Finally got another long one in today. Here is how it went:
Warmed up with 1.35 on the treadmill. Then headed outside to enjoy the beautiful day with Ed. Did 4.5 with him---my 4-5 mile route that goes up Erie Ave. and back on Observatory. We turned at Stetiniums which makes it 4.5. Had a Powergel back home with some water. Then I took Maggie out for 3 miles around the park. This was maybe too much for her because she hasn't been running with me in a long time and she is kind of heavy now. And she's no spring chicken either. She wasn't in distress and she wasn't limping, but we had to go very slowly. Back at home, had another Powergel with water. And then I finished up with a slow 3.05 on the treadmill, which was pretty much agony the way the last few miles always is.
But I got it done! It took forever but I got it done!
In other news, they finally posted the results from our Reindeer Romp on Saturday. Well, I guess I should have hung around for the awards. Turns out I won my age group and they had me as third woman overall. Really I was fourth woman but they placed me ahead of that young woman who finished just ahead of me. They did give us the same time, and she wasn't in my age group so it doesn't really matter. But dang, I didn't realize the race was that small. I thought there were tons of people ahead of me, and I didn't know how deep they were going on the awards so I didn't bother to stay. Never thought I'd win my age group!
I was1 of 4 in the AG, 3 (really 4) of 44 women, and 22 of 82 runners overall. I guess one reason I didn't know how few people were really ahead of me is that the 10k runners were out there too, and there were about 30 of them ahead of me for most of the race.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Easy Sunday
Did a 3-miler around the park with Ed. Yes, almost 10 minutes slower pace then we raced at yesterday, but that's because I let him stop to pee and poo as much as he needs when we're on a training run. It's a dreary, drizzly day but not so cold, so it was good to do the run outside, and with Ed, of course.
The streaking thing is going really well. My streak is two weeks long! Maybe soon I will feel worthy to actually join the streak association and pay the fee. It is helping me keep my weekly mileage up, and that can only help.
So what is up for this week? Well, I really want to try to get a 12-miler in tomorrow. Wednesday I'll hit the treadmill for intervals again, this time at 7 mph pace. Then take it easy until later in the week, when Eddy & I will probably do the Eggnog Jog in Mt. Adams, which should be our last race together this year.
The streaking thing is going really well. My streak is two weeks long! Maybe soon I will feel worthy to actually join the streak association and pay the fee. It is helping me keep my weekly mileage up, and that can only help.
So what is up for this week? Well, I really want to try to get a 12-miler in tomorrow. Wednesday I'll hit the treadmill for intervals again, this time at 7 mph pace. Then take it easy until later in the week, when Eddy & I will probably do the Eggnog Jog in Mt. Adams, which should be our last race together this year.
Reindeer Romp Race Report
Ventured west of town on Saturday morning for another 5k with my best running buddy. This was the 3rd annual Reindeer Romp, which includes a 5k, a 10k and a kid’s fun run. The races are on flat, fast, USATF-certified courses that are a nice mix of scenic country roads and a paved bike trail. The event benefits the Crosby Kringle Chest, which provides Christmas toys for needy children, and includes a post-race pancake breakfast in the Crosby Township Senior Center.
I would have opted for the 10k, but with Eddy I need to stick to the 5k. Had the weather been snowy with a risk of ice and/or salt on the roads, I would have left him home. But it was clear and dry, although quite cold (low 20s at the start). I had considered doing this race last year, but I remember the weather was really miserable that weekend so I stayed home.
This is about a 35 minute drive from my house. Eddy and I arrived slightly less than an hour before the start of the race, which I thought might be too early, but the small parking lot was already full and we had to park on a grassy field next to the building. I picked up my race packet, deposited my toy donation (Holiday Barbie), visited the restroom, and went back to the car to get Ed.
The race shirt (included with registration) is better than most. It’s long-sleeved navy blue cotton with a cute red & white design.
Eddy & I headed out for our warm-up on the little quarter mile trail in front of the senior center. After I was warmed up and I was satisfied that Eddy was as “empty” as possible, we headed back over to the registration area to hang out. Eddy was the only dog in attendance at this event. He got to meet some new people, and we did some “breed education” as it seemed that nobody there had ever seen a Flatcoat before. He was a good ambassador for Flatcoats.
