Hills for breakfast, hold the gnats

44F, rain showers, variable light wind. Objective: endurance run w/ progression, and club run w/ no one.  

Six miles slow jog, 6 moderate, 5 fairly hard (starting with 2 miles on the Leg Builder Hill and just a bit slower than marathon pace for the rest, with a couple of short walk breaks), 1 mile cool down.

Again, it was hello / good-bye at the running club. Just a bunch of fast guys and Sean's sister (also very fast), and little lonesome me.  I watched them become tiny little neon-green dots in the distance on the straight, forested,Snoq. Valley Trail  (SVT). After a couple of miles the dots got larger, and after they passed me I turned around too and watched them disappear again.

This actually turned out to be a very good way to run a little on the SVT without being completely alone, safety wise.  I added some meandering through the streets of old Snoqualmie to bring me to the end of mile 12, where I started the hard miles and attacked the Parkway hill (Leg Builder). 

During my entire run, I was dreading this last part and feeling like there was no way I had the energy for it today.  But it turned out to be fine and I felt very strong.  Woo and hoo.  

The wildlife count was particularly high today.  I always count it privately, but it's rarely blog-worthy. Today I saw 2 deer, 2 rabbits, a hawk, and a large herd of 40-50 elk in the meadow adjacent to the SVT.  I tried to snap a picture with my phone but it was still too dark. 

I thought the club would be full of new people today. But I guess rain, darkness, and warm blankets trump New Year's Resolutions.  Just a block from finishing up, I encountered 2 sisters who used to come to the club, really nice women.  They promised to try for next week.  Not that I really need people to run with, but it seems pointless to go out of my way being there every week and then run alone.  

I hope you all had a great holiday!  

~40F, cloudy w/ light wind.  Recovery run in VFFs.

My weather website seems to be down.  I hope they fix it soon, because the site records conditions just a couple of blocks from my house.  The other weather sites collect data for my zip code, which has two very distinct and different microclimates.  

The VFFs were too cold and my toes froze.  I even wore some new merino wool Ininji socks with them, but I am so used to my nice warm shoes that it became extremely uncomfortable by the end of the run.  

Enough whining. Here are two nice surprises I had this weekend.  The first is that I discovered a mistake in my favor: what I thought was an ounce of dark chocolate is actually only a half ounce!  I've been tracking my food intake lately and cutting back on certain foods. To be "allowed" twice as much dark chocolate is a very happy discovery indeed.  

Secondly, I discovered an extra, unworn pair of Brooks ST3s in my closet!  Last fall, when I realized the ST3's might not continue being produced, I bought a few pairs at discount on the internet.  I'm such a space cadet, I have been staring right at the box every time I pick out shoes for my day's run, but it didn't register that there was anything in it.  OK. Confession. I have a thing for shoe boxes.  I try to limit myself and put some in the recycling, but they pile up anyway.  They have so many uses I can't help it!  This morning I was pushing this box out of the way, searching for my Ininji socks, when I realized, "hey - there's something inside this one!" 

More chocolate, a new pair of ST3s (to be saved for marathons only!) -- it's a good day.  

ETA:  Oops - forgot my weekly roundup.... total 45.74 miles for Mon-Sun.  Out of time to do my usual details... 

Low 40sF, very rainy, very windy.  Easy run, with  last mile barefoot on TM.  20 min strength.

It's been a while since I had a "carwash" run, so I guess I was due for one.  It was fine. Plenty comfortable in my "getup," though of course I'd prefer drier weather.  I think the worst thing is knowing that car drivers can't see me.  I was extra careful, but still had two close calls. 

~40F, lots of rain, windy in open spaces.  General-aerobic run.  Finished on TM.  Core & pushups. 

Ho. Hum. Drip.

40F, cloudy but dry. Very strong winds.  Mini-run.  20 min. strength & stretching.

