Up, up and away...

Lining up at the start line near the break of dawn, looking out over the bay, maybe taking a selfie or two, and planning the best strategy for a swift 10k....those are all the characteristics of the beginning to the 2nd Across the Bay 10k.

Many a driver finds the Chesapeake Bay Bridge intimidating.  In fact, it has been called one of the scariest bridges in the world.  Spanning the 4.3 miles across the Bay from the Broadneck Peninsula to the Eastern Shore and soaring 189 feet above the water, even my own mother refuses to drive across this bridge.  So why run over?  Why the heck not?  And now I've done it twice.

First things first, I need to recap the parts of this race that leave a lot to be desired.  I admire the race team's ability to secure the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium for packet pick up, but they don't use the space efficiently.  While you go to one side to pick up your bib (with plenty of blank space left on that side), runners are then directed to the other side of the stadium for the crowded and not very useful expo....then must walk up to the second deck to pick up the race shirt.  Carrying a 21 month old the whole time did not leave me feeling warm fuzzies for the race team.

Then there's race morning.  I get why runners can't park at Northrop Grumman.  There is literally no where to put cars.  That said, if you live just a mile or two from the start (like I do) it is a bit of a pain to have to travel 6 miles in the opposite direction to park at the community college and catch a bus back to the start near my house.

Ok, rant over.

So, beautiful morning, fresh legs, a fantastic day break and thousands of my closest friends gathered for the singing of the Star Spangled Banner and the official start to the race.  Technically I was supposed to run in wave two, but as I arrived, no one was stopping folks from joining wave one.  When the gun went off, I settled in for the 10k run. 

The start is crowded and narrow, so it's hard to hit your pace right of the bat.  But once you clear the Northrup property and reach route 50, it became smooth sailing.  I could choose my path up and over the bridge and happily settled into a swift pace.

I planned to really run this race....see what I had in me at this point in the season.  What I never expected was just how everything worked together to deliver my best 10k ever.  My legs felt strong, my lungs felt open, my muscles were loose, and the temperature was right.  Combine those factors and you've got one hell of a good race ahead of you.

The first mile was smooth, and then came the incline up the bridge beginning at mile two.  That's when I started to feel myself pull back a bit...grrr and why?  I've got no answer.  Perhaps I felt like I didn't have enough to maintain the pace all the way up to the top of the bridge.  Or maybe I just had a mental break in my confidence.  Mile two took me 8:34.

After that, however, just try to stop me.  Something fell into place and I started to see the pace tick lower and lower as I crossed the top span of the bridge (fantastic views....and it barely feels like you're at the top of a bridge).  As we began to pass the Athletes Helping Athletes teams, I felt even stronger for the grit these kids show in just coming out for the event.  I was re-energized every time I passed one of those teams and cheered for the athlete in the jogging stroller.

As the road leveled out on the other side of the bridge, I had to keep my head in the game and maintain pace.  It was a war between one side saying I was slower on a flat stretch and the other side screaming "YOU GOT THIS."  Luckily, the enthusiastic side, and legs that still felt like they had miles in them, won out.

I was cruising into the finish for a 49:10 finish when....whoops, it happened.  I had to turn around and go back to pick up my iphone, which went flying out of the back pocket of my running belt (my fault totally since I had just unzipped it for easier access after crossing the finish).   And hey, wouldn't you know the race photographer caught that delovely race snafu for me to cherish for all eternity :)

Blooper aside, I had an amazing race.  Crossing the finish at 49:17 (averaging 7:56/mile) still put me at my fastest 10k finish ever.  Overall, I finished in the top 6% of all runners and in the top 2.5% of all female runners.  Sorry for the personal back patting, but I've got to be proud of that one.

Now, as I cruise into the Richmond marathon this weekend, my last scheduled race of the season, I've got two new pr's in my pocket (10K and marathon), a good base of training, and one of my best running buds alongside me to look forward to.  Nothing's stopping me from finishing 2015 on a high note and blazing into 2016.  Happy trails!!!

2015 miles to date:  1130.3 miles

Observations: Though my training early this year had fits and starts, getting into a strong rhythm and incorporating a variety of different activities (mostly paddleboarding with the diva and yoga) to take the focus off my running muscles, seems to be the right combination to ensure results.

