Home opener excitement....

Today is the Navy football home opener against VMI....and gymnastics class for the diva, and brunch with the parents of one of our midshipmen, so time was short when everyone got up and moving. That's why I had to be up and moving before everyone else.  And why not, it was a fantastic morning for a good run.

The rest is history.  It was a bit humid out...read super drippy sweaty by the time I was done...and the heat was just coming on.  The hamstring is holding up and everything else seems to work.  I wish there was something interesting to say about this run but, let's be honest, the route hasn't changed and the deer I see almost every time are pretty common place.  Really, how many times can you hear about the deer that pop out of the woods and attempt to run me down while I'm innocently pursuing physical fitness?

The diva enjoying the game with our buddy!

Regardless of the less than interesting, though quite pleasant, start to the day, a Saturday during football season is never boring.  And today was the diva's first big time football game, so all was pretty exciting.  It also doesn't hurt that Navy brought home the win.  All in all, one darn good Saturday.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  4.25
Time:   36:11 (average pace of 8:30 per mile)
Location:  Broadneck Peninsula, Bay Head Road, Log Inn Road
Feeling:  decent, I'm not going to complain

Bring on the crazy...

When I got the flyer in the mail for the Charm City Run 20-miler (yes, I know you are already considering my mental state as diminished), I thought to myself "this would be fun but I don't want to do it alone."  That meant I needed to find someone equally crazy to run it with me.  Here's where my good friend Lara comes in.  She runs longer distances than any of us and does it with her lip gloss still looking fantastic.  When I told her about the race, she was in.  Score!  Nice long race and a few hours with one of the toughest people to pin down in Anne Arundel County.

The race was a point to point on the NCR trail, so we started out up near the PA border and ran south to Hunt Valley on a very slight downgrade.  At the start the weather was almost cool and the temperature stayed mild through the whole race....though it was humid as all get out.  The humidity came into factor several times throughout the race.  By the middle of it, our clothes were more wet than the week before during the A-10 when it actually poured rain on the race....yeah, it was that humid.

At any rate, we cruised down the trail, catching up on the past several months in detail, keeping relatively close to a 10 minute pace.  For us, this was more a training run than a race so there was no pressure.  We chatted and chatted.  At one point we ran up on a couple folks who entered the conversation (we would end up leapfrogging this duo through the whole race) and sped up after some parts of the conversation got a bit weird.

That wasn't the last weird thing on the course though.  At one point we came up to a house with a gnome obsession that backed up to the trail.  There were at least 50 gnomes in this yard, maybe upward of a hundred.  Bizarre, but humorous. 

Then at the mile 12 water stop was a great surprise.  The diva and my husband were helping out at the water table.  Check out my little race volunteer...she refused to let anyone else hold the gatorade cups as they were being filled.  She'll be great in a few years.

The rest of the run was really good.  Both mine and Lara's hamstrings were tight just north of the knee caps, but everything else felt pretty good.  For us anyways.  About half a mile before the finish we came up on a poor guy who had such a horrible charlie horse that his whole leg was wracked in tremors.  He couldn't move and it was on a treacherous part of the course on a road with no shoulder and oncoming traffic.  Lara and I stayed with him until he could stand again, and then headed up to the finish with smiles on our faces.  Twenty miles went by very fast.

I loved this race.  I would do it again.  I may even consider the NCR Trail Marathon later this year.  We'll see. Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  20
Time:   3:25:26 (average pace of 10:16 per mile)
Location:  NCR Trail from PA border to Hunt Valley
Feeling:  the hamstring held up and the attitude was spectacular

Good running fun...

I'm skipping over Thursday's run (treadmill...boring...stats below) and skipping straight to today, September 1...much more exciting.  Today was the Labor Day 10K at Naval Support Activity Annapolis, which Brie and I have planned to run for the past few weeks.  We added to the pleasure with a third runner - a midshipman - who has a lot of enthusiasm and is breaking into more of the longer distance running.

So how did Caroline join the intrepid duo?  I work with Caroline in the age 3-6 Sunday School class at the Naval Academy Chapel.  She has been forced to listen to my race recaps for the past year and last week she indicated she was interested in trying out the longer distance (greater than 5k) running.  Perfect opportunity...come run the Labor Day 10K on the Navy base with Brie and I.  She was in.

So we get to race morning, and par for the course, not everything has gone by the books during the morning, but we're all there before the start of the race.  So, bonus.  Oh yeah, us and the other 13 runners for the race.  Yep, 16 total.  Guess what?  Our chances of winning something increase exponentially.  Woohoo!

Downside to a small race field?  Everyone goes out uber fast.  When  the start was given, we al went out at about a 7 minute/mile pace...uh, not happening for long folks.  We pulled back to about a 8:30ish pace.  Now, on the way over, Caroline indicated she wanted to try to keep up with us during the race as long as possible.  I told her she could probably run much faster than our 8:30 - 9:15 pace.  She wasn't so sure.  Kudos to her for keeping up the whole time.  And for listening to our weekly dish the dirt session.  She may never join us again after that :)  But we hope she will.

