Running With Pepper

Decided to run my 5 mile circle route in the neighborhood across route 7. Wanted to run rather slowly, yet couldn't keep the speed down because I felt so good. Tried to get my breathing regulated for the entire run and was somewhat successful. After the long and really steep 1/4 mile hill, my breathing felt much better. I'm going to try something new tomorrow and get up at 4:45 to go for a morning run rather than worry about running at night. Hopefully that works better than I think it will. Finished this run in 40:42.

(Brooks Infinitis 124.2 miles)

Ok, so tonights run wasn't all that bad, but it could have been worse. It all starts last night when Pepper decided to start barking at something outside at 2am. Needless to say, I wasn't at all amused as I would have liked to sleep a little more than what I got at that point. Of course it was the first night where I was trying to go to sleep earlier so that I could begin to get on a morning running schedule. Because it's the summer time, I also have the option to work 9 days and record my 80 hours every two weeks vs. my normal 10 day and 80 hours. This means that if I do this right, and go in early, I get every other Friday off so I can go to the beach, go hiking with Pepper out at Great Falls National Park, etc. Well....it hasn't worked all that well so far. I have no idea what he was barking at, although he only barked a few times, but he then kept whining, looking out the window while banging the blinds all over the place. Not all that loud normally, but when you've been rudely woken up, it's quite loud. All in all, I didn't sleep all that good last night, as my sleep recording indicates. I was tired at work today, actually had to get some tea in the afternoon as I needed the caffiene, and I think I almost fell asleep at my desk while I was reviewing some documents. Ouch...not good...especially when you're working on a huge proposal for the government. I didn't manage to run this morning so I had to run tonight. Although I was tired tonight, I did get in my 5 miles in 39:43. I ran the same route as last night, but did it backwards (going down the huge hill) from Monday night.

I'm slowly trying to build back to a minimum of 25-30 miles a week before I start back in my longer weekend runs. I really feel like I need to get back to that really soon as I believe that work is going to be really crazy starting in July. Oh well, at least I got my run in and I'm moving forward with my training. Maybe I'll start running at lunchtime if I can't get my morning/evening runs in. We have a shower at the gym in my office, so that's mighty convenient. Here's to hoping that Pepper lets me sleep well tonight... :)  

(Brooks Infinitis 129.2 miles)

So I didn't plan on running this night, but I did plan on doing some walking with Pepper to stretch the legs out. This is where it gets a little odd. We had these terrible thunderstorms in the are with a few tornados touching down. Although I didn't see a tornado, I did see the aftermath in some of the areas near my home. Now I take public transportation to and from work (Washington DC Metro System) and it is usually pretty reliable. Well, as I was heading home at 4pm yesterday I learned that because of the storms, the Metro stopped at a station before the one I usually get off at. I then learned that all the roads heading west in Falls Church were packed/not moving! Well, I got off at the East Falls Church Station (couldn't go any further because of lack of power) and decided to walk home, which was about 4.5 miles. Now, I didn't have my sneakers and made the walk wearing my business dress shoes I wore to work for the day. I also had my backpack containing about 20-25 pounds of work stuff. Upon completion of my walk, my legs were killing me, my feet were beginning to have blisters, and I was completely and utterly miserable. My pain did not end there as I didn't have power at my place and Pepper needed to get out because he was cooped up all day.

Lesson learned: Running shoes are great because they really take care of your feet and lower body. Cushioning goes really far when it comes to running shoes. Walking such a long distance in my running shoes would have been fine, but in dress shoes, it was painful on my lower body. I am more sore today from my walk then I would be from running 10 miles. I will now carry my running gear to work in the event that I have to run/walk home because of our wonderful public transportation system.

I'm going to go for a run at the office today and possible run into the district from my office by the Courthouse metro.

Took some time out of my busy work day and went for a nice run in the heat and humidity. Once I do this several times, I know that I'll become more acclimated to the weather again, but it just takes some time. Started from the office, ran down to Rosslyn and across the Key Bridge and ran out on the C&O Canal trail for a bit. Turned around and then ran back to the office so I could subsequently sit in a meeting for four hours (ugh!). Overall, it was a good run where I felt pretty good, yet the heat/humidity really sapped my strength when I got to the hill heading from Rosslyn to Courthouse. I may continue to run this route as it has some really nice features (hills, flats). I may run with the boss today, so it should be a good day. 5 miles in 41:08.

