Hydration is important, duh....

Remember how yesterday I indicated that we were set to have a few hot and humid days this week?  Yeah, today would be one of them.  Has that ever stopped me from running outside when my heart is totally set on getting away from the treadmill?  Uh, no.

It was beautiful outside.  Absolutely blue and sunny.  How could I justify heading into the gym for today's run?  Well I couldn't, so I tied on the shoes, turned on the ipod and headed out the door for a late morning meditation session with the pavement.  Only one problem, I wasn't hydrated enough to take on the heat and humidity today.  Ooops. 

It didn't take too long for my body to let me know I screwed this one up.  By halfway through the run I could really feel the lack of fluids in my legs (or was that the fact that I was pushing out a pace too fast for my lack of hydration?).  All I know is that I was wilting...super fast.  I even took a short break in the middle of the run to try to stop my head from spinning, which sort of worked.

It's too bad I wasn't smarter.  Overall the run was good.  Aside from my hamstrings, the general weight of dehydration and the head spinning, my body felt okay and I was able to keep a decent pace up.  Had I prepared better for this run and taken in the right fluids in advance, I may have been able to hang in there for another five miles....however, I may have needed a second shirt because you could have totally wrung a ton of sweat out of the one I was wearing. 

Lesson learned?  We'll see.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  5.21
Time:   43:39 (average pace of 8:22 per mile)
Location:  Bay Head to Log Inn
Feeling:  clearly not spectacular, but the pace was strong

Reality tv & treadmills...

Last week's total mileage was a bit disappointed for this type-A, goal-driven runner, but this week is going to blow it out of the water, so missing my weekly minimum by four miles will easily be erased.  That said, we're going to have a few hot days and I've got some cramped spaces in the schedule, so at least one run will have to occur on a treadmill.

Today was that day.  After dropping the diva off at her second day of school/daycare, I headed to the gym to grab a few miles on the treadmill before running errands, catching several hours of work and heading back to pick her up. 

The gym was pretty quiet, so I had my choice of all but one or two treadmills.  I picked the one I thought matched up with the tv remote sitting in its cupholder.  Once I was on the machine I was pretty committed, so I didn't change after finding out the remote was to a tv in front of a different treadmill.  Oh well, I settled in to distract myself with whatever was on in front of me anyhow.

Ummmm, the tv was set to TLC and the show was some reality series about women who don't know they are pregnant until they are in labor.  Really?  Cable channels will turn anything into a reality show these days won't they?  I have to say, this show really disturbed me.  Come on, some of these women must not be very bright because as they looked back they saw all the signs.  Geez.  And I was in front of this tv for more than thirty minutes. 

I've learned my lesson. Next time make sure you have the correct remote before you start the run, pick a treadmill already tuned to a station or show you would actually watch, or even better, deal with the heat and humidity outside and take in nature instead of reality tv.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  4
Time:   34:37 (average pace of 8:39 per mile)
Location:  Fitness Center at Naval Support Activity Annapolis
Feeling:  the hamstrings are a little tight, need to watch them this week

When it rains, it pours...

Today was A-10 time.  For those not in the Annapolis running know, that means the Annapolis Ten Miler.  It also marks the end of hot, hot, hot and humid August racing...or at least in most usual years.  This year was a bit different, but let me begin with the four day gap in running first.

I haven't hit the pavement since Tuesday, and its now Sunday.  Why, you ask?  Well, Wednesday morning we were out at the Queenstown Outlets when I lifted the diva just exactly the wrong way and tweaked the back.  It hurt scary bad.  I had visions of the SI joint injury flash before my face again and all I could do was pray that it was just a freak pain that would go away with a few days rest.  So, while it was hard not to lace up my shoes, I waited until this morning to give my back as much rest as possible to avoid turning a small thing into another back injury. 

The rest paid off.  I woke up this morning with no back pain..though now we had to contend with the rain.  Really if you want to get technical, we had to contend with thunder, lightning and heavy down pours.  Yep, perfect running weather.

I met up with Brie at her house.  We planned to walk down to the race.  We decided to wait out the major down pour and show up at the last minute.  That wait paid off too, and our walk up to the start at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium was marked only by a slight sprinkle. 