Since I didn’t know much about the course, I had previously emailed the race director to make sure that Eddy would be welcome. She advised me that we should be sure to line up in the back of the pack, on the outside of the curve and just in front of the walkers, to avoid getting in the way of the faster runners. The race used chip timing but only for the finish line. Still, it wasn’t such a big crowd so I wasn’t too concerned about where we started, and I certainly didn’t want to cause any accidents with Eddy’s presence.
Even starting in the back of the pack, we were much less boxed-in than at last weekend’s race, so it really didn’t cost us much. Hit the first mile marker in 8:40, which was slightly faster than our average pace last weekend. Just like last weekend, my goofy boy was all business once the gun went off. He is a very focused racer!
I stopped at the water station for a drink. I assumed it was water but it was some sort of sports drink, which I really didn’t need for a winter 5k. I swallowed it and immediately realized it was a bad idea. Eddy just rolled his eyes at me. He really does not like to stop during these races! And then he took off like a rocket, seemingly intent on passing all ten or so people who had gone by us during the break.
Mile 2 was an 8:34. So now it was looking pretty good for us to beat our time from last week and get a new PR for Eddy. I started getting warm, so I unzipped my jacket and removed my hat. It was a pain to carry the hat in one hand and the leash in the other, but I just had to deal. The brim of the hat was too big to cram into my jacket pocket.
Eddy definitely had a lot left, and I had to hold him back a bit in the last mile, because I could not go that fast or I was going to toss the sports drink. Did not hit my watch at the 3 mile but our time was 9:01 for the last 1.1, about 20 seconds faster than last weekend at the end. The time on my watch was 26:15, or about 44 seconds faster than last weekend. The course was flat, and I am learning how to race again.
In the last half mile, we were passed by a tall blonde woman. I was pretty sure that she was not in my age group, so I let her go, but post-race it is really bothering me. In the last stretch, she was slowing down and we for sure could have caught her, even if it did mean I would have thrown up the sports drink. I am not letting that happen again. Letting somebody beat us like that, I mean. Throwing up, that just happens sometimes.
Post race I played some Frisbee with Ed in the field next to the senior center. Maybe we should have done the 10k after all. Then I put him in the car and went inside to change into dry clothes. The pancakes smelled really good, but I didn’t feel right about hanging out while he waited in the car, and so for the second week in a row I left a race without getting any food! I am going to have to start bringing food with me to these things.
Have no idea how we finished in the pack, because the results are not online yet. It would be nice to think that I placed in my age group but I really have no idea. But I enjoyed this little race, and I am loving running these things with Eddy, so I think we will be back next year.
I would have opted for the 10k, but with Eddy I need to stick to the 5k. Had the weather been snowy with a risk of ice and/or salt on the roads, I would have left him home. But it was clear and dry, although quite cold (low 20s at the start). I had considered doing this race last year, but I remember the weather was really miserable that weekend so I stayed home.
This is about a 35 minute drive from my house. Eddy and I arrived slightly less than an hour before the start of the race, which I thought might be too early, but the small parking lot was already full and we had to park on a grassy field next to the building. I picked up my race packet, deposited my toy donation (Holiday Barbie), visited the restroom, and went back to the car to get Ed.
The race shirt (included with registration) is better than most. It’s long-sleeved navy blue cotton with a cute red & white design.
Eddy & I headed out for our warm-up on the little quarter mile trail in front of the senior center. After I was warmed up and I was satisfied that Eddy was as “empty” as possible, we headed back over to the registration area to hang out. Eddy was the only dog in attendance at this event. He got to meet some new people, and we did some “breed education” as it seemed that nobody there had ever seen a Flatcoat before. He was a good ambassador for Flatcoats.
Since I didn’t know much about the course, I had previously emailed the race director to make sure that Eddy would be welcome. She advised me that we should be sure to line up in the back of the pack, on the outside of the curve and just in front of the walkers, to avoid getting in the way of the faster runners. The race used chip timing but only for the finish line. Still, it wasn’t such a big crowd so I wasn’t too concerned about where we started, and I certainly didn’t want to cause any accidents with Eddy’s presence.