I did not get to bed until after 10 PM last night - unheard of for me on a week night.  So I had the "opportunity" to practice non-perfectionism this morning.  First I almost did not get out of bed at all. The Cat Who Must Be Obeyed vetoed that. Then, I nearly went back to bed.  I felt so tired.  But, since I was up anyway, I figured I could at least run what amounts to a warm up and get the blood flowing.  

40F, mostly clear, extreme wind: 20-30 mph w/ gusts to 45. Wind chill 29F.  Core and pushups. 

On a family vacation last summer, we were talking to a guy in Eastern Washington who was familiar with our neighborhood. He looked at us and said, "Y'all don't look like you weigh enough to live there."  Today was one of those days when it seemed like he was right.  I got blown all over the sidewalk, and frequently found one foot blowing into the other leg in its journey forward.  Running into the wind was a lot like being on the treadmill: run, run, run but don't go anywhere.  Oh well, at least it's dry! 

40F Showers first half. Sun breaks near end. Windy at times.  Endurance run, club run, Leg Builder Hill at miles 14-16. 

I meant to run 22. What a loser.  ;)  J/K

At first I had no one to run with at the club, but one of the fast guys said he was feeling kind of tired and would run with me.  Then another guy, who is super fit (ultramarathons, ironman triathlons, etc.) said that he was saving his strength for an 8K later today so he "might as well" run with us too.   And I only had to ask them to slow down once, at the beginning, when we were approaching my marathon pace. 

So I had two kind, interesting fellows to accompany me on the SVT and we ran down to Mt. Si Rd and back (about 6 miles) keeping pretty close to 10:30 pace.  We made really fun conversation about trail running, ultras, stupid articles in RW, training methods, footwear, and Pose Method running. 

Thank goodness our weather settled down a bit today.  Even last night, the wind was still howling and the rain was coming down in sheets.  I couldn't have had such a great run without a little break in the weather.  I am ready to enjoy an afternoon on the couch, knitting and eating with a friend who is coming over. 

50F, some wind, sun w/ clouds.  Recovery run. 

My daughter had a birthday party to attend down in the valley. Since I am friends with the lady of the house, and since the wind up here on the ridge is howling again, and since I slept in so long (ahhh),  I decided to have a run down there.  It was very pleasant to explore her neighborhood, but of course no bathrooms and drinking fountains as we have up here. Really roughing it this morning, lol.   Legs feel dead but not sore.  :D 

ETA - darn, I always forget to add this until 2 minutes after I post. You'd think I would either forget altogether or remember it.

Weekly totals for Mon-Sun week:

 Mon 7.85

Tue 9.97

Wed 2.45

Thu  8.16

Fri off 

Sat 21.7

Sun 4.5

TOTAL  54.63

48F, rainy & windy.  Easy run.  20 min. strength.

I still feel like I'm recovering from Saturday (dead legs) and tapering a bit too for a half-m next weekend. So, I doddled.  Then I cut the run short too.  It's very nice to have a valid excuse for slacking off on such a wet day!   

44F, showers and breezy.  G-A run w/ a bit of MP running just before cool down.  Core & pushups.

Fairly pleasant run as I taper down for Saturday. Super busy day coming...

48F, wind 15-20 mph, brief showers.  Easy run (tapering).  Core & pushups. 

My lovely snowpack is melting.  As difficult as it was to fit in, I am so happy that I got some skiing done in December.  El Nino is here for sure.  If it weren't for the wind and rain, I probably could comfortably wear my running skirt this week.

Legs feel pretty good today.  I should be pretty fresh by the end of the week.  

45F. cloudy & dry.  Easy run. Taper complete, day off tomorrow, half marathon Saturday. Oh boy! 

Just a quick jog to get the blood going.  

Garmin Time 1:59:29

Gun Time  ??? will report back

Average Pace 9:06

Mid 30sF rising to low 40s F. Sunny with a bit of wind after mile 2.  Clouds moving in at the end. 

Warm up of 1.7 miles with some strides 

1   9:20  

I am slowly learning to deal with the mental stress of a crowded start, but I still tend to get rattled.  It took a good half mile for the field to thin out.  We had a short flat stretch and then some rolling inclines and finally a hill you could really feel, less than a quarter mile I think.  