We arrived, quite literally, with only a couple minutes until the start gun went off.  Not bad...usually I wait in the corral for about 15-20 minutes after arriving 45 - 60 minutes early.  I like this.  Anyway, I can't believe the start gun actually went off on time.  After all there was lightning in the sky and most sensible folks don't run when its lightning.  Oh wait, that would assume that those of us who showed up in a thunder storm are sensible people.  Ha! 

From the beginning through about mile 3ish, the rain poured with real intensity.  It was awesome!  Like I said before, this race is usually so hot you want to rip your clothes off.  The rain kept it cool and so much more fun.  Well that and my amazing running partner (sorry, no great pics of us this time because I couldn't bring electronics out into this storm).  We saw and chatted with a number of friends along the way - shout out to Ron Bowman, Lara Mish, Jennifer Bornemann, Heather DeBuse.

As we crossed the bridge onto the Broadneck Peninsula, this was the section I was unsure of in the race plan.  The course had a slight change this year due to some permitting issues.  As a matter of fact, it changed to match up somewhat with Zooma and the Annapolis Half in a way I don't like...or at least that's what I thought going into the race.  As it turned out, the course change wasn't bad.  As with past years, this year we did not need to go through Ferry Farms to make use of the sprinklers the residents so kindly turn on the street to cool down this atrociously hot race.  Nope, mother nature took care of that with on and off sprinkles and rain the duration of the race.  So in the end, the course change wasn't bad.

As we made the turn back toward the finish, Brie's IT band was starting to act up a bit and my hamstrings were getting tight.  At mile 8 I kicked it in to try to stretch them out a bit.  God love Brie for being supportive and not getting upset that I needed to stretch it out a bit.  The end of the race was good...course was slightly long though.  I finished 93 out of 292 in my age group, with Brie just two minutes behind me.  We received our customary cold towels and finisher's premiums, watermelon and other race amenities, but it was the first time I ever remember being cold at the end of the A-10.  I love it!

It's always more fun to run the streets of Annapolis with other adventurous runners and I think this race had them in spades.  Thanks Annapolis Striders for the best A-10 yet!  (In my humble opinion.)  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  10.11 (plus 1.77 mile walk to and from the stadium)
Time:   1:32:51 (average pace of 9:11 per mile...though I believe given the extra ten pounds of water weighing down our shoes and the rainy conditions really gives us a 5-10 minute handicap :) )
Location:  Annapolis
Feeling:  I LOVE IT!!!  Today felt totally awesome!

Three's a party...

Today the diva and I got the chance to run with and catch up on life with another great red head.  I don't think I've had the pleasure of running with this particular person, except in passing, since probably February.  That's right folks, Lara met up with us at Quiet Waters Park for a spin around the outside loop.

It was good fun...and so much better than the last time I ran Quiet Waters (which was with the old, dreaded jogging stroller).  We met up at the parking lot across the street from the park since technically its closed on Tuesdays, then headed in to catch the path around the park.   The company and conversation were good and we also counted the bridges with the diva as we crossed each one.  It was also nice to have a partner run with the stroller for a good mile or so.  Especially splitting hills with me.  We ran the entire outer loop (including the compost loop, but not the boat loop...I did that one last time.)  I also used the time to secure a commitment from Lara to run the Charm City Run 20-miler with me in a couple weeks.  Thanks Lara!!!

The body functioned appropriately on the run, but those darn hamstrings are still tight.  I know I keep saying I need to start applying icy hot.  I guess a little stretching wouldn't hurt too, right? :)  I'm horrible at some of the simple things.  I'm not going to promise to get better because that would just set me up for failure, but I may say I will try.

Following our run we sat out on the sidewalk in front of the cars and Lara got to know the diva and showed her pictures of her kids and friends.  The diva loves pictures...especially ones on an iphone...and especially when she gets to swipe to the next one.  After that we said so long to Lara until the weekend at the A-10 packet pick up when we'll run into her again.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  4.55
Time:   49:09 (average pace of 10:48 per mile)
Location:  Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis
Feeling:  Tight hams, light heart

Singing in the rain...

Today's plan included a long run with Brie over at Greenbury Point.  Plans change, and sometimes in very pleasing ways. 

