Hills for breakfast, hold the gnats

Finish time (chip) 1:56:46. Thirty seconds off my PR.  

Splits: 8:45, 8:49, 8:51, 8:51, 8:50, 8:52, 8:42, 8:42, 9:02, 9:04, 9:06, 9:07, 8:44, last .1 @ 8:09. 

2.08 warm up with strides

Prelude….  No, I didn't abandon my daughter on the day of her first horse show. The show was postponed yet again.  Upside: I get to do my half-m. Downside: so not ready mentally, and no proper taper - just a couple of panicky days off. 

Weather: mid 40s and raining.  Course: mostly flat with a few small ups and downs, never seemed more than 1-3% grade.  Beautiful, forested, rural course.  Road surface a little rough sometimes.  Nice finish on springy high school track. 

I imagine getting my head around this race was similar to turning one of those big tanker ships in the ocean.  I woke up thinking, "not ready, not ready."   During the warm up, I had come around to "well, it won't kill me."  I saw many friends at the starting area and began to remember that I do, indeed, actually know how to run and have done a bit of running lately.  By the start time, I felt like I just might like to do this race.

The first mile was mentally confusing as I kept getting caught up in the frenzy.  "8:00? No. Slow down. Not that slow! Faster. No! Slower! ...." 

Once we got through town and the field thinned out I was able to settle in and make the final decision on what pace would be right for me today:  try to keep it under 9:00.  

After meandering through some roads I know well, we split off into new territory for couple miles of out and back.  Here, I saw many familiar faces coming my way and enjoyed cheering them on.  Knowing people on race day is probably the thing about my running club that I enjoy the most.  

At the turn around, my legs started to complain and I had to work harder to go -- well, slower.  About this time I started to realize that I was chafing badly too.  Just all kinds of spots under my clothing.  The truth is, I am too much of an optimist and I did not believe it would really rain.  I have to put body glide all over if it rains, which I failed to do.  Punishment = the shower I will take after I finish typing this.  OUCH. 

I think my favorite moment in the race was around the time I saw the mile 12 marker. I had been having a hard time and felt like I was "laboring" at the pace.  I remembered something just then that I read last night in Your Performing Edge by Joanne Dahlkoetter.  She was talking about relaxation.  This is a concept that always had made my eyes roll.  "Right. Relax.  Why don't I just lie down a spell while I'm at it?"   But Dahlkoetter's explanation was the first that ever made sense to me.  Relaxation makes the opposing muscle groups "give" so that the contracting muscle group can contract farther.  All at once, I was surging forward, and easily passed a couple who had been right in front of me for at least 3 miles.  Still hard work, but just a lot more bang for the buck.  

As I entered the track for the last 300 meters, I saw my friends on the side cheering.  That was a great moment too.  The track is of a fantastic quality and I flew around it - albeit somewhat painfully.  Great happiness.   Finishers received a very cool running hat with the race logo on the front.  The AG placement got me a medal with my placement printed on the back, and the applause of my friends, which meant so much to me.  

As I mentioned on my blog the other day, this past week has been a real roller coaster of emotions.  I am still mourning the loss of a very dear friend, and had to forcefully turn that off a couple of times this morning.  But life goes on, and to run and race is a wonderful way to celebrate being alive.  We walk the line between carrying on, and feeling left behind.  "Every day above ground is a good day," said a man I know of who became a quadriplegic, severe burn victim after an horrific motorcycle accident.  I want to change my blog title to that quote, but I'm afraid it's too morbid.  Besides, my playful title is more like what life is made of.  

Rants & raves…  

Rants:  only 4 gym bathrooms for all the women in a field of about a thousand runners;  some confusion about which lane to run in after the turnaround;  crowded spot to run through as we entered the track at the finish. 

Raves: excellent race organization; mariachi bands on the course; awesome volunteers standing in the rain, breathtakingly beautiful course; the faces of friends all around me.  

Recovery walk, about an hour.

47F; heavy rain until mile 4, gusty winds.  Recovery run/walk. 

The goal was just to stay out there and get the legs moving.  It didn't help to have my feet soaked in the first 2 miles.  I figure I ran about 90% of the time, albeit slowly.  The legs are a little sore and very weak, but functioning.  :)

37F, mostly cloudy.  Another recovery run. 15 min. upper body and core work.

