9 miles and Lesson One

Today I planned to run 10 miles and put my sports nutrition seminar knowledge to work. It only 40% worked.

See, I was supposed to eat a meal 2 hours before I ran. Something more than oatmeal. In fact, it's more like oatmeal, a banana and maybe 1/2 an english muffin. That's a lot of food to me. Well, I woke up at 6 am and I wanted to start my run by 7. Yup, bad planning. Maybe I should have woke up at 5am, or 4:30, ate and gone back to bed. Don't laugh, I learned at the sports nutrition seminar that people do it.

I got up around 6:20 gathered everything up, fed the dogs and left, Mocha Clif Shot in hand. A far cry from oatmeal, a banana and 1/2 an english muffin. Lesson One, Try One = FAIL.

I ran the Oso Trail. The part I ran for my time trial is 1.2 miles. It's about 1/2 blacktop and 1/2 packed earth covered in mulch/bark. The mulch/bark part is a bitch, the blacktop is all flat. I have never been able to run the whole mulch/bark part. Today was no exception.

The plan was to run 3 laps, go back to the car, pick up my fuel belt, do 2 more laps and then go in search of my remaining 4 miles. The best laid plans.

After the first lap I needed to use the bathroom. (Note to people who live in my area, the Ralph's is closer than the Senior Center and their bathroom was decently clean.) I stopped my lap watch, I did have 2 watches, ran to Ralph's and the continued on with the plan. After lap 3 I ran back to the car and decided to abandon the trail and find 5 miles elsewhere. Found 4.

I ran back up the black top and out onto a packed earth and rock covered trail. That got me about 2 miles. I then decided to run the trail backwards. With the exception of one very steep hill, it was easier that way. About a tenth of a mile out from the car, I hit 9 miles. I decided to call it. I did miss my run on Thursday and 9 miles was probably pushing my one run a week range.

One of Those Days

That's what yesterday was. I got up, got dressed and packed a bag to run after work. After my chiro appointment, I realized I was tired. Feeling run down. Again.

So I skipped my run. I walked the dogs instead. They got a kick out of it and I get a kick out of them. Sometimes I wish I was a dog. Well, a dog with a family to love me. Food, treats, sleep, people to play with me. All I'd have to fear are bigger dogs, baths and the time when my people are away. Maybe they'd get me a friend. But I digress.


Today I swam. I wanted to run or bike, but only because I didn't want to swim. I'm not sure what about it I don't like, except that I don't know how to get faster. I can't really judge my speed through the water. There isn't wind in my hair or scenery streaking, more like meandering, by to help me out.

I arrived at the gym and checked out the pool as I passed by. It was empty, no one in either of the 3 lanes. Score! I get into the locker room and change next to a chick who looks like she's sporting a bathing suit. She probably thought I was checking her out, but really I was hoping that I could get into my suit fast so I can claim a lane.

I get into the pool and there is someone in the middle lane. That's fine, I pick a side one. I do one lap and now the pool is full. I see a guy with googles waiting in the hot tub with goggles and watching the pool like a hawk. I do the unthinkable. I tell him he can share my lane and he does. Chalk one up to my mom and those manners she didn't think I learned.

He did share my lane for a while, then moved to the middle when it became open. Then the aquaciser jumped in. She held on to the wall and kicked. Into my half of the lane. For about 6-8 of my laps. It wasn't until I saw her doing squats and running pretty much in place, did I realize she wasn't going to swim. The rhinestone plastic clippy thing keeping her hair up should have tipped me off.

All in all it was a nice 40 minute workout. I still don't understand how to get faster in the swim. I'm doing pyramids, but I tend to not go all out in the long segments. That's probably why I'm not faster. I think I have a(n irrational) fear of triggering an asthma attack under water. It's not like I'm scuba diving. Now that I know what is holding me back, I'll have to work on it. Because you know what they say:

Where I Was

For you people who aren't cool enough to be on Facebook, here's the whole reason I went to the other side of the country and braved the cold weather:

She's an awesomely great baby, although I didn't see her when she wouldn't sleep and I didn't have to get up to feed her in the middle of the night, but still. She is awesome.

I did manage to get a few runs along the Hudson. I ran past:

NYC Skyline as seen from Jersey City

A defunct pier location (there's a high rise behind me)

Jersey City Sun Dial by the Hyatt

Lady Liberty

It was cold. I ran with snow. Not in snow, with snow. I took pictures to prove it.

These pictures were taken on my first run. There was a heat wave. It got into the high 40s! By the end of the week, the snow was gone. I never even got to use my last minute buy tights!