Let's just say that, overall, this week has been abysmal for running. Bronchitis is kicking my butt, so I've laid off enough to not totally kill myself, but still logged 14ish miles overall. Hopefully this coming week will be conducive to catching up on miles. Though, truth be told, I'm not behind for the month given last weekend's 25 miles logged in two days. Anyway, I digress...I seem to be good at that these days.
On to today's run. Brie and I are back in action...sort of. As I already said, I've got bronchitis and can't breathe real well and Brie's still got the IT band issue, so we're not in tip top running form. That's never stopped us though, and since we are running a half marathon next weekend, we set out at 6:30 this morning for a semi-longish run.
The weather was fantastic. It's not been this good in months and was wonderful for stretching the legs. The first couple miles felt very familiar. Brie and I chatted about all the super duper news and goings on in our lives...and there seemed to be a lot this week. We headed toward Annapolis, down Main Street and over to City Dock.
Once we were on the Naval Academy "Yard," heading toward the sea wall, things got a little weird. First we saw the DNR boat come up to the sea wall with its lights on. An then at the bend before College Creek, we saw a MP sitting next to his car on the sea wall, that's when we saw the fire truck up on the Academy Bridge with its lights flashing. What the heck was going on? We thought immediately it must be a search and rescue. Jumper? Cap-sized vessel? Who knows? Our thoughts on the search and rescue were confirmed when a state police helicopter also came onto the scene, circling the Severn in the area between the bridge and the entry of the river to the Chesapeake. I hope it wasn't a sad day for a family, but I've not been able to learn anything more than what we saw with our own eyes....which admittedly wasn't much.
Well, we finished the spin around Hospital Point and had two options - head back through the Yard and downtown toward our start point or exit gate 8 and head straight back for the start point. Gate 8 was only about 2 miles versus 4ish and my lungs were straining and Brie's IT band was also bothersome, so we took the shorter route. It wasn't a cop out, just understanding the limits and needs of our own bodies. This has probably been one of the greatest unexpected lessons I've learned throughout this year of running to meet my goal - you can't get it done if you don't understand what your body is telling you and when. Sometimes you can still push a little further, and if you listen, you know when those times are. And sometimes you've got to end a run sooner or risk not being able to run for several days or longer (why I've taken the past couple days off).
We got back to the start while planning our packet pick up, race schedule, and what we're going to do for fun the day before the race. I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I love these runs. They are my therapy, my exercise, my time with friends and my fun. Thank you Brie! Happy trails!!!
Stats -
Miles: 7.42
Time: 1:16:26 (average pace of 10:18 per mile)
Location: downtown Annapolis and the Naval Academy
Feeling: the lungs were very rough but the legs felt decent
Showing posts with label sea wall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sea wall. Show all posts
09 September 2012
19 April 2012
Attack of the killer...Mallard?...
I started today with a lot of different intentions, but I have to say the way it ended up (which wasn't in the plans) was so much better. First I was going to run during my lunch break today, but let's be honest, what lunch break? Then I was going to run through downtown Annapolis before a meeting this evening, but well, I needed to walk Duncan first. Then I was going to run through downtown Annapolis after my meeting, except I parked my car on the Yard (that would be the Naval Academy campus for the non-Annapolitans out there) and I was carrying a cookbook...don't ask. So, after my meeting I had a little pep talk with myself since I was waivering from running at all now that none of the plans seemed to work out. I convinced myself, even though the sun had set at this point (and you know my policy on night running...I'm a danger to myself) I would run the sidewalks and roads along the sea wall on the Yard.
Since I was parked in front of Halsey Field House, I took off toward the sea wall and was momentarily stunned by the mega yacht anchored off the end of Ego Alley, then I remembered I had ordered a pick up in style :) Okay, perhaps I'm hallucinating now but I did indulge in several minutes of pretending I owned the monster that I believe actually belongs to the owner of the Ravens (he anchors down in Annapolis part of the year). A few moments of indulgence was enough before I settled into enjoying the glassy surface of the Severn River lapping up against the sea wall.
If you've run the Yard, you know the typical sea wall route...bending in sight of Ego Alley, back behind Rip Miller field, down around the Santee boat basin, passed the Glen Warner soccer facility and so on. The one typical part of the jog I really don't like is the wooden footbridge that connects main campus with Hospital Point. I dread crossing it in the light of day, let alone the dead of night, but I sucked it up and cruised on across hoping all the boards would hold (I heard the Severn River is still pretty darn cold). Low and behold, it seems to hold together for me, so here's where my policy of no night running often comes in handy. If you are clumsy, you should not invite dangerous situations, like running the gravel path of the sea wall on Hospital Point at night with no guard railing and almost no lighting. There are two sides to this coin - the near pitch black really allows me to settle into the run and just enjoy the feeling, alternately, I am nearly shocked into the river by the mallard that decided to pop onto the path right in front of me in the pitch black. Yes, he had absolutely no fear of the runner pounding away along the path, and he had friends. Not one, but several. Ultimately I survived the ducks, but geez I jumped so high and far I nearly did go for that swim.
The rest of my run wasn't quite so dramatic. After curving along by the columbarium and back across the proper concrete bridge (as opposed to the wooden bridge), I reversed my path. What better way to get another look at my future yacht? All in all, I had a super pleasant jaunt and may eschew my night running policy again to take in the quiet solitude I had this evening. Happy trails!!!
Stats -
Miles: 4.53
Time: 38:46 (average pace of 8:33 per mile)
Location: US Naval Academy, aka the Yard
Feeling: Settled into my stride and loving life
Since I was parked in front of Halsey Field House, I took off toward the sea wall and was momentarily stunned by the mega yacht anchored off the end of Ego Alley, then I remembered I had ordered a pick up in style :) Okay, perhaps I'm hallucinating now but I did indulge in several minutes of pretending I owned the monster that I believe actually belongs to the owner of the Ravens (he anchors down in Annapolis part of the year). A few moments of indulgence was enough before I settled into enjoying the glassy surface of the Severn River lapping up against the sea wall.
If you've run the Yard, you know the typical sea wall route...bending in sight of Ego Alley, back behind Rip Miller field, down around the Santee boat basin, passed the Glen Warner soccer facility and so on. The one typical part of the jog I really don't like is the wooden footbridge that connects main campus with Hospital Point. I dread crossing it in the light of day, let alone the dead of night, but I sucked it up and cruised on across hoping all the boards would hold (I heard the Severn River is still pretty darn cold). Low and behold, it seems to hold together for me, so here's where my policy of no night running often comes in handy. If you are clumsy, you should not invite dangerous situations, like running the gravel path of the sea wall on Hospital Point at night with no guard railing and almost no lighting. There are two sides to this coin - the near pitch black really allows me to settle into the run and just enjoy the feeling, alternately, I am nearly shocked into the river by the mallard that decided to pop onto the path right in front of me in the pitch black. Yes, he had absolutely no fear of the runner pounding away along the path, and he had friends. Not one, but several. Ultimately I survived the ducks, but geez I jumped so high and far I nearly did go for that swim.
The rest of my run wasn't quite so dramatic. After curving along by the columbarium and back across the proper concrete bridge (as opposed to the wooden bridge), I reversed my path. What better way to get another look at my future yacht? All in all, I had a super pleasant jaunt and may eschew my night running policy again to take in the quiet solitude I had this evening. Happy trails!!!
Stats -
Miles: 4.53
Time: 38:46 (average pace of 8:33 per mile)
Location: US Naval Academy, aka the Yard
Feeling: Settled into my stride and loving life
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