Chugga Chugga Choo Choo...

The Steamtown Marathon...a race I've been planning for more than a year now, first discovered when I made it my mission to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  Ahh, the hours spent strategizing, planning, training.  And now it's in the books for this year.

Steamtown (so named because it takes place in Scranton, PA...the center of the U.S. for steam locamotives) is a fast, downhill, point-to-point course.  Don't mistake that to mean it is easy - far from it.  It's one of the toughest marathons I've completed.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Before April 2013, I never had any designs on qualifying for Boston.  Not even a consideration.  Then the unthinkable happened.  I finished a half marathon that positioned me as fast enough to qualify for the big show.  Holy.  It changed my outlook and my running goals.  I was looking forward to a fall marathon that year that would cement my space on race day in 2014.  But, a month later I found out I was pregnant and it shelved the previously unreachable goal.

So, I spent the next two years dreaming, thinking, working.  Trying to rebuild the strength and speed I had before Baby K came.  And, earlier this year, I click the magical "register" button for the Steamtown Marathon - known for a field that qualifies 20% of its finishers annually.  I knew early on that this was not going to be the year I qualified on Steamtown, so I simply set my sights on running the course to become familiar with it and understand how to plan my training for the 2016 race.

First off, Scranton was beautiful.  Tucked up in the Poconos, with wildly changing leaves bursting with fall color, the scenery was just what my soul needed.  It relaxed me.  It allowed me to channel strength and happiness into thinking about the race.

On race morning, the temperatures were 10 degrees cooler than the forecast showed.  Brrr.  But I didn't change my clothing plans.  I wouldn't have to go outside until just before the start of the race.

Boarding the buses to the start line at 5:30 am, I sat back and listened to the runners chatting around me for the 45 minute drive up to the start line in Forest City.  I never really listened to the runners around me before.  Probably because I usually get my own ride to the start of the course.  It was 45 minutes of listening to the running credentials of the fifteen people closest to me on the bus.  It's actually pretty annoying.  Please slap me if I do that....I'm not certain these runners were aware of the conversations they found themselves in.

When we arrived at the start, we were greeted by the Forest City high school cheerleaders, handed "good luck runner" ribbons and ushered through the halls to the warm gym to wait for the start.  Walking through the halls, I was emotionally touched by the energy the school put into making us feel welcome on race day.  The bulletin boards were decorated for us, signs were made and posted, the gym hung with banners - all wishing us good luck on our run.

In the gym, I stretched out, attended to my pre-race Port-o-John needs, and managed to find a few other Annapolis Striders among the anxious runners.  Then the time came to head to the start.

The energy at the starting line was phenomenal.  Every runner around me seemed to be walking on air, ready for the starting cannon to boom and send us on our journey back to downtown Scranton.  It was exhilirating.

The boom finally came and we were off.  While my plan was to use the race to become familiar with the course, I still set my sights on a new marathon PR, finishing between 4:00:00 and 4:15:00.  Heading into the first mile, my legs felt ready to take on the world.  Everything clicked into place and I just fell into an unbreakable rhythm.

For mile after mile, my body seemed to float on air.  I took inspiration from the crisp fall air, the masterpiece of vivid colors rushing through the trees, and the endless crowd support lining the course.

I've run races with good crowd support.  This race had AMAZING crowd support.  Every town seemed to come out en mass to support the runners, provide aid, wave their motivating signs and high five you through the streets.  I've never seen anything quite like it.

The course itself was relatively straight forward - down a hill, down another hill, down yet another hill, maybe catch a brief respite at a short up hill, then down another hill and still yet another.  Normally, most of the runners I know relish a good down hill during a race.  I do too, but mostly as a function of making the course interesting and giving my hamstrings a break.  The constant down hill was brutal on the quads.  I knew this coming in and tried to train better for down hill running, but I still wept silent tears of joy when I saw those occasional uphills to give my quads a break.  Who ever thought a runner could miss an uphill so much?

