Cross Country

As winter presses on, my training continues to take a hit.  I find myself on the treadmill more and the roads and trails less.  Tully is especially frustrated since he loves the cold weather and is stuck inside way too much.  But the cold has just been too much to handle for this warm weather fan.

Wednesday was a tough day.  Work was stressful.  Then I was late getting home, and I really just didn't feel like running.  Of course, those days do come around every once in a while, but with a streak, there's no room for them.  So I drug myself up to the treadmill assuming it would be a one-mile minimum kind of day.  I was so mentally exhausted, that I set the pace to 10 min. and just wanted to get it over with and get back to my couch.  To my surprise, I was handling the pace quite well, even better than the day before.  I was really booking it and feeling pretty good as I finished mile one.  So I decided to see if I could hang in for another mile.  I was trucking on pretty well.  However, it was late, so I still planned on a short run.  I increased my speed to finish my second mile at a 9:13 pace!  Now, I realize that this is nothing compared to real competitive runners and their 6-7 minute miles.  But for someone like me, it was awesome.  And I found myself hopeful that I might achieve my secret goal of setting a new PR in a 5K next weekend.

Yesterday (Thursday), the temperature finally warmed up a bit.  Knowing that my poor pup desperately needed to get some exercise, I made the decision to go straight from work to get him and run in the last bit of daylight.  Huntsville has a public cross country track that is 3 miles long and winds around a golf course.  That's where we headed.

As the sun began to fall in the sky, the temperature started to fall just as quickly.  I love this track, but the beginning and end run through an open field that provides no protection from the chilling wind.  I was prepared for this though, and dressed appropriately.  After the first mile, I warmed up, and it was a good run.  Nothing fast, but an enjoyable trip for Tully and me.  It was really nice for both of us to get out and get some fresh air.  And the colors of the clear sky at sunset as we finished up were beautiful.  

I'm looking forward to a whole lot more of these runs in the coming month as we get closer to spring.  And let's face it, nobody really wants to read about me running on a treadmill!  A treadmill run is exactly what I put in for today, however.  I ran two easy miles this morning.  But it was enough to keep my streak alive.  Today marked Day 21 and the conclusion of 3 weeks solid so far!  My plan is to let my legs have the rest of the day off and go for my long run tomorrow afternoon.  Wish me luck!

Snow Shuts Us Down

Winter Storm in Alabama = State of Emergency. Ironically, what we got in North Alabama was nothing compared to our southern counties. My friends and family in Birmingham really had a nightmare to deal with! I heard of 20-30 minute commutes taking 3-7 hours! I even heard of some friends who had to walk home! And sadly there are many who couldn't get home at all! My husband had to go pick up his nephews from daycare and is now staying at his parents' house because he can't get back home. We are from the South - the Deep South. We can't handle snow. And I can promise that we certainly can't drive in it!

However, while my state may be lacking in a lot of things, it is number one in kindness and good ol' southern hospitality. For all of the nightmares I saw on Facebook today, there were so many wonderful stories of total strangers lending helping hands. I heard of people opening their homes and businesses to stranded drivers. People with 4-wheel drives were picking up pedestrians and using ATVs to shuttle elderly people to warm safety. People were walking down crowded streets handing out coffee to freezing drivers. I am so proud to live in a place where people come together in times of need. This is just a glimpse of the chaos people were dealing with in Birmingham.

Knowing most of the snow was supposed to be south of me, I didn't expect anything but maybe a few passing flurries today. So I was certainly surprised to step outside to a white cloud of snow blowing in what seemed like all directions. It was granular almost, and when the wind blew it on the sidewalks, it looked like someone had gone around throwing sand everywhere. It never accumulated more than maybe an eighth of an inch, and most of that was not on the road. So travel wasn't much of a problem up here. That was a welcome relief for me since I live on a mountain. 

I thought about trying to run in it after work. I've run in snow before, and it was actually a lot of fun. But when I left work today, the "feels like" temperature was 5 degrees. 5! Where is that global warming people used to talk about?

Needless to say, it was back to the treadmill for me. Tonight's 3 miles took a little longer, but the change up I did actually made for a tougher workout. I ran the first mile at a 10 min pace which was tiring in itself. Then, I slowed to a 12 min pace for the second mile. I ran the first quarter of mile 2 on a incline of 4. There were times I was sure I was going to just slide right off the back. I lowered to an incline of 2 for the next quarter mile then ran an easy flat 12 min pace for the last half of mile 2. I kicked it back up to a 10 min pace for the first half of mile 3, back down to a 12 min for a third, and finished at a 10 min pace again. Whew! That was tiring just trying to explain it! Those inclines really work my calves, though. And why is it that I can manage a 10 min pace so much easier outdoors? Am I the only one that finds that the treadmill is harder to run? I'm so ready for spring!

