Spiking the football...

My end zone dance looks a bit like Ickey Woods, but who the heck cares...I hit 1000 miles today!  Slam dunk!  Goal!  Move over second rate college quarterbacks, I'm taking home the Heisman this year.  Did I get a little too carried away?  I don't think so, after all I took down my new year's resolution a whole month early.

It wasn't easy today, that's for sure.  Due to a crazy work schedule, I lost two days of running this week.  Getting home from work after midnight and getting back up at 5am meant I was tired to begin with.  It took a lot of drive to get out the door and put in enough miles to cross the finish line, but the pull to claim victory over one month earlier than I calculated as doable last January was greater than the exhaustion...and the blisters forming on my feet.

It seems fitting to put to bed the goal around the city that has played such an influential role in many running firsts for me...Though several years ago, it's still the first city in which I ran a 10 miler and a marathon...several since both those.  It's also provided me with the routes to shed my stress through running when life becomes too much.  On this particular run I headed for some familiar sites and some new pavement.  From Stanton Park, to Lincoln Park, to RFK Stadium, to Eastern Market, past many Smithsonian museums - dodging a gazillion tourists - to the Washington Monument and finishing up near the US Capitol, it was a beautiful day, beautiful weather, and the run felt awesome.  To cap it off, I finished while Colbie Caillat's "Brighter than the Sun" was blasting through the ipod....kindof perfect.

As I was running, and knowing I was going to pass this milestone, I began thinking about what I learned over the past 11 months of pushing myself out the door on days I couldn't wait to run, and days I needed a bit more motivation than seemed to be available to me.  This really was a journey of self-discovery.  Here are just some of things I learned this year, the good, the bad and the ones that need more work:

• I am capable.  Capable of setting a goal and figuring out what I needed to do to finish it.
• I am strong.  Strong enough in body to muscle through the weak days and strong enough in mind to push myself when necessary.
• I am committed.  Committed to making sure I know the value of goals.  Committed to keeping myself fit in mind and body.  Committed to setting a positive example for my family and friends, but most importantly my daughter.
• I am crazy.  Yes, I am willing to do some things that others deem crazy - crazy distances, crazy times of day for runs, crazy to get up and go out for a jog in a blizzard.  I am crazy to ignore injuries in pursuit of goals, when those injuries could become so much worse.
• I am sensitive, but bullet proof.  I am sensitive enough to get my back up when people flippantly say to me "1000 miles?  I bet I've done that.  That's pretty easy."  But bullet proof because I've learned to let the silly comments of others roll off.
• I am self-conscious.  I have body image issues and I recognize it.  It's hard to listen when a friend tells me I look strong, when inside I'm telling myself I need to lose 15 more pounds and tone up this and that muscle group.
• I am thankful.  Thankful for my own perseverence.  Thankful for all those who helped me throughout the year by putting in the miles with me and always willing to provide moral support.
• I am blessed.  Blessed with good health.  Blessed with great friends and blessed with great family.
• I am awesome.

Who knows what I'll be able to achieve in the next month, but I'm looking forward to it. Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  11.02
Time:   1:39:46 (average pace of 9:03 per mile)
Location:  all about the greater Capitol Hill neighborhood
Feeling:  VICTORY!!!

Jingle all the way...

US Botanical Gardens all lit up for the holidays

NOTE:  There were no live jingle bells engaged in this evenings activities...that will wait for closer to Christmas.

There is something special about that first evening run after the Christmas lights begin to deck the halls - or the outside facades - of the homes and building around Capitol Hill.  It's fun, festive and provides new interest while circling the streets in my mad pursuit for miles and fitness. 

Tonight was that night.  First of all, I had to run tonight.  Just absolutely had to.  It's a super busy week, which means my runs because that much more important to break up the stress.  Today I didn't get a lunch break, so by 3pm I was emailing my husband saying I was going to go insane if I didn't run after work...would he be okay with the diva.  Check.  Not sure what I would have done if the answer had been no.

After I finally broke the chains from my desk, I headed out across the East front of the Capitol.  It was cold and I was stiff, so it was a slow start (and end if I'm honest).  Since it was dark and (a) we've established I'm clumsy after dark and (b) you don't want to head into the darker neighborhoods...just in case...I decided to stick very close to the Capitol and engage in circles.  Really more like a figure eight.  I'm glad I did.  My first circle took me around to the West front of the Capitol building and the lovely view of the Botanical Gardens all lit up for the holiday.  It's strange, I've been in DC for more than a dozen year but never visited the Botanical Gardens.  The lights make me want to go, and I bet the diva would love it.