The plan changed because it was raining steadily.  At least for the time window we had set aside.  So I planned instead to run at home after dinner.  Well that changed too when the rain really started coming down.  I almost scrapped the whole thing for the day, but then the rain almost completely stopped...only a light drop here and there.  So I decided to take the diva out for a short post-dinner run with the new rain cover on the new jogging stroller.

We also made another small adjustment to the way we run.  I found and changed the batteries on my mini-speaker so I could hook it up to the ipod.  With our music blaring, the diva and I took off toward Chesapeake Preserve.  We weren't a quarter mile down the road before the diva started singing to the music at the top of her lungs and dancing in the stroller.  It was quite a show...she can't sing in tune yet...or English for that matter.  She just sort of yells along with the music and has a grand old time.

What could be better than hanging out with my little bug, doing one of my favorite activities and knowing everyone has something to enjoy?  Oh, sorry to the lady we passed while Maroon 5 was blaring and the diva really was crooning in the opposite tone.  While she looked amused, all the noise probably hurt her dogs ears :)

Things trucked along and the ride was smooth for about 2.75 miles before it began misting in earnest.  The diva, who wouldn't allow me to completely close up the rain cover without fussing, really began fussing when she started get a little mist in the face.  Luckily we were close to home.  I picked up the pace and turned toward our community.  Half a mile later, we shut down our strange concert, jumped out of the stroller and went back to playing in the house until next time.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  3.26
Time:   31:33 (average pace of 9:40 per mile...still getting used to the extra weight)
Location:  Bay Head to Chesapeake Preserve
Feeling:  even if my hamstrings were still a little tight, my heart was singing

Oh glorious day...

Today was BEAUTIFUL!!!  I can't say enough about what a pleasure it was to be running on a day like today.  The temp was in the mid-70s, the sky was clear and the humidity was manageable.  I would be fine if the rest of the year was just like today.  Yesterday, however, was a totally different story and I guess I need to start there.

Friday was hot, humid and all things sticky.  It was way too hot to be running outside in the middle of the day and normally I would have taken this as a rest day.  Why, then, was I running at the height of this day that was designed for a treadmill workout?  Because the new Joovy Zoom 360 came in and we just had to take it for a spin.  Nothing too strenuous, mind you.  Just a quick two miles to check out the performance versus the old Baby Trend Expedition.

I must say, I am in love.  The Zoom 360 works like a dream.  All those things I hated about the old jogging stroller?  They don't exist with this one.  There are no exposed hard plastic areas for the diva to knock her head against when we hit bumps, the maneuverability is 100% improved and the stroller has a suspension system, so it has an amazing ride.  Did I mention that it came with cup holders too?  If I were a kid I would probably live in this stroller.  The diva seems to like it too.

Now for today.  Oh the glorious day we had.  This morning, the diva and my husband headed out to a family fair over at the base, which left me some time to run and do some cleaning around the house.  I started with the run. 

It was so comfortable out that I just hit a rhythm and kept going.  If I didn't have so much I wanted to accomplish, I would have made it a 10 miles day.  As it was, I limited it to just over five and took one of my less usual routes.  I headed over to Broadneck Park and wound through the walking path there, headed over to Cape St. Claire and hugged the curvy windy roads down to the shopping center and turned back to home with gas left in the engine.  I even raced a lizard up the connector from Cape St. Claire road to Old Cape St. Claire Road.  It felt amazing.

And that was just the start.  The day kept giving and I was willing to take.  We ended the day out on a friend's boat watching the sun set and the stars brighten the sky to the chorus of kids laughing while feeding chips to the ducks.  It doesn't get any better than this.  Happy trails!!!

Stats for Friday -
Miles:  2.14
Time:   20:15 (average pace of 9:27...better than with the old stroller)
Location:  Chesapeake Preserve
Feeling:  tight hamstrings but great stroller

Stats for Today -
Miles:  5.3
Time:   45:16 (average pace of 8:32 per mile)
Location:  Broadneck Park to Cape St. Claire and home
Feeling:  tight hamstrings but the rest of it was great....maybe it's time to hit the icy hot again

Multitasking mama...

Today I woke up feeling the need for an early run. The temps were going to be good and I know a route that is relayy.tively cool i the morning if the temps are reasonable, even if the humidity isn't...like today (76%).  So after breakfast and a little tricycle practice, the diva and I headed over to the B&A Trail for a few miles...that was the plan.