Treadmill Training

"Feels like 16." That's crazy!! And it's only getting worse. Well, I guess it's back to the treadmill. I am trying to break up the monotony of running like a gerbil on a wheel. So, combining some tips from my husband and a few things I got from a Runner's World article, I'm trying to mix it up a bit. 

It is the only time that running and TV are combined, so I use that as my distraction and my pacing. Currently, I have been mixing speed and hills. First, I find something on TV to keep my attention. I personally like the Food Network and Travel channels. I run at a 10 min pace while the show is on. When it switches to commercial, I slow down to about a 12 min pace and up the incline to a 2 or 2.5. Then back to speed again when the show comes back on. I was hoping this would mimic the feeling of running downhill, but nothing can really substitute the feeling of real terrain under your feet. 

At least this does give me an outlet for my running when the weather is so awful.  I was able to get in 3 miles that I probably couldn't do in this cold. 

This concludes Day 17 of my streak. Still going strong! It does wear on my legs, though, especially the joints. I really need to start incorporating some yoga again. 

I have four weeks until my next half marathon. I really hope it warms up soon!

A Sunday with Family

Today was a recovery run. I was planning for a pretty short run anyway after my 10 miler yesterday. But that run wore on me a little more than I thought. My right knee is hurting today for whatever reason. So Tully and I headed to the park to limp out 3 miles and try to work out some kinks. The run did loosen up some stiffness from yesterday, but my knee is still killing me. Nevertheless, we managed to pump out 3 miles in 31 minutes, so not quite as bad as I thought. 

After my run, I was finally able to catch one my nephew's basketball games. He played great and shot a perfect 3-pointer! Owen is the first nephew I was blessed with, and it's so hard to believe he is 12 years old now. I love this kid!!

Now, I'm off to my grandmother's house to spend some time with my wonderful family. (Disclaimer: You will probably tire of hearing about how great my family is, but they really are the best.) And I happen to know there is a delicious apple cake waiting for me there! After that, we are joining my husband's family at Joe's Crab Shack to celebrate his birthday. Not a bad Sunday. 

Happy 10 Mile Day

Weekends are typically for long runs. It's nearly impossible to fit a two hour run in on a workday. I'm in Birmingham to celebrate my husband's birthday this weekend. The Weather Channel promised me a 50 degree sunny forecast for Saturday and Sunday, and I was excited to pack shorts for my long run. Well, what I got instead this morning was an overcast 40 with 15 mph winds. I went to Walmart after lunch and was discouraged thinking I was going to have to put my long run off until tomorrow and hope the weather turned around. However, after a short nap when I got home, I was pleasantly surprised to see sunshine. With tights and my nike element (always be prepared) that I also packed, the temperature seemed bearable, so I decided to go for long. 

Just down the road from my house in Gardendale is a little park called Black Creek Park. From there is a trail that is part of the Rails to Trails program turning old train tracks into biking and running trails. It's a packed gravel trail that is great to run on. This particular stretch is 3.4 miles one way, so that's where I started. It's really quite pleasant: surrounded by woods and quiet. Other than an occasional passing pedestrian, you kind of have the whole track to yourself. It's a great place to get out of your head and enjoy some fresh air. 

Well, on this particular occasion, my peaceful run got a little excitement. Right after my turnaround, at almost exactly the 3.5 mark, I came across a police car driving down the track, two of them actually. Now, there are no motor vehicles allowed on the trail, so any car was a bit of a surprise. I noticed him slowing down and rolling down his window. So I paused my run and my music and walked up to the now stopped vehicle. 

"Have you seen anyone around here with a rifle?"

I'll give you a moment to let that sink in. I was a caught off guard by the question to say the least. I told him no and asked if I should be concerned. He told me that he didn't think I should worry; he said that he thinks someone was probably just out target practicing, but they received a complaint. I did tell him about a car that was parked at the end of the trail, and he said he'd check it out. He confirmed one more time for me that I was good, and I returned to my run. 

Now, Gardendale (or technically Fultondale) is a pretty quiet and safe place to live. And it certainly is the type of small southern town where people do randomly fire off their rifles at targets on the weekends, so I really wasn't too concerned. Especially when the two cops passed me again on their way back and didn't stop. I assumed that if I was in danger that they would have picked me up. I will say this: it may have been the possibility of a random gunman or the excitement of it all, but I shaved 2 minutes off of my 7 mile time from last Saturday which was 1:10'26. Today, I finished 7 in 1:08'33. And then I went on to finish 10 in 1:39'41. That's 10 miles in under 100 minutes. I'm so happy that I'm keeping up my pace on long runs.  Maybe this whole streaking thing is starting to pay off! 

Run It Out

January 24, 2014

Yesterday’s run was tough.  I did a trail run up Monte Sano Mountain in the freezing temperatures.  However, since the “polar vortex” has taken over the Heart of Dixie, outdoor runs have become a little more difficult to obtain.  Therefore, it was definitely nice and rewarding to get back outside.  The fresh air was great, albeit a little tough to suck in.  And the dirt under my feet was a welcome change to a treadmill belt.  However, I think that my golden retriever and adventure partner, Tully, probably got the most out of the run.  I probably would have enjoyed it a little more if I had a specially designed fur coat as well! 