On a marathon course, knowing I would be out there for more than four hours, I normally like to feed my body four or more times with gu or gummies for an infusion of energy.  Because I chose to keep my race day gear minimal, I only had room for two gus/gummies.  I had to ration carefully (and pray that I would find more on the course).  Ultimately, I ate at about miles eight and seventeen and passed up the bananas, oranges and other items provided by the crowds on the course.  But it turned out to work for me.

Have I mentioned yet that I was rocking out an amazing pace?  Not Boston qualifying, but very satisfying. ranging from 8:09 to 9:43.  While I knew I wasn't going to hit the magical 3:45:00, by the middle of the course I knew I could hit the lower end of my race goal.  Like I said, it was all just working.

I believe I also drew inspiration from the soundtrack that randomly played into my ears.  It can't just be coincidence that I heard three different versions of "Defying Gravity" -

I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes and leap!

It's time to try
Defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you can't pull me down! 

Not to mention "I've Got Nerve," "Dancing Through Life," "The Warrior," "I'll Stand By You," "True Colors," "Firework," "We Run," "Good Life," "Come on Get Higher," "Don't Stop Believin'," and finally in the home stretch, Taylor Swift's "Changes" - 

Tonight we'll stand, get off our knees
Fight for what we’ve worked for all these years
And the battle was long, it’s the fight of our lives
But we’ll stand up champions tonight

It was the night things changed
Can you see it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back fell down
This revolution, throw your hands up
'Cause we never gave in
And we'll sing hallelujah, we sang hallelujah
Hallelujah

 

I believe God chose these songs to breathe new life into my tired legs.  He spoke to me about holding onto my dreams, doing this for myself, looking deep inside and seeing what I was made of.  It was about me out there.

So I crossed that finish line...with a big smile, more determination than I started with and crushing my marathon PR.  I finished in 4:00:20...can you believe it?  I can't express with words how it feels to go beyond what you believed you are capable of at any given moment.

Now that I've got the medal, it's time to turn towards the 2016 race and start setting out my training plan.  This racing year is far from finished (I still have one more marathon yet and sundry shorter races), but all along the course I paid attention to how my body felt, what worked, what needed tweaked, where I could make improvements.  Here's my current thinking - lose about 15 pounds and streamline my body (doable), more strength training (doable), more speed workouts (doable) and more down hill practice (doable).

I find no reason to believe that I'll be able to hit my goals next year at Steamtown and land myself a spot at the 2017 starting line in Boston.  Happy trails!!!

2015 miles to date:  1026.8 (I've crossed the magic threshold of 1000 miles so far!  Only 220 left before 2016 rings in.)

Observations:  My training is paying off.  Working hard, keeping at it and choosing discipline over a day off really does get it done.  Not even stiff the day after the marathon.  Now I just need to keep focused as I finish my race season, get rested for next year and hit it harder than ever.

 

Rain on my parade...

Running in the rain can be wonderful.  Running in freezing rain can be challenging.  Running in freezing rain with wind is a whole new level of something.  Last weekend on the Ragnar DC course, we had all three (and a lucky miss by a hurricane)....which makes my team of running moms all "bad ass mother runners."

Ragnar Relays are a two-day, 200(ish) mile event.  We were running the DC race from Cumberland, MD to Yards Park in Washington, DC.  Teams consist of 12 runners (whatever mix you want) and each runner has three legs of the course. Also, the team is broken up into two vans - runners 1-6 and runners 7-12.  The miles aren't always equally distributed, so enter the lady who can put down marathon+distance miles.  That's me, in van 2 and runner 12, my three legs equaled 29 miles this year.

So, it was soggy.  The drive to our start point was soggy.  The ground was soggy (er, more like muddy).  The air was soggy.  Shortly, our clothes became soggy.  When van 2 arrived at the first point we were to exchange with our van 1, morale was high but hope for dryer times was equally high.

We tried to decorate our van.  That's one of the kitschy fun things about Ragnar....out do the other vans with your decorations or at least be clever with what you put on your van.  Our decorations washed away, very quickly.  We tried, the weather just wasn't with us.  But I do believe our tag line was unique..."12 moms leave 26+ kids in a hurricane."