I refuse, well almost refuse, to run the B&A trail when its hot and humid.  The trail is set between two banks of trees.  When the temperature is semi-okay, the humidity makes its cool under the trees.  When the temp is atrocious, the trees seem to hold in heat that could only be generated in hell...hence my lack of enthusiasm in running the trail on hot days.  Thankfully the temp at 9:15 am today was only about 80 degrees.  Lovely.  Especially since I still have the dreaded Baby Trend jogging stroller instead of the new one.  Thank goodness the B&A trail is straight as a pin.

I started out the run emailing back and forth between my office and another interested party about whether or not we should hold a conference call at 9:45 am or 1:00 pm.  Mind you, while this is all going on I'm jogging and pushing the jogging stroller.  We finally settled on 9:45 and so I kept one eye on the watch and another on the trail. 

Because of the nature of the trail, this would be an out and back run.  The trail was busy on the way out and the little diva got a lot of waves to respond to.  She enjoyed it for about 10-15 minutes before she zonked out so hard I don't think a freight train could have woken her in the stroller.  This was a good thing since I had the call coming up shortly.

The run itself was relatively uneventful...aside from the fact that for the first time I wasn't cursing the stroller the entire way (remember I said the trail was straight, so no worrying about maneuverability), and my hamstrings were sore from the hard run last night.  The call, was pretty good and during an easy enough section of the trail so as not to slow the pace at all...oh yeah, I kept on going during that conference call. And as soon as the call ended, we turned around and headed back toward the car. 

All in all, I would say this was the most successful outing I've had with the old jogging stroller (and thankfully the last beause the new one comes in tomorrow).  Perhaps my weekday runs will have to switch over to the B&A trail....only if mother nature and the weather cooperates. And yeah, while running, and pushing the jogging stroller, and participating on a conference call, I ran about 3/4 of a mile more than I set out to.  Happy trails!!! 

Stats -
Miles:  4.52
Time:   43:15 (average pace of 9:34 per mile)
Location:  B&A Trail
Feeling:  Really sore hamstrings, but otherwise fantastic

Eating and running...

Blah.  Those two things don't mix.  Does that stop me from doing it however?  That would be a big fat no.  Of course not.  I rarely learn from past mistakes.  In this case, though, I was semi-limited in my choices.  Oh yeah, I still had choices, but I chose the one that appealed more to my brain than my physical being.  Yep, I scarfed down my dinner and immediately ran out the door to pound the pavement rather than waiting a little while, missing the sun and hitting the treadmill.  I just couldn't help myself.

Here's what happened.  I really wanted to be outside for today's run - no, needed to be outside to feel the fresh air in my lungs, smell the slightly salty air running along the shore of the Chesapeake and not be confined by four walls.  Today I spent the day working (the kind that pays the bills) while running after a toddler, cleaning up after dog spills and a chocolate milk spill all over the dining room table and dining room...and then some.  It was a stressful day and running relieves my stress, so I didn't listen to my body when it reminded me I can't run immediately after eating.

Even though my stomach was less than happy with me, my legs were ecstatic.  I ran and stretched with glee along the roads of the Broadneck Peninsula and revelled in the late afternoon view of the haze building over the bay while clearing my mind and my muscles of more than a day of build up.  It was fantastic, if not horribly fast.  The roads were quiet, few sounds but the birds overhead and the thunder rolling across the bay as a storm dumped rain on the eastern shore.  It was my time.  Well, mine and the three deer that nearly scared me to death (or did I nearly scare them to death?) as they crunched through the woods. 

Tomorrow I must hit the trail with the little diva and the jogging stroller to add more road miles.  Today was really much better than last week's treadmill workouts.  I can suffer one more run with the bad jogging stroller before the new one comes in, can't I?  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  6.26
Time:   54:23 (average pace of 8:41 per mile)
Location:  Broadneck Peninsula - Bay Head to Log Inn
Feeling:  My legs were singing with joy

Adding to the jogging pleasure...

I have been looking forward to today's run for several days.  Why?  Well, today Brie and I switched up the routine and took along the kids.  Yep, my second run with the jogging stroller (see more on the jogging stroller saga below) and the added pleasure of new running partners, or rather spectators.  All around an enjoyable effort.