The run up was obviously the most difficult.  It was Day 13 of my streak, and with a pure barre class thrown in on Tuesday evening, my muscles were feeling the fatigue.  In the end, I completed a 3 mile run in a long 42:51.  My weather app said that it was 23 degrees and felt like 11.  I think it may have felt a little more like -11.  Luckily, all uphill on the first leg means all downhill on the way back!  And the views from the top are definitely worth the work.

I was first turned on to trail running by a friend almost exactly a year ago.  The first time I tried it I almost died.  Running up a mountain?  What kind of torture was this?  Oh, and did I mention that I am a total klutz.  No.  Really.  I fall down a lot.  It is a fact.  But I do love nature and being outdoors; I have since I was a kid.  See, I grew up on a cliché of a street where my neighbors were literally my cousins.  If the sun was shining, our parents kicked us out of the house and told us to play outside until time to eat.  We lived on a dead-end street in pretty much the middle of nowhere, so this meant approximately 25 acres of woods and fields.  So I guess I’ve technically been running through trails my whole life!

I made it about six months before I finally fell.  I tripped on a particularly rocky part of the trail and fell straightforward onto the jagged ground.  Tully was a little startled since I was holding his leash.  I scraped up my hands from catching my fall and seriously bruised my knee on one leg and front thigh on the other.  My friend who was running with me asked if I was okay.  After considering this for a moment, I said “yes.” 

“Can you walk?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Okay, let’s run it out.”

I did.  After we finished, I looked at him, “Run it out? Seriously?”  He made some remark like, “it worked, didn’t it,” and I couldn’t help but agree.  I didn’t even have time to sit and think about my injuries.  I just got up and ran to finish.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could be this way about everything in life?  Just get up and go.  I think I’m going to try to make that my mantra for 2014.  Life can get pretty complicated sometimes and maybe we all need to just “Run It Out.” 

A year after my first trail run, I competed in my first trail race: 

Monte Sano 15K Trail Run

January 11, 2014

A Little Background

A little background…

I don’t make New Years Resolutions, but I am trying to set goals for myself.  I first did the Couch to 5K program while I was in law school a few years ago, but then I kind of let life get in the way of the whole running thing.  Then at the end of 2012, after graduation and taking the bar and starting to work, I realized that I needed to start doing something again.  While I did want to drop a couple of pounds, I mostly wanted something to keep me active and healthy.  Gym memberships and classes are expensive and tough to fit in a crazy work schedule.  But running is free and can be done anytime and almost anywhere.  A couple of coworkers at my old job were running, and we started going together a few days after work.  Going immediately after work was great because I didn’t get home and get lazy.  Plus, having friends there made it fun and held me accountable.  After a few months, I realized that I was getting a whole lot better at this stuff.  And so it began…

One of my co-workers (he is now one of my law partners and good friends) ran his first half-marathon in April 2013.  That’s exactly what I needed to step up my game.  I wanted to do that!  I worked hard, ran often, and by the end of 2013 (November 9, 2013 to be exact), I ran my first half-marathon!  So as 2013 came to an end, I decided that I was going to really take on 2014.  It is going to be the last full year of my 20s after all… That’s right.  I turn 29 in June.  So what does a girl do when she’s staring down the barrel of 30?  Turn it up a notch!

That brings us back to New Years.  I have another half marathon scheduled for the end of February.  And after seeing all of the posts about the Runners World holiday streakers, I was inspired.  Maybe I should streak!  So I set out to streak from New Years Day until my half on February 23.  I was on it… until January 4.  I started feeling bad, and by January 5 I was shut down with a respiratory infection (I’m thinking pneumonia but I didn’t go to the doctor).  Of course this would also cripple me the week before a scheduled 15K trail run.  So I put the streak on hold, pumped myself full of antibiotics, and rested up.  That Saturday, January 11, I got out and ran 15K up Monte Sano Mountain.  It may have been was harder than my half.  I struggled.  My partner, who had been on a ski trip all week while I was sick, described my various coughing fits as those of a COPD patient who smoked for 30 years.  But I FINISHED!  And the streak was back on!

Fast-forward to today – I have been streaking now for 13 days. (I haven’t run yet today.)  It’s a lot harder than I thought.  Especially since we’ve been dealing with the “polar vortex” here in the South.  Luckily, my apartment complex has treadmills, which is helping me stay in the game. 

So that’s the long and short of it.  I guess I’m hoping to use this blog as sort of a journal of my running adventures.  And since I am a self-proclaimed “junk food junkie,” there will certainly be a bit of posting about food and probably travels as well.  Oh, and did I mention that I am thinking of training to run a full marathon before my 30^th birthday?...

Triumphant after completing my first half!