Even starting in the back of the pack, we were much less boxed-in than at last weekend’s race, so it really didn’t cost us much. Hit the first mile marker in 8:40, which was slightly faster than our average pace last weekend. Just like last weekend, my goofy boy was all business once the gun went off. He is a very focused racer!
I stopped at the water station for a drink. I assumed it was water but it was some sort of sports drink, which I really didn’t need for a winter 5k. I swallowed it and immediately realized it was a bad idea. Eddy just rolled his eyes at me. He really does not like to stop during these races! And then he took off like a rocket, seemingly intent on passing all ten or so people who had gone by us during the break.
Mile 2 was an 8:34. So now it was looking pretty good for us to beat our time from last week and get a new PR for Eddy. I started getting warm, so I unzipped my jacket and removed my hat. It was a pain to carry the hat in one hand and the leash in the other, but I just had to deal. The brim of the hat was too big to cram into my jacket pocket.
Eddy definitely had a lot left, and I had to hold him back a bit in the last mile, because I could not go that fast or I was going to toss the sports drink. Did not hit my watch at the 3 mile but our time was 9:01 for the last 1.1, about 20 seconds faster than last weekend at the end. The time on my watch was 26:15, or about 44 seconds faster than last weekend. The course was flat, and I am learning how to race again.
In the last half mile, we were passed by a tall blonde woman. I was pretty sure that she was not in my age group, so I let her go, but post-race it is really bothering me. In the last stretch, she was slowing down and we for sure could have caught her, even if it did mean I would have thrown up the sports drink. I am not letting that happen again. Letting somebody beat us like that, I mean. Throwing up, that just happens sometimes.
Post race I played some Frisbee with Ed in the field next to the senior center. Maybe we should have done the 10k after all. Then I put him in the car and went inside to change into dry clothes. The pancakes smelled really good, but I didn’t feel right about hanging out while he waited in the car, and so for the second week in a row I left a race without getting any food! I am going to have to start bringing food with me to these things.
Have no idea how we finished in the pack, because the results are not online yet. It would be nice to think that I placed in my age group but I really have no idea. But I enjoyed this little race, and I am loving running these things with Eddy, so I think we will be back next year.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
My Foot Hurts
Did 5+ miles on the treadmill. First I did a little bit of the hill program at a walking speed. Ugh, remember never to do that again. Really aggravated the achilles. Then I did a bunch on the speed interval program at level 6. So, I'm glad I got the run in, but now my foot is really hurting. Maybe it's from the stupid snow boots.
Trying another template
I like this one better. Too bad I am not creative enough or knowledgable enough to create something on my own.
I just decided to add my personal records to the sidebar. Saw another blogger who had done that. Maybe it will inspire me. Of course, her PRs were fairly new as it looks like running is fairly fresh for her. My PRs are 7-9 years old! I don't know, it might still inspire me.
I just decided to add my personal records to the sidebar. Saw another blogger who had done that. Maybe it will inspire me. Of course, her PRs were fairly new as it looks like running is fairly fresh for her. My PRs are 7-9 years old! I don't know, it might still inspire me.
Want to make it prettier
I have been trying to change the colors of this blog away from the template, but have been unsuccessful. Maybe I am stuck with this.
Am going to try to do 5 on the treadmill today. It's cold outside, even if it is sunny.
Signed up to do the Reindeer Romp over in Harrison on Saturday morning, hoping to bring Ed. There is a 5k and a 10k, and if I was going by myself I'd do the 10k but with Ed it has to just be the 5k. But I wonder if I will really feel like doing it if it turns insanely cold by then, or even if I will want to bring Ed if there is a risk that they will have salted the roads.
I emailed the race director to ask whether dogs were allowed, and she said it was okay but would prefer I line up in the back so as not trip anybody at the start. I'm cool with that as long as we don't get impossibly blocked in. Mostly am just wanting to get Ed out of the house and away from Zen, who is in season.
Am going to try to do 5 on the treadmill today. It's cold outside, even if it is sunny.