We started out a little late, but since the weather was cooler than it has been, it actually wasn't an issue.  We headed downtown toward City Dock and the playground on Newman Street.  This is a really cool playground if you have kids.  It's got just about everything you could imagine for the kids.  The diva still enjoys swings and slides over most other playground elements, but she is curious about tunnels.

After the playground, we headed over to City Dock to feed the ducks...feeding frenzy doesn't quite do justice to the melee in ego alley.  And took in the farmer's market to buy some great heirloom tomatoes to make BLTs for lunch (also got some zucchini to make bread, but that will have to wait a couple days).

Following the downtown events, we headed back up to Franklin Street - quieter and more shade covered than West Street, and then shimmied over to Poplar Trail.  I don't want you to get the idea that this was an easy run.  No way, I'm no where near accustomed to a jogging stroller, but it was great fun...especially with new jogging partners.  We ended with one smily boy and one rather tuckered out little girl.  I hope these two will grow up to be great friends...there mamas certainly are.

Now for the jogging stroller drama....wellnot so much drama as just determining that I really dislike my jogging stroller.  Sure its heavy, the combined weight with the diva means I'm pushing around 60 pounds.  That's not a big deal.  What I don't like is that I have no maneuverability, which is crummy on windy trails.  The seat sits too far back, so the diva has to lean forward to see around her.  And that means if we hit a bump her head is bumped against the unpadded side rails.  All in all, sucky.  So what's the solution?  I researched jogging strollers and reviews and will be the proud owner of the Joovy Zoom 360 by the end of the week.  I should have improved maneuverability, good suspension, better seat position...and a cup holder for me :)  I'll be sure to review the stroller after using it.

Finally, I logged this morning's run only to discover I was 0.07 miles from hitting my target for the week.  So what did I do?  I went out and ran a couple more miles.  It was warmer than this morning, and certainly less shade covered running the cloverleaf in Chesapeake Preserve, but felt decent and got the job done.

I'm hoping for more opportunities to get outside this week, as opposed to my treadmill running of the past two, though this will mean time with the dreaded Baby Trend jogging stroller.  Perhaps I can find a long straight road.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  6.11 in the morning, 2.26 in the afternoon
Time:  Not sure about the morning (forgot the watch) but the afternoon was 19:20 (average 8:33)
Location:  All around Annapolis & Chesapeake Preserve
Feeling:  Hot and sweaty, but the muscles were working well

Holy hills batman...

I've once again been remiss at logging my runs as they happen, so today is another "two run" post.  I'm going to go backwards because today's run is much more exciting than Thursday's treadmill effort.

Today I took a second shot at the River Valley Run 10k trail race, which was a beast last year.  I say its a beast in a good way, meaning it challenges you to pull out more than you think you have to get it done.  It's got hills.  I don't mean it's got hills, I mean it's got HILLS.  It also has a little of everything else you would want in a trail run - water, rocks, tree jumps, etc.   What made the race even better than last year was my enhanced cheering section.  Last year Jay was deployed, and we didn't even know the diva was out there.  So it was great to have them both there.

Now we get to the start of this run.  Well let me tell you, just reading the course map won't prepare you for the hills in the first 3.5 miles of the course - ending with what they aptly called "Dead Man's Hill."  It doesn't take long to get to that first hill and then they just keep coming. We all know the saying "what goes up must come down"? The race directors for this run managed to defy even Newton...I believe there is a lot more uphill than downhill to this race.

Following the hills, there are a lot of other fun aspects to this course. From the rock scramble (which was faster than last year because I decided to take the route marked "slower" which had no line, while the route marked "faster & trickier" had a long line...figure that one out..the people on the slow route all passed those on the fast route), to the river crossing that was a little deeper than last year because of all the rain.

I was sadly disappointed, however, in the lack of enthusiasm shown by many at the river crossing. Here's my philosophy on trail running - you didn't sign up to go home clean and dry. I take every opportunity to make sure I have to scrape off layers of sweat and dirt, but many of my fellow racers are afraid of a little water. There were two options at the river crossing - you could go out of your way to cross on a bridge or you could plunge in and run. So (a) we've got the wimps who took the bridge...come on, are you kidding me? Then (b) you've got those runners who decided to brave the water but were so afraid of getting too wet that they basically walk through the water slowly so as not to splash.