Moving on, we took the baton from our van 1 runners (or rather the magic neon orange slap bracelet....you know, going 80's style).  Through five legs, we cheered on our soggy runners and had a blast in the van during the down time.  I believe we had a great camaraderie within our group of runners....chemistry isn't a given and it can make or break your Ragnar experience.  After all, it's you, these other runners and a tight space for 30+ hours.

By about 6:45pm on Friday, it was my turn to take the baton. I had the advantage of not only running this course last year, but running it in the 12 spot.  So I already had a familiarity with leg 12.  It starts in Fort Frederick State Park.  This time the sun was only just starting to set, so I got to see parts of the park that were pitch black when I started last year.  It's actually a pretty park and I'd love to come explore the walled Fort grounds some time in the future.

Thanks to modern technology - MapMyRun live tracker - we were able to see just how close our incoming runner was, so I didn't have to guess just how long it was before my exchange was to occur.  Slap bracelet received, I headed out of the park and on to the highway for 7.4 miles.  The first few miles were nice and fast, then came the hills.  Ack.

Shortly after dusk turned to pitch black and from soggy to rainy, the hill went up (like pretty steep up) for almost two miles.  While I was holding my own, the hill still killed my overall pace.  Oh yeah, and it was windy.  Everything was wet (except my rear...can't figure out that one) but I had my tunes and a strong desire to reach the promised hot shower at the high school where my leg was to end.  I also managed 6 kills (Ragnar speak for passing another runner, which isn't easy when 340 teams are spread out over 20-40 miles).

I cruised into the high school on a high.  And ready to run right through the exchange chute for the shower.  That's when I got the bad news.   The school ran out of hot water and were no longer offering the facilities for beating the ice out of the bones.  Moving on.  I still got a plate of spaghetti and into dry, warm clothes.  Then our van was down for rest for 4-5 hours.

We moved on to meet back up with our other van for the next hand off.  Since that exchange is at South Mountain Creamery, you better believe I had to have a milkshake made with chocolate milk and chocolate ice cream....even if it was 10:30 at night.  What else is Ragnar for but doing crazy things with your body and your diet?

It was at this stop that we got some welcome news.  Our runner 11 was down ill, likely from car sickness, and we were struggling to figure out how to cover her last two legs.  That's when we got word that leg 23 (her second leg) would have to be skipped because Sugarloaf Mountain Park was experiencing flooding.  (And, lucky for us she was back in running shape by the time her final leg rolled around...providence? Perhaps)  So onto my second run, leg 24.

Leg 24 kicked off at about 5:00am for me....9.6 miles.  It was rainy, really rainy.  And my last run on this leg had been during daylight hours.  So this was like meeting a new course all over again.

Because the majority of this race is run on rural highways, country roads and trails, when the sun isn't out, it's dark.  Really dark.  Few streetlights.  No house lights.  Just you and your headlamp.  Hmmm, except when the air temp is so cold that you can see your breath, which then becomes thick fog in your headlamp and you become blind.  It was an interesting challenge and more intriguing than frustrating.  I also had difficulties seeing the potholes.  Huh.  Obstacles aside, I had another strong run, my legs were feeling great and my pace was faster than target.  Also clocked another 8 kills.

I handed off to van 1, and then it was time for van 2 to hit the IHOP for breakfast and another 5 hours of rest.

By the time we were back on again, to finish up the race for the team, the course made it's way to Chevy Chase, MD.  Being in the city complicates things a bit.  Suddenly crossing roads means you may have to wait for traffic or stoplights.  This issue affected the final leg for van 1 and then reappeared for my final run, leg 36...12 miles into Yards Park.

By the time my final leg was ready to kick off, 10 of my teammates were celebrating being done with their race.  Hey folks, I'm still here :)  But they never stopped cheering on their team.

Leg 36 started in Crystal City at Long Bridge Park, and traveled up the Mount Vernon Trail to the Key Bridge.  This part was easy.  Though I had  a head wind, the sky was only misting.  Unfortunately, I did experience a casualty with my earbuds on the trail.  They just gave out. Dang.  But, hold on, I just listened to the music without the earbuds.  Issue overcome.

