I thought

You know it's bad when you're fighting to stay awake during a therapy session at 3pm. Luckily I think I managed to fake wakefulness pretty well. Yes, it was a beautiful fall day... a nice one for running... with one exception. It was windy... one of my most hated weather conditions. The Weather Channel said the winds were blowing at 18mph, gusting to above 30.

I called Seebo for a pep-talk. He wasn't immediately available, but his return call was, lets just say, less than inspiring. Now I'm sure I'm interpreting this a bit liberally... but it was something along the lines of "Get yer fat arse out the door!". No, of course, Seebo isn't THAT stupid... he didn't say that.

A nap sounded much better, but somehow... despite being tired and wind-shy... I made it out the door and headed to Tinicum for yet another trip around the lower loop. Yes, it was windy - so much so that I had that running-in-place feeling much of the time. But, as the title suggests, it wasn't all that bad. My legs felt pretty fresh and my lungs felt kind of actually good. Huh.... who knew?

I've long since given up trying to figure out when a run will go well and when it won't. I almost wanted to start timing my runs again....... I said almost.

Full Circle

Once again.... the blogging has been less frequent than the running.

I've run several times since my last entry.... nothing terribly notable. I've done the lower Tinicum loop a few times and maybe a treddy run or two. It's been a slow process, trying to regain my fitness.

Most of my runs lately have hovered right around the four mile mark, so yesterday I decided to try to go longer. I wanted to do something I used to call the Seebeka loop - essentially, the lower loop of Tinicum with a mini upper loop, without going around the lake.

Looking back in my blog, I see that I ran this loop almost exactly a year ago. Reading that entry is depressing me right now as I was in such a different place with my running. I also see that I was about to begin dealing with some hip pain that put running on hold for a while. I had a mojo going then that I have yet to regain.

Seeing that I did the same loop a year ago about four and a half minutes faster than I did yesterday does not leave me with a good mind set. Ironically, as I was finishing my run yesterday (and feeling pretty wiped) I was thinking about how I'm working on being more accepting of myself when I'm not running the way I wish I were. It's not easy. I tell myself that I should feel good that I'm continuing to be consistent with running, that most people can't run as far as I can, and that the purpose of my running is to stay and shape, relieve stress, and be outside. Still, it's hard to not be competitive with myself.

It's been a rough year for me running wise... with the hip injury, then my back, then the pneumonia... and I guess I should cut myself some slack. As I get older, I'm realizing that I'll be a much happier person if I do so.

I didn't head into this blog entry with the notion that I'd be reflecting on the past year... though, for some, this is the end of the year. Given how I felt this time last year, I would have never predicted that I'd be heading into such a disappointing year, running wise. So, perhaps, given how I'm feeling about my running now, I'm heading into a great year of running.. and hopefully other wonderful things as well. One can only hope.

Me and My Shadow

Running and blogging.... two things I haven't been doing much of lately. Thankfully, I've been doing more running than blogging. My last two runs have been through Tinicum - the lower loop. Sunday, I drove to the Tinicum entrance, which seems really pathetic considering the price of gas, my desire to reduce my carbon footprint, and the fact the entrance to Tinicum is about a half mile from my house, but given how I've been feeling on my runs recently, I decided it was worthwhile. I felt pretty good during that run, so today, I decided to go green and get myself to Tinicum and back on my own.

This was about as perfect a fall day as you could get. I set out around quarter after five and watched my shadow keep pace. I kind of liked the company of my shadow, liked seeing my pony-tail bob to and fro... it felt like a familiar sight, but one I haven't seen in quite some time.

Tonight's run was the first time I felt like I might be able to get back into shape following my bout with pneumonia. Lately, I've felt as though the fitness I'd worked hard to achieve over the last several years was slipping through my fingers. Today I felt like it is still within my grasp... it ain't quite gone yet. Still, I have a long, long way to go and I'm not sure that I'll ever get back into the kind of shape I was in this time last year. And I'm okay with that. I just want to be healthy, want to be able to feel like I'm in shape and can go out for a run and enjoy it, like I did today.

I love the fall.

First Day of Fall

Well, it's been a disappointing September. Yesterday was the Distance Run and, somehow, it went on without me. I'm slowly recovering from pneumonia and trying to be cautious. While my mind is eager to resume business as usual, my body still has not gotten with the program. I've been urged to truly allow myself to recover from this rather than risk an even more prolonged illness.

I've worked out a total of three times since being officially diagnosed with pneumonia and all three of those workouts have been within the past week. Running has been difficult. I can feel that my lungs are not in "normal" working order. In general, I feel like either I've lost an incredible amount of fitness in the past few weeks, or I'm still not fully recovered. Probably a bit of both.

Instead of running PDR yesterday, I ran a measley 3 or so miles around West Philly ... And it just about killed me. I was very disheartened by this. I just want to be better and be able to enjoy a run. So I'm frustrated, to say the least. And, of course, I feel fat and out of shape.. which puts me in a bit of a foul mood.

I'm hopeful that I'll continue to feel better and that I'll eventually get back in shape. I love fall running, so I'll try to put the last month behind me and enjoy the change of seasons.

Thanks to Maggie for checking in on me.

... In other news

Yeah, so it's been a zillion years since I updated this blog. If memory serves, I think I ran two or three times since my last blog entry, but it really doesn't matter now.

After a stressful last week of work at my former place of employment, I seem to have come down with some sort of nasty virus. The long and short of it is that I've essentially had a fever (sometimes as high as 102.7) for the last week, along with an annoying and worsening cough, aches, and general misery. Oh yeah, and I sound like this lovely lady:




I've kind of self diagnosed with viral pneumonia - all the symptoms are consistent with what I have. Bad news is there really isn't any treatment, other than time and ibuprofen for the fever and cough drops and the like. Good news is I'll survive - eventually. Of course this does not bode well for me and the Distance Run, which is quickly approaching. Right now, I can barely think about it... I'm forgetting what if feels like to feel normal, let alone feel well enough to run a bunch of miles.

Day at the Beach

Today was the 20th annual Stone Harbor Lions Club 10k & 5k run. I spectated this event last year ... I had thoughts of running it then, but it was too damn hot and humid. I vividly remember last year being thankful that I was not running.

This year, the weather seemed a bit better - a warm start.. with temps in the mid-70s and the humidity as it always is on the Jersey shore in mid-August. The course itself is pretty boring - a flat out and back with a few turns and virtually NO SHADE. I knew it wasn't going to be fun and it wasn't. I had a bit of that tightness in my right lower leg for the first two miles. It was to the point where I was about to stop and stretch, but I just ran through it and, eventually, it went away.

The hardest part about this race was not veering off to the right to go into the 5k finishers chute versus going left to the 10k turn around. It would have been so easy... and the beach is just a block away... I could have kept running... beach tags be damned. If they wanted to chase me into the ocean, they could have done that.

But, of course, I didn't. I stayed the course... taking water at just about every water station - and there were several, thankfully. Finished in 54:14 - a time which neither impressed or displeased me. I was simply glad to be done and proud that I didn't beg off at the 5k point.

A special thanks to Bill and Ilene for their hospitality and letting Seebo and I crash at their place Saturday night. Nothing like watching the Olympic marathon, eating pasta, and not having to wake up at the crack of dawn to drive two hours to run for less than one. And it was nice to get one last dip in the ocean before the summer ends.

Short Long Run

I've been trying to up my long runs lately in an effort to prepare for the Philadelphia Distance Run. Last weekend I did a bit over 12 miles. This weekend, I'll likely participate in the Stone Harbor 10k on Sunday, so I wanted to try to get my "long run" in today. Of course, I also had to be at work at a reasonable hour and I didn't want to get up too too early.. oh yeah, and I didn't want to be wiped out for the duration of the day, so I opted to do a shorter long run this week.