Introducing... Sno's Leg Recovery Index (scale = 1-5)

Soreness 2 (down from 3.5)

Perceived leg strength 3 (up from 2)

Number of invisible monkeys clinging to each leg 4 (no change) 

Second try at this entry.  :(    

38F, cloudy, easy run.

Sno's Leg Recovery Index: soreness 1, perceived leg strength 4, Monkeys 3.  The relationship between the PLS and the Monkeys is this: your legs feel much better but the Garmin keeps showing you numbers like 11:05, 12:10, 11:45.... 

40F, cloudy.  Short and sweet.  Soreness - 0, Percv.Muscle Str - 5, Monkeys - 2, but they fell off in the last mile. 

40F to 55F, blue skies, light wind from the NW.  Objectives: 9 miles easy (w/ club run), 8 miles MP on mostly flat roads, finish w/ Leg Builder Hill. 

Brutal. It may have been too soon to attempt this workout after racing just last weekend. But - I did it!   

My target for the MP miles was 9:00-9:15 at first, but my left quad starting feeling crampy in the third mile, so I pulled back to "just keep it under 9:30."  After the 7th mile, I stopped in a bathroom, not really realizing how quickly rigor mortis can set in. Oh that 8th mile was torture at first! 

MP miles: 9:16, 9:07, 9:10, 9:30, 9:19, 9:17, 9:26, 9:11.

There was about a half mile of easy jogging between the last MP mile and the beginning of the 2 mile LB hill.  I spend that half mile thinking such cheery thoughts as, "I am doomed," "How in the h am I going to make it up that hill," and "I wonder if Mr. Sno would come and pick me up."  In other words... I. Was. Broken.  My legs were killing me, with that special kind of pain you only get at the end of a marathon. 

Again, I really wonder if it was too soon to do this workout, but Newport is just 4 weeks away, so I felt like desperate measures were in order.  I made it up most of the hill at a pathetic jog, but the last .4 brought me to my knees a walk, and a painful one at that.  (The last part of the hill is the steepest, about 20% grade.) 

In the Good News department, this is the farthest run I've had in the Piranhas and I think my feet did very well.  Better than the traitor legs, that's for sure.  I think my plan is still to do the marathon in my ST3's, but the Piranhas are 1) more fun and 2) strengthening to the feet and legs. 

Speaking of shoes, I have some new running moccasins. RunAmocs. Isn't that clever?  Haven't tried them on a run yet, but I look forward to it.  I've been waiting for a dry day with appropriate easy objectives.  I also own their regular mocs, which are wonderful, but not great for running for a variety of reasons.

Mid 40sF, sunny.  Recovery run. 

Sno's Leg Recovery Index:  Soreness - 2, Perceived Muscle Strength - 3, Monkeys - 5, but 2 fell off mid-run.  

I felt much better than I expected to this morning.  The new running mocs are really comfy. I think it's as close to a barefoot feel as you can get without ditching shoes altogether.   

Mon-Sun total for this recovery week: 43.86.  

44F, cloudy with a few sprinkles.  Easy run. 20 min. strength routine. 

I had a fun but exhausting weekend, and ended up sleeping a little late this morning.  So even though I feel good, I am uncomfortable about these low numbers (miles).  I hope I can get out on time tomorrow and put in the miles I like to run.  

44F, mostly cloudy. Calm & dry.  G-A run. 

Great morning for a run.  Mists on the duck pond, birds singing, flowers, rabbits, pretty clouds...   

49F, cloudy, dry, breezy at times.  Progression run on hilly terrain (3,3,3, c.d.) 12:37, 11:51, 11:13 / 10:38, 10:29, 10:08 / 9:31, 9:24, 9:15.   15 min. strength routine.

Pretty good workout. The last mile was at a very hard effort, but also run on hills.  I like it that each mile was faster than the last, even though I was thinking of the progression in 3 mile chunks. 

