Everything You Didn't Want to Know About My Runs

Ran my north 8-mile loop backwards.  It is actually more fun this way because most of the way is downhill.  The problem is the uphill at the end.  I killed the hill from Creek Rd up to Macey's, but I think I won the battle and then lost the war.  It was all good up until there, though.  The last two miles after that hill were quite a slower..

 The good news is my ankle wasn't a problem.  The bruise-like pain on the side of my heel was there for a mile or two, but not that intense.  The stiffness and popping and cracking were all gone, though.  I'm not saying it was all better because this stuff just comes and goes.  It was nice having a day where it went. 

Timex 

4 miles on the treadmill with a .25 mile cool-down walk.  I just set it to 6 with a metronome set to 180 and worked on cadence.  I think the treadmill might be the key to getting my turnover up to speed.

I gave blood on Wednesday.  I wasn't going to do it, but it was an eagle project for one of my varsity scouts and he needed as many donors as he could get.  I didn't do a double red donation like last time, so I should be able to recover more quickly.  I figure this should help my fitness level eventually.  Shouldn't my muscles be sending more signals that they need more oxygen which, in turn, with continued consistent training, should result in building a more efficient delivery system by the time my red cell count is back to normal? 

Anyway, I was a bit slow today, but not much.  It certainly wasn't the full 1 minute per mile slower that I experienced last time.  I did have a higher heart rate and it was difficult to keep the tempo up after only two miles.

I ran a different route this time.  It was an old route with a little variation in the middle and end to stretch it out a little past 8 miles.  It included a drop at first, followed by a long steady climb and then finishing slightly downhill for the last two miles. 

Ankle was a little wonky today.  I also still have that long, straight pinch in my hamstring and butt. I think I did it stretching, but not sure.  It feels better to stretch it and it doesn't bother me much as I run, but it hurts the rest of the day and makes it difficult to get up out of a car.   Could it be high hamstring tendinopathy?

A car drove towards me and then swerved away at the last second.  I was just about to try to jump out the way while thinking I wouldn't make it.  This seems to happen every six months or so.  Last time it was some girl in a BMW suv who was laughing, though she didn't get mearly as close as this car did.  I didn't see the driver this time.  I don't know if it was intentional or if the driver was texting or dialing and then looked up just in time.  Really scary.  Is this criminal activity?  Isn't it the same thing as jokingly pointing a gun at someone?

Speaking of scary, this is the ad that is showing on my blog entry page right now:

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Very beautiful morning for a run.  The sun was out.  The leaves were colorful.  There were low cloud ribbons hugging the mountains.  And I was plodding along with a sore ankle, a sore hamstring/butt, and not enough red blood cells.  I had planned to do 10, but I didn't have enough time--which was probably better anyway given my current state.  There was still water at Buttercup park.  I don't know how much longer that will be so.  It is already off at Crestwood.

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