Tinicum... of course... plenty of the usual suspects, a few fawns, a kazillion bunnies, and an almost albino groundhog. Did the same route as last Sunday - but with only one loop around Darby Lake. I was curious about the actual mileage of this route so I mapped it out - even though I really have no business taking the time to do that right now. So, if you're interested, here is the route.

Felt okay today... not great, not horrible. I had some of the tightness in my right lower leg again, but not as bad as it was the other day. I didn't need to stop and stretch it out - I just ran through it.

9.2 in 81:30

Delco cruising

Ran through the Prospect Park/Norton/Glenolden neighborhoods this morning. Sounds like I covered a lot of territory, but in truth, it was just about five miles total. That's just how it is in Delaware County... little towns butted up against each other, one blending seamlessly into the next.

What a glorious morning. We really have been spoiled most of this month with cooler temps. I still fear that summer will return with a vengeance before the month is out, so for now, I'll quietly give thanks and hope that my rejoicing does not arouse the heat/humidity gods.

So, lately... when I've been running this particular neighborhood route... I warm up for the first two miles and then I run the third mile as fast as I can. I'm still not real good at gauging that stuff yet, but I think I'm learning. As I was running that third mile, I wasn't feeling too great and felt like I was kind of going slow. I was prepared to see that my time was above an 8 minute mile - which would have been a bit slow for what I've been averaging other weeks (right at 8 minutes or around 7:50). I was surprised and, of course, happy to see that I ran it in 7:43. Huh, who knew?

Total of 5 in 41:30

Strife of the Purple Variety

That would be Purple Loosestrife to you and me. Apparently, it's quite a bugger. Click here to read how this Eurasian plant has been taking over our country. Tinicum has definitely fallen prey to the evil Loosestrife. What can I say... it's pretty.

Loosestrife and bunnies and egrets (oh my!) were plentiful this morning as I wound my way up the boring part, around Darby Lake twice, and then home again along the same route. Again, I brought along a Honey Stinger energy thingy. I allowed myself two walk breaks during this jaunt and, of course, a trip to the Tinicum visitor's center where they have water fountains and a loo.

I find that these long runs are easier for me - both physically and psychologically if I give myself permission to walk at some point during the run. Somehow if I plan to walk, it takes away (at least for me) the stigma of walking during a long run. Of course, I stop my watch during these breaks... wouldn't want to 'credit' myself for that time when, clearly, I wasn't actually running.

I felt pretty good throughout the run, somewhat slow... but still good. I was, of course, glad when the Loosestrife was in my rear-view and I headed home where one of Amy's cupcakes (okay two) were waiting for me.

About 12 miles in 1:47:10

More iPhun

After our not-terribly-informative iPhone workshop, Amy and I did a little perusing around Ardmore. We spent some time checking out the lovely things at a place called Blue Tulip (or Blue Plum, if you're asking Amy). Of course they had jewelry which meant of course they had mirrors. As we browsed, Amy and I discovered a really neat trick!!! Yes.... we were MORE than WAY too entertained with ourselves.




I still crack up when I see these pictures.









Oh yeah.... and this was our iPhone "wizard":













I don't think he liked me very much because I kept asking all the hard-hitting questions like, "Why didn't Steve (Jobs) create this thing so I can send cute pictures to my boyfriend's phone?" Of course he didn't have a satisfactory answer for me. Work on that, will ya?

I'm Sooooo Cool

I have officially arrived at techno-geekdom.... I am blogging from my iPhone. Yeah... I'm THAT cool. Of course, it might take me a kazillion years to write the dang thing, but that's okay.

Rather than sit here in total iSilence for too long with my friend Amy (she's got one too), I'll keep this brief. Did a treddy run yesterday after work. During the first mile I was having a lot of tightness in my right lower leg (mostly anterior tibialis). This was the same stuff I dealt with last spring, which is frustrating. So after the first mile I stopped the treddy and stretched for a few minutes. That seemed to help a lot because I did the next 4.5 miles at an average 8:20 pace. So, all told I did 5.5 in 46:22.

The Usual

I'm starting to get used to these beautiful, cool mornings - a girl could get spoiled with all this nice weather. The reality it, however, that we are just easing into mid-August and it's likely that at least one more heat wave is in the cards before summer is over. But for now, I'm enjoying the break.

I did the usual West Philly loop this morning and felt pretty good despite my inklings that it would not be a good morning. I don't know what I'm going to do if/when they close the South Street bridge... guess I'll have to find a new usual route.

5.15 in 44:37

Sweet the Sting

My siblings were in town this weekend for a party celebrating my Dad's impending retirement. Lucky dog. See Amy's blog for pictures of the delicious cakes we made.

One of the zillion things I like about my family is that we're a pretty active bunch. My brother, who stayed with me during the weekend, was totally game for a Sunday morning run. He's seen the lower loop of Tinicum and since he didn't really want to run 8 or 9 miles, I drove us to the upper loop which encircles Darby Lake. The weather was just about perfect - low 70s, not-out-of-control humidity, mostly cloudy skies and Tinicum was still in full bloom with loads and loads of purple flowers. As we made our way around the lake we could see a gathering of white egrets on the other side that probably numbered about forty or fifty. Really amazing.

Scott and I ran the first loop together - keeping a decent clip. I was trying to go a bit easy because I had aspirations of doing between ten and eleven miles, but he was pushing the pace a bit and far be it from me to let my little brother kick my ass. The plan for me was to do two full loops around Darby Lake and then head home from there which would mean half of the upper loop, the connector trail, and the boring part of the lower loop. Scott did two laps around the lake and then took the car and met me at home.

Towards the end of the second loop, I ate a honey energy gel-type thingy... except it's just fortified honey - its not a gooey gel. I usually don't take gels on long runs with me, but I figured that since this is something I typically do when I race longer distances (10 miles or more), it makes sense to do this on long runs of that length too. I think it helped because I was feeling pretty good even during those last two miles.

Made it back to the Pumpkin Patch (my place) in 1:37:04 just as the rain was starting to come down.

WaWaWhy???

This post will have very little to do with running. In fact, I'll just get it out of the way now - ran 5 miles in 42:30.... felt good and was happy with my pace.

So what is really on my mind today is a disruption in my morning ritual. Many mornings, I stop at WaWa and get a 16oz coffee with skim milk and two girl sugars. I love WaWa.. the stores are always clean and inviting and usually have some fun music playing to bop along to as I make that perfect blend of 3/4 Kona brew, 1/4 Hazelnut. I also pick up something for breakfast. Lately, I've been really digging on the PeakBar Breakfast-To-Go bar in the blueberry flavor. This bar has it all.... fortified with vitamins and minerals, chock full of fiber, not too much sugar, low in fat, and under 200 calories. So what if it kind of tastes like a blueberry dog biscuit.... if you take a bite of it and chase it with a chug of coffee, it's downright tasty!

I've noticed a trend in the last few weeks where my usual WaWa is out of my bar-of-choice. They sometimes have the Cinnamon flavor, but it's not the same and I'll often opt for something else, like a lame NutriGrain bar... but they're kind of wussy and they have too much sugar. I've noticed too at other WaWas, the same trend. Hmm. Well today... they didn't have either flavor and - to add insult to injury - they've taken up the shelf space the bars usually inhabit with stupid cereal cups! Who eats those?!?!?!

So now I find myself awash in a virtual wasteland of breakfast foods... most are overly sugarfied and almost completely devoid of any nutrients. Others are too high in calories for what I want for breakfast. WaWa... why have you forsaken me? Do I not adequately sing your praises?

It's hard to be disappointed by WaWa. There are so few bastions of perfection left in this world. I still love you, WaWa, but things are different now. Innocence is lost.

iWheeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!

Yeah, I ran.... yeah, it rained, no poured, for a decent ten minute stretch... yeah it was a pretty good run.

But the REAL news is....



I GOT MY NEW iPHONE!!!!