My second loop came back across the East front and then headed down Independence Avenue toward 3rd Street SE, up East Capitol toward Lincoln Park, back down East Capitol and across the front of the Capitol building back to where my car was snuggly parked behind the Russell Building.  Thank you to the festive residents along East Capitol.  I love your style and spirit and hope more will join you.  While none of you sported the grotesque displays of blow up figures or plastic Christmas lawn ornaments (thank you and thank you), your lights provided a delightful tour of an otherwise too familiar route at this point.

I never quite warmed up enough to greally get moving on this run.  That's okay, it was about stress rather than speed or other training accomplishments.  It was also fun to see the first of the holiday decorations and I can't wait to see more.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  3.35
Time:   32:38 (average pace of 9:44 per mile)
Location:  Capitol Hill
Feeling:  holiday cheery

Racing the falling dusk...

Today I had every intention of running in the morning...before spending the day in appointments at Johns Hopkins for the diva.  Out the door by 6:45am and I could have clocked 10 miles.  That would have helped big time in pushing toward my mini-goal for the week.  Alas, the diva was awake and the spouse wasn't, so no morning run for me.

Instead, I wasn't able to lace up my shoes until about 3:30pm, hitting the B&A Trail by about 3:45pm.  Is it just me or is night coming earlier and earlier?  Yeah, the sun was already well below the trees at 3:45, so I knew I needed to run like the dickens just to clock sevenish miles before 4:45pm (or roughly when it becomes too dark to be out on a trail alone). 

So I did just that...took off at a high speed (high at least for a training run...initially I was hitting 8:10 miles or so) heading north on the trail from the Arnold Station shopping center, determined to go out 3.5 miles and get back before the witching hour.  It was a lonely night on the trail, compared to normal.  Few bikers and even fewer runners taking advantage of the opportunity to get in some exercise just before night.

I'm glad everything felt good and that I had just charged my ipod.  A run with no distraction and something nagging would have made for super boredom....except running past the horse farms.  Those always provide a needed distraction and I still love watching horses do just about anything.

Just as I was coming to the 3.5 mile mark up in Severna Park, I passed a boy pushing his girlfriend on a skateboard and thought to myself, girlfriend, motor yourself.  But I'm too polite to make such comments.

The 3.5 miles back was a bit slower (and I started feeling the hard push on the way out) but was still as strong as the opening miles.  When I returned to my starting point I still had a bit of light left in the air, so grabbed an extra mile before calling it quits and heading to McDonald's for an ice cream cone (I deserved that, right?).

So it wasn't 10 miles, but it wasn't the effort of a slacker either.  With the schedule this week it's going to be tough to hit my mini-goal (hitting 1000 a month early), but I'll find a way to do it, come hell or high water.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  8.12
Time:   1:09:09 (average pace of 8:30 per mile)
Location:  B&A Trail north from Arnold Station
Feeling:  physically good, mentally wish I could have logged 10 miles today

Happy turkey day...

This morning was fantastic! (...too bad my health went down hill from there, but that is another story)  Why was it fantastic?  Well, I had one heck of an awesome turkey trot at Advanced Rehabilitation and Health Specialists (ARHS) in Mantua.

First off, let me tell you why I love ARHS.  About fourteen years ago I was having major health issues (not like the minor seasonal cold type issues I alluded to above)...we're talking the type the doctors had a difficult time pinning down.  It had to do with my head.  I had severe headaches and other issues that caused me to have blurry vision, imbalance, sometimes an inability to stand or walk.  I couldn't focus and the pain was intense...all the time. After MRIs, blood tests and other tests, it was finally determined that I had severe tension in the muscle group that ran from the shoulders up to the top of my head.  Let's just say I carry my stress in my shoulders and neck...to the extreme.  This is where ARHS came in...they were the physical therapist group I spent several months with, a couple times a week, receiving muscle massage (the painful kind) to release the tension and learning new exercises to help me keep the stress damage in that area minimized once I was back on an even keel.  It was, quite literally, life altering and probably the reason I am devoted to running today.  Remember how I'm always saying running is my yoga...my stress reliever?...yep, exactly.

