A new running season

The snow hasn't quite melted yet (I cropped out the big pile to the left, but you can see some more piles behind the cars), but the last Saturday in March is my traditional first 5K race of the year. We've had so much snow this winter that I wasn't able to safely run outside again until last weekend. But after a winter on the treadmill and one run down the county road, I was apparently ready to race.

Surprisingly, there were three different local 5Ks to choose from today, so I chose the smallest, lowest key one. Only about 55 people (runners + walkers), no preregistration - just show up at the grocery store with a donation for the food shelf plus $10. Dogs, kids, strollers, and headphones all welcome. It was cool (mid-20's) but sunny, and the path was free of snow and ice.

The course was flat and seemed short, but if it really was 5K, it was an awesome race for me - more than 5 minutes faster than last fall. I guess I've finally recovered from my plantar fasciitis, and am back to where I was before the injury.

Stay Out of the Sun Run 5K

Time for another 5K race this weekend, this time on Friday evening. It was a big local event, with more participants than any of the other races I have done, and the first time I've had chip timing. [The chip is a little plastic fob that you tie to your shoe. It automatically records your start and finish time as you cross the lines, so you don't have to do all the mental adjustments from the time the starting gun goes off until you actually make your way across the start line.]

It was cold and damp but not actually raining, and I was back at my least favorite local route, finishing with a long half mile up the hill. But I guess it wasn't so bad, because I ran it faster than the last race on this course, and faster than the flat course in March. I must have been working hard, though, because I was sore for the rest of the weekend.

Today the temps were in the mid 90's, so I'm grateful for the cool race weather on Friday. I don't have any other races planned for the summer, and may not do any more until the fall if it stays warm like this.

Running a little faster

This morning was another 5K race, the first of spring. It was cloudy and cool, but the threatened rain never materialized. There were over 100 runners and walkers, a good crowd for this annual local fund-raiser. I started at the back of the pack, and finished at the back of the pack, but was quite happy to shave almost one minute off of my previous race (last fall). I didn't feel faster, but it's good to know I'm still improving.

On the road again

I was able to run outside today, thanks to a week of sunshine and 30-degree temperatures. Other than once in February (in snow), that's the first time this year. I'm going to run another 5K in 3 weeks, so it's time to get back on the road once a week for my Saturday run. The treadmills won't miss me, and I won't miss them.

A return to "racing"

It's been about 18 months since my last road race, but I finally ran another 5K last weekend. After the plantar fasciitis, and a slow return to running, and then a recurrence and another slow return to running, it felt really good to run with the crowd again. I have lost all of the relative speed that I had built up in my first few years of running, and finished around where I expected, 129th of 134. But my time was actually better than I expected, so I'm happy.

It was a brisk, cold, windy morning (upper 30's), typical for this time of year. I ran this race two years ago, and really hated the finish, because the start line is at the top of a hill, and therefore the finish is all uphill. I just died at the finish that time, gasping and panting and out of energy. This year was much better though - even though I haven't been running much in the past year and a half, I'm smarter about doing some training on hills, and much better at pacing myself, and just kept trucking up the hill and across the finish line.

In spite of the cold, Mike came to watch, and I had a great time. There won't be many more 5K opportunities now until spring, but I'm already looking forward to increasing my speed and running fitness over the winter. It's good to be back.

Catching Up

Work has been crazy recently, with busy days and evening calls, and no mental energy left over for anything else. But I think things will start to settle down soon, so maybe I'll be able to come up with some blog-worthy topics. (Because I don't want to blog about work.)

How about cats? The other morning, Detour apparently got hungry well before the alarm went off. So she walked on me, and nudged my hand with her nose. I tucked my hand under the covers. What did she come up with next? She actually licked my closed eyelids, and then stuck her nose in my nostril! Not wanting to encourage this behavior, I continued to pretend to be asleep, and she eventually gave up and left. But I have to give her points for creativity.

Quilting: Last weekend was another HeartStrings day in Wisconsin. It was nice to get away and to nothing but quilt and hang out with quilters for a day. But I haven't had time to do much sewing otherwise.