(Brooks Infinitis 134.2 miles)

Due to the opressive heat and humidity, I decided to run on the treadmill after working out at the gym. I HATE running on treadmills, but didn't want to run in the nasty heat. Ran 6.5 miles in 60:01. Felt good and I imagine that I could have run further/faster if I was actually outside. Good start to the week where I will hopefully have Friday off. Hmmmm...maybe I'll head out to hike Old Rag on Friday or Saturday.

(Brooks Infinitis 140.7 miles)

Ran in the morning to try and stay away from the opressive heat and humidity we're expecting today. It was still hot and humid, but much more manageable than 100 degrees + 100% humidity. I don't know if I just don't like running at 4:35 in the morning, or if I just don't like the humidity like it is right now. Either way, I didn't feel all that good during the run and just couldn't get comfortable. Ended up finishing 4 miles in 32:51. Depending on the weather situation, I may do another 4-5 tonight to round out an otherwise dull day. Looking forward to taking friday off from work if they will let me... :)

(Brooks Infinitis 144.7 miles)

Ran with the boss today right before lunch and it was HOT outside. Temp was right around 95 and the heat index raised it to 105. It was extremely humid and I look forward to the humidity going away later tonight. Ran 5 miles in 41:38 and felt pretty good because I slept like the dead last night. Maybe it was because I was so exhausted when I went to bed at 10pm. Either way, I'm happy that I finished as I'm meeting one of my buddies from Grad school (In town for a conference) after work to hang out. I would say, poor Pepper but he's hanging out at daycare today (http://www.dogdaycare.com/tysonscorner/webcams.php). He's the sleek black and tan doggie with the tail to curls in a C.  Well...back to reality and the joys of work here in steamy Virginia.

(Brooks Infinitis 149.7 miles)

Ran before lunch while I was at work today. The heat is still there, as it was about 83 degrees, but the humidity is all but gone. It's so much easier to run when you're not running in soup. Ran 5 miles on a pretty hilly course (Custis Trail), taking the first half to warm up. During the second half, I was moving pretty well and finished in 38:11. I felt really good and could have gone further but don't want to push is as I continue my mileage building. Still planning on heading out to Old Rag on Saturday and maybe Robertson Mountain afterward (Thanks Lucia!). It looks like it's going to be a solo hike as I can't seem to find anyone to go, and Pepper isn't allowed out ther according to the hiking book I have. Doggie Discrimination! Well...back to work...

(Brooks Infinitis 154.7 miles)

Decided to run from work down to the C&O Canal trail again. Ran from the office to mile marker three meeting up with Lucia (yes, you do have a better marathon PR than I do) at the Key Bridge in Georgetown and then returned to the office. Weather was in the mid-upper 80s but humidity wasn't a factor like it was earlier in the week. Overall, both the run and the company were great! It's nice to finally meet another blogger in person for a run. I finished approximately 6.5 miles in 54:35. Good day for a run.

(Brooks Infinitis 161.2 miles)

No running today as it was hiking day! Got up early and made it out to Old Rag in the Shenandoah Valley around 7:15. Hiked .8 miles up to the ridge trail start point and headed out from there. Took the ridge trail, which I realized was pretty intense up to the summit, climbing up the bolders, crevices, etc. to finally get there. Made it up the 3.5 mile trek in about 2 hours. Spent about 45min - 1 hour at the top just enjoying nature. It was something I really just needed to do with everything that's going on with me at this point. Quite calming and it soothed my soul. Set out contining on the trail down the mountain and made it back in approximately 1.5 more hours. During the trek back, I was startled by some noise in the woods, looked over, and there was a black bear that was probably 400-500 lbs. I was quite startled and moved a little quicked along the trail to distance myself from the bear. After I reached the trailhead, I continued back down the access road to the overflow parking lot and noticed several people standing around looking at one side of the woods. Wow....about 15 feet away from me was another black bear..a little smaller. I watched it from a safer distance and then we saw 2 little bear cubs following her through the woods. They actually moved out of the woods, crossed the road (I got a great picture), and headed out in another direction. It was my first encounter with a black bear in the wild, and after I figured out that they weren't going to hurt me, it was pretty cool.