Sadly... I've been too busy to play with it much. So I'm going to keep this entry short... so maybe I can go play with my new toy.

5 miles in 42:15

The Color Purple

I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it. ~ Alice Walker

My original plan to run the Art Museum loop again this Sunday was disrupted, so I found myself headed out to do Tinicum. Again... I chose to avoid the interesting part of the lower loop due to the overgrowth. So it was to be an out and back along the boring part with a loop around Darby Lake.

The sun was shining brightly and, for a change, the humidity wasn't too oppressive. Lately it has been a struggle to enjoy my runs; I faced that challenge again today. Tinicum was beautiful as ever, and I thought of that Alice Walker quote as I rounded Darby Lake and took in the sites. There were a dozen or so herons grouped together, fishing for breakfast against a backdrop of trees, bushes, and some kind of purple flowering plant. Truly beautiful.

I don't have much more to comment on the run itself. While there were points where I was enjoying it, for the most part, I was just looking for it to be over. I did, however, try not to miss taking in and appreciating the beauty that surrounded me.

A little more than 9 (I think) in 80:24.

And... just because.... here's one of my favorite scenes from the movie The Color Purple.

The Leverage of an Ice Cream Sandwhich

Yeah, yeah.... I'm sick of complaining about the heat too, but it feels like it's just always there... in the way. I don't know what's harder, getting out of a warm bed to run in the cold or getting out of a cool/air conditioned room to go run in the swampy mess of the first day of August. Both have their drawbacks, I suppose.

As is typical on days where I don't feel like running, I make little bargains with myself to ensure that I get out the door. This morning it was things like, "You don't even have to run if you don't want.. just get dressed and get out there and move... you can walk the whole time if you want" .... and, "You're going to regret not going because at happy hour tonight you'll probably eat and drink a fair amount."

Those thoughts were swirling around and helping (sort of) to motivate me and then I remembered that last night I had an ice cream sandwich. I didn't feel guilty about eating the ice cream sandwich (it was about half the calories of the Hagan Daas Ice Cream Bar), I just remembered thinking when I ate it last night that it would be fuel for this morning's run. And so then I was out of bed and getting dressed.

I didn't walk the whole WP Loop, though I did walk on two occasions. And, really, I didn't feel bad about it. I kept the pace easy because I knew I was tired. I've worked out every day this week and worked late three nights as well, so by now, I'm pooped. I'm looking forward to taking tomorrow off.

All in all, ran for about 42:30 minutes.... we'll call it about 4.5 miles.

Tyranny

Upon waking this morning, I had a hard time deciding what I'd do for my run. Maggie wrote the other day about going through a rough time with wanting to run or enjoying her run. I commented to her, that is part and parcel of being a runner - you go through these love/hate cycles with running. This morning I could relate to her malaise. I decided that if I had to run, at least I'd try to enjoy the sites of Tinicum rather than trotting around the bowels of Delco.

It would be an out and back route along the boring part of the lower loop, similar to what I did a earlier this month. I have it on good authority that the interesting part is quite overgrown and with the rain we've had recently, I can only imagine that it is even more so.

The haze hung thickly over the reeds and marshy areas of Tinicum. Just another one of those gross summer mornings. Saw two full grown members of the Tinicum Track Club early on in my journey. They must have been feeling sluggish too because they let me get about twenty feet from them before cantering away. Of course zillions of bunnies abounded... and, really, that is only a slight exaggeration. At one point I had the image of popcorn popping as the bunnies seemed to pop out of the underbrush... one after the other.

The thing about the out and back run is the pressure to make the return trip quicker. Funny, two years ago, that concept didn't really occur to me. Today, like the saturated air, the tyranny of the return trip weighed upon me. I knew I'd be disappointed in my run - regardless of how I felt overall - if I did not shave a decent chunk of seconds off the second half of the run. I didn't want to... I kept thinking of Maggie and of not even wanting to run anymore... but then I also thought of not wanting to deal with feeling crappy about a slower second split.

So, of course, I picked it up a bit. It was hard, I was pretty much hating it. And, yes, mission accomplished. Somehow though, there was not much of a feeling of satisfaction... and it certainly was not equitable to the feeling of disappointment I know I would have experienced had I failed to achieve my goal. Such is the tyranny of running.

19:20 - out
18:11 - back

Art Museum Loop

Ran the Art Museum loop yesterday morning... not as early as I would have liked, but for good reason. I haven't run this loop in a little while - certainly pre-back-injury. I'm glad to be getting my weekly mileage back in the normal range. I need to be doing a better job of building my core strength so I don't have to endure any more of these setbacks.

This was the farthest I've ran in over a month and I was a bit surprised and disappointed in how difficult it was. I can blame part of it on the heat/humidity, but probably not all of it. I walked for a quarter mile somewhere in the sixth mile of the loop. I was just tired and overheated.

I kept a fairly consistent 8:45 pace throughout the run and I was satisfied with that.

8 miles in 70:15

Back in the WP

I've been slacking a bit with keeping up the blog entries. I ran Wednesday... 4.5 on the treddy in 39:03. Nothing notable to report.

This morning I was back on familiar territory, outfitted in my cute new skort (birthday compliments of my friends Stacey and Scott). It's been a while since I've roamed the streets of West Philly. As I was dressing and trying to motivate myself for the run, I found myself looking forward to revisiting some of the old sights and sounds of the city.

A beautiful morning ... one of those rare summer mornings where the humidity has relented a bit. I was even able to enjoy a breeze or two. While I wouldn't call the route I ran hilly, per se, it certainly isn't flat. I was eager to see how I would do. I won't lie, I was tired. I contemplated stopping here and there. I cursed the traffic lights for being too cooperative and not allowing me the excuse to pause.

Overall, though, I felt good and am truly feeling like I'm getting back to normal, whatever that means.

5.15 in 45:02

***Oh yeah.... I totally forgot to add that I ran twice while in Denver visiting my family. I ran Saturday the 22nd at Green Mountain for about 40 minutes in the blazing sun... yes, it was hilly. Monday I ran three one mile loops around a lake. The first and third loop were with my sister at her pace. I did the second loop solo and was disappointed that, despite my effort, the mile came in at 8:40. Must be the altitude ;)

Blech

Hazy, Hot, Humid.... but really... what else should I expect from a mid-July morning? I got out early enough to see the sun as a blazing red fireball low on the horizon.

Did the Acme Loop which felt hillier than usual. I'm sure it was. Felt pretty good once I got through the first three or four minutes of the run. I felt like the heat and my recent hiatus were slowing me down, but checking back on the last time I ran this route, seems I was mistaken since I ran it 30 seconds faster this time. Not that 30 seconds is all that much... but it's something... some sign of hope.

4.58 in 39:30

Out and Back

Felt surprisingly good during my run this morning considering that I woke up feeling pretty bad. The Advil fairy came to my rescue and kept me from blowing off the day's run entirely.

I did an out and back route along Tinicum's boring part. I knew from walking the loop a few weeks ago that the interesting part was well overgrown. Plus, I wanted to keep my mileage at about four miles since I'm still sort of taking it easy on my back.

Much of the boring part parallels I-95 (which is part of what makes it boring). The 1 mile sign for the Prospect Park exit is about two miles from my house, so I set that as a goal for my turn around point. Once I reached that point (about 16:30 into the run), however, I decided to keep running until 18 minutes and then turn around. Don't ask me why I chose 18 minutes... I just did. Point is... I made it back to my original start point in 17:10, so I felt good about picking up the pace a bit for that second half.

Not sure of the exact distance... call it 4.25 in 35:10.

Je me souviens

No... today's post has nothing to do with Quebec. It has to do with me remembering what it's like to run. Sure, I've done a few 2 mile jaunts here and there since hurting my back, but today I did a whole five miles. I couldn't help but note that five used to be a typical weekday distance for me. Now, today, it's my long run.