2   8:45 

This mile takes us down a long hill into the valley, where we stay for some time.  I let myself go a little on the long downhill run.  My short legs can handle the downhills pretty well without much cost.  

3   9:03  

I missed a water stop here. There was a line of runners waiting because cups weren't filled.  I did stop briefly, feeling confused about what to do, then I just took off.  The wind began to be a problem at this point, and I tried to stay relaxed and think of slicing through it rather than fighting it.  I tried drafting on several runners, but no one around me was running my pace here.  It seemed like a lot of folks went out too fast and were already slowing down and looking like they were in some trouble. But maybe it was the wind. 

4   8:58   

Somewhere around here I saw my first swans, a small group flying overhead. (Nookachamps runs through the migration path of Trumpeter Swans.)  I did have 4 swans fly right over my car on the way into town, but these were the first I saw during the race.  Everything felt great at this point, as I pondered why it is so hard to run a pace in workouts that feels easy on race day.  

5   8:55  

Second swan sighting, this time a huge group of them sitting in a field. Runner next to me, with whom I hadn't spoken at all, just said, "that them?"  "Yep! That's them!"   She was watching for them too I guess.  I noticed here that I'd been having a hard time keeping an even pace, looking at my Garmin a lot and making lots of adjustments.  I really envy runners who have such consistent splits. We had to watch for and dodge traffic whenever passing and I am sure that didn't help any.  I remember I had that problem last year here too.  

6   9:11  

Walked briefly through a water stop.  Ran through the tiny town of Clear Lake and up a very steep short hill, then down again.  Woods instead of fields for a change.  Still feel great. 

7   9:11   

More rural landscape and some more wind here as we came back into the open.   I start feeling annoyed about the fact that everyone suddenly, and for no apparent reason, keeps crossing the road, en masse.  It doesn't seem connected to any strategy of running the tangents.  Feel like a lemming for following, but there is safety in numbers and some of these cars are going pretty fast.  

8   8:49  

Another good mile. I try to focus on staying in the moment, staying relaxed and enjoying the beautiful countryside. 

Splits got off here … pieces of mile 9 & 10:  10:24, 8:53, 8:59, 9:00   

 After the 8 mile marker there is a water station that we see twice as we venture out and back, a mile each way, on a little country road (very few cars here).  I was going to hit lap for the water stops to get an accurate picture of my splits and the amount of walking I was doing, but forgot to hit lap again and got off the exact mile.  Now I wonder if my confusion resulted from the dislike I always have for this out-and-back. (I've run this race 3 or 4 times.)  Last night I tried to think of something on which to focus to make it less dreadful, but didn't really come up with anything.  In general, out and back races don't bother me.  But this one spur always does.  Finally, settled on "this will make me stronger," and that seemed to help.  Still hated it though.  This is the point at which the race became hard for me, the point at which my inner coward starts saying, "What the heck are you doing here?" and "Wouldn't it be nice to stop?"

11   9:54 

Long hill in this mile.  It's funny, but even though the mile split is slower, I didn't have any mental problems here.  In years past I have walked parts of this hill, but I felt great just chugging up it (thank you, Leg Builder Hill!!)  and I felt very peaceful and satisfied.  

12   8:43  

After the big hill, we get a few "rollers," and at this point I made a decision to really push the last two miles.  I wondered how much I had left.  I began pumping my arms and pretended I was in a much shorter race.  

13   8:32 

Lungs are burning, legs feeling weak.  Fun-o-meter tanking.  Aided by a slight downhill and then mostly flat.  Telling myself to just hold on and keep pushing a little bit further…  

Last .1   7:49  

Uphill w/ short flat bit at the finish, as in years past. Running like crazy  to get across that finish line in under 2 hours, now that I see I can make it.  Ah! Did it!  My second ever sub 2 half marathon!   I see AuntieEm and she is volunteering at the finish line. She puts the medal on me (the first year this race has given out medals). 

