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!