Basically, the entire day was great as I finished my hike well before noon. I'm already sore from climbing, jumping, pulling myself all over the place, so that's good. It was probably a great mix-up workout from the regular running and going to the gym. Now...the next hike I'm planning is out in the Shenandoah and it's called the Bluff Trail/AT Loop. I'll check the schedule, but I'd like to do it sooner than later. Well...I'm sore and Pepper needs another walk. He missed me today but would have gone crazy if he saw the bear.

Down in Virginia Beach giving a training course for a few days and wanted to go for a quick run to maintain some sembelance of fitness. Of course, there is a wildfire in the Old Dismal Swamp to the west that has blanketed the VB area with nasty smoke making the air completely unhealthy. Just being outside in it for 5 minutes during lunch today really bothered my allergies, so I decided to get a quick treadmill run in at the hotel (Oh...the Westin in VB is totally pimped out!). Ran a total of 3.3 miles in 31 minutes. For the third mile, I rant it at a 6:35 pace just to see if I could do it. I had no problem keeping it up and could have ran faster and longer if I wanted to. Lesson learned is that if I do a 5k in the future, I really do have the afterburners to kick it up a notch for a better placing. Time to go get some dinner.

(Brooks Infinitis 164.5 miles)

Ran on the WOD trail from the bridge over Route 7 out west. It has been beautiful all day long, in the mid-70s but at run time, it was in the low 70s, thunderstorming...got cooler as the run progressed.....all that equals perfect running weather. At the beginning, right hip felt rather tight, but I figured the first mile would help work that out.

Mile 1 - 8:30 - warmup

Mile 2 - 16:30 - continued warmup picked up speed (8 min/mil) (long hill up)

Mile 3 - 22:00 - Picked it up to a nice fast run (5:30 min/mile) (downhill & felt great)

Mile 4 -  30:30 - (7:30 min/mile)

Mile 5 - 37:30 (7 min/mile)

Mile 6 - 44:20 (6:50 min/mile) 

Mile 6.2 - 44:52

I decided that I need to pick up my speed work and find what I used to have. Back in the day, when I was in the Marine Corps, I consistently ran 3 miles in 17:00 minutes and my PR for 3 miles was 15:30. The speed is in my body, and I need to harness it and get my butt in gear. That said, all the longer runs and recovery strolls are good also. Although it is a long way off, I think that I can actually get my fall Marathon down to 3:30 or lower. It looks like I have a new goal for the Marine Corps Marathon. If I can drop 5 more pounds and get down to 165, I'll be golden and should be able to fly. I feel great and am going to run at work tomorrow.

(Brooks Infinitis 170.7 miles)

Ran at work and decided to take it easy on the run. My right leg is aching a little near the hip area and my shin/ankle area is a little odd feeling. I'm going to chalk all that up to the fact that I did the faster paces last night in my tempo runs. Today, it was 5 miles in 38:16 up and down the rolling hills of the Custis Trail. No running tonight, yet Pepper may get a few nice walks to help stretch out the legs. Woof!

(Brooks Infinitis 175.7 miles)

Oh what a beautiful day. Temp was in the mid-high 70s and humidity was pretty much non-existent. My legs feel a lot better after the nice 8 hours of sleep I got last night, but they are still a little screwy. Ran down to Georgtown on the Custis Trail and met up with Lucia (Argentine Rocket) and we ran out to the boathouse, got a quick sip, and headed back to the office, parting ways with Lucia at the Key Bridge. The run back up the Custis Trail was a little difficult, but I continued to take it slow until I got back to the office. Finished off the run in 1:12:00. Overall, it was a great recovery run and I would much rather run with someone else than run solo (Thanks Lucia!). Off tomorrow and long run on Sunday.....probably 12 miles at a nice plodding pace.