Post race thoughts and impressions…  

I think I ran quite well.  But I also feel like I can run faster.  This past year, as I've been making progress -- but also getting older -- it's sometimes hard to know where I'm going with racing.  Today I felt like I was running right on the edge - right where I should run for this distance, but also that with time and a continuation of my current training I could go a bit faster.  I'm never going to be a push-yourself-til-you-puke kind of racer because I simply don't want to be. I just feel like I have a little more to develop, even at 51 years old, so that with the same effort level I will go a bit faster.  

 I'm just 7 weeks from Napa Valley Marathon. That will be another little test to see if I can shave off some minutes.  Newport in June. And between now and June, just more of the same training: my beloved long runs on the weekend, tempo runs and hill repeats one week, intervals the next.  And Leg Builder Hill, my mean but helpful friend on most Saturdays. 

I'm having a rest day today, mainly so that I could sleep in.  My legs and my abs are a little sore, but I think I can start running again tomorrow.  

Weekly roundup for Mon-Sun...

 Cut-back & taper week, total 32.67 miles

Mon 4.44

Tue 6.55 w/ .8 @ MP

Weds 3.47

Thurs 3.41

Fri off

Sat  14.8 w/ Half Marathon race

Sun off

51F, partly cloudy w/ stars. Wind 5-15 mph w/ gusts to 27.  Recovery run with some walking.  20 minutes strength & stretching.

Dead, sore legs, but a pleasant jog.  

Every now and then I feel like I should wear my Nike Triax shoes, which are relatively unused.  An easy day seemed to justify a little extra cushioning this morning. (These are my last pair of "traditional" trainers; every other pair is a racing flat of some kind.)  Well, I think I've finally convinced myself that no day is a good day for having heavy, stiff sheaths of rubber on my feet.  Maybe I can use them in snow sometime. 

Speaking of minimalist shoes... There is a lady who shows up at nearly all my races, from 5K to the marathon, and wins her age group, 65-69.  I called her the Beautiful Older Lady for a long time, until I learned her name.  She is very pretty. And very fast.  (In Saturday's half marathon she beat me by over 13 minutes.)  Anyhow, I said hello to her after the race and noticed she had the thinnest little shoes on.  When I admired them she said, "You know, they say you can't wear these in longer distances, but I've run marathons in them - and I'm not crippled yet!"  Not hardly, Speedy Beautiful Older Lady.

The shoes were some kind of Asics. They looked a little like spikeless cross country shoes.  The name of the shoe was across the back of the heel, but neither she nor I had our reading glasses along so neither could decipher it.  Blind Older Lady here.  She had friends to greet so we parted, but I'll be looking for that shoe. 

52F, mostly cloudy w/ a few sprinkles and some stars out.  Windy in open spaces.  Easy, slow run.  15 min core, upper body and stretching. 

Legs are still pretty dead, but feeling much better than yesterday.  It is crazy-warm here.  Just to the north a bit, they are fretting about lack of snow for the upcoming Olympics.  I was thinking this morning about the past two winters and how harsh they were, with lots of snow and ice in my neighborhood, and very cold temperatures.  Now I feel like I should be putting out tomato seeds. Couldn't we have something in the middle?  

50F, mostly cloudy and breezy. Easy run. 20 min strength work.

Recovery continues nicely.  The legs are starting to feel normal again.  :) 

49F, mostly clear and very windy.  Easy run.  Core & pushups. 

For some reason I am just having one of those tired days.  It sure is nice to still be in a recovery week - no pressure.   

42F, rain. General-Aerobic run w/ Leg Builder Hill, finishing up recovery week.

Once again, I was left with only my imaginary friends to run with at the club run (very few people and no one at my pace).  From that point on, it was sort of cranky run.  I didn't feel good on the gravel of the SVT and turned back after a half mile there.  I wasn't dressed for continuous rain, having foolishly trusted the weather forecast.  Cranky, but not a full blown pity party.  Better days are ahead I'm sure. 

45F, cloudy, wind 18-20 mph w/ gusts to 33.  G-A run. 

