Happy 2010

Happy New Year! I’m happy in many ways to say goodbye to 2009, and hello to 2010! A new year, a new decade, a new chapter, the usual “changing” period, right?

I haven’t been posting lately, perhaps because I’m in my “off season.” I have still been running, but definitely not as much or as intense as during race season. I’ve been enjoying the break! I’m wearing my KSOs in the winter weather – so far they’ve been great in snow, rain, and cold. I wear toe socks and so far my feet have stayed warm and dry! No complaints there. My feet are still adjusting to running in Vibrams. Ideally I would like to move completely to running in Vibrams, and I was going to use the off season to train. I might need more time than I thought, as it’s been about two months and I still can only do about 4 miles in the Vibrams without feeling it in my feet. I’ve had no major injuries or pains (yay!), I think because I’ve been taking it slow. My next race will be in April, so I’ll keep up with the training (increasing it now that it’s January) and I might even be able to run the tough half marathon in my KSOs. That would rock!

So here’s to a great running and Paleo year!

Dodging bullets and facing headwinds

Well, another race rolled around, as well as another storm! The night before my 2nd of 3 half marathons brought rain. We’d had ideal fall weather for at least a week before – sunny skies, temperatures in the 60s and 70s. But alas – it was coming up on race day, so the weather just can’t cooperate!

At least it wasn’t raining at the start of this race. A dense fog hung over the area, and surprisingly some of it was still visible at mile 12! This was the first time I ran this particular half marathon, and they do a really cool start, including a firing squad shooting flares. That was awesome – and we even had to dodge the “bullets” or “shell casings” from the flares as we burst out of the starting gates. We had quite a crowd, as they started the 5K, 10K, and half marathon races all at the same time. I believe it totalled about 800 runners.

It was cold again, about 40 degrees. I wore long pants, long top, jacket, gloves, and ear covers again. I know, I know – I seem to wear the same outfit for each race! But it’s comfortable clothing and I stay WARM!

I settled into a nice pace from the beginning, trekking over dirt roads that would have been perfect for Vibrams! I can’t wait to do a race in them, instead of my old Nikes! Slowly but surely, I’ll get there. The race was basically a big box course, and as we rounded the 2nd stretch, BAM – headwind! We were running out in the open, so there was no shelter. For awhile I tried “drafting” behind some runners in front of me, but I like having my own space. So I faced the wind on my own. After about 5 miles of direct winds, we finally hit the other stretch and started heading away from the wind! Thank goodness! That bad news was that the wind caused me to mess up my form a little bit, and my right knee and hip were starting to hurt. Darn it! If it’s not one problem, it’s something else. So I cranked up the Metallica and just ran through it!

The end of the course had a little hill and I managed to get up it quite nicely, passing several folks in the process. I was tired, but had some energy to sprint across the finish line (the motivation from the boyfriend helped, too)! My time was better than the last half marathon (right about 2:00). I still haven’t beaten my best time, but I’m getting closer. I’ve got one more half this year, the same race where I got my PB, so we’ll see what happens!

After crossing this finish line, we had to sprint off to the next sporting event – a soccer tournament! Luckily I didn’t have to play, just sit in the crazy cold and wind to help cheer. And…they won!! So all in all, it was a great Saturday.

Run Errands

That’s literally what I did yesterday… I ran 8 miles AND got my errands done. Now that my neighborhood finally put in a critical road that links up with major crossroads, I can now run to many areas of town! Today was one of my experiments in saving time, money, and gas…I ran to the video store to return my movies!

It was actually quite fun. I had a “purpose” for running and it was an easy way to track my turn around point. It was also funny to see the odd looks I got from the elderly couple enjoying their coffee – I bet they haven’t seen someone literally run up to the movie drop box before, and then take off again. I must say I felt great – got my run in for the day and got my errands done! Plus, taking the movies back today got me $4 in extra credits! Go me!

I also have been continuing to run in my Vibrams, although I’m still really waiting to hit the training hard after these two final races for the season. One is this week, the last one is two weeks later. Then it will be winter Vibram training for me!

The five miles I did Friday in my Vibrams was awesome. The nice weather helped – yes, it was back up to about 72, so I ran in a t-shirt, shorts, and my Sprints. Imagine that, going from 39 to 72 within a few days. Oh well, I can’t control the weather, but I can control my running and I love being able to slip on my VFFs and get out on the trails! It’s still so liberating!

I’ve also been slacking on the Paleo cooking front. I’ve made a few new dishes – baked butternut squash (hand-picked from the local farm) and a few steak nights with steamed broccoli. It’s time to get back into cooking more and experimenting. So watch for more updates coming soon!

Cold + Rain = Miserable Half Marathon

What do you get when you combine 39 degrees and downpouring rain on the first weekend in October?

A miserable half marathon!

And boy, am I glad I didn’t register for the full marathon! I’m happy to report that my foot injury went away and I was able to train for the half marathon. Other life stressors kept me from training for another full marathon, but after the weather debacle over the weekend, I’m relieved!

The week before the race was filled with sunshine and 90 degree temperatures. The day before the race, temperatures had dropped to the 50s and the wind picked up. The night before the race, heavy rains. Those rains continued all night long, all during the race, and 24 hours after. Believe me, I had thoughts as I donned my winter gear about not even showing up for the race. Yet, I couldn’t do that. I felt like a slacker already for not running the entire marathon. The least I could do was show up and attempt to run the half.

Standing under a tree in my winter coat kept the rain off . I agreed with my boyfriend, we were crazy to be out here. I’m mean to have made him get up at 6:30 to stand out in the cold and get drenched. I reminded him, at least he didn’t have to run in it. He said that’s because he’s smart. He had a point.

I actually got in the front part of the pack at the starting line. That probably was a mistake, since when the gun went off (or didn’t go off, probably because it was soaked), herds of runners passed me. I kept to my pace, not wanting to start off too fast, especially in the cold conditions without a real warmup.

The first 4 miles were rather easy, although I could tell my body was just trying to keep its core warm. I wore heavy long pants, two long-sleeved winter tops, gloves, an earmuff, and a hat. No Vibrams, just my old Nike running shoes. At mile 5 the course turned into the wind, so now the rain was darting right into my face. At one point it was hailing. I saw frost form on my gloves. At least there was no need to wipe my runny nose, the rain was conveniently washing it away.

The next 6 miles were straight into the wind and rain. Lovely. Did I mention I hate running in the rain? That I despise being wet and cold?

Finally at mile 10 the course turned away from the wind and found the cover of some trees. I tried picking up the pace, but my muscles just would not respond. I think they were frozen. Solid. The last mile I increased my stride rate as much as I could, and was able to pass a few folks before finally crossing the finish line. My sweet parents were there to greet me – and take me to their car, complete with blankets. I felt bad for soaking the inside of their car! I also felt horrible about my time. No personal best this day! 2:07, a 9:42 pace. Big sigh.

A nice warm shower eased my body back from the wet, cold brink and I was able to visit with my parents and family for a few hours. Then the really depressing part of the weekend sunk in – not only had I run a crappy race in crappy weather, I had to get ready to go to my crappy  job in the morning.

On the bright side, at least my body wasn’t sore at all. And the next day the sun came out and it was in the 60s.  

And….I have two more half marathons coming up! I hope the winter weather stays away for those dates – but you never know! I should prepare myself for the worst.

Yet as Metallica sings, “What don’t kill ya, make ya more strong!”