SNOW

Lots and lots and lots of snow...

I know I haven't blogged since Sunday, but as you can see, things have been a bit crazy around the South.  We were hit again with snow, and this time it came to Huntsville.  We had a "light dusting" on Tuesday...

Tully loves the snow!  Wednesday night, the heavy stuff started falling.  And it fell all night long.  When we woke up Thursday morning, we had about 5 inches.  I had to let Tully get the most out of the stuff he never sees, so we set out for a morning hike.  We both made a new friend at our apartment complex the night before.  A neighbor has a border collie mix that is the perfect size and energy level to play with Tully.  We ran into them again in the parking lot Thursday morning and convinced them to join us on our walk.  

The streets were shut down so people were on foot everywhere.  We walked down to the trailhead across from our complex and set out on a beautiful, snow-covered Monte Sano (see top photo).  We had a great time and the pups continued to wear each other out.

It didn't take long once the sun came out for the roads to start to clear up, so I went in to work for a few hours.  But with the entire city shut down for about 3 days, there was little to be done.  I really wanted to get out for a good run off of the treadmill, and the snow is actually pretty fun to run in.  So I headed back to the trails late afternoon.  Apparently, everybody wanted to enjoy the now-covered mountain because the trails were now a soggy mess.  But Tully was so happy to be out in everything and we pressed on.  

It's funny, but wet feet actually aren't that bad.  We were basically running through streams, so it wasn't long before we were soaked.  Your feet warm up, though, from the running and body heat.  So everything is okay until you get splashed again with the icy water, then you have to heat back up.  But it was a beautiful day, and we got a fun, soggy 4 1/2 mile run in.  By the time we got home and dried off, I had one tired pup on my hands!  Tully and I definitely made the most of our snow day!

P.S.  Update on physical therapy:  Insurance covered everything! (Up to 20 visits)  So, this morning marked my 3rd appointment.  The general consensus is that my glutes are weak and are therefore not stabilizing my hips.  So all of my exercises are targeted on my rear-end.  Bonus: Extra targeted exercises on a swimsuit season trouble spot ;-)  The therapist is working me hard these two weeks leading up to my half, so let's hope it makes a difference!

9 Miles and a Hike!

What a wonderfully exhausting day! It's amazing what a difference the weather makes. I woke up today knowing that it was going to be the best weather day for my long run, but I had no idea just how great the weather was going to be. 

It was a lovely sunny and 60 degrees when I headed out around noon. I was able to wear shorts! I put on my favorite "Run Happy" Brooks tech t-shirt and pulled over my Monte Sano 15K long sleeve tech shirt because the wind was a little chilly. I planned on running at least 10 miles on the road. But such beautiful weather called for beautiful scenery, so I headed back to the cross country trail. 

After the first 3 mile loop, I had shed my long sleeves. How long has it been since I could run outside in shorts and short sleeves? The cold winter months have seemed like a eternity. The warmth of the sun on my skin was incredible. I think I even got a little color on my face!

The fantastic weather was needed, too. It was a welcome distraction from the tough terrain. When I decided to trade my long road run in for a long trail run, I knew the sacrifice of a mile or two would be made up for in difficulty. Trail runs are tougher for the obvious reasons such as the instability of the terrain: loose rocks, roots, fallen trees, etc. But then there are also the hills. Rarely do you find a trail run without them. 

This particular track has one heartbreaking, spirit-crushing, murderous hill that will shut down a good pace in seconds. You begin with a gradual incline shortly after the 1.5 mile marker. This is just enough to warm up your calves. Then, less than a minute later, you look up to at least 50 or more feet of a devastatingly steep climb. This is a climb that shortens the breath, burns the calves and strains the quads. Your heart is pounding; you enter another heart rate level in your training. And I'm still not sure that is the worst part. You see, once you finally crest the top of the incline, there is no reward with a downhill breather; there isn't even a leveling off. It keeps going! At a slightly less punishing incline, the hill keeps climbing. It feels like it never ends. Until finally, when you're just about to give up, you reach the top to a brief downhill recovery. And that's when I remember why it's okay that I'm not running 10 today. 

There are so many benefits to running on trails besides the beautiful views and the hill training. One of the most noted is that the soft dirt provides a much easier impact and can provide for fewer related injuries. However, that doesn't make it injury free. I would caution anyone just starting out on the trails to be careful. The uncertainty of where your foot might land can easily lead to sprained ankles or worse. I feel that this is one area where my years of ballet have helped me, because I came into the game with pretty strong ankles. But even I nearly rolled one today. This is a great article that highlights some of the benefits of trail running. http://m.active.com/running/articles/5-reasons-to-try-trail-running

As enjoyable as my run was today, by the time I conquered heartbreak hill the third and final time, I was happy to see the end ahead. 9 miles on trails is work! My knees were aching, my muscles were fatigued, and my feet were ready for me to get off of them. But there is a wonderful sense of accomplishment that comes at the end of a hard run. I was pleased with my workout. But I wasn't done yet...

I had already made plans with my friend. Holly to take advantage of the warmer weather and go for a hike today with our two Goldens. She had already texted me when I got back in my car. I came straight home, put on some dry clothes (9 miles does work up a sweat), and met her outside. We walked to the Monte Sano trails across the street and had a great time hiking with our two pups. The dogs loved the weather and the exercise!

They played in the creek and sniffed everything they came across. They met a couple new friends on the trails as well. We all had a great time!

After a 9 mile trail run and an hour and a half long hike, I am pleasantly exhausted. My feet hurt, and my legs are sore. And yet, I am happy knowing that the pain is only temporary and well worth the fun and running improvement I got out of it. It's a great feeling being tired tonight. And the sleepy dog next to me sure was one happy pup on that trail!

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