The time it takes me to cover five miles allows ample time for reflection on what I like and what I don't like about running. Given the late afternoon hour of my run, I opted for the cooler indoor confines of the treddy. Started off easily... first two miles were at a 9 minute pace. The last three were progressively faster with the last mile probably being a bit below 8:30 pace. Everything felt fine, I'm happy to report, though I could definitely feel that this was twice as far as I've run in the last three weeks.

Not much else for me to say about this run. It helped me/my body remember what it used to do on a regular basis, though it was not in and of itself a memorable run. And, of course, as I was nearing the 5 mile mark - I was at about 4.8? - my headphone cord became entangled with the emergency stop switch... bring my run to a premature halt. Of course, running 4.8? miles would never due when I planned to run 5. So I cranked up the treadmill again and did another .40 miles just for good measure.

Call it 5.25 miles in 45 and change.

Easing (my) back into things

I'm happy to report that my back is really feeling a lot, a lot better. What a difference two weeks makes. Went to the chiro/PT yesterday and began the rehab portion of the program, which essentially entails strengthening exercises for my back and my core muscles. When the PT guy asked me, "What kind of crunches do you normally do?"... I had to laugh... I'm a firm believer in zero minute abs. I hate crunches. Apparently this is part of my problems.... weak core strength. That, combined with my "hypermobility" makes for the perfect storm for back problems like I had two weeks ago. So I have yet another regimen of exercises to do... many of which involve one of those annoying exercise balls, which I'll have to purchase.

The best news is that I am (sort of) running again. As I wrote, I did two miles on the treddy on Tuesday. I didn't write about it yesterday, but I did another two on the treddy again. Today, I ventured into the great outdoors. Running three days in a row is virtually unheard of for me, but I didn't feel like yet another gym work out and I wanted to see how running outside would feel. So I kept it conservative and ran this 2.3 mile loop. I felt good, but was surprised that I could tell the difference in how my back felt from treddy running to running outside. Running outside felt like a bit more of a strain, but really, overall, it was good and I'm feeling optimistic.

2.3 in 19:30

Booooooring....

Second day back to running... again.. the non-exciting treddy.. another two miles. I, again, felt like I could do more but decided not to since it was recommended that I not run quite yet. But really, I feel fine.. I feel good. I may even salsa this week. I at least feel like it won't be long until I'm back in action.

Happy Fourth!

For all three or four people who might actually check this blog on at least a semi-regular basis.... perhaps you've noticed that I haven't had an entry as of late. I did something really bad to my back a week and a half ago. I'm not sure exactly what... popular theories include things like rupturing or slipping a disk, pinching a nerve, etc. What ever I did. It hurt. A lot. For a day I questioned if and when I'd walk again. Luckily the answer to that question was: the next day. Over the past week and a half, things have gotten progressively better and the question changed to if and when would I run and/or salsa again. These two activities have been mainstays of my life for a while now and not being able to do either one has been very trying.

The chiropractor I've been seeing has recommended that I not do either for another week. I try to listen... really I do. But the past two days have been tempting since I've been feeling about 90% better. I was sorely tempted to run yesterday, but since it was my birthday (see Amy's blog for a picture of the beautiful cake she made me), I figured the last thing I wanted to do was to reinjure myself... so I waited... until today.

Nothing monumental in and of itself... just two miles and I did it on the treadmill in case something bad happened. But I felt good. I kept the pace at just over 9 minutes for the first mile and just under nine for the second mile. I felt good. The back felt fine and best of all I felt like I could keep going. I'll probably run again Monday ... probably on the treadmill again to be safe... but maybe I'll go for three... we'll see what happens.

Being injured, stopped in your tracks, is frustrating. I truly try not to take for granted being healthy even though I feel somewhat entitled to good health... given that I'm still (somewhat) young, active, and try to make smart choices for myself. I'm glad to be feeling better and hopefully getting back to my usual routine. So I'll probably run Monday, salsa Tuesday and Wednesday, run Wednesday too and again on Friday... that's not too much, is it?

I'm a Ford Tempo, You're a Maserati

That's from a Kathleen Edwards song that's stuck in my head. Feeling like a Ford Tempo these days.

Two miles pre spin class in 16:52

Not sure that was a good idea

Yeah... so I ran today.... don't know what I was thinking. I ran farther than usual yesterday and was feeling great about that run, so it wasn't like I was feeling the need to catch up today. Just got some extra agida to burn off, I suppose. Somehow I thought a short little jaunt at the hottest point in the day was a good idea and maybe it was. Its sometimes hard to know what to do with these feelings. Salsa isn't for another six or so hours, so I needed some release.

2.4 in 20:20.

Recalibrated

We are creatures of habit. Well, I know I am. When my routine gets disturbed, it's usually not a good thing. Spending the last two days in Lancaster at a conference is not typical to my schedule.... there is even more sitting than usual and there are lots of snacks available to nosh on throughout the day. Sitting and noshing, sitting and noshing... that was the routine for Thursday and Friday. Oh yeah, and no running. I had brought running clothes and had even consulted a local map to plot out a running course. I'll blame my coworker for me not running - since she and her friends from Lancaster (no they weren't Amish) were influential in me drinking more than I should.

I was wiped out from all that nonactivity so I went to bed at 9pm last night and slept the whole night through. I awoke feeling refreshed and ready for a nice long run to help recalibrate my system. I knew Tinicum would be on the menu. Having hiked the lower loop a few days earlier, I knew the 'interesting' part of the lower loop was very overgrown, so I opted to forgo that section. Instead, I decided to run out the boring part, do twice around the upper loop, and then back down the boring part and home. I wasn't sure what the mileage of this would work out to, but I knew it would be an ambitious run for me, which is what I wanted. I decided to keep the pace relaxed and to allow myself to walk, if need be, in order to ensure that I did what I set out to do.

I felt pretty good setting out... kept the pace under control and was happy that my body wasn't doing any of the funny achy stuff it sometimes does. When I reached the upper parking lot at the top of the upper loop, I met a man from Seattle who is in town with his daughter visiting colleges. They are staying in one of the nearby airport hotels. He asked me if there were any good running trails in Tinicum. Ha! Well, he may have gotten more than he bargained for. I invited him to run along with me and I would tell him about Tinicum. It was nice, we ran together for probably about a mile and a half before he dropped back. It made me realize how much I miss having a regular running partner. The time goes so much more quickly.

Once at the top of the upper loop again, I decided to look for a water fountain. I knew there was a visitor's center there, but had never ventured inside. Not only are there two water fountains... there's also a bathroom! Good to know. Heading back down the upper loop, I was feeling pretty tired, which wasn't surprising given that I had been running for about eighty minutes. I knew it would be tough for me to continue running the entire way home, so I took two short walk breaks, which helped a lot, and eventually, I did make it home.

Piecing together various G-maps (and subtracting out what I walked)... looks like I ran about 12.2 miles in 1:47:30. Felt good and now all systems are back to normal.

Good enough

I was pressed for time this morning with an 8am appointment on the schedule. Managed to get myself out the door by 5:15 for my run, but I still knew I wouldn't have as much time as I wanted. Temps were a bit on the chilly side this morning which was nice for a change, though I fear that it interfered with my whole acclimating to the heat thing.

Did a ghetto Acme loop this morning, which included the hill that I ended up walking part of last week. Good news is I didn't walk up the hill this week and, in general, I felt pretty good. I was disappointed that my overall time wasn't faster since it felt like it should have been, but that's okay. I got out there and ran and felt good and any day I can say that, I'll chalk up to a good day.

4.2 in 36:40.

Progression

I used to subscribe to Runner's World. Not finding it all that useful and sometimes feeling inadequate compared to their cover models, I decided not to renew the subscription when it ran out. In an attempt to woo me back, they sent me a complimentary copy of the July 2008 issue in which there is an article about progression runs (which I read while falling asleep on the couch). I decided to make today's run an attempt at a progression run. I remembered last week, running with Amy at a somewhat slower pace, I felt great pretty much the whole time, despite it being a very, very hot day.