Running: It was 46 degrees this morning when I started my run. It's been a cool summer, but I'm surprised I had to wear a long sleeve shirt in August. My foot is still doing pretty well, and I'm slowly increasing my distance and time. I'm a long way from where I was last year, but still hope to run a 5K this fall.

Home Improvement: Time to re-gravel the driveway. We also extended the culvert and had some fill dirt brought in to level out the slope in a couple places where cars tend to slide off in the winter. No excuses now!

Grand Prix food: Tomorrow is the Belgium Grand Prix. All I could think of for the race party was chocolate. Mike suggested waffles, which sounded perfect, and easy: we'll just take our waffle-maker to Tim's house and make them on the spot.

Restarting at the gym

Back in September, when we signed up at the new gym, the opening date was supposed to be the first week of November. When our membership at the old gym expired in mid-October, we were only supposed to have a couple of weeks without a gym. Between Mike's cold and business trips and the community ed kickboxing class, we had a pretty good bridge planned. But, as seems to always happen, the grand opening was delayed and delayed. I kept running three days a week, up and down the driveway, in the dark pre-dawn before work. I got an exercise ball and a Taebo DVD. Mike did "functional fitness" chores, like cutting down trees and hauling brush. But it wasn't the same.

So we were very happy today when the new gym finally opened. New, clean, lots of equipment, and certainly not crowded yet. They've still got some work to do, but we'll be able to get back in our routine. And as strange as it sounds, I'm actually looking forward to running on a treadmill tomorrow, in shorts, instead of 5 degrees and snow and many layers of clothes and a headlamp.

Running update

I haven't run since August 4 due to plantar fasciitis, but my 6-8 weeks rest are up, so yesterday I took a short treadmill walk and a quick run (really quick - just 30 seconds) to try out my new shoes and see how my foot would react. The news is pretty good: it's MUCH better, although not yet 100% pain free. I'm going to keep up the stretching and icing, and try some more easy walking and running on the treadmill again on Friday. I'll keep the intensity way down for a while, slowly ramping up the distance and running percentage. I'm relieved that progress has been made, and that I most likely will be able to eventually (if slowly) return to a reasonable running routine again. I've been faithfully riding the stationary bike, and doing some elliptical workouts again (pain free), but it will be nice to have the walk/run variety, even if it's only a short workout for a while.

Fall is the best running weather: cool instead of too hot or too cold, and no ice or snow or oppressive humidity to deal with. I've missed my Saturday morning runs. And I know for sure I will not be doing a 10K race in October. But at least I'm seeing forward progress.

The pity party is over

I admit that I was bummed out about my foot, and especially about not being able to run for a few months, missing the nice cool fall running weather. It took me so long to increase my strength and stamina and endurance, and to be able to slowly run those relatively short distances, and I am not looking forward to going back to square one. But, I will. I'll quit saying (and thinking) how much I dislike riding the stationary bike; and I'll keep faithfully riding it to keep up my leg strength. I'll faithfully ice and stretch and keep up a modified fitness routine for the duration, so that I can eventually return to the job of convincing my unwilling, middle-aged body that it can run. I'm not going down without a fight.

On the injured list

The pain in my foot that started a couple of weeks ago did not improve after a week with no running. Three doctors and one x-ray later, the diagnosis today was a bone spur and plantar fasciitis. Next week I go to the sports medicine physical therapist and get fitted for custom orthotics. Meanwhile, no running. I'll be riding the stationary bike for a while. It's oddly depressing, and I'm afraid I'm going to lose all the conditioning that I've built up over the past couple years. I'll probably miss the opportunity to run my first 10K race this fall, and all that perfect, cool running weather. And I'll really miss burning all those calories, and the culinary treats that the calorie burning allowed my to indulge in.

The race photo

Last weekend's race was the first for me with a race photographer. So here it is, proof that I can run.