So when I (a) found out I was going to be in Garrettsvill for Thanksgiving and (b) looking for a turkey trot to replace my Annapolis event and (c) discovered there was one at ARHS, it was an easy choice...run the one at ARHS.  Bonus, it was being run on the Headwaters Trail that was nothing more than large stones on an old railroad bed the last time I was on it.  Today it is a smooth surface trail that runs through the beautiful forest and fields I spent the first 22 years old my life around.

The turkey trot kicked off at 8am and was a simple 30 minutes out on the trail, turn around and come back for another 30 minutes.  No specific distance.  Do it at your own pace.  This is what I call a fantastic event. 

So I took off.  For about the first mile I had a small seven or eight year old boy running just slightly ahead of me (and any time he started to slow down and fall behind me he would sprint ahead again).  He soon became way too tired to play at the charade of keeping up and started walking.  Soon I was out on my own, just me and the trail, and the second from the front of the pack heading out.  It provided me the ability to take in my surroundings.

Because my legs and lungs were feeling good, I was keeping a decent training pace.  I got 3.5 miles out when I hit the 30 minute mark.  That was almost to the route 700 crossing, which is where I used to pick the trail up when it only consisted of the 700 - Garrettsville section.  Then I turned it around and headed back.    I've decided I really like this trail.  It's much like the NCR trail I ran the twenty miler on earlier this year with Lara.  Smooth, relatively flat, and very fast.  It's also runs through pretty farm country, which I sometimes miss in Annapolis and Washington.

When I crossed back over the start line, I logged exactly 7 miles on the nose....7 miles and nearly 900 calories burned (which means more calories to eat great pie and potatoes at the dinner table).  As a fun, added incentive ARHS also gave out random door prizes that were more funny than serious.  Yes, and sentimental.  They gave out many Hostess prizes (how much are twinkies going for on ebay these days?) and I won the Hostess cupcakes.  So maybe I didn't have quite so many calories left by the time I got to the dinner table.

Of the turkey trots I've run over the past several years I have to say this was one of my favorites.  There were no prizes for who finished first, no one asked what your time was and you were only accountable to yourself.  Sometimes that is the way it should be in a "race."  Happy thanksgiving and happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  7.0
Time:   1:00:12 (average pace of 8:35 per mile)
Location:  Headwaters Trail, Portage County Ohio
Feeling:  one of my favorite runs this year (though I ended up with a head cold by the end of the day)

Only in Washington, right?....

Thanksgiving is an interesting time of year, but the week is even more interesting when you get outside the office for a run through the streets of Washington, DC.  That's right...today provided plenty to look at but I'll focus on three interesting things.

So we're experiencing a bit of warm up, but not so much to get back into the summer running clothes.  I split the kitty by wearing one of my favorite pairs of red running shorts and a long sleeve black Brooks running shirt that was a Celtic Solstice 5 miler premium from four or five years ago.  Not my most stylish running apparel.  Why is this important?  Well, because I got to play a small role in an on location shoot at the Capitol building as I ran across the East front of the building.  For the life of me I have no idea why a news crew was shooting in front of the Capitol on perhaps that second most dead week of the year for Congress...but anyway they caught me in all my stylish and swift glory.

Second, on this still chilly but slightly warmer day as I'm cruising along enjoying a nice cleansing run, I almost trip over a a bag piper in full regalia walking along.  Really?  Umm, don't these guys travel in packs and generally have an obvious reason for being in a specific place?  I couldn't figure out what he could possibly be doing where he was at that time, alone and looking cold....don't they go pantiless? 

Third, if you've been through DC lately you know the Supreme Court has been in the process of getting a bit of a face lift.  Nothing unusual in a town of historic buildings for sure.  I've watched the scaffolding rise up and envelop the building as I've run over the past few months.  What caught my eye today - as I was really attempting to keep my eye on the real prize of laying down a speedy run - was the fact that apparently the Supreme Court is concerned with appearances.  Oh yeah, while the scaffolding is up they apparently didn't want to deprive our great tourists of seeing the facade, so they had a life size canvas facade of the front of the building hung to hide the scaffolding.  Hello, we know that isn't real...

In all, I really enjoyed my run today.  My legs are really feeling great, my speed is picking back up, and I found plenty to be amused by.  Thanks DC for keeping it lively.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  4.25
Time:   36:06 (average pace of 8:29 per mile)
Location:  Capitol Hill, Stanton Park, Lincoln Park
Feeling:  better than I have in a couple months and loving it

Prepping for turkey...