Headed down to the Art Museum around 7am, trying to beat the heat, though there's no beating the humidity. I remembered in the article reading about breaking the run down into three segments, trying to make each segment progressively faster. Given that I haven't done a good, long run in a while, I decided to think of this run as a 6 mile run (3 two-mile segments) with the extra two and a half tacked on at the end for good measure. So, the first two miles were a nice and easy 9:20 pace. I had no trouble maintaining the pace and could feel the urge to run faster. I wanted miles 3 and 4 to be at a 9 minute pace, but I over (or under) shot my goal and the miles came in at 8:53 and 8:55, respectively. At this point I was hot and a bit tired, but I tried to push through and surprised myself by turning in mile 5 at 8:37 and mile 6 at 8:31 ... and then just because I was feeling like it, mile 7 came in at 8:30. Now I was really hot and tired. I took it easy during mile 8 - running about a 9 minute pace. I accidentally hit the stop button instead of the split button at the eight mile marker, so I don't know what I did for that last half mile, and, really, it matters not.

8 miles in 70:40 ... the other half mile ???

Acclimating

Headed out the door about 6:30 this morning, later than I wanted but still early enough so that the temps were cool enough. Still, summer running takes a bit of getting used to. The air isn't just warmer, it's thicker.

Did the Acme loop this morning, which gives me some hills. I felt slow this morning... though not as bad as I did on Wednesday, so I guess I'll be happy for the improvement. I had that I-wanna-stop feeling several times along the way, especially up the hills, but I managed to keep going, mainly by making myself little deals along the way. Just make it to that tree, light post, sign, etc. and you can stop if you still feel this bad. I'm glad I was able to keep going. I know it's silly, but I do feel a sense of failure if I stop during a run.

I knew my pace was a bit slower than I wanted it to be, but I allowed myself that given that I'm still acclimating to the change in conditions.

4.5 in 40 minutes.

Moving On

I knew from the first few paces that my run wouldn't be easy. It's not unusual to feel that way at the beginning of a run, but most times, it gets better at some point along the way and that heavy, out of breath feeling from early on seems a distant memory.

Things didn't go that way today. Just about every step was labored and at two points along the way, I walked... which I hate to do.... but I tried to not be too hard on myself this morning. At least I got out there and ran... put one foot in front of the other and kept going.

4.65 miles in 42 minutes.

Well, Hello There Summer...

You're a little early, but that's okay. It's always nice when you can actually SEE the humidity. Steamy, I think, would best describe the conditions this morning. I met Amy (!!!yeah!!!) at Falls Bridge at 8am this morning for a fun-filled jaunt around the loop. Temps were already in the mid 70s at that point and it was just getting to that part in the morning where the sun is strong enough to burn through the haze.

We took our time, which was smart, and solved each other's life problems along the way - as is our usual routine. Once we reached the Art Museum we agreed to do a 1/2 run, 1/4 mile walk thing to preserve our energy and keep Amy's head from popping off. (She was worried it would. I assured her I'd do my best to catch it.)

The Dragon Boat races were today. Amy's friend Lee/Leigh is the captain of the Tsunami Dragons, so we made sure to catch up with her after her first race. Amy decided to stay and hang with Lee/Leigh while I finished the loop - running the remainder of the way. (And, no, Amy, I still don't hate you for abandoning me.)

As always, it was a treat to run with Amy. Of course, without her for that last mile and a half, I put the pressure on myself to pick up the pace. And, really, I just wanted to be done at that point. My goal for the day was to run for an hour - which I accomplished just as I dropped off Amy. So that extra mile and a half or so on top of that were just gravy - which was fine with me.

Ran for a 72 minutes. Unsure of the miles covered.

Baptism

Yes, it was pouring rain when I woke up this morning - just as it was last night when I came home from salsa. Still, I couldn't bring myself to do yet another hamster wheel run. I impressed myself by getting out of bed and dressing to run. As a reward, it seemed, the rain slowed a bit.

I knew today's run would be no great shakes, and it wasn't. I was tired, my legs didn't really want to go, but I was glad to be out and running. The air was warm, as was the rain. I left the iPod at home (not the watch though) and just listened to the sounds of the rain, my footsteps, my breathing.

Meandering through my blue-collar neighborhood, I worried less and less about the run and just tried to enjoy myself. I watched people struggling to stay dry while getting in their cars on their way to work. It made me smile to know that I'd be doing the same dance soon enough even though there I was running through it without even a baseball cap. I felt a sense of freedom that was both sad and sweet.

While it wasn't the fastest run I've ever done, I set out to run for 40 minutes and that's what I did. So, mission accomplished, and as an added bonus, I was baptized into a new day.

About 4.5 in 40 minutes.

I haven't been in the blogging frame of mind lately - at least not blogging about running. Sometimes I think I should switch to blogging about Salsa because that seems so much more interesting, but for now, I'll stick with the current format.

So I went to the gym this morning because prior to vacation, I had left a favorite necklace of mine in one of the lockers at the gym. Luckily I realized it pretty quickly and was able to call them and have them put it aside for me. Unfortunately, it's locked up in the safe (which is nice and all, but the things prolly worth less than 40 bucks), so I need a manager to retrieve it and, apparently, there's no manager on duty until 10 am.

So anyway... I did a hamster wheel run. Nothing fancy, nothing out of the ordinary. And unfortunately that fresh-as-a-daisy feeling I had earlier in the week is pretty much gone by now. But I ran, and that's the whole point, right?

5 miles in 42:27

Springy!!!

Wow... taking a week off from running seems to have helped my legs recoup a bit. Today was my second run since being back from vacation. I did a neighborhood loop with a few hills - just shy of five miles - and even towards the ends of the run, my legs felt downright springy. It was such a nice and unusual feeling. Maybe I should take time off more often!

4.86 in 41:24

Island Time

Yeah... it really was that beautiful. Seebo and I just returned from a week long getaway to Tortola where the lizards, chickens, and beautiful beaches are plentiful. It was nothing short of amazing. If you want to see more pics ... just ask... but given that this is a running blog... I'll stick to running stuff (mostly).

We both gave up running for the week, but I'll tell ya.. anyone who thinks they've done hills before hasn't seen squat until they've seen the hills on Tortola. Walking them was quite enough for me. Anyway... back to running....

So I ran Tinicum this morning - just the 4.5 miles that comprises the lower loop and the out and back to my place. I was sure that I'd see turtles this time around since this was the exact weekend I saw them laying eggs last year, but alas, there was no sign of them. Seebo hypothesized that either I wasn't looking hard enough or that I had already fulfilled my turtle viewing quota for the year given that we had seen several sea turtles while snorkeling in Lenister Bay. I'm not sure where the turtles have gone.

Left the watch at home - trying to stay on island time as much as possible.

10k before Vay-Cay

That's 6.25 the day before leaving for vacation.... on the treddy (on account of the rain).... in 52:42. Felt like a rock star... well, not really, but I felt good.

But the really important piece of news, which is somewhat sad, is that the Cluster Map at the bottom of this page was reset on May 14th. This means that all of my beloved red dots of various sizes from all 'round the globe have disappeared. It's too bad, really, because it gave me a lot of joy to know that at least three people on the continent of Africa had stumbled across my blog.

No running for the next week, but plenty of snorkeling!

Maggie's National Naked Running Day (observed)

A few days ago my friend and fellow runner/blogger, Maggie, wrote a lovely post about getting back to the simplicity of running; running for running's sake. You really should click here and read it - it's very thoughtful and nicely written.

Simply put, Maggie suggested that this coming Monday, we observe and celebrate Maggie's National Naked Running Day. No, she's not suggesting a mass streak across the city of Philadelphia. Rather, she suggests we leave our watches, iPods, Garmines (if you have one), and technical running gear at home and just go out and "enjoy the run for what it is".