Once across the Key Bridge into Georgetown, that's when things got hard.  It should have been easy.  The course through DC was flat.  That said, it was the last leg of the race, the longest leg of the race and occurred when the body is stiff and tired.  So, between pedestrians and stoplights, I just couldn't find a rhythm.  Stoplights were the worst.  In order to keep my body from tightening up, I needed to keep moving, but it was a 45-60 second stop for each stoplight.  Yikes.

Busting through that challenge, National Stadium came into view and the speed demon in me came out.  I just wanted to be done, have my beer and pizza and find warmth...be it from dry clothes or some perfect stranger willing to share some body heat.  I started cruising like I had fresh legs.

About 100 yards from the finish line, my team joined me and we crossed the finish line with the loudest celebration (that's what the DJ said, so who am I to dispute him).  It was a great feeling....add to that another 15 kills.   Being done and having completed a challenging course with a smile, with teammates I enjoyed and with a beer and my bed in my future.

Ragnar 2015 is in the books.  I enjoyed every soggy mile and felt great about the challenge I put my body through.  Taking on this type of race gives you the opportunity to see what you are made of.  Though your  body is cramped, exhausted from little sleep over two days of running and poorly fed, it pushes your body.  I'm glad I cam out of the back end of it with a smile and a great desire to do it again.

I want to thank the ladies on my team - the Blister Sisters.  At the start of the summer, they had never heard my name and at the start of the race, none of them had spent more than an hour with me.  We got along really well and had some good laughs.  I hope to hit another course with these ladies.  They are inspiring, intelligent and kind.  Special bonus - we came in fourth place in our division!

This weekend, having rested a few days following Ragnar, I head into the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, PA.  I've got big plans for this race.  Not this year, this year I'm just running to get a feel for the course.  Next year, though, I plan to take this one on to lay down a qualifying time for Boston.  Wish me luck, it's a down hill course which is tough on the quads.  Hopefully my legs don't take too much of a beating.

I can't wait to try out this course and then go home with my post-race notes to start planning the right way to train for next year.  I may even tour a coal mine while I'm here.  Happy trails!!!

2015 miles to date:  990.83 miles (will hit a big milestone on the Steamtown course)

Observations:  I've had some issues with my calf muscle immediately following races recently, but am very happy with the recovery rate of the rest of my body.  The fact that I'm not getting sore and moving straight back into running with ease tells me I've trained well this year.    

  

Taters and bees....

Fall brings unpredictable - but super fun - racing.  I love it! (settle in...this is a long one)

Potato Stomp 2005

If you're from Northeast Ohio and you've never Potato Stomped, I don't know what you are waiting for.  I first ran this race back in 2005, back when I was so cool (or maybe far more confident is a better way to look at it) I would race in a sports bra.  Evidence to the right.

The beauty of the Mantua Potato Stomp is the beauty of the course.  This is a stunning course through the countryside of Portage County....that is, if you are like me and love farm land.  The course probably passes more cows, horses and goats than there are runners on the course. 

And there are the hills.  I love running hills (insane, yeah, I got it, stop picking on me).  This course rolls for 9 miles.  Flat parts?  Few and far between. 

This year I wanted to return to this race (haven't run it since 2006 or 2007) to do a early fall fitness check.  Basically, I wanted to use a course I was comfortable with (not flat but not excessively hill....my best running conditions) and a race I didn't have much chance in placing in.  My goal - shoot for a solid 8:30 per mile average pace.

It was supposed to be a rainy day.  It was cool (LOVE IT!) and most people hung out inside until race time to keep from turning blue.  I even got caught by the race camera pinning on my number (sorry, I just sort of like this photo for some reason...not your typical race photo).

When it came time to cozy up to the start line, we almost had a false start when the race director noticed that the traditional potato chips hadn't been spread across the start.  Problem solved, we headed out. 

I made two mistakes.  I went out too fast.  My first mile was an 8:02 and my second mile was a 7:44.  I burned too much keeping with the front pack instead of running my race.  I settled down in mile 3 and then just enjoyed the scenery, determined just to focus on my own goal and not what others were doing around me.

My body was feeling great.  I was mentally in the run and felt comfortable just holding a pretty steady pace wavering in the 8:20s.  I was already winning because I was beating my goal.

That's her, back there kicking in....