Oh cold snap...its starting to get chilly out and today required a bit heavier clothing for my run.  Luckily I enjoy running in cooler weather and am totally prepared for the onset of winter.  Here's my rule of thumb when dressing to run in cooler temps...add 15 - 20 degrees to the actual temperature and that's what the run will feel like a mile or so into it.  So, if its 30 degrees, your core will think its 45 - 50 degrees and so on.  I've found this keeps me from over or under dressing too badly.

Today was about 40 - 45 degrees, so no hat for me (those come out around 30 degrees), but I did sport the running capris and long sleeve half zip with a shirt underneath.  It was comfortable and kept me appropriately toasty throughout my jaunt. 

And for my jaunt?  I'm really trying to hit the 1000 mile mark before the end of November without overdoing it on my body.  In fact, its quite obvious I've actually scaled back over the past couple weeks quite a bit.  My current plan is to hit my mark while still going into the 2013 running season healthy as a horse. 

This week I'm starting out small to save some miles for turkey day (gotta earn the pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes).  So today was a nice, easy, uneventful cruise through my usual areas around DC.  The cooler temperatures mean I'm alone on the streets...er sidewalks...and it was completely quiet.  Just me and my shoes slapping the pavement.  I'm delighted to not have any injuries nagging me right now and so I am finally starting to stretch back into my pace a bit.  Score.  I ended the run sweaty and feeling great.

God willing my speed will be up and ready for the Celtic Solstice 5 miler in December. In the meantime, I'll just keep working and adding up the miles.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  4.1
Time:   35:41 (average pace of 8:42 per mile)
Location:  Capitol Hill, Stanton Park, Lincoln Park
Feeling:  putting it back together to close the year on a high note

Trotting for the turkey...

Ah, the holiday season is upon us.  Eating, drinking, being merry, and eating some more, possibly drinking some more.  Yes, I mark the beginning of this season with the first turkey trot I run and don't look back until ringing in the new year.  Today is that day and I'll be starting the season with the Naval Support Activity Annapolis MWR Turkey Trot 5k...it also marks the first time running with Brie since the end of September.

I headed over to Greenbury Point a little early to get in a couple extra miles (trying to tick away at that goal as much as possible).  Eh, hold on, first I had to turn around (I was only a mile from home) and head back home to grab the tire pump (really just grabbed the whole running stroller) because Brie's was't working.  Then I headed to Greenbury Point.

I was surprised to see the number of runners already gathering when I arrived around 8:20am.  Usually these races are very small so I am happy they are finally getting the word out, though that doesn't help me in my quest to finally win one of their great door prizes.  But I disgress....since I was a little later than intentioned, I decided I would just run a mile and a half or so.  I tend to forget how long the Greenbury Point trail is. 

So, at 8:30ish, I hit the trail at a nice clip...my nicest clip all week, almost back to normal.  And settled in for a pounding warm up against the head winds coming off the bay.  Yowzer, were they something.  As I approached the "short cut" route, I looked at my watch and realized that if I wanted to catch up with Brie before the run, that I couldn't take the whole path.  So I headed back and screeched into the parking lot at about 8:45am in time to see Brie just getting the jogging stroller out of her vehicle. 

We pumped up her tires, with a little help from her little one, made a last trip to the restroom and headed to the starting line.  Sort of.  We actually missed the start, but who cares, its a fun run.  Once we had the jogging stroller situated, we headed out onto the course.  Since we missed the start, we didn't feel compelled to back track that .05 miles to the actual starting line and just began from where we were.

While catching up on the latest and greatest news, we noticed that runners were already doubling back toward the starting line which would mean these guys were super super (like world record) fast unless they changed up the 5k course some.  And yes, they did.  Rather than going all the way up Greenbury Point Road and turning around at Kincaid, we looped back to the trail and finished up there.  The wind was still brisk, but it was a beautiful day out on the bay...and I love the Bay Bridge.  We even passed a few runners. 

All was good until we rounded to the finish line.  Brie's little one wanted to race the last little bit, so we stopped, got him out of the stroller and waited for him to say "go."  Not five feet after the last little burst, the poor guy trip, fell and broke open his lip on the pavement.  He's a tough one though and we were soon eating the turkey sandwiches, waiting to learn that once again we didn't win the random prize drawings.

In all, it was another fun event, with great folks and the opportunity to exercise.  Who can complain about that?  It also meant a great start to a fun filled day of volunteering, tailgating and Navy football.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  4.93
Time:   48:23 (average pace of 9:49)
Location:  NSA Annapolis, Greenbury Point
Feeling:  finally getting back on track