My schedule didn't happen to sync up to allow me to observe this 'holiday' on Monday, so I chose to celebrate a day early. Now... to be fair... I don't really have non-technical running clothes - so I just wore what I normally wear. And, I don't usually run with my iPod unless I'm on the hamster wheel, so leaving that behind wasn't too difficult. Leaving the watch on the dresser, however, was not easy. I won't lie. I looked at the clock immediately before and immediately after I ran - so I do know approximately how long I was out... and of course I G-mapped the course (which I had already had archived) so I could know how far I ran.

Confessing these things may make it seem like I cheated a bit, and maybe I did, you can decide for yourself. But for me, I had the right mindset. I ran a neighborhood route, through the bowels of Southeast Delco - watching people doing yard work, walking home from church, or arriving for Mother's Day celebrations. The weather was beautiful and lots of stuff was in bloom. There is this one particular stretch of road that is about a mile in length that falls around the fifth mile of this loop. I love this road for the simple fact that, to me, it has the perfect rolling hills. You really can't even call them hills. Not even I, who might consider some large speed bumps hills, would call these hills. Rather, the roll of the road with its slight inclinations and declinations make it a very enjoyable stretch for me to run. It was a very zen like experience for me today running that stretch.

So here I am, a week past Broad Street, two weeks past the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon, and I'm trying NOT to worry about pace. It was a challenge, but I'm glad that I was able to do it. I felt good, strong, and thankful that I have the ability to get out there and enjoy the run for what it is.

Thanks for the suggestion, Maggie.

(8.2 in about 72 minutes - sorry... old habits die hard)

P.S. Ran 5 miles(42:22)on Friday on the treddy due to the rain.

Tinicum.... yes, again... you'd run there too if you lived close by

I guess it's still a little early for the Tinicum Turtles, but that didn't stop me from looking hard for them during my morning run. I didn't see any dug-up spots where they might have already laid their eggs. I wonder if somehow the eco-system of Tinicum is different this year, causing the turtles to change their breeding patterns. There has been a good deal of change in Tinicum over the past year - significant clearings, drainage, etc. I'll give it another few more weeks before I get too concerned.

Incidentally, this was my first run since Broad Street. I am still feeling soreness in my legs - mainly my left quad, but my calves too. Otherwise, the run felt good. I felt like I was keeping a decent pace, but wasn't pushing too hard.

I did the initial loop plus and out and back along the trail that connects the lower and upper loops. Ate a bunch of spider webs and counted nine or ten bunnies along the way - all adults. I'm sure the brazen adolescents will be out soon. A couple of deer were out as well.

5.6 in 48:41

Broad (running down the) Street

As smart of a race as I ran last weekend... this weekend, I was kind of a dumbass. It all worked out in the end, but it didn't feel good. For some reason, this past Friday seemed like a really great day to do some serious weight training. I don't know why. Yes, of course, I knew it was two days before Broad Street, but that didn't stop me from doing squats, lunges, and lots of upper body work. Somehow it seemed like a good idea at the time. Saturday I woke up so very sore and so very sorry, knowing that this wouldn't go away by Sunday... and I was right.

Weather was great, overcast and cool... no significant wind. Just like last weekend. Of course it was a zoo... as usual. With 22,000+ registrants, how could it not be? The first mile was the usual zig zag-ing through the throng of runners. I knew I went out fast - first mile was something like 8:04. Silly for me to be running the first mile that fast. I knew I should slow down and I tried, but miles 2, 3, and 4 came in around 8:14. You might be tempted to think that I was feeling good, putting in splits like that. When, in truth, I wasn't feeling so good and I knew I'd be in trouble down the road. Since I was so sore from lifting, my body and my legs felt tired, pretty much from the get go. But I knew that the tired and sore feelings were more about my Friday weight-lifting-fest - so I didn't feel like I could trust the messages I was receiving from my body.

By the time I made it around City Hall, I was definitely hurting. I saw my friend, Ron, spectating in the crowd right before mile 6, so that helped. It's always nice to see someone you know cheering you on. By the time I hit mile seven, the momentum was gone and I was toast. Shortly past the mile 7 marker, I stopped and walked for a short bit. I knew the last three miles were going to be really long, and they were. I kept trying to tell myself that I had less than 5k to go, but that didn't make it any easier. I walked a second time during mile eight, but still somehow managed to do it in under 9 minutes.

By the time I got to the 8 mile marker, I knew I had just two more miles to go. Unfortunately, these are the two most uninteresting miles of the course and seem to drag on forever. I just wanted to be done. I don't know what pace those last two miles were - certainly slower than my first few, but probably around 8:30 or less.

Funny thing is... for as crappy as I felt and given the fact that I walked here and there during those last three miles... I was surprised to find that I beat my time from last year. Not by much, but by about a half minute. The Broad Street web-site was down at the time of this posting, but by my watch, I ran it in 1:23:15

Update
Chip Time 1:23:14 - which is the exact time I ran it in in 2006
7th Place in the Rebecca Division (out of 66)

Keeping my fitness

I've been taking a nice little rest since last Sunday. My legs were pretty sore for a few days following the Lehigh Valley half. This morning, was my first run and really, my first return to exercise since then. I meant to run yesterday morning, but a late Salsa night squashed that plan.

I set out to do my usual West Philly loop and felt pretty good. I noticed some soreness in my calves, but this wasn't the same as the tightness/soreness that has plagued me in weeks past. This was more just residual soreness from charging the Lehigh hills last Sunday. Ok, ok, so 'charging' is probably a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point.

I did bring my watch, but now I forget what my time for the loop was. I know that I was running on the faster end of my usual pace - so probably around an 8:30 pace on average. Really, this morning was about shaking out the cobwebs and priming the pump for Sunday. I'll probably go to the gym tomorrow morning and throw around some iron - just so I keep that buff feeling.

Rain, rain stay away for Sunday!

The Best Time Ever (***update at end of post***)

It's been a bit of a rough week. I was glad for it to be over and head up to the beautiful Lehigh Valley for the half marathon this weekend with my good friend, Amy. This is my third consecutive year running this race. I ran it with Amy the first year and she returned again this year for another go at it. We came into town early afternoon on Saturday to go to the expo. Here's Amy,, looking cute as ever with her expo gear bag. And here we are, oh so cute and fabulous outside the expo. I'm warning you... if you haven't already figured it out.. there are going to be a lot of pictures in this entry, so if you're one of those running goobers who is primarily interested in the blow-by-blow race report, perhaps this entry isn't for you.
The past two years, there has been a Peep car at the expo. Essentially, it's a yellow VW Beetle with a giant yellow peep chick molded onto the top. It's become tradition to have one's picture taken with the Peep-mobile. We were sorely disappointed at it's absence this year. So, of course, I improvised. Amy was nervous that I'd be arrested by one of the half dozen officers standing about twenty feet away. Of course, that didn't happen. If she hadn't have been such a nervous Nelly, I may have hopped up on the seat.

After the expo, we took a trip to Allentown's recycling center. Yes, it's more exciting than it may sound. And then, off to the hairdresser. Amy has lived in the Philadelphia area for several years now, but being the loyal lass that she is, she returns every few months to visit her hairdresser of ten years (who's name is escaping me right now). Fabulous 'do! We (her hairdresser and I) tried to talk her into something a little different, but clearly, Amy doesn't do too well with change.
After buying some fabulous new sunglasses at the Bon-ton (dig the zexy security tag), we met up with Sarah, Meera, Tom, and Deb for a lovely dinner at one of Allentown's fine dining establishments. Then it was off to one of the new super-fabulous Wawas (you know, the fancy ones with the gas pumps) to get some breakfast stuff. Amy didn't know it, but I lifted a Sweet & Low packet right from under the noses of some of Allentown's finest (for some reason, I think they were following us). Here I am posing for my mug shot. We arrived plenty early for the pre-race socializing (and porta-potty-party). This is one of my favorite pictures... truly captures what me and Amy are all about. I had made arrangements to meet up with Maggie - a fellow blogger who I have not before had the pleasure of meeting. Unfortunately, by the time we caught up with each other, my bag (along with my camera) had been checked. It was great to finally meet her and her husband after reading her blog for so many months. See Maggie's blog for an artistic rendering of the scene.

