8 + 8 = 16 miles

Yep, I feel like I ran 16 miles yesterday. Mentally, it's probably easier to do it this way, to run 8 in the morning and 8 in the evening, though you do have to get out the door twice, and that is, in some ways, the hardest part. Certainly, it is easier in the sense of not having to bring food and water with you. But getting of bed this morning, there was no doubt I had run long yesterday. A little left knee again (ham and gastroc referral, I think), right hip (glut med? referral maybe?), ITB pulling on the right knee. Anyhow, good thing I'm still in Thai massage class. I think we're working legs today in prone so this'll be good!

The first half of the run was cold and it was early for a Sunday (7:30-ish) and there were only serious looking runners out on the path. And me. I'm not a serious looking runner. There were only two other women out there, which made me feel a little lonely. I listened to my mix CD and then to Alan Watts. I still love him. Even when he says stuff I'm not totally into, I'm just (like), "Oh, Alan..." like an old cute married couple.

Matt ran the second half with me (also at 7:30), which was super nice of him. His presence made it so much easier to run and to keep running when continuing to ignore the whimpers from my legs became difficult. It was much warmer at night. It was about 32 degrees. Which was a whole layer and gortex jacket-less than the morning's run, which may have been around 19F?

I think I'm going to try for 2 miles tomorrow, 8 wed, and 5 thursday. Then I'll be back on schedule as normal. No more colds and Thai massage classes to make this difficult!!

Hum.

I like running in the cold.

I've got a cold

This blog should come with a warning: ****Don't read--it's uninspiring****

And I'm bored. I took the day off from work. At first I thought I was being a little self-indulgent, but I'm glad I didn't try to muscle my way through a day of massages (I'd still be at work now and that's just preposterous). I've been taking Old Indian Wild Cherry Bark (or something like that) and some Osha tonic thing that Becki had told me to by last March when I was sick. I started pushing this stuff this morning and now it's really caught up with me. (It's suppose to make all the mucus move around and come out.) I'm dripping from my nose and my eyeballs. Which is kind of fun in a very pathetic kind of way.

I was supposed to run 15 miles today. But I didn't. Because I have a cold and I want it to go away. It was warm out. And that just kind of pissed me off. I blame the warm weather for my current state.

My current favorite drink: Stash Lemongrass ginger tea with honey. It's the only thing that soothes my throat. (I think my slippery elm is a dud.)

Hillary is not doing well in the polls in NH and their primary election is tomorrow. I fear it is not possible for a woman to be elected president in this country. Obama is a phony. I don't know why more people don't see this. Though if he is nominated/elected, I hope I'm wrong.

I went on a meditation retreat this last weekend. It was perfectly wonderful. I did meditate this morning for half an hour or so. My mind has gotten very monkey-ish, but that's okay, it's what minds do. Earlier today, when I was feeling bored, not being able to sleep because I was dripping so much, I thought about meditating again, but then I started reading Harry Potter. I've been catching up on reading craigslist personal ads RSS feeds, and I don't understand why people post all the numbers they do. Heights and weights and ages and such. It's enough to make my head spin. Besides, I don't know if 180lbs is a lot or a little on a 5'11" dude. And here's a little pet peeve of mine: when people say "no vegetarians," do they not realize that all of us searching for vegetarians see that? They probably attract more vegetarians than not to their posting. This is irritating. I could write a post for "no republicans" but that would be dumb.

(Yay! It's fun be sick and cranky. Positivity is soooooo overrated.)

Marathon training week: 4
Marathon plan: 3 miles

Time of departure: About 7:30pm

Sunrise: 7:03pm

Sunset: 4:20pm

Phase of the moon: Waxing cresent (6% full)

Temperature: 22F

Wind Chill: 12F

Dew Point: 19F

Humidity: 89%

Lake Temp: 34-40F

Route: Lakefront

Approx Distance: 3 miles

Running buddy: Amelia Peabody and the Crocodile on the Sandbank story

Clothing: I am finding it unbelievably easier to dress this winter. Is this an implicit wisdom gained from last year's experiences?

Shoes, socks, ARMY pants, long sleeve, short sleeve, wind breaker, gator, hat, gloves. Mittens in my pockets, but I didn't put them on. After yesterday's run, when my feet were wet, cold, and frozen, I decided I have to do something about my shoe/sock situation. Today I called the running store an old friend used to work at. They advised me to not buy a new pair of shoes if this one seemed to work (Brooks Adrenaline), but to try either duct taping the mesh parts of my shoes and/or to buy some synthetic fancy socks (cheaper than a new pair of shoes). A wonderful idea! They advised that trail shoes would be clunkier than I'd need unless I was to do a lot of running at Palos. (Palos is apparently a good place for trail running SW of the city.) So I spent fifteen minutes or so fashioning some tape to neatly cover the mesh of my shoes. And about fifteen paces into my run it already was peeling off. Eventaully, all the tape came off both shoes. Perhaps I'll find it next time I run in the morning. And I'll have to use more tape next time, I suppose.

