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