Anyway, the course wound up through the golf course, up Providence just a bit and then turned around so we could head back and catch the trail around Greenbury Point.  When we hit the 4 mile mark it became very clear that the race was going to be short of 10k, but who cares, we were having fun.  Ultimately we finished 7, 8 and 9 overall.  First in age 35-39, first in age 30-34 and first in 20-24.  How about them apples :)  So we did't actually win any real prizes (the MWR races are so small they only give first place overall male and female) but we can pretend we rocked it.  And of course, we also didn't walk away with any random prizes either.  Maybe next time.  It was fun regardless and Brie and I were able to share our love of running with a new person.

Now on to rest up a bit for tomorrow's Charm City Run 20-miler with Lara.  It promises to be cooler and the course is a slight downgrade, so I feel pretty good about it.  Happy trails!!!

Stats (for Thursday)
Miles:  4.01
Time:  35:37 (average pace of 8:53 per mile)
Location:  Fitness Center at Naval Support Activity Annapolis
Feeling:  Hamstrings are still tight, trying to make them last

Stats (for Saturday)
Miles:  4.83
Time:   41:30 (average pace of 8:35 per mile)
Location:  Greenbury Point
Feeling:  tight in the hamstrings, just need to hold them together through Sunday

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

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

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

A few kinks to work out...

As I said yesterday, I probably needed to take today off because of the ankles.  But getting in that first run with the jogging stroller - seeing how the little diva did - was too much of a pull to leave the running shoes in the closet.  So in grand denial style, I loaded up the stroller and the diva in the car and headed off to Quiet Waters Park.

I like Quiet Waters.  They have a decent paved trail with options for a couple different distances.  Today I just wanted to take it slow and easy to see how the little one adjusted to the jogging stroller and not hurt myself anymore, so I basically followed the course for the JLA Volunteers on the Run 5K (which happens every fall...check back for details on this year's run), except I swapped the boat loop for the compost loop. 

Things seemed to be going well for the diva...at least she didn't hate the stroller.  It wasn't going quite as well for me.  It definitely is tougher running with the stroller than without.  Most notably my arms were tired from pushing...or rather holding the stroller in front. Give me a couple more and this should get easier.  The other thing I noticed, I couldn't quite get up to speed.  Understatement.  I was going a more than a minute per mile slower.  Hopefully I can chip away at that as I become accustomed to the change.  Actually, this may be a good thing for my speed.  Just think of how much faster I will go without the stroller after training with it.

Okay, so we established I had at least one blunder on this run...that being I shouldn't have run on the injury to begin with.  So, at about mile two, I'm in a little pain, dripping sweat because it's wicked humid and the diva won't sit back because she wants to be able to see all around her.  Now I'm a good mom, and I tried to get her back, but was not successful before we hit a bump (the trail has a lot of them from roots growing up under the pavement) and she bumped her head a tiny bit on the side of the stroller.  I don't think she likes it anymore.  She couldn't wait for the ordeal to be over.  Hopefully she'll give it another shot for mama's sake.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  3.2
Time:   31:17 (average pace of 9:45 per mile)
Location:  Quiet Waters Park Annapolis
Feeling:  Uh, not fantastic...need to lay off the ankle (but let's be honest, I probably won't)

Short and sweet...

Short and sweet is not how I would describe tonight's run.  More like short and SWEATY.  I waited until well after dark so the temperature would drop a bit and the heat advisory would expire.   Okay, let's be honest, I was waiting for after dark because I needed it to coole down and then I decided to wait some more after I ate my second ice cream cone of the day.  Let's just say waiting until after dark cannot possibly have helped me in the temperature department.  In fact, writing this post just two hours after the run at 11:25pm, it is still more than 87 degrees outside.  It was so hot and humid when I ran  that my Garmin was fogged up the whole time.  Thank goodness this weather is just an anomaly or I may be forced to do one of two things - (a) run on the dreadmill all summer or (b) learn to get up and run at 3am.  Yeah, neither of those is happening, my friends.

So as I'm trudging along, cutting the air with a knife, and trying to find some air that wasn't too thick to choke into my lungs I had a couple interesting things happen.  First, I had a fox streak across the road in front of me.  That is the second fox that has appeared during one of my runs this year.  (S)he was very pretty...almost a strawberry blonde.  Okay, there's a slim possibility (s)he could also have been a cat, but I'm calling it a fox and sticking to it. 

Second, I thought good driving etiquette is to turm off your brights when approaching another car, am I right?  Now I know I'm not the equivalent of a car (at least I hope not) but I know that car saw me, then turned his brights on blinding me and never turned them back off.  So rude.  I'm certain I was seeing stars the next half mile.

So aside from a foggy Garmin, no breathable air, streaked by a fox and blinded by a rude driver, tonight was great.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  2.07
Time:   17:36 (average pace of 8:30 per mile)
Location:  Bay Head and Revell Downs
Feeling:   Like I was trying to breath heavy metals into my lungs....holy humidity and heat