Dead Last Finish

This weekend I ran the Hayfield Fire Department 8K race (5 miles). This was my first attempt at a race distance longer than 5K (3.1 miles), although I've run 5+ miles regularly for several months as my weekly "long, slow" run. The weather was great for running (upper 50's to low 60's) and the crowd was small. I've mentioned before that I'm slow, and this time, I was the slowest. The golf cart which follows the runners along the race course was right behind me the whole time. I finished in one hour and one minute, the last of probably less than 50 runners. It didn't really bother me to be last - I've been second to last before. But I like running in races occasionally because I will push myself to go faster than if I was just out running by myself. Even if I'm essentially running by myself in the race at the very back of the pack. Plus I get a t-shirt.

The saying is: "Dead Last Finish is greater than Did Not Finish which greatly trumps Did Not Start".

And my legs are still sore, so I'm giving myself an A for effort.

A FIne Day for Running

Today was the first 5K race of the season, and luckily it was sunny and above freezing. Last year, this was my first race ever. This year, I finished 5 minutes faster than last year. I was quite happy, and had a full load of running-induced endorphins keeping me alert for most of the rest of the day. I'll push myself to go a lot faster when I'm in a race, and my heart rate monitor confirmed that I was working much harder than usual. I like using the objective measurement of my finish time to see how much I've improved my fitness over time. And I never would have predicted the amount of improvement I've seen.

No medals today, no prizes, just bagels at the finish, and a sense of well-being from accomplishing something that's not easy for me.

6 miles?!?!

If someone had predicted a few years ago that I would someday be a runner, both Mike and I would have been rolling on the floor laughing. But yesterday, I ran 6 miles! I could give you all the caveats, like the inclusion of warm up and cool down walking, but that's not really the point.

I decided to start running when I was 43 years old. Why? Mainly because I wasn't getting much of a work-out by walking anymore. I saw Mike and others running on the treadmills at the gym, and the physical differences it was making in their fitness, and decided to give it a try. It was in no way easy, even though I'd already been working out at the gym 5-6 days a week for a year. I had no endurance, was quickly gasping for breath, and ran slower than molasses. It took me five months to finish a 9-week beginner running training program. At the end of that program, I could finally run for 30 minutes. The sense of pride at my accomplishment was amazing, because I knew how long and hard I had worked.

I moved on to 5K (3.1 miles) races, finishing 5 last summer. I was still slow (I've been passed by 5 year olds and 70 year olds), but always finished ahead of the walkers, and gradually improved my times. I even got a medal once for finishing first in my age group. (OK, I was actually the only runner in my age group - it was a small race.) I worked my way up to running for an hour, and now, almost an hour and a half. I ran in the cold and snow this winter. I subscribe to Runner's World magazine. I read books about running. I'm probably going to try a 10K (6.2 miles) race this year, which even last summer seemed impossible. I'm still pretty slow, but I'm out there running 3-4 times a week, and usually even enjoying it.

Who is this healthy, strong, person that I've become?

Bald Eagle Sighting

The weather has improved enough for outdoor running again, so I was back on the bike path today. Not many foks out this morning, which may have contributed to the bald eagle sighting along the river. I was right in town, just below the dam, where the water is open, and thousands of geese congregate. As I came around a bend, the eagle took flight from a spot on the near bank, and flew into the trees across the river. I had my camera, but I'm afraid he was too far away for a good shot. When I came by later in the other direction, he was back on the ground eating something, but took off for the trees again. They're such huge, beautiful, birds. I feel honored every time I see one.

Are you tired of year-end reviews yet?

Well, here's my personal 2007 year in review...