As I passed by some woods I saw a bald eagle circling the top of a large tree, chased by a little crow whose nest was in the tree, I presume.   "Oh, it's so beautiful."  But then, The Cat Who Must Be Obeyed didn't turn up at home like he normally does and I imagined him being carried away by that eagle. "D%$#%@ eagle!"  But he (the cat) did eventually come home, so all is well.  Just for fun, this is not my cat, but it looks just like him. 

I just lost my entire entry, again.  I'm not retyping; I just don't have time.  Gr. Cranky. 

46F to 61F; mostly sunny w/ a little bit of fog early.  Objectives: endurance run, club run, Leg Builder Hill, & mostly: psychological strength for Newport in 3 weeks.  

Very nice run. I will admit that going up the LB Hill (miles 19-21) made me really, really want to be somewhere else.  And it was bright and hot (for what I'm used to) the last few miles.  But all in all, a very successful run.

While cruising around Old Snoqualmie before meeting up with the club, I took this picture of the Snoqualmie River with a patch of fog and Mt. Si in the background.  It was lighter out than it looks but my cruddy iPhone camera can't handle backlighting.

Looking forward to reading race reports later!   

57F, mostly sunny & humid.  Recovery run. 

Just enough to shake off the monkeys.  

53F, cloudy. Easy run w/ 1/2 mile @ MP just before cool down.  15 min. strength.

In the ongoing saga of my mid-life-female-changes-health-issue (whined posted about it in March), the new med my doc is trying on me (as of 10 days ago) seems to be making things worse.  When I started trying out the Black Cohosh in March, it took a while to see any kind of change, but after a couple of weeks things did get better.  Not cured, but better.  Now I seem to be back where I started and last night was horrible.  Obviously, this med is a dud, and I'll be on the phone with my doc as soon as business hours begin. But my point is that I now am back to severe sleep deprivation, and I've mysteriously gained 3 pounds, and I am stuck producing these whiny, rambling, self-absorbed explanations....  At least I didn't blow off the run altogether, but I did sleep a little late and had a hard time getting out the door. I wanted 8 miles today and I feel like I've been robbed.  Another cranky morning I guess.

Legs were fine, though. And I like these clouds. Sorry, 99.99% of the people who live here, but the sunshine has never been my favorite.  

My sister sent me this video for a pick-me-up.  Enjoy!

51F, partly cloudy, dry.  Tempo intervals: 3.7 mi w.u., 4 x 1 mi T on hills w/ 1 min jog b/t, <1 mi c.d.   Target = stay under 8:30 on flat or downhill terrain, same effort level on uphills. 8:56, 8:44, 8:45, 8:19 (last rep mostly downhill).   20 min. strength training. 

I thought I did really well until I came home and looked at the splits. Hm. Until I get myself back to the high school track, I guess I should just go by the effort level. 

43F, dry for a while, then rainy.  Easy run in mocs. 

I absolutely adore these mocs. (See May 8 entry for pic.) However! In wet conditions... not so good.  They felt too heavy and floppy, because the fronts got wet but not the backs. Wet leather, not good for running.  I will save them for dry days. A pity, because that means I won't wear them much for most of the year.  

Mid 40sF, 85% rainy run.  Endurance run w/ negative splits, and club run. 

Drove to Centennial Park and ran a little over a mile warm up before the club run. Then I ran the Snoqualmie Valley Trail up to Rattlesnake Lake and back with a guy from my running club who just happened to mention last week that he'd like to run it.  Funny coincidence, because last week I was feeling so jealous of Jefferey's run up to the lake. But it's a trail I am not sure I would do alone due to a higher risk of bears, cougars, and bad guys.

So I really lucked out, getting this running partner.  The trip up is at a slight grade 0-3%, with about 3 miles of solid 3% grade as one approaches the lake.  We kept the pace around 10:30-10:40 on the way up.  After a welcome pit stop at the lake, we came down at an average of 9:45.  

I get this information from the final split data, because the real-time Garmin pace readout was crazy-all-over-the-place due to heavy tree cover. So we were basically running by feel most of the time, with a quick check on the Garmins when we came into brief open spaces. 

My buddy's last few miles were a bit of a problem. As he started to slow down about 4 miles from the end, I slowed with him for a while. He was experiencing a lot of pain in his calves.  I was shocked to learn at this point that his longest run to date had been 13 miles. "Wow, that's quite a leap! Well done."  He replied, "well done is how I feel right now."  