I played a bit of leap frog with an older lady for much of the course, but was happy to finally put her behind me (she was a bit smelly) around mile 5 or 6.  Coming into the home stretch, I checked the watch, knew I was going to achieve my goal for the race and smiled to myself...happy.

That's when it happened.  I was approaching the finish line, happy with what I accomplished and knowing that there was no reason to push the limits when a women caught me in the last 100 meters.  After all, I had no shot of placing.  Grrr, here's where it's hard to be happy with achieving your goals some times. 

I let that girl pass me and didn't make an effort to hold her off, though I could have.  I crossed that finish line happy as a crow knowing I came out and crushed my goal.  Then, knowing I would at least walk home with the consolation prize for having traveled the farthest for the race, we waited for the awards ceremony. 

We chatted, we read travel literature, we pulled Baby K out of a gazillion mud puddles.  Then the awards began, and disappointment set it. 

Wouldn't you know, that woman who passed me in the final stretch went home with third place in my age group.  Third place.  Though I didn't know it, that was mine for the taking and mine for the losing.  I remained very happy with my performance but that one moment, when the girl who passed me took home the age group award, I started "what if" 'ing myself.  Don't do that.  If you hit your goal, then celebrate and ride the high.

More recently, I took to the NCR Trail in Maryland for the Charm City Run 20-miler....another race and course I really like, though for very different reasons.  My bud Lara introduced me to this one four years ago on a super sweaty, steamy August day.

This year, the race moved a month to the end of September and the weather couldn't have been much better.  It was cool, the rain held off, the leaves were green, and I had my great running buddy Kelly by my side.     

The start line butts up against the Pennsylvania state line, and shoves 350 runners onto a narrow old railroad bed about a quarter mile from the closest parking drop off.  The walk warmed us up a bit and gave us the opportunity to check out who else was among us crazies for this year's jaunt back to Cockeysville.

The trail is a very pretty rail trail (I like running these trails....check out my post from July on the Headwaters Trail in Ohio) cut through the hills of Hunt Valley.  The trail meanders past large, carved boulders, over babbling brooks and past railroad bridges that have seen better days. 

Best of all, it runs right past the gnome hill.  I have no idea what prompted these folks to turn this hill into a village for garden gnomes, but God love them.  Kelly and I decided that next year we'll run with a garden gnome of our own to add to their collection.  It's truly a Kodak photo spot.

It was shortly after (or maybe before...I can't really remember) that we ran through the swarm of bees.  Yep, no Savage Race made up obstacles for us.  Who needs them when mother nature sends you swarming insects to sting you?  Many people got stung (I wasn't one of them....though a good 10-12 bees did swirl around my face for a short period of time.  I feel bad for the woman who got stung five time in the....derriere.  At the next water station (as my husband tells me) she whipped down her running tights with no care for who was watching to ask her friends how bad it was.

The race field was friendly, people were jovial and we had some laughs along the way.  Most of all, it was truly a strong 20-mile effort in advance of the fall marathon season.

I can't wait.  I'm feeling strong, my training has been solid.  I've got two more weeks before my first marathon of the season, but first I'll tackle Ragnar DC and the Metric Marathon this weekend.  Hope my legs stay on.  Happy trails!!!

2015 miles to date:  942.47 miles

Observations:  I'm going into a tough weekend of rainy running with a soleus that is a little sore.  Hopefully I can work that out in the next couple days with shorter, slower shake out runs.  Other than that, my body feels ready.  I can do this and I will. 

Running on the go...

Training and travel are a tough combination.  I've seen even the most dedicated of athletes skip workouts when on the road, often for silly reasons.  But, it doesn't have to be that way.

It's true...I did eat that bowl of goodness.

Yes, I sometimes skip a workout or two when on vacation.  Maybe even on a business trip.  But when that guilty voice in the back of my head reminds me that I opted to finish my dinner with the famous apple streudel at Café Schwarzenberg or that I spent most of the day sitting in conference rooms, I can't help but push myself into the gym even if it means getting in the miles on the dreadmill.

Oh yeah, traveling often means not running outside, either because it's not particularly safe, or I don't want to risk getting lost.  So, I spent two sessions on the dreadmill this week.  That's about all I can take before I have a flair up of my good old buddy - lower back pain...excruciating lower back pain.  And a little bit of boredom, that comes into play too.