This is where I come in. I'm sure I got several dirty looks from behind, but I aim to ensure everyone close to me gets a real trail experience. So, as I enter the water there are several of the version (b) runners in front of me. I devilishy grin to myself and run through the water at top speed splashing EVERYWHERE and EVERYONE within a 10 foot radius. Dude, you got what you deserved by not respecting the water enough to have fun with it :) 

I finally cruised into the finish line, knocking several minutes off last year's time.  Even though I finished faster, and consequently 13th out of 96 women in the 30-39 age bracket, I managed this race poorly.  I had way too much gas left in the engines at the end and could easily have taken a few more minutes off the time if I had turned it on more out on the course instead of waiting until the final two miles.  That's okay, better next year right? I still had the best cheering section in the house.

Now that I've had fun with today's run, I really won't bore you with the details of a short, 3ish mile treadmill run on Thursday, except for a couple interesting details.  So we had a family social down at Jay's base scheduled for the early evening.  With that, I decided to go early so Jay could watch the diva while I logged a few miles at the gym in their building.  It's not a bad little facility, even though they cater mostly to men and so the women's locker room is a little small.  Its the locker room that actually makes this effort slightly interesting.  Since we were headed to an event immediately following my run, I needed to shower so I didn't turn off all the other families in the command.  But of course, this isn't my usual locker room at the Senate or at 24 Hour Fitness.  No, you need to bring your own towel for this one.  Oops.  Yeppers, I had to dry off with my shorts and paper towels from the sink area.  I'll remember that for next time.  Happy trails!!!

Stats for Thursday -
Miles:  3.01
Time:  25:00 (average pace of 8:18 per mile)
Location:  EWS Gym, Marine Corps Base Quantico
Feeling:  Good, muscles were moving easily

Stats for Today -
Miles:  6.3
Time:  59:18 (average pace of 9:24 per mile...need more hill and trail training b/c I can do better)
Location:  River Valley Ranch, Roller, MD
Feeling:  Hams got tight at mile 3, but overall I could have pushed it much harder

Beating the heat and olympic spirit...

I've said it before...it's not fun to run outside in the heat and humidity.  When my husband got home from work tonight and I changed to get a run in he asked "how far are you going?" I said "not far, just 4-5 miles tonight."  He said, concerned, "you know its hot and humid out there...not really great for a run."  I said "don't worry, I'm heading to the gym to run on the treadmill." 

So maybe there is more than one reason I've willingly taken to the treadmill when I loathe the machine so much.  Yes, it's hot, but more importantly, they have the Olympics on about half the tvs in the cardio room, so I can indulge in keeping up with all the events while logging the miles.  Not sure I'll be quite as motivated for a treadmill run after the flame is extinguished...but I guess I'll take it while I can.

Tonight was a good run.  I hit a nice rhythm and kept on trucking while Access Hollywood recapped a number of the days events...and the lighter side of the Olympics...and then caught a bit of a handball game.  I admit, I know nothing about handball, but it kept my eyes occupied during my post-run mile rowing.

In all, I've got basketball, swimming, boxing, volleyball and a few other events while logging miles.  Not a bad way to while away the time if the scenery isn't changing over the course of 4-5 miles, right?  I'll take and look forward to the fall weather as I stare down four more days of running this week - two of which will be outside in the humidity.  Happy trails!!!


Stats -
Miles:  4.51
Time:   37:02 (average pace of 8:12 per mile)
Location:  Naval Support Activity Annapolis Fitness Center
Feeling:  Nice rhythm for a treadmill run, hamstrings started tightening a little at the end

The soupy dog days...

Dictionary.com tells us that the dog days are "the sultry part of the summer, supposed to occur during the period that Sirius, the Dog Star, rises at the same time as the sun: now often reckoned from July 3 to August 11" or "a period marked by lethargy, inactivity, or indolence."

When the Annapolis Striders named the August race in their club championship series, they must have done so with a sense of humor.  The August race is an 8K cross country-style run named the Dog Days 8K.  I've run this race several years in a row now, and I have to tell you, the temperatures and humidity are never forgiving...and I always feel lethargic, no matter how in shape I am.  This year was no different.