Okay, okay... onto the actual race stuff.... We could not have asked for a better day, weather wise. Conditions were puuurfect. Overcast, low 50s, no real wind to speak of. Just perfect. This is definitely the hilliest race that I regularly run. This being my third shot at it, I felt fairly comfortable in knowing where the hills are and what, in general, to expect from the course. There are slight and gradual inclines and declines in the first five or six miles, but it really isn't until into the eighth mile that the hills start to come. None of them are particularly long, but some of them are fairly steep. Plus after already running eight or more miles, the legs are kind of tired. Miles eight, nine, and ten have the worst of the hills. Knowing this, I kept my pace in check for those first six miles, I knew that I'd like to average an 8:40 pace or below.

My first three miles were each 8:35 exactly. Yes, I was impressed with my pacing. Subsequent miles were a bit faster, but I was feeling strong and felt as though the pace was relaxed. Of course, the hills were a bummer and tough, but I got through them as well as I could and still had enough left in the tank to run well enough in those last three miles. I vividly remember last year, just having almost nothing left by that point and really hating the race. It didn't get to that point this year, and for that, I was very pleased.

At the time of this posting, the official results weren't up, but according to my watch, I finished in 1:52:20 - more than 5 minutes ahead of my time from last year and my fastest time on this course by over three minutes. I was pleased. I really felt like I ran a smart race. This kind of feels like another first in my evolution as a runner - actually having a plan for a race and successfully implementing it. I'm happy! And Amy surprised herself with running a great race for supposedly being out of shape. Whatever, Amy... you rock.

We decided to 'cool down' by walking back to the hotel - which was probably about a mile from the race finish. We debated the merits of this decision - given that our legs were aching and we were both having some left knee issues. But this made it all worthwhile. Only in Allentown, ladies and gentlemen:
Please note the Jesus painting, the Monster Truck/Demolition Derby poster, and the Billy Graham flyer (the wrestler, not to be confused with the Evangelical preacher). Priceless.

We will definitely be back next year.

UPDATE
And now the stats you've all been waiting for...
Official Chip Time is 1:52:24
54th woman in my age group (out of 246 women)
306th woman out of 1527 women runners
And MOST importantly....
FIRST PLACE in the coveted Rebecca Division (out of 12)!!!!

Home

I'm getting spoiled by all of this beautiful weather. It's been so perfect for running - cool, but sunny... temps in the mid 50s. This morning was no exception. I woke up a bit before my alarm and just lay in bed listening to the chorus of birds.... the call of Tinicum. This is my second spring running there and it truly does feel like home.

So out I went. My last run before Allentown. I left the watch at home and didn't even entertain the idea of the iPod. I knew this was going to be an easy run - just the initial loop (interesting part, then boring part). I felt good; I had energy; no nagging aches or pains. This, I thought, is how running should be.

Funny thing about today's run... the interesting part was not so interesting. Of course it was beautiful and it was interesting to note just how much the foliage had grown, narrowing the path. I suppose its still too early for the turtles to be laying their eggs - a few more weeks. And yet, almost as soon as I set foot on the 'boring part', I spotted one of the first Tinicum bunnies of the season. Along that stretch, I'd see about seven or eight, in total. All adults - but I know that, too, will change soon. At one point, I felt like I was watching a rabbit relay. No sooner would one scurry down the trail and dart into the brush when another would appear to run the next leg. I could almost swear I saw them passing off a carrot to one another. And, of course, a few memebers of the official Tinicum track club were out and about.

Simply a beautiful morning and I was glad to be home.

Suddenly Spring

Set out this morning around West Philly again. Beautiful morning. I so do not miss the cold and the wind from just last month. Seems like ages ago at this point. This being my 34th spring season on Earth, you'd think that I'd be accustomed by now to how quickly the grass grows, how instantly the leaves seem to appear on the trees. But every year it amazes me and catches me somewhat off guard. This morning I found myself marveling at the sudden appearance of life. I thought about Tinicum and that I should be running there today. Friday... for sure.

After running the 5k this weekend, I think my body was still in fast-runner mode and my first mile came in pretty fast for me - about 8:13. I tried to slow it down a bit, but my body just wanted to go, go, go. I felt good today... not like one of those I could run forever days, but still.... no maladies to report. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that to be true on Sunday as well when I run Lehigh.

Cut the route a little bit short today (5.1 vs 5.4), after all, this is my taper week. I'll run the initial loop of Tinicum this Friday - and hopefully spot some turtles and bunnies... and then I'll rest up for Sunday.

5.1 in 43:10

More Reasons to Hate Clean Air

This morning was the infamous (that means more than famous) Clean Air 5k. Last year Linmark messed up the measurement of the course - making it a 4.9k, much to the chagrin of more than just a few local runners.

The morning started out nicely - sunny day, a bit warm, but nice, really. I met up with some of the ole Red Rovers - Amy and Justin. Barb and JP were supposed to show, but overslept and missed the race. My co-worker, Stacey, joined us as well - making our team three redheads strong.

I didn't really know what to expect from myself in this race. My training hasn't been great lately. If you've been keeping up, I've been complaining about how I've slowed down quite a bit - albeit unintentionally.... and there has been absolutely NO speed work going on. Plus I ran yesterday. Running two days in a row is not something I usually (read: hardly ever) do, so I wasn't sure how tired my legs would feel. But, as always, I would try my best.

Registration pick up left a lot to be desired. They had no safety pins for the bibs - so the race folks were telling people not to bother with their bibs - and just to be sure they wore their chip. Ok fine. I overheard one runner ask someone behind the registration table what time the race began. He did not know. *Sheesh* Top notch race organization.

I forgot my watch, so I had to rely on the course timers. The first mile marker was the only one (besides the finish) to have a timer. Mile 1 came in around 8:05. Mile 2 felt about as fast... maybe 3 to 5 seconds slower, but who really knows. Mile 3 I was tired. The sun was beating down and I really felt like my legs were beat. As I crossed what I thought was the finish line, I naturally slowed down... that is until I heard people in the crowd yelling to keep going, that the finish was, in fact, a couple dozen more yards away. Turns out Linmark never removed the chip timer mats from the start of the race... leading the runners (including me) to believe that these were the mat-timers for the finish of the race. Not so.

Fine.. no biggie - maybe I lost a second or two in the slow down. I crossed the finish line with a clock time of 25:30. Wondering what my chip time is? Yeah... so am I. I checked out the results... and I'm not there. So maybe I'm just making this whole story up - and I didn't really run the race. There is no proof that I did. Looking at Stacey's results, it looks like her chip time was about ten seconds faster than her clock time... so given that we started together, I guess that applies to me too. That's as close as it looks like I'm going to get to knowing my actual time. Good thing I didn't really have my heart set on doing well in this race.

After grabbing some water, I found Stacey and we ran out to pick up Justin and his mother who were power-walking the race. Sadly, Justin did not beat the penguin this year. Don't worry Justin - you'll get him next year.... not so sure I'll be there to see it though.

Warm up - 5k - and cool down.... probably about 4.25 miles.

Mixed Messages

Another beautiful spring morning... one where I was glad to be outside, glad that I fought that ever-present urge to stay in bed. And as I ran, I started to get the feeling that I was supposed to be out there running, that the universe was sending me 'signs' telling me that I was right where I should be. For example.... nearly all the traffic lights were green for me when I needed them to be. This almost NEVER happens - especially when running through the Penn Campus area and over the South Street bridge. But, I swear this to be true, I did not have to stop once or even slow down really during those first two miles.

