Peace and quiet...

This morning I woke up in one of my favorite places - Fort Campell.  I really love this base (sorry Army folks...installation...you'll have to forgive this Marine spouse), I love the people and I love the mission.  Usually when I am staying out here for meetings I get up and head to one of the fitness centers.  Today the temperatures were nice (after that monster round of storms that I managed to drive through last night on the way up here) and the sun was up early, so I hit the trail, or rather the Cole Park golf cart path.

I have to tell you, any runs this week are purely about adding miles to the tally sheet because I am otherwise saving my legs for my marathon on Saturday.  I thought the quiet of the golf cart path the day after a nasty storm was a great place to stretch out and add to that tally.  If you are familiar with the golf course on Fort Campbell, you know that it has a lot of rolling hills that dip away from the road to the treeline.  It was slightly misty near the treeline today (I can only imagine thanks to the storms) and a meditative kind of peaceful.  It was the right environment to get into my own head, hit an easy pace and pound out a few miles up and down the golf cart path from Richardson Lodging to Cole Park Commons and back.  In fact it was so peaceful I only had to share the course with a large herd of deer...and a couple groundskeepers picking up branches felled by the winds (can't have those branches covering prime fairway now can we?...I could insert all sorts of military and the golf course stories here, but I'll refrain.)

Anyway, it was a perfect way to energize the body before a day of meetings with some of the country's finest members of the Army and Army Special Forces.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  3.54
Time:   31:00 (average pace of 8:45 per mile)
Location:  Cole Park Golf Course, Fort Campbell
Feeling:  Nice and relaxed, need to watch the hamstrings going into Saturday

Small steps forward...

Last night I got into Jackson, TN very late.  After the flights from Baltimore and the drive over from Nashville, the last thing I wanted to do was get up super early.  I should have known the snooze button was in my future.  When the alarm went off, I hit that snooze button, oh, at least 3 times.  That means fewer and fewer miles with each push of that button. 

Finally I was able to drag myself out of the comfy bed at the Doubletree Jackson and head on down to the fitness center on the first floor.  At this point I only had between 15-20 minutes to run.  I took off on the dreadmill at a laborious pace and plugged away for a total of 18 big minutes.  You're impressed right?  Ha, it was meager, but even meager counts on the trek to 1000.  Better luck tomorrow at Fort Campbell.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  2.04
Time:   18:00 (average pace of 8:49 per mile)
Location:  the sole treadmill at the Doubletree Hotel, Jackson, TN
Feeling:  Ehhh

Remembering and celebrating...

Today is Memorial Day.  It is a day for remembering those who sacrificed on behalf of each American so that we may experience freedom and liberty.  We remember those who came before and those who currently serve.  We celebrate with cookouts, parades, wreathlayings and concerts.  Today I celebrated with my own Marine, who spent all of last year deployed in the war zone. 

We started the day together adding a few to the running log and enjoying the views that only Annapolitans can find.  I took Jay out to Greenbury Point...a trail I've blogged about before...for his first run along Mill Creek, Carr Creek and the Severn on this particular path.  It was a great morning.  The temps weren't horrible, the paths were deserted and (atypical of us when running together) we chatted throughout the whole run.  I rather enjoyed kicking off the day in this manner.

Post-run Jay and I hit the shower, then headed off for an early lunch and a couple hours at the pool before I had to head off to the airport for a short trip to Tennessee.  It was a day to be grateful for.  Thank you Jay and thanks to all our service members...yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Stats -
Miles:  6.01
Time:   54:49 (average pace of 9:07 per mile)
Location:  Greenbury Point
Feeling:  happy

Hitting the trail...

It's one week until the North Face Endurance Challenge.  One week until I return to the marathon field for the first time since before the back injury.  One week before I spend a day of commaraderie with a great friend conquering another goal.  I couldn't be more excited.  There's just a couple pesky details to take care of first...like getting in a few trail miles before running a trail marathon.

Serenity, thine name is a winding path
through the woods

Trails are very different from roads.  Trails are softer and more forgiving for bum knees.  Trails are more tranquil and relaxing.  Trails offer more interesting obstacles like fallen trees and water crossings.  Trails use slightly different muscles.  Trails also remind me that I am human and gravity likes to fell those who don't show enough respect for tree roots that randomly appear in front of your toes.  Its been a while since I've really hit the trails and we really needed to get in at least one solid trail run before North Face.  So Brie and I trekked out to Rosaryville State Park for some time with the trees, wildlife and every cyclists in Prince George's County (at least there were a lot).

This little dude decided to block the
while path...

If you've ever run or hiked Rosaryville, you know it is both easy and hard in the same 9 mile loop.  Its not very technical, but it throws up some hills when your legs start screaming in the heat and humidity.  We hit the trail before 7am.  Thank goodness, otherwise we never would have got a parking space because it started getting busy shortly after we hit the trail.  The trail itself was nice and dry...it could have been muddy....but also really quiet for the first several miles.  No people, no birds, okay a few squirrels, but otherwise just the sounds of two 30-something chicas chattering away and their shoes pounding the dirt.  It was delightful.  We did have a few sightings of the local wildlife throughout the rest of the run...one deer, one box turtle, one snapping turtle and a gazillion squirrels (and a gazillion males on mountain bikes).  Perhaps we'll see a wider assortment next week. 

I will tell you.  It's great to have a running buddy who already knows 90% of the good and bad that comes along with you and can still tolerate multiple hours in close proximity.  It makes running that much more enjoyable.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  10.75
Time:   2:10:46 (average pace of 12:09 per mile...slower than usual, but we just took our time)
Location:  Rosaryville State Park
Feeling:  sluggish legs after 7, need to hit the nutrition mid-run next time

Adding functions...