He encouraged me to run on ahead, which I eventually did, but I felt like such a heel. I would not have been able to do the run at all without a buddy, and I hated to desert him. When we were a little less than 2 miles from "home" I finally decided it would be kinder to go ahead, relieving him at least of the pressure to keep up.  My splits show a couple of slow miles before I left him. 

Everything else about my run was positive - except the gravel!  Oh, how I hate it.  I feel every little rock.  And I do think it's harder work, but that will be a blessing when I get stronger from running on it.  Yeah, it rained and rained. But that was not a big deal, compared to The Gravel of Doom. 

On to the taper now. First a little, then a (disagreeable) lot. We'll see in 2 weeks what I've really got in the bank.  :)  

43F, partly cloudy, patchy light fog.  2 mi easy, 2 mi MP+30 sec., 2 mile easy.  20 min. strength training.

That bit of faster running was a whim.  Call it the intoxicating effect of fog (I adore fog).  

Leg recovery index (1-5): Soreness-3, Perceived muscle strength-4, Monkeys per leg-1.  

45F, overcast. Easy run.

I felt very sluggish this morning, so I just went with it and ran slowly.  I need more sleep... 

50F, light rain.  VO2 + a bit of MP. 20 min strength work. 

Since we now have daylight at 5 AM, I decided to drive down to the H.S. track.  I ran around that neighborhood a bit to warm up, then finished the warm up on the track with 5 x 50m strides and about 150m jog between.

After the warm-up: 5 x 400m, target pace 7:45, with 200m recovery b/t.  Between the variability of me maybe not hitting the lap button right on the mark and the Garmin's natural error of margin, I got some inconsistent numbers. But all the splits were in the neighborhood of my target...  pace (time):  7:52 (1:57), 7:35 (1:59), 7:45 (1:59), 7:49 (1:59), last-one-fast-one 7:28 (1:52).  

After my last recovery jog, I ran 800m at MP for psychological benefit. IE- "This feels easy!"  

On my way home in the car, I had the idea to check the elevation gain of the Parkway (aka Leg Builder Hill) on my Garmin.  It's about 450 feet, spread over 2 miles, with the steepest part at the final .7 miles. 

I was thinking today about my warmups and how slow they are.  And I was thinking about something a friend told me, which makes me wonder if I should let the warmup  be even slower.  This friend has repeatedly been to a running camp called Camp Marafiki in Santa Fe.   She is a "local elite" in Oklahoma.  According to her, the Kenyan coaches at this camp, whose "easy" pace is probably 7:00 or 7:30, do their first few minutes warmup at -- are you sitting down? --  around 12:00.  In contemplating this oddity, I wondered what it would be like to really go slower than I want to and slower than I can in the first mile of my warmup.  

Slower than slow warmup -- it's hard to do!  I had to really think about it and not space out.  Guess what the hardest part of my workout was?  The strides.  That transition from easy to hard.  But they were mercifully short, and the whole warmup procedure seemed to go well, because the 400s were not devastatingly, I-hate-running hard.  I haven't done 400s for years and years, so the shortness of the reps was nice too.  That's my last really intense workout, and I will focus on MP & strides for the remainder of the taper. 

45F, lots of fog. :)  Easy run. 

My legs feel rather dead today. I guess that's a good sign of having had an effective workout yesterday.  So I just shuffled around the neighborhood, enjoying the fog and the Spring colors.  At the duck pond I saw a Great Blue Heron; they always show up this time of year to prey on the baby ducks.  Also saw a deer very close when I turned into a shortcut path. Startled her, startled me.  Pretty morning.  

50F, steady rain, windy at times.  Club run (with invisible friends), and MP run: 4.5 miles easy, 4.5 miles MP, 1 mile easy.   MP splits: 9:12, 9:11, 9:00, 9:01, & half mi at 9:00.

The splits are fine, but I am not happy about the effort level it took to get them. Not happy at all.   Taper, please do your work! 

45F, cloudy, breezy, but dry.  Easy run. 

I only meant to run 3 miles; just kind of spaced out.  I guess that's good.  Got to get out into the yard and work a bit before the rain starts up again.