The Drive Activity: eh. There were some cars. Why is this here? I forget why we found thi interesting.
People tally: There was one woman walking on the bike path. She had a funky black and white stiped coat on and seemed rather out of her element. Probably because no one else was around and it was snowing, dark, and cold. Where could she be coming from, where could she be going?

What did I eat pre-run? I think I had eaten something at work before I left.

How did I feel? Pretty good. I have to make myself run faster now. I know I can, but I'm lazy when I'm by myself and find I'm always slowing down unless I think about it.

What do I like about running? Oh, golly. How many things can I come up with?
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There's a lot of talk of writing in my family. And how discipline is every bit as important as natural ability or skill. And how, if you want to accomplish anything in life, discipline is a necessity.

Personality Quizzes...

A run blog

Marathon training week: 2/18
Marathon plan: 9 miles

Time of departure: about noon
Return: not sure

Phase of the moon: 100% full!

Temperature: 36°F(2°C)
Wind Chill: 27°F (-3°C)

Route: Down the lakefront, almost to Belmont
Approx Distance: 9 miles
Running buddy: self
Clothing: shoes, socks, striped athletic pants, long sleeve t, windbreaker, hat, gloves. I felt a little underdressed when the wind was blowing, which it was most of the time. A sweatwicking t-shirt would have been nice.

What did I eat pre-run? 1/2 bagel, a sip of water. I should have drank more water.
How did I feel? I felt like my knees were tightening up. It was cold.
What do I like about running? It gets me out the house on a sunny day when it's cold.
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Today was one of those crisp, cold, beautiful days. And I spent the morning making my (relatively new but untouched) mp3 player work. I downloaded a book from the library and uploaded it onto my mp3 player! Ugh. I hate doing that sort of thing, which is why I've resisted (procrastinated) for so long. So I spent the run listening to a story...I forget the title and the author, but the main character is name Amanda Peabody...more on that later.

I'm watching the American President...Oh, how I love Aaron Sorkin!

Yay! Week 2!

Marathon training week: 2/18
Marathon plan: 3 miles

Time of departure: 8:40am
Return: 9:25am
Sunrise: there is no sun. 6:46am
Sunset: 4:26pm
Phase of the moon: Waxing Gibbous, 79% full

Temperature: 46F/8C
Wind Chill: 42F/6C
Dew Point: 42F (why do I care about dew point? I can't remember).
Humidity: 86%
Lake Temp: 47F

Route: 3 miles on the lakefront
Approx Distance: 3 miles
Running buddy: just me.
Clothing: shoes, socks, cotton yoga pants, t-shirt, wind breaker. too easy!

The Drive Activity: there were cars.
Dog beach Activity: didn't get that far. I did see quite a few dogs though.
People tally: I didn't count people but there were quite a few people out.

What did I eat pre-run? A few sips of water. (Yay! 3 miles, I don't have to eat beforehand.)
How did I feel? Awesome.
What do I like about running? It got me out of bed and out of the house this morning. Else, I may still have been there.
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This morning was a very gray and foggy morning. This made me very happy, of course. The lake was gray, the horizon line obliterated by mist and low clouds. Small but frequent waves rolled in against the shore. Near Foster Ave beach, when I shut my eyes, they sounded almost like the wind in the trees. Ah, so nice. Most of the trees are without their leaves, their spindly branches appearing to reach up and disappear against the light gray sky. I know summer is a great season. And I do love how I can go swimming and drink frozen vodka lemonades on the beach and just relax in the sun. This is all very nice. I love those times, I really do. But there is something about these darker days that resonate with me on an entirely different level.

It was fun today to go out and run 3 miles and know that I did what I was supposed to do, that I wasn't supposed to run longer, that I was not slacking by not going further. As much as a routine and a plan gives you structure, it also gives you freedom I'm seeing. Rest days, take the day off. 3 mile runs, do the 3 miles, don't run 6. How nice! Follow the plan. No decisions to made. There is a liberty in this.

Today, I only had to stop for one street light, which was super nice. I've decided I won't do any stretching mid-run for these 3 miles, unless I really feel a need, of course. I'll just be easy on myself early on and let my body warm up. I also ran on the grass as much as I could and did all along the lakefront. I figure there is less force of impact going into my body (than if I were to run on asphalt or concrete) and my legs have to work harder to stabilize of the uneven terrain. So long as I don't sprain an ankle, it makes them stronger. I'm not particularly prone to strains, for which I am grateful, so I think this is good for me.

I've started picking up the pace since I'm now remembering how to run. I was experimenting with trying to engage my mula and udiyana bandhas and witnessing how the force of the impact of my feet hitting the ground may distribute differently in my body when they were engaged versus not engaged. It's a subtle sensation, but I felt like there was less slaming and clonking between my shoulders and rib cage, between my ribs and pelvis, with my spine on my sacrum. I'm sure I'll be paying more and more attention to this in the coming weeks. It's a very subtle sensation.