I arrived about an hour before the race in order to get in a one mile warm-up jog.  (I toyed with the idea of jogging over to the race since its only 6 miles from my house, but thought better of it in the end...good thing, I probably would have collapsed from the heat.)  That one mile warm-up should have given me a real good indication that this wasn't going to be a fantastic race...running partner aside (love you Brie!).  First off, I ran hard yesterday so my hamstrings were tight.  Note to self, never run hard the day before a timed run.  Second, the air was so hot you could hardly breathe.

Lucky for me Brie was feeling equally tight and not up to a real hard run.  When the gun went off we just paced it nice and easy.  I think I was dripping wet with sweat by the end of the first mile.  Did I mention the first mile is a really boring two laps around a soccer field?  Oh yeah, Striders really needs to change that beggining.  We then headed toward the first wooded trail section hoping for relief from the heat pushing through the sun.  No such luck.  It was just as hot and hard to breathe inside the woods.  Now, if this race were in...say...October or April, it just may be one of my favorite courses in the champ series.  Its got a little of everything.  Trails, sand, hills, open grass, pavement.  Its enough to keep a runner engaged with the changing terrain.  However, since it falls in the worst possible running month of the year, I loathe this course.

Thank goodness Brie was there today.  Frankly, I would have skipped the race if she wasn't there.  Sunday morning runs with the best running buddy in the world aren't to be missed no matter the trials of the temperatures, location or other obstacles.  Oh, and they had Rita's italian ice at the finish line.  Yeah, that will motivate you :)  Here's to hoping next Saturday's race up at River Valley Ranch is not quite so warm.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  6.07 (1.07 warm-up, 5 mile race)
Time:   45:34 for the race (average pace of 9:07 per mile)
Location:  Anne Arundel Community College
Feeling:  tight hamstrings were a problem, and it was hard to breathe with the humidity

Logging the week...

I'm behind logging my runs, again.  Are you surprised?  It's been a hot week.  After sweating it out royally on Monday while pushing the jogging stroller, combined with the fact that I had to stop running with the diva until I found a better mosquito repellant (she seems to  be a focal point for every mosquito in Annapolis and has a bad reaction  to the bites), I took the rest of the week inside on the treadmill.  That also gave me the opportunity to add in more rowing, so not altogether a bad thing. 

Since my last post I had two days of treadmill running - today and Wednesday.  Nothing spectacular ever happens on the treadmill, well maybe never.  Today I actually had a great groove going.  I'm not a great treadmill runner.  On the roads I post some good times because I can have my ups and downs in pace on my own.  The treadmill is unforgiving if you change the pace without also changing it on the machine.  That's why I sometimes have troubles putting up decent times and longer runs on the treadmill.  I just don't run the same exact pace, down to the second, mile after mile.  Today, however, I seemed to have it going on.  I had a nice rhythm and the US vs Lithuania Olympic men's basketball game to keep my brain from getting bored, so laying down 7 miles didn't feel like a chore with the treadmill under my feet.  (I can't say the same for my treadmill run earlier in the week...it was a chore.)

Something else I enjoyed about the last two running days was the opportunity to row.  I like to row...in small amounts.  Like the treadmill, it can get boring after so long because unless you have something to keep your mind busy, its really just back and forth.  I didn't put up huge numbers, just a mile rowing on Wednesday and a mile today, but its a good change in exercise for the shoulders and helps me try again to break into cross training.  Can I keep it up?  We'll see.

This week hasn't been spectacular with logging big numbers or outside runs, but I will still hit the number of miles I need to keep on track with my resolution....after the Dog Days 8K tomorrow that is.  Hopefully the heat waits until later in the day to set in.  Happy trails!!!

Stats - (Wednesday)
Miles:  4.01
Time:   33:35 (average pace of 8:22 per mile)
Location:  Naval Support Activity Annapolis Fitness Facility
Feeling:  Just trying to get in miles and destress

Stats - (today)
Miles:  7.16
Time:   60:00 (average pace of 8:22 per mile)
Location:  Naval Support Activity Annapolis Fitness Facility
Feeling:  good rhythm, legs were sound, and didn't tire...AWESOME!