Signed up to do the Reindeer Romp over in Harrison on Saturday morning, hoping to bring Ed. There is a 5k and a 10k, and if I was going by myself I'd do the 10k but with Ed it has to just be the 5k. But I wonder if I will really feel like doing it if it turns insanely cold by then, or even if I will want to bring Ed if there is a risk that they will have salted the roads.
I emailed the race director to ask whether dogs were allowed, and she said it was okay but would prefer I line up in the back so as not trip anybody at the start. I'm cool with that as long as we don't get impossibly blocked in. Mostly am just wanting to get Ed out of the house and away from Zen, who is in season.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Interval Day!
Did the same interval workout as last Wednesday on the treadmill, but a little faster. Long w/u, followed by 4 x 1/2 mile @ 6.9 mph (about 8:42 pace, or just about current 5k race pace) with 3 minute recoveries (1 minute @ 3.5 mph or walking, 2 minutes @ 5 mph or a slow jog), followed by a short cool down @ 5 mph and then the cool down setting on the treadmill for 5 minutes.
I feel better when I run faster than when I am slogging at 5 mph. Wore the NB 1130s again today, am loving them.
I feel better when I run faster than when I am slogging at 5 mph. Wore the NB 1130s again today, am loving them.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Consistency is hard
So I'm running everyday but I'm not blogging every day.
Yesterday I did 4 miles on the treadmill. I did the speed interval program on level 5, with a tiny bit of level 4 near the end. My foot hurt in my old stiff Brooks Addiction shoes.
Today I did the bare minimum to keep the streak alive. Just 1.15 on the treadmill. Was going to go for 5 miles but am distracted by thoughts of my little girl dog, Zen, who is having surgery this afternoon to remove a blockage.
Yesterday I did 4 miles on the treadmill. I did the speed interval program on level 5, with a tiny bit of level 4 near the end. My foot hurt in my old stiff Brooks Addiction shoes.
Today I did the bare minimum to keep the streak alive. Just 1.15 on the treadmill. Was going to go for 5 miles but am distracted by thoughts of my little girl dog, Zen, who is having surgery this afternoon to remove a blockage.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Today's run
Today did the 4-mile "Mooney" loop with Ed. This was mid-day, after a morning 2-mile dog walk and giving Zen a bath. It was cold (low 30s and some wind) but sunny when we started. Glad we went out when we did because the sun was gone by the time we turned around, and if I had waited any longer I would have ended up on the treadmill.
We finished in 48:28 which is slow but that includes lots of pee breaks and one poop break for Ed. Had to let him have it since he was such a good boy yesterday!
We finished in 48:28 which is slow but that includes lots of pee breaks and one poop break for Ed. Had to let him have it since he was such a good boy yesterday!
Catching up
I am going to try again to post regularly. I am running regularly, I should write regularly.
So....first thing is, I have begun a running streak. This will enable me to become a member of the US Running Streak Association: http://www.runeveryday.com/ . Kind of a silly thing but what the heck? You only have to run one continuous mile per day to count it towards a streak. No reason I can't do that. And they let you do it on a treadmill. So why not do that? Even on the days I'm not planning to run, no reason I can't climb on the treadmill and do a mile. I don't even have to dress for that.
So I started the streak thing last Monday, and I've run every day since, and actually only Friday was a 1 mile day.
Second thing was I did the Born to Run race again in NJ the day after Thanksgiving. This year got my sister to do it. She resisted more and more the closer we got to the race, and even during the race tried to get me to leave her but I stuck with her because I didn't care how slow we went. She is always looking for a reason to quit. But we finished. I did not think our time was that bad for a jog/walk, but at that race it did put us pretty far back in the pack. 657 finishers and we were 643 and 644, so only a handful of people behind us. Funny, my sister cared more about that than I did. Well, if you want to do better, you have to train!
And third thing is, speaking of training, I decided I ought to get out there for a 5k, so I signed up for the Jingle Bell 5k for Arthritis on Saturday. Decided to bring Eddy along to run with me since he has turned into quite the running partner. And I knew that this race was okay to do with dogs because I walked it with Logan a few years ago. I would have left him home if we had snow though because I didn't want him to have to run through the salt on the roads. Fortunately, although it was cold we did not have precipitation.