1. Changing jobs was the biggest event of the year for me. After 22+ years combined at big blue and the company they sold us to, I was needing a change. After we were sold, the job opportunities became pretty limited. When I heard that a new company in town was having a job fair, I refreshed my resume, went to the job fair, and got an offer on the spot. Three weeks later, with a raise and a promotion, I started my new job. So far, so good. I have no regrets about making the change.
2. Running became a major part of my fitness routine. I started the year most of the way through a "learning to run" program, and finished the year with 5 5K races under my belt, logging about 475 miles for the year. No major injuries, amazing increases in stamina, lung capacity, and overall health. I'm still the slowest runner out there, but that's OK. I'm moving, and actually having fun.
3. I kept up the quilting, and ended the year with less fabric than I started with. I only finished 4 crib-sized quilts, but I have one more that is done except for the binding, and another almost ready for quilting. Quilting is a big stress relieving hobby, so I don't worry too much about having accomplishments; I just don't want it to turn into a fabric-accumulation hobby.
4. I still read a lot of books, and, being a natural born list-maker, can tell you that I read 46 books this year. (My list of books read goes back to 1995.) Actually, that's a fairly low yearly total for me, being less than one a week. But again, it's for enjoyment, not something I feel compelled to do.
5. 2007 was not a big travelling year. The job change mid-year resulted in fewer vacation days for me. We still went to the Formula 1 Grand Prix at Indy in June, and from there to St. Louis for Mom & Dad G's 50th wedding anniversary festivities. That only left me 3 days for the rest of the summer. Jury duty forced a delay in using those few days, so we had a quick fall getaway to Bayfield, WI to finish September. Business travel sent Mike to Australia again, and me to Houston, San Jose, and Boise.
6. Our biggest unplanned financial investment was the basement waterproofing, prompted by the torrential 11 inch rain in August. Now it's January, and we're almost (hopefully) done restoring the family room to it's former comfort level.

What's in store for 2008? Unfortunately, we're still too young to retire, so we'll keep working. We'll keep going to the gym and running (to offset all those chocolate goodies). This is also a regularly scheduled car buying year, so stay tuned.

Cool Running

After two Saturdays on the treadmill, I took my run outside today. The temperature at home was in the teens when I drove into town, in search of a plowed or shoveled path. I opted for Silver Lake, which is almost circled by the bike path, 1.8 miles around. The only snow-packed and slick sections were on the sidewalk on the north side of some houses, which forced me to walk carefully instead of run. With a couple of layers of wicking fabrics (including my new hat and long underwear), I stayed warm and felt dry, an improvement over the previous cold run. After a couple loops of the lake, I headed north along the river to check out the conditions there. This part of the bike path was much clearer, and looks like a better choice for next weekend. Maybe I'll even remember to take my camera, because it's really pretty along the river...the snow and ice, steam rising from the water, geese swimming around. Overall, a good run. It was sunny, no wind, and about 20 degrees in town, which we Minnesotans consider a nice day in December.

Winter's (autumn's?) snow

Would you believe we have ten inches of snow on the ground already? And it's still not officially winter yet. Temperatures have been below freezing for most of December, and the snowplow is on the truck. I don't think there's any doubt we'll have a white Christmas this year. But we're getting back into the winter groove with coats and hats and boots and shovels; we remember how to drive on snow and how to plow the driveway. At first I always resent winter a little bit, but then I get used to it, and it's not so bad. We're even talking about going skiing sometime (locally).

I bought some new long-johns and am determined to try running in colder weather. I only run outside on weekends, since our normal exercise time is before work (meaning dark this time of year) - I use the gym treadmill during the week. I've been running in 30 degrees, and didn't get cold; in 20 degrees, my legs stayed cold, thus the new long-johns. But the past couple weekends have been a lot colder than 20 degrees, plus the city doesn't plow the bike path I normally run on, so not only am I waiting for a bit of relief weather-wise, I'm also looking for a new, mostly cleared of snow, route.

New carpet samples are laying on the basement floor. We'll look at these for week and see if we can agree that we like any of them. It's fairly easy to find something one of us likes; much more difficult to find something we both like.

The first snow

Snow is later than usual this year, but we finally got a little this morning. 32 degrees, so it was just sticking to the deck and grass, but it's a sign that we will eventually get some winter.

This morning was also the first time I've run in the snow. I went into town to run on the bike trail instead of along the county roads, fearing that even Minnesota drivers forgot their winter driving skills over the summer. The trail was just wet, so it was a pleasant, cool run. Saw some geese and ducks while running, adding to the wildlife count at home, where the yard was full of deer and turkeys when I got back.

We're heading to the Cities today to watch the women's university volleyball team play tonight, their last home match of the season. We've had season tickets for twelve years now, and are just watching these days, as neither of us play regularly in the park & rec leagues anymore.