running on trails is so much better than running on pavement! the air seems cleaner, the workout is tougher, and you get to take stretch breaks when you come across a nest of owls. what could be better than that?! today was my first day running with the northville road runners club. such a nice group of people, friendly, outgoing, and a variety of different levels. i of course needed to run with the slowest members, but they didn't mind my pace or my need to walk, and i enjoyed the conversation the entire way. such a great way to start a saturday! i ran approx. 3 miles on hilly terrain which was challenging but a great workout. after the run we headed to joseph's, the local coney island, for the "special"- two eggs, 4 strips of bacon, a pile of hashbrowns and two pieces of toast-- for less than $4. you can't beat it! after a quick stop into a clothing boutique on our way back to the car, we headed home to clean up my sister's wounds after tripping and falling down a hill. next up, a trip to the spa for a much needed 60 minute massage. why can't all days go like this?
the martian half marathon was coooooold!! it started out around 43 degrees, but after a few feet the wind really picked up and we got a little misting of rain about halfway through. i was so cold i never really broke a sweat. i'm glad this race was flat because i was definitely not prepared. i was tired, sore, and weak throughout the entire run. the only motivation i had was my family every couple miles cheering me on from the sidelines. other than that, there were virtually no spectators and it was a very quiet run. i would do this run again, but next time i will train more. i need to really get my butt in shape. the good news is that i did set a personal record for the half. the bad news is that the time is still really bad. oh well, i wasn't meant to tryout for the olympics!
as expected the river run was quite a challenge. this year it was even more scary because a number of people couldn't make it over the hart bridge and were laying on the side of the road, being attended to by the emergency medical crews. the problem was that it was so hot, much hotter than its been in the past few weeks. every water station i passed i grabbed a few cups of water and threw them on my head. this made for incredibly discusting race photos, thats for sure! i also think we got there too early and should have sat down. instead we stood around, looking for friends and stretching our legs. i think my legs were too tired from standing so that i felt real bad immediately after starting. i knew it would be a bad race when about 1/4 mile into it, a man running with his dog was running in front of me, and the dog decided to lighten his load mid-run-- right into my path of travel! thank you 1 million times ashlee for shoving me out of the way!! overall, the run was good, we finished and went to wendy's for hamburgers afterwards. haha! that's what you get for having them as a sponsor- 2+ hours of looking at wendy's signs will make you crave hamburgers like never before! i guess that's probably called selective advertising or something. it seems to be effective.
we did it!! this race is by far my favorite. there is a drawbridge at the beginning, which has virtually no incline/decline, a nice run through the neighborhoods, brief views of the water, a tough overpass near the end, and a relatively flat return to the finish. the best part about this race was the post-race power bars provided by the local bakery. ortega is such a cute neighborhood, and the scenery is outstanding. i was extra lucky because my boyfriend felt bad that i was running alone and jumped in at the last minute to run with me. he is the best! the funny part was that near the end when i wanted to lay down instead of finish the race, he was the one who had the energy to finish and motivated me to continue! we crossed the finish line holding hands, it was a great way to end the race. two more weeks until the river run. given my inability to run this race very well, i'm more nervous about the river run. at least ashlee will be there to run with me!! that will make it much better!
so the goal today was to run 5 miles...ok so really it was to cover 5 miles, i didn't expect to run the whole time. especially since the rickety old knee was howling the day before. since the temps were in the 40s (for FL that is not acceptable!) i headed for the hotel treadmill with low expectations. to my surprise, it was actually a great ride. now i'll admit the first mile was slow, and at times painful, but once i warmed up i felt like i could go forever. i cranked up the ipod, put a towel over the display, and stared out the window. 58 mins later, i was done and dad had a subway italian bmt sub waiting for me. what a great day. i know i'll be able to complete the ortega run, just need to start working on the hills, those bridges are a real deal breaker.
as an update, i can't believe i'm not sore after running for an hour. normally this would put my body into shock, rendering me useless for 3 days with the exception of lifting weights and doing situps. not this time! i have full mobility, and am ready to go. my plan is a solid 4 hours of cruising through the mall. we'll see how well i do!
