Hills for breakfast, hold the gnats

December 25, 2024

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Location:

Snoqualmie,WA,

Member Since:

Jan 31, 2008

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Boston Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

Marathon PR: 4:17 at Portland Marathon, Oct. 2007

5K PR 24:37 2009

10K PR 52:58 2010

Have run 22 marathons to date.

No injuries, ever. :)

Short-Term Running Goals:

Qualify for Boston (4:05 for my age/gender) - or, perhaps, to use my desire for a BQ as a way to get in the hated speed work so I don't just get slower and slower over the years. This goal is "under (re)construction" right now, until I figure out whether it is truly what I want. :)

Long-Term Running Goals:

To continue learning about myself and about running, and to enjoy being a fit, happy runner for life. To always know why I am running and the best way to get the most (both mentally and physically) out of my runs. To keep a sense of humor and remain optimistic about myself as a runner. To enjoy running more and more with every passing year.

Personal:

Baby boomer generation. Jogged a little in my 20's and 30's. Started running seriously in 2002. Low-carb runner since January 2010.

I love long runs and cold, cloudy weather. I don't believe in "junk miles." I am an optimist. I adore dark chocolate, fog, my family, and knitting -- not necessarily in that order.

"As every runner knows, running is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are." -- Joan Benoit Samuelson

Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:	This week:	0.00	Month:	0.00	Year:	0.00
Brooks ST3 Lifetime Miles:						891.35
Vibram Five Fingers KSO Lifetime Miles:						23.77
Brooks ST3 II Lifetime Miles:						965.17
Lunaracers II Lifetime Miles:						198.23
Mizuno Wave Universe 3 Lifetime Miles:						104.14
Asics Piranha Lifetime Miles:						536.83
RunAmocs (Softstar) Lifetime Miles:						16.23
Piranha II Lifetime Miles:						219.53

Thu, Dec 18, 2008

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
6.13	0.00	0.00	0.00	6.13

Objective: moderate effort

Weather: 25F, variable wind (0-10 mph), snowing lightly. 2-3 inches fresh snow on top of patchy ice.

15 min. core & weights

Random observations: Cars that can normally be heard 5-6 blocks away are only heard 1-2 blocks away on snowy ground. Running in 2-3 inches of snow is a lot like running on sand. People seem friendlier when it snows. When the whole world is white, a headlamp is superfluous. In the time it takes me to select, put on, and adjust all my winter gear, I am losing .5 to .75 miles of running time. Snow is best when it's fresh.

Newflash: Yesterday I did what I have procrastinated about for months. I drove to the school district office, filled out a form, showed them my drivers license and received... a key to the track. The next step is to decide how on earth I'm going to get to use it. Lttany of excuses: I am not permitted to go while school is in session, I don't want to give up my weekend long runs for track work, if I go during my normal pre-dawn running time the track will be pitch dark and scary...

I will work something out, but I am pretty sure I'll still be doing most of my speed work here in the 'hood. One thing for which I really wanted that track key is to do Yasso 800's. Ever since I met The Bart Yasso at Portland, I've been meaning to include them in my training cycle, about 6 and 4 weeks from race day. In any case, it's always nice to check something off the to-do list that's been there so long it's growing moss.

Red Nike Structure Triax 11 Miles: 6.13

Comments

From jefferey on Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 11:03:20

We lived at Snoqualmie Pass for about 7 years and we loved the quiet that the snow brought us. The Ridge street rd is more than half a mile(.65 I think). you could potentially do the yassos there if you come down from Douglas it would be easier and then jog back to start again. I'm getting ready to hit the TM again. No school today. Time for Hot Cocoa after the run.

From Carolyn in Colorado on Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 11:12:58

You are very brave to run in snow that deep. I don't know whether I'm that brave. I've kind of been figuring that I don't want to run in snow that is deeper than the height of my foot. Are you wearing your yaktrax, or whatever they're called? How are they working for you running in this much snow?