(Brooks Infinitis 182.7 miles) 

Ran from my house to the WOD trail and went towards Arlington. Pace during the entire run was good. Finished 10 miles in 1:20:00. Nice 8 minute mile pace for the entire run. The best part was coming back when  nice thunderstorm rolled through the area and I was cooled by a wonderful rain. I'm always a little nervous running under the high tension power lines on the trail during a storm, but oh well. The rain felt great. In the first couple of miles, I felt that my right ankle was a little wierd...not sure what it was. I had tendinitis last year in that ankle, so I want to make sure I'm not heading down that painful road again. Well...off to bed so I can wake up for work in the morning. Running continues to be my ultimate stress reliever.

(Brooks Infinitis 192.2 miles)

Went to the gym at night instead of running to get back into the strength training. Did about 20 minutes of some intense core work of which I really needed to do since I haven't done it in a while. Also did some great arm workouts and hope to get to the gym at least 2 more times this week. I needed to rest the legs after Sunday and my right leg is still feeling a little squirrely at times. I'll just keep stretching it and hope for the best. Went for a nice 2 mile walk with Pepper when I got home...he liked it because we found TWO tennis balls. Yes...it's a big deal for him. :)

Ran from the office, down through Rosslyn and past Arlington Cemetary onto the DC Mall. Ran all the way past all the monuments, grabbing some water along the way at the various fountains, and continued up past the Capitol and down Pennsylvania Avenue. Ended up finishing up at Eastern Market where I promptly bought a gatorade, stretched, hopped the metro, and went back to work. I probably could have run back to the office, but I just didn't feel like it nor did I want to really push it today. It was getting a little warm and the water past the Mall is pretty much non-existent (unless I jump in the Potomac!). Finished my run at 6.3 miles in 49:13. Not too bad for a Tuesday afternoon when I really should be at work. Here's to looking forward to having Friday off and spending the day with Pepper!

(Brooks Infinitis 198.5 miles)

No running today as I can't bring myself to do it for several reasons. I did manage to make it to the gym for a nice core workout, chest and shoulders. It made me feel a little better but didn't fix everything. My right leg is still feeling the lingering effects of something odd, maybe my ITB Band is acting up again. As I'm posting this on Thursday morning, it feels better but still a little odd.

Took another day off with my IT Band issues. Decided to get some more core work and other strength training done at the gym. Overall, worked for about 35-40 minutes on the core and also did some other strength exercises. Took Pepper to the East Falls Dog Park and he had a blast as usual. It's nice to see him tired for once.

Went hiking on the White Oak Canyon/Cedar Run in the Shenandoah with several folks, including fellow blogger Lucia. Overall, it was great to get out with nature again and as per the norm, I decided to take the road less traveled and left the trail to climb up the river with another guy, Patrick. The trail was quite steep, so you can only imagine the fun we had climbing up river on all the bolders and up the various waterfalls. Overall, the trip was great as we also got to hit some natural water slides along the Cedar Run portion of the hike. To be honest, I probably could have hiked another 5+ miles after I was done, but it was nice to head home to Pepper at the end of the day. A happily wagging tail can certainly warm the heart and soothe the soul.

Last day of not running to help east the IT Band strain. Went to the gym for more core training and also worked the back. Did core for about 35 minutes and then did my Push-up/Pull-up pyramids. If you ever want to get up to 20+ pull-ups, this is the routine for you! Once again took Pepper to the EFC dog park where he obviously had fun with his continually new-found friends. Went home, had a salad, cooked corn on the cob and steak on the grill. What a great end to a pretty darn good 3-day weekend.

Took time in the afternoon at work and decided to give it a go and run my 5 mile out and back course with all the hills. I wanted to push it a little for this run so I could test the limitations of my IT Band in my right leg. I've been stretching it various ways, and it felt good for all but the last mile of the run. Finished the run in 37:00. It was a nice pace where I felt really good with my breathing but the IT really kicked my butt in the end. I suppose I'll have to look up more stretching techniques for that darn thing.

(Brooks Infinitis 203.5 miles)