my friend came over bright and early this morning (ok so it was only 7am) to go for an easy run. my heart rate was already high due to the neighbors rooster making his call while i stood in the driveway testing the temperature. COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!!! scared me half to death. so we ran/walked for about 45 minutes, covering less than 4 miles. i seem to have pulled a leg muscle so hopefully i can nurture it for the day and get back to running tomorrow. the weather has been cool and rainy, so it makes for good running. we decided to do the ortega 5 mile run in a few weeks to get ready for the river run. must...log...more...miles. the half is right around the corner. it's not even 10am and i'm already feeling like i need a nap.
after spending a few boring days in radcliff, kentucky, i came home to cool weather- perfect for running! i didn't have high expectations for my run, given that i lived on oreo cookies, fast food hamburgers, and diet soda for the week, but i gave it my best effort. i actually did pretty good! 3.12 miles in just over 30 mins. i'm meeting a friend in the morning to log some more miles, afterall i will be staying in the same hotel as my dad next weekend and he has already brought up the challenge of beach running...claims he'll be able to beat me for sure. ha! my money's on him anyway. ahh well, i'm not in it for the fame. i'm hoping this rain stops soon so that we can drag the bikes out too, that would be excellent! two more days and its back to radcliff for me, which means running on the treadmill in a room big enough for only a treadmill. its like a prison for atheletes. just 5 more weeks until the river run, i need to pick up the pace.
i checked out the mountain bike trail map before we left, and listened to the advice of experienced riders "stay on the easy trails your first time". and i'm not afraid to admit that i started off on an expert path! ha! i laugh in the face of danger! ok, so it wasn't that difficult, but that was only because i was traveling at such a slow speed, half of the bumps i couldn't get over because i wasn't going fast enough. that all changed with time. before long i was moving fast, jumping over roots and narrowly missing a chance to plunge into the river. we rode the trails for about an hour, ended up at the ocean for a few, then rode back to the truck. all in all it was the best entertainment i've ever had for $3 bucks! now the only problem is finding time to go back. next time i'm definitely bringing a camera to capture some of the tight trails. what a great park!http://www.coj.net/Departments/Parks+and+Recreation/Recreation+Activities/Hanna+Park/Bike+Trails+Map.htm
day two of being home alone without a car- the day went pretty well. i was supposed to run 2 miles according to my river run training plan, but my legs were too sore. i ended up walking 2.8 miles at a moderate pace. it was such a nice day outside, and it felt good to stretch my legs. after returning home i realized how hungry i was, so i hopped on the mtb and rode up to the sandwich shop. a cool 30 min ride (roundtrip) and a yummy sandwich was just what i needed! six more weeks until the river run, i really need to get running.
one rule i have: if someone offers to run or bike with you, don't turn them down! you never know when you might get another chance. our first adventure involved kayaking down the river. we headed out against the current, and found a new canal to explore. while i'm always worried about snakes, i wasn't worried about the baby gator that was sunning on the riverbank. good thing i didn't see him at first, i'm not sure i would have enjoyed the afternoon as much. thankfully i wasn't informed about the gator until after we left the canal! sometimes its ok to keep a secret. after the kayak ride, we rode the bikes a few miles to the sandwich shop. i'm getting used to clipping out of the pedals, but its still difficult. the biggest issue now is that i love riding my bike, and i want to be able to ride offroad. so....what else did i do but headed back to the bike store and bought 2 new mtb's! we pick them up tomorrow, i can't wait! i'll be breaking my arm soon enough.
i had some extra energy today so i headed out for a run. the river run training plan doesn't actually start for another 2 weeks, but i wanted to get into the routine early. so i ran 2.66 miles, which ended up being more like a walk with some intermittent running. ha! overall it was pretty painful, but i didn't mind. when i got back to the house, i didn't want to go inside so i dragged the kayak down to the water and started paddling. since its winter, there aren't any boats around and the river was very still. i tried to find some kind of animal to watch, but there was nothing. i got pretty bored so i just paddled back home. ahh well, at least i tried. i only lasted 23 minutes.
i managed to talk my boyfriend into getting a shiny new bike of his own, to match mine. what a great idea! we drove out to a nice stretch of bike path, formerly a railroad track, and rode for almost an hour. its a nice path, newly paved, and we had the place to ourselves due to the cooler weather. not even a little flat tire could slow us down! i decided to sign up for the katie ride for life. i'm going to ride the 30k. let's see how well my persuasion skills are working and see if i can't talk someone into riding with me!
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