When I got my Garmin last year, I chose the one that also came with the heart rate monitor because I knew there were additional training benefits to be gained by heart rate training.  Well its been 7 months and have I used that heart rate monitor once?  Nope.  When I first started using the Garmin (the Forerunner 405cx...awesome!) I promised myself I'd start basic and add the use of a new function each week until I could exploit everything packaged in this computer on my wrist.  Yeah, good intentions.  As I normally do, I fell into a pattern and just enjoyed watching my pace and mileage.

Found this beauty on a wall near 13th
and Pennsylvania Ave SE.  I love it!

Today I changed my pattern and added that heart rate monitor.  I know its going to take a while to get used to it, but wanted to start figuring it out.  So I started out and realized after the first quarter mile that I wasn't getting a reading.  I stopped to figure that one out briefly, and, duh...you have to enable it on the watch settings.  With the heart rate monitor working, I took off again.  I wasn't moving horribly fast.  It was a hot day, very humid and I was dehydrated.  I know my heart rate should be somewhere in the range of 150-163 if I'm working at 85%.  Mostly that's where I was, but the heat and dehydration caused me to spike to 175 a few times.  Overall, today my average heart rate was 154.  I'll get the hang off this and learn how to read it throughout my workout to maximize my cardio.  Until then, happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  5.01
Time:   43:21 (average pace of 8:39 per mile)
Location:  Capitol Hill, Lincoln Park, Stanton Park
Feeling:  drenched, it was so darn hot

Going on a lion hunt...

Let's be honest, outside the national zoo DC does not have lions.  So what could I possibly be talking about?  Have I finally lost my mind (not out of the realm of the possible)?  No, I'm thinking back to my sorority days in college....specifically pledging hell week.  My small, private school was pretty strict about hazing, so you had to be pretty creative (and overly careful) about what you could and could not do with pledges.  I remember my pledging year being blindfolded, stuck in the back of a car and driven around with the promise of being dropped in the middle of no where with only a roll of quarters to make my way back to campus (it was a cover obviously).  My sophomore year, as a big sis, it became my turn.  I teamed up with another big sis and we took our pledges on the "lion hunt" or rather our version of a semi-blindfolded photo scavenger hunt.

Tonight, to make my run a little more interesting I went on my own little "lion hunt" or rather photo scavenger hunt around Capitol Hill.  Because I run through residential areas, I see a lot of gardens.  You probably would not be surprised that there are a lot of beautiful front yard gardens among the rowhouses around the Hill (I can't really tell you about the backyards because teh act of obtaining that information could be considered illegal).  It appears to me that people find relaxation and recreation in their front yards.  What I had not previously thought to consider is that they also find a place to meditate within their front yards.  Yep, Capitol Hill is totally zen.  The number of gardens paying homage to Buddhism is actually astounding.  Below are pictures of just a few of the gardens along my four mile trek trying to find a spot for meditation among the semi-busy streets of DC or perhaps just showing the Buddhist spirit. 

It occurs to me that many people find a way to meditate in different ways - for me its running, for some its yoga and for others it may be reminders of the culture symbolic of the act of meditation.  So Capitol Hill, keep on relaxing.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -

Miles:  4.03

Time:   32:42 (average pace of 8:06 per mile)

Location:  Capitol Hill, Stanton Park, Lincoln Park

Feeling:  No problems with the achilles tonight, nor anything else either

Divine intervention...

After a crazy weekend of strawberry picking, Blue Angel watching and War of 1812 commemorating that gave Adventures in Babysitting a run for its money (by the way, everyone survived), I got back to the pavement and my personal meditation today.  As has been the case with most of my plans lately, I did not end up completing the workout I planned.  This morning I woke up to rain, a long day of forecasted rain.  With that in the crystal ball I planned on hitting power yoga and the treadmill after work.  However, I got  a pleasant post-work surprise...no rain.  How could I not take advantage of that?  After all, it was clear that mother nature was listening to my complaints about the treadmill. Not one to look a gifthorse in the mouth, I laced up my running shoes and headed outdoors.

I decided to shake it up a little bit and hit my go to course in reverse...sort of.  I started out heading across the East front of the Capitol, then up Pennsylvania Avenue.  Instead of cutting up 7th Street and cruising past Eastern Market, I went on down to 13th Street before turning toward Lincoln Park.  I've never been down this section of the road before and was pleasantly surprised by the extensive Watkins Recreation Center (and pleased to see so many kids out being active in the various sports teams practicing on the fields).  It got me thinking about some of the great programs fighting childhood obesity like the White House Let's Move and Junior League's Kids in the Kitchen.  I love those programs.  The run was tough, my left achilles is a bit tight, but necessary.  I finished off the evening in the weight room at the gym.

My divine moment, however, did not come until I arrived home tonight.  You may recall my post last week about honoring the victims and survivors of cancer by running to raise funds.  Well, being the Christian gal that I am, I do believe in intervention and tonight was a fine case.  I guess I'm being called to put my money...or legs...where my mouth is.  Tonight's mail delivered a flyer to join the American Cancer Society DetermiNation running program to help raise funds for cancer research.  I love the back of the flyer that says "Nearly 12 million cancer survivors will celebrate another birthday this year, thanks in part to the lifesaving work of the American Cancer Society and people just like you: people with a spark of determination and the will to conquer this deadly disease.  Every mile you conquer could help someone else celebrate another birthday."  I've signed up to receive information on the Washington, DC area program.  After all, how can you say no to a great cause and divine intervention?  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  5.25
Time:   45:07 (average pace of 8:35 per mile)
Location:  Capitol Hill, Lincoln Park, Stanton Park
Feeling:  Need to figure out the tight achilles but otherwise pretty good