But today, what a breath of fresh air.  Sometimes you find that spot on a business trip that gives you the freedom to stretch your legs and catch the sites in a beautiful city after a long day of meetings.  Today I got to run through The Hague - or Den Haag if you're a local.

My hotel offered a decently (we'll get to this in a minute) outlined map of several running routes based on distance.  Though none of them went through the section of town with the Parliament and Prime Minister's offices (some really cool buildings architecturally that sit along a canal as if built into the water...I got to see them during lunch), I did get to cruise through some residential areas and a couple of parks along canals.

Have I mentioned the weather yet?  Oh boy what a treat!  If you've been slogging through a central Maryland summer, you will understand the sigh of relief I released when I walked outside the hotel to run in 60 degree weather (and a slight sprinkle for the first part) with a nice stiff breeze coming in off the North Sea.  It felt like fall already, but with sunlight until 9pm.

While Den Haag isn't the tourist destination that Amsterdam is, it isn't without some pretty cool sites of its own, like a few museums, the OPCW and all the embassies/ambassador's residences.   Though honestly?, I wish the street signs were a bit easier to follow.  Yeah, that map the hotel handed out may have included street by street directions, but the map only included major streets, most streets turn into other streets, the signs aren't in obvious places and often only on one side of the road.  That said, I successfully fumbled my way along the route.

Ultimately, toward the end of my journey, I deviated from the route offered by the hotel so that I could plod along the narrow paths of one of the canals.  The canals provide a pretty break from the buildings and rowhouses, and are soothing in a way I don't have the words to describe.  I'm glad I made the detour to capture some of the spaces tucked away in one of the parks.

In other news that I like to categorize under "awesome," I've finally broken through whatever barrier sat between me and increasing my speed again.  I'm feeling like I'm finding my stride and it's all downhill from here (not really, actually I should say uphill because I'm a better uphill runner).  If this keeps up, I'm on the right path toward achieving one of my big speed goals.  So, I'm going to add today's fun run through Den Haag, to last week's two great races (including pacing the Annapolis 10-miler and conquering the brutal hills at Dreaded Druid) and the fact that I am caught up on my mileage for the first time this year (logged 145 miles running in August) and call it a win.

I'm hoping to ride this tidal wave of great running vibes through the fall racing season and come out on top.  Happy trails!!!

2015 miles to date:   824.77 miles

Observations:  Not to beat my own drum, but I feel like I'm killing it.  Aside from that dreaded back pain as a result of treadmill runs, everything else is holding together.  The added strength training sessions are also paying dividends.  I just may make it out of my overzealous fall racing schedule unscathed.  The one thing I need to do soon is buy new shoes.  I can feel this current pair beginning to give and I'll need time to break in another pair before the race season kicks into high gear.
 

The early run...

That house with a lonely light on at 4am (or earlier)...that's my house.  The stars and the moon still light the sky.  The tree frogs and crickets still make the music in the air.  That's the time of day I become productive.

I'm really more of an afternoon runner.  But heat, humidity and a busy schedule have driven me to change the majority of my training runs to the pre-dawn hours this summer.  Three, four, five days a week you can find me out on the pavement before the sun crests the horizon.  It's at least an hour or more until my family will even think about waking up.

What I'm learning about myself is that I can be very productive as a runner in the early morning hours.  I'm still faster in the afternoon, probably because I'm better fueled at that point in the day.  I'm still more loose.  But in the morning, I'm more focused and alert in the silence.  I'm more in tune with my body.  I love watching the sun begin to peak above the trees or the edges of the water.  I have also found camaraderie in the morning run.  (These things don't seem to exist if you run at night...like after 9pm).

Dare I say, am I becoming that elusive unicorn called the morning runner?

This week, on a couple of early morning runs, I had a number of critter encounters too.  I crossed paths with a family of raccoons, came face to face with a large buck.  Sadly, I didn't see my normal morning friend, the fox that lives in my neighborhood.  I can almost always count on him checking out my run.  Alas, he was absent.  