This was the best run I've had all week.  I knew the tide had to turn soon.  Everything felt great and I was sorry to have the run end, but I had to get back home.  The wind was difficult at times, but also really fun when it was at my back.  

Weekly summary for Mon-Sun

Recovery week

Total 42.16

Mon 6.05

Tue 7.09

Weds 6.49

Thurs 6.51

Fri off

Sat  10.84

Sun 5.2 

41F, rain for 1st 15 minutes, windy (20 mph w/ gusts to 30).  Easy run. 20 min. strength work afterwards.

The wind chill of 33 was getting to me at first, but after warming up it was a pretty pleasant run.  I spaced out again and had to do an accidental fast finish (running late). 

42F, cloudy w/ 1 brief light shower.  Hill repeats: 5 x 1 min on very steep hill, 2 min recovery b/t.   Finished on TM w/ VFFs.  Core & pushups + stretches.

It's been  while since I did these 1 minute hill repeats. Very difficult! Last rep, fastest. :) I tried a new hill too and it is extremely steep.  My Garmin doesn't do very well with % grade (the old one didn't either), so I'm just guessing that this was about 18-20%, but I suspect it might be even steeper. I never run there because even walking it is hard.  My legs were shaking after just a couple of reps, so I guess I'm doing it right.   The hill can't be "too steep" for these kinds of repeats, right?  

36F, clear and starry.  Easy run. 20 minutes weights. 

Unremarkable run, except for the stars.  I kept stopping on the darkest streets to cover my headlamp and just stare up.

A runner friend from ravelry.com was bit badly by a dog this week while out running.  I can't help but urge everyone to carry pepper spray. Sooner or later, we all find ourselves face to face with an off-leash dog.  The runner's version of pepper spray comes with a hand strap so you don't even have to grip it. Stay safe! 

Mid 40sF w/ high winds (15-20 w/ gusts to 33), cloudy.  G-A run. 

I ran in a new shoe today, the Asics Piranha.  It's a bit more substantial than the Mizuno Wave Universe, but still much less shoe than the Brooks ST3, which is now out of production.   I thought it was a very comfortable shoe. Very light, no arch support, very flexible. And by the way, this was definitely the shoe that Older Beautiful Lady was wearing at the half marathon.  Another good minimalist shoe in the quiver!  :)  (And 3 rejects are going back in the mail after failing the TM test. That's how I shoe-shop unless I can get into Seattle for my favorite running store.)  

Bad blogger, bad blogger!  As I write this, it is Saturday morning.  I had a little run yesterday, but I'm in one of those moods: "too much %$#@! time spent on the %$#@! computer!" My schedule is different this week, as it will be next week as well.  Day off Saturday & long run on Sunday.  Family obligations.  Cheers.

Low to mid 40s, light rain.  Endurance w/ negative split and Leg Builder Hill in miles 19.5-21.5.   

I had a great run today.  I tried to make the first half really relaxed to get a negative split.  I ran around various parts of Snoqualmie Ridge and descended the Parkway around mile 9.  Ran in Old Snoqualmie and a bit on the SVT before returning up the hill.  Coming up the Leg Builder was a lot harder at 19.5 than it usually is at 13 or 14, but extremely satisfying.

Another running forum I watch is discussing ice baths right now.  I know they are wonderful for recovery, every smart runner respects them, and elites swear by them.  However, I am far too much of a hedonist to embrace ice baths.  After eating a huge post-run brunch, I took a long soak in a nice HOT bath and loved every minute of it.  This has been my routine for some time now.  Someday I'm going to write a book called "Every Running Rule Can Be Broken."  

I'm pretty happy about the week's running. I missed a scheduled tempo run on Thursday, but I just didn't feel up to it and the wind was over 20 mph most of the time.  I'm still close enough to my last race that I think it's fine.  

Weekly summary for Mon-Sun

Total 57.78

Mon 7.86

Tue 9.59 w/ hill repeats

Weds 5.56

Thurs 7.62

Fri 4.93

Sat  off

Sun 22.22