As I ran through the park where people take their dogs in the morning (I just learned, through the miracles of the internet, that it's called the Markward Playground), I could see a long and slow moving freight train rumbling along the tracks. I wondered if my luck were running out and if I'd be forced to detour my route. But somehow I knew my streak would continue and, as luck would have it, the last cars of the train were passing over the cross-walk area just as I was coming around the bend. Yes, I truly felt that the stars (and freight cars) were aligning to make my run smooth.

That was until I got hit by a car. Ok... so I wasn't really hit as much as I was bumped. I was crossing a street (where, of course, I had the green light). The cars were stopped, as they should have been, and I was passing in front of them when one car began rolling forward. I could see that the driver was twisted around - trying to fish something out of the back seat - and her foot must have slid or eased off the break. It wasn't a big deal and I know I scared the bejesus out of her when I pounded on the hood of her car to let her know, "Hey, you're hitting a pedestrian here!"

Undeterred, I continued my run.... and then it almost happened again! This time it was a van was quickly backing out of an alley. I didn't see him, he didn't see me. Luckily, my cat like reflexes allowed me to skirt out of the way before any bumper-Reba contact could occur. Phew! That could have been ugly.

So... lesson learned... even when you feel like all is right in the universe and you're getting signs that you're good to go... be careful because you never know when something is going to come out of left field and knock you on your arse. And even though the universe might be sending you mixed messages... you've got to go out there and do what you think is right.

Same 5.4 as Wednesday - in 47:20.

Oh... and now the answer to the question that's on everyone's mind.

Good luck to everyone who is running Boston on Monday!!!

Morning Glory

Been a busy day and I'm feeling more pressure to write reports, than to write a blog entry, so I'll keep this short. Of course I didn't want to run - that's been a theme lately for me, but of course I'm glad I did. What a glorious spring morning. Really perfect. Even I couldn't find anything to complain about weather wise.

Had some tightness in my calves, but nothing major and I didn't even stop to stretch them out.

5.4 thru West Philly in 47:30.

Chasing a Ghost

I don't know anyone who truly looks forward to a long run. I'm of the mind that anyone who says they do is a stinkin' liar. I knew I wanted to do 12ish today - my last long run before Allentown, but I won't lie to you... I wasn't looking forward to it. Part of the reason being that I've been in somewhat of a speed funk (or lack thereof, I should say) lately. I am happy that my shins/calves/hips/etc. have been keeping fairly quiet, but I am not happy that I have slowed down considerably since last fall.

I went to Tinicum and really did not put pressure on myself to run fast. I knew I'd be out there for a while and it was important to me to finish the run, so I kept the pace comfortable, though still pushing it here and there. I did the interesting part of the lower loop and then two full loops around Darby Lake before heading back down the connector stretch, down the boring part of the lower loop, and then home. My energy level was good for about three quarters of the run and then I was really starting to feel tired, but I was okay with that. I should feel tired after running 9+ miles. Other than the fatigue... everything else felt good.

Piecing together from various g-maps I have of the area, it seems that my run was about 12.6 miles. I finished in 1 hour 53 minutes, which is barely shy of a nine minute mile. I know I said that I intentionally didn't push the pace, but I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed by this. I look back to this past fall when I ran a 1:49:38 at the PDR. That's an 8:22 pace.... which seems so far out of my grasp right now and that is really frustrating.

I know I should be grateful that I'm running injury free these days and I very much am. I need to keep that in mind. It's hard though.

But... as they say... the hay is in the barn. And, of course, the idea of that makes me smile. Two weeks until Allentown. I'll do my best.

Need to hit the reset button

Had to be in Plymouth Meeting early on Friday morning. I didn't have time to run in the morning, so I delayed it until the afternoon. I ran the same West Philly loop that I've run on numerous occasions now - though I usually run it in the early morning hours as opposed to rush hour on Friday afternoon on a beautiful sunny day. Lots of folks out and about enjoying the warm weather and sunshine. As I was running by/through a frat party of sorts - some young college guy trying to be funny ran along side me for a few paces, offering his beer as refreshment. Of course I took it (no, I didn't drink any) and ran with it for a few paces - much to the delight of his buddies. I handed it off to another frat boy a few paces down the block. Don't know what became of the beer after that. It was a nice, full Corona. I should have drank it.

I'll just say it - I felt like crap during this run and stopped to walk on a few occasions. No tightness in my calves or anything like that. I just felt really, really tired and short of breath. It was frustrating. I haven't felt quite right on my runs in a week now - ever since my fall. Maybe my system got jarred when I fell last Friday. Something ain't right. I feel like I need to reboot - or hit the reset button, or something like that.

Got my long run on tap for Sunday. We'll see how it goes.

Ran for a total of 41 minutes. Can't say anything about the distance - I'll guess about 4.5.

Puzzled and Pouting

I ran Tinicum this morning - the initial loop, plus an out and back of the connector section. I intentionally took the initial mile at a somewhat relaxed pace. Judging from what I know to be the one mile mark from my house into Tinicum, the first mile came in at right around a 9 minute pace. Fine.

I picked up the pace, I thought, especially during the last two and a half miles of the run. I finished in exactly 54 minutes. So here's the thing... I G-mapped the route (but lost the link) and it's just over six miles. And by just over, I mean like by a few hundredths of a mile. I don't get it. How could I have maintained a nine minute pace while feeling like I really had stepped it up? I've been running long enough now to be able to tell when I'm running faster than I was... at least I thought so.

This was the same feeling I had on Sunday when I ran that additional four after running 8.25 with Amy. That I chalked up to a fluke and the fact that I was likely fatigued from the 8+ miles. But now today it happened too. This has me perplexed, frustrated, and wondering whether I need to revise my goal time for Allentown. I'm not happy and then I get frustrated because part of me just wants to run for the enjoyment of running and not worry so much about times. But I just don't understand how I could have suddenly become so much slower?

I don't mean to just kvetch about my slowness. I do love running in Tinicum and feel fortunate to have that resource so close by. And, overall, I felt pretty good during the run. I had to stretch out the calves after about a mile and a half, but then they were fine.

6 in 54

The Power of Friendship

I met my friend Amy at Lloyd Hall this morning. You have no idea how nice it is to type that sentence. I miss running with Amy - the miles go by so much more quickly when we're gabbing away. When the alarm went off at 6:30 - my first thought was 'gotta meet Amy'. My second thought was, 'S***, it's raining.' Luckily the first thought was a more powerful force than the second and I was able to get out the door to meet her at 7:30.

The weather was pretty nasty - upper 40s, raining, fairly windy. I'm sure, had I been going it alone, that I would have been miserable much of the time. But it really wasn't all that bad. Somehow, I think that when I run in the rain I don't get as dehydrated... like I absorb the water through osmosis. Don't think there is much truth to that, but I still like the thought.

We did the loop at a relaxed pace and caught up on each other's lives and, of course, did our best to solve each other's problems. After dropping Amy off at Lloyd Hall, I set off to do another four miles. I was feeling good at the end of my run with Amy and was interested to see what I could do for those last four. I was surprised and somewhat dismayed that despite what seemed like a good effort, I was only pulling out 9 minute miles. This didn't make me too happy. I tried to tell myself that I was tired from running the 8.25 with Amy. Still, I didn't like the splits. I tried to keep in mind that, at this point, what's most important is being on my feet and running - no matter the pace - for an extended period of time. And that I did.

8.25 miles in 82 minutes. 4 miles in 36 minutes.... total of 12.25 in 118 minutes.

An update on my contusion (thanks, Amy, for the word). I've been a bit obsessed with it's progression.... can't say why really, other than the fact that I haven't had a bruise like this in a long time... maybe ever. It's puuuurty.