Good luck with the track workouts if and when you do them. I live within walking distance of both a middle school and a high school and they each have a track. I'm pretty sure the middle school track (which is smaller) isn't locked. I'm not sure about the high school track. If you get out there on the track, maybe I will too.

From Kelli on Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 12:40:17

Track work is my nightmare-so way to go for even thinking about it! We do not get keys here, we just climb fences if we have to!

Okay, I think for once your run was a little warmer than ours. But you have far more accumulated snow (although we will be there in about an hour---it has not stopped snowing since 6 this morning). Snow running is quite the experience, but I so enjoy the slower speed it requires.

I love all of your observations and totally agree. It is so quiet in the snow and peaceful. As long as there is no wind and ice, I am quite enjoying it!

Be careful out there!!!

From Dale on Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 13:08:53

You can't hear electric cars or hybrids running on electric only until they are on you! Watch out!!!

Good on you for getting a track key. Yasso 800s hurt....just remember they're supposed to :)!

From Snoqualmie on Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 16:06:10

Jeff - yes, Ridge St. is where I normally do at least some of my tempo runs, unless I want to just go by effort level. One thing I love about Brad Hudson -- he loves hills. No problem there.

Carolyn - Yes, I've got the Yaktrax on. They build up a bit of snow every now and then and I have to shuffle it off. But I love them. I'll let you know how the track goes. At the rate I'm procrastinating, I might get there by March.

Dale - thanks for the heads up, about the cars and about the 800's. 10 reps does scare me a bit.

From Dale on Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 16:40:10

I'd recommend against doing 10 reps right off the bat. I did that....and now I'll hate them for life :). Rather, ease into them like my coach has me doing now. 4-6 the first time around, 6-8 a couple of week later, 8-10 a couple of week later. Space them out even more, if needed. Just a thought so you don't learn to despise them.

You'll also probably have to bargain with yourself during the reps. My bargains usually start around rep 3 and go like this:

3 - Just 3 more, then I'll cut it short.

4 - Just 2 more.

5 - Just 2 more, 7 is it.

6 - Just 2 more, nice even 8.

7 - Just 1 more.

8 - I'll try just one more.

9 - I'll try to just finish one lap....okay 2.

10 - This is *really* it!!!

From Snoqualmie on Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 18:33:51

You crack me up. BTW, what is your rest period between reps? Time or distance? Walk or jog?

From Snoqualmie on Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 18:34:42

Another BTW, are you getting dumped on w/ snow right now? Our neighborhood is one big sledding party, with kids out of school and no one going to work. It's been snowing hard all day.

From Dale on Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 18:48:40

I use time. You're supposed to take a recovery period as long as your repeat, so if you're running 3:30 repeats, your rest between would also be 3:30s. Confession time: I *try* to jog between reps and usually succeed for the first few but by ~ 4 I wind up walking (usually gasping for air, trying not to barf, attempting to wipe the snot from my face, all while trying to look cool) for 15-30 seconds before I managed to convince my brain to command my body to move it. Move slowly enough that you recover for the next repeat, or you won't be able to execute them. Actually, I've found time and again that if I walk, I recover more slowly than I do if I jog very slowly, probably related to my breathing patterns or something, a fact that I have to remind myself of in getting moving again. Usually, as the training block progresses and I get more fit, I wind up walking less and jogging more.

We got dumped on yesterday and overnight. We've probably got a 10-12" of snow on the ground at the house. School around here's been cancelled for a couple of days now, first for frozen pipes and then for the snow. Fortunately, aside from some intermittent flurries, nothing much today. Still, enough to drive me inside and onto the dreaded treadmill of doom. (Okay, maybe not of doom, but dreaded nonetheless!).

From marion on Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 22:30:06

Yassos are cool and HARD! Good luck! BRAVE soul! I need to learn to love to run in the snow. I am a wimp!

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