Earlier in the week, I actually did some 1/2 mile repeats to see what kind of pace I could stand. I usually do them (Yasso 800s) for fast marathon training but I have found in the past they seemed to approximate my 5k pace also. So I got on the mill and did a few at 6.7 mph, which is just under a 9:00 pace. And that felt okay, not too challenging, so I figured I should be good for at least a sub-28:00 5k. I really hoped that I wasn't going over 28 minutes because I don't know if I've ever raced a 5k that slow in my life. I know I'm getting decrepit but I want to hold that off as long as I can.
Eddy was great at the race, a perfect gentleman. I kept him on a very short leash, and we were able to run in the thick of the pack without getting in anyone's way. He did not once try to pull away to pee on anything, and we took care of the pooping before the race started. Of course, there really isn't any nice grassy area to poop along that course anyway so it was especially important to take care of it ahead of time. We got lots of compliments on how handsome and well-behaved he was.
We had a good race, me and Ed. 8:55, 8:45, 8:27 and 52 seconds for the last bit, for a finish time of 26:59. This put me 7th of 43 in the age group, not enough for a placement (they only went 5 deep), but I was pretty pleased anyway. And Eddy was the first dog. Not that there is any kind of prize for that but it was fun anyway. As we came around the last bend, people started cheering for him and yelling "first dog" the way they do for the first man or woman. I am proud of my Ed and looking forward to many more races with him.
So....first thing is, I have begun a running streak. This will enable me to become a member of the US Running Streak Association: http://www.runeveryday.com/ . Kind of a silly thing but what the heck? You only have to run one continuous mile per day to count it towards a streak. No reason I can't do that. And they let you do it on a treadmill. So why not do that? Even on the days I'm not planning to run, no reason I can't climb on the treadmill and do a mile. I don't even have to dress for that.
So I started the streak thing last Monday, and I've run every day since, and actually only Friday was a 1 mile day.
Second thing was I did the Born to Run race again in NJ the day after Thanksgiving. This year got my sister to do it. She resisted more and more the closer we got to the race, and even during the race tried to get me to leave her but I stuck with her because I didn't care how slow we went. She is always looking for a reason to quit. But we finished. I did not think our time was that bad for a jog/walk, but at that race it did put us pretty far back in the pack. 657 finishers and we were 643 and 644, so only a handful of people behind us. Funny, my sister cared more about that than I did. Well, if you want to do better, you have to train!
And third thing is, speaking of training, I decided I ought to get out there for a 5k, so I signed up for the Jingle Bell 5k for Arthritis on Saturday. Decided to bring Eddy along to run with me since he has turned into quite the running partner. And I knew that this race was okay to do with dogs because I walked it with Logan a few years ago. I would have left him home if we had snow though because I didn't want him to have to run through the salt on the roads. Fortunately, although it was cold we did not have precipitation.
Earlier in the week, I actually did some 1/2 mile repeats to see what kind of pace I could stand. I usually do them (Yasso 800s) for fast marathon training but I have found in the past they seemed to approximate my 5k pace also. So I got on the mill and did a few at 6.7 mph, which is just under a 9:00 pace. And that felt okay, not too challenging, so I figured I should be good for at least a sub-28:00 5k. I really hoped that I wasn't going over 28 minutes because I don't know if I've ever raced a 5k that slow in my life. I know I'm getting decrepit but I want to hold that off as long as I can.
Eddy was great at the race, a perfect gentleman. I kept him on a very short leash, and we were able to run in the thick of the pack without getting in anyone's way. He did not once try to pull away to pee on anything, and we took care of the pooping before the race started. Of course, there really isn't any nice grassy area to poop along that course anyway so it was especially important to take care of it ahead of time. We got lots of compliments on how handsome and well-behaved he was.
We had a good race, me and Ed. 8:55, 8:45, 8:27 and 52 seconds for the last bit, for a finish time of 26:59. This put me 7th of 43 in the age group, not enough for a placement (they only went 5 deep), but I was pretty pleased anyway. And Eddy was the first dog. Not that there is any kind of prize for that but it was fun anyway. As we came around the last bend, people started cheering for him and yelling "first dog" the way they do for the first man or woman. I am proud of my Ed and looking forward to many more races with him.
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