During the week, my morning runs all radiate from my house, so I have limited options for routes.  I can run to the high school.  I can run to the State Park.  I can go in and out of the neighborhoods skirting the waterfront.

But the weekends, the early mornings on the weekends are for exploring the best spots for sunrise over the Chesapeake Bay or the many rivers and creeks around Annapolis.  Running through Bay Ridge, Greenbury Point, across the Academy Bridge, City Dock...there are so many great options.  If you haven't experienced one of our sunrises, you really should.  

So, if you, like me, are not much of a morning runner, give it a try.  You might learn you actually enjoy the torture of a 4am alarm ringing at your bedside.  Happy trails!!!

2015 miles to date:  753.45 miles

Observations:  My body is currently firing on all cylinders.  I've got now pain, no twinges, nothing.  How long this lasts is the only real question.  This past month I did a 30-day nutritional cleanse that rid my body of all the processed, fatty food I'd been feeding it.  I've even give up caffeine and am feeling more energy and alertness.  As I'm ramping up my mileage toward marathon season, this has been helpful in achieving my goals.  I just need to stay committed to leaving out the coffee, tea and soda, and skipping the easy boxed food for meals I prepare from fresh ingredients.
 

Take me home...

Country roads (and trails)  provide endless inspiration for a good, long run.  I find I can lose myself in the quiet solitude - the slap of my shoes on the pavement underpinned by the chirp of the birds and the babble of brooks - and the miles just melt away.

This past weekend, while on travel that took me briefly through my home town, I hit the Headwaters Rail Trail for my long run.  The Headwaters Rail Trail runs from Garrettsville, OH to Mantua, OH and follows the route of the old Cleveland-Mahoning Railroad line.  Incidentally, the last great train robbery occurred on this line at the depot in Garrettsville in 1935 (#coolhistoryfacts #garrettsvilleismorethanlifesavers #moveoverhartcrane).  The crushed gravel trail is growing in popularity for hikers, cyclists and horseback riders. 

I grew up crossing this trail, which ran between my grandfather's house and the old pony track behind it, when the trail still held railroad tracks and ties.  I remember crossing the railroad, not just on horseback, but also with packs of friends to the creek to hunt newts and crayfish.  So, coming back and running almost the full eight miles out (and then back) felt a bit nostalgic. 

The run was strong...oh boy was it strong. 

There are days you walk out the door, hit your stride and never look back.  Sunday was one of those days.  The first mile was a bit of a drag which wasn't real surprising...it was on roads through town en route to the trail.  Once I hit the trail, though, everything just clicked into place.  The air was cool, the ground was forgiving, my mind was focused and my body was engaged.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't so focused that I couldn't enjoy the scenery around me.  Brilliant green trees, Queen Anne's lace and daisies dotting the edges of the trail, scenic yet functional barns peaking out from the farms, and the occasional sound of water rumbling over rocks just off the side of the trail.  And the silence broken only by the sound of my shoes and the chirping of the birds.  I couldn't have made up a more peaceful environment in a deep daydream.

Now, it wasn't all fun and games.  I would be remiss if I didn't confess to the pain in my rear that ended up being a horse fly biting in and going for a ride.  Yikes that was a bit painful....and now I've succeeded in causing you to imagine that sight.

All this bucolic bliss gave me additional endurance I didn't know I possessed when I slinked out the door earlier that morning.  Rather than the twelve-mile out and back I planned, I pushed out an extra mile...and got stronger on the second half of my run rather than slowing to exhaustion. 

Swept past the old grist mill downtown

.

That is such a great feeling.  When I finish stronger than I start, it gives me confidence that a bad start to a run never has to mean a bad run (though this run didn't have a bad start...it was just a good run that grew great).

I'm so happy to have the opportunity to experience runs like the one on the Headwaters Rail Trail.  Truly, country running helps me find a happy place that settles my training into a comfortable place.  I hope others feel the same about trails like this.  Happy trails!!!

2015 miles to date:  609.12 miles

Observations:  The back pain I was experiencing last week has passed.  I switched to a standing desk at work since it was sitting that increased the pain.  That seemed to help a bit.  I'm still riding the high from Sunday and hope to drive that all the way through to my long run this weekend.