Thursday, January 31, 2008

Feelin' Not So Frisky

So I blog about feeling great and what happens? I get the flu. Compliments of the two-year-old. Yesterday was the barfy day, which the little one joined me in. I don't recommend it as a bonding excercise. I'm still cleaning up the aftermath.

So today I've shipped her off to daycare and called in sick again. In the past two days I've eaten four crackers, drank a lot of water and a little grape juice. I'm headachy and lightheaded right now, but at least I think that the barfyness is overwith. I've been thinking about how I should eat something, but nothing sounds good yet. I want to run. But I know that would be stupid. Maybe I'll be able to go on a little trot later today, after I eat something.

I STILL want to do my 17k this Saturday. I'm still planning on it.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Feelin' Frisky

Today I only had about 45 minutes to run because hubby had to go into work. So I did a favorite long worn route of mine. The last ten mintues or so had me feeling very smooth, with a long stride and a ton of energy. I'll take this as a sign that I need to go longer on a regular basis. It seems that I'm only warmed up about 1/2 hour into my runs and then after that point I start to feel really good.
For that first sluggish 1/2 hour of my run I walked a couple of times. Honestly, I really didn't need to. I've gotta cut out the walking from my routine. Most of the time runners are told to put more walking into their training to give them some needed rest, but really in my case it's getting ridiculous. I'm just being lazy at this point. When I started back to running in earnest I really did need to walk a bit here and there - but that time is over now. Or it better be anyway.
Next run I will NOT allow myself to walk any part of it. No matter how painful it is. I know that when I push through that hill it feels so much better on the top and on the downside when I've run the whole way up. I have to work throught that lung burn and get to the other side. Only then will I perform as I hope to in races. Maybe I'll loose those few extra pounds too!

Friday, January 25, 2008

Good Running, Bad Weather

My running has felt good...when I can get out for it. We've been having some big storms around here lately. I don't go out and run in high winds. A few years back I was running in a storm when a very large branch from a tall wind whipped tree came crashing down right behind me. I decided that a day off of running is better than being flattened.

Last night I didn't even lay out my running clothes in anticipation of the nightmare storm that was coming. In hindsight I could've gotten out before the party started, but well, so what. I got my kids ready in time for daycare instead.

Work has been, well blah. If anyone wants a dependable, fun, creative, great copywriter please leave me a message. It's time to move on from my post here at the BIG BOX. I really want to be promoted...just not here. That's a problem, and that's why I know that it's time to go.

Well, tomorrow morning I'll sneak in a morning run. Come Hell or high water. It's the one thing I can count on to make me feel good.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Trail Fun!

Today I ran the 9k of the Pacifica Trail Runs. Very steep in parts. Very, very beautfiul terrain. This was a nice event. I just took it easy and came in in the middle of the pack somewhere. Next time I'll do a longer race and get more serious and go faster. But this was good training. It was sunny and cold out, a beautiful winter day coastside.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Run Report - Tuesday, Jan. 15th

Didn't run yesterday due to some achyness in my feet and ankles that told me to back off a bit. That hard hill run on Sunday made me feel a little creaky.

Did a small run - about 4 miles. Broke in the new shoes. It was so foggy I couldn't see more than 50 feet ahead. I feel all better now - no achyness.

Monday, January 14, 2008

My Weekend Runs
Saturday and Sunday 1-13 & 1-14

I ran and hour each day in the hills behind my house. Sunday was the more brutal of the hill running days. I was feeling kinda sore today so I took the day off. Tomorrow morning I'll do a moderate run on the flats with my new shooz!

New Shooz


So I've been using minimalist shoes for quite a while now, but now that I'm ramping up the mileage and intensity I thought I'd treat myself to something cushier. I had been happily running in the Asics Gel-Landreth and thought that maybe the Nimbus would be the ticket for my necessary road miles. (Not trail shoes - I have some still good trail shoes by New Balance and Nike).

So I went down to Ye Olde Running Shoestore and tried on a bunch. The Nimbus were heavenly. But I made the awful and fatal mistake of trying on the top top top of the line Asics "just for kicks." The Kinsei felt out of this world and made the Nimbus feel like cardboard. I was ruined. So I ended up getting Kinseis as an early b-day present from the hubby. He did have a store credit there so the bill ended up not being as bad as it could have been.

Am I ruined now? Will I have to get such gloriously cushy shoes forever now. Ugh.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Rumors of Ghosts

Running has been going well. I had a wonderful neighborhood run up in the hills over the weekend. I powered up and over the hills like I haven't done in years. My body is feeling much more like it used to, energetic. I feel like a filly wanting to kick out of my stall. I've been eating mostly a vegetarian diet and I haven't had any alcohol in a long while so I'm wondering if that has anything to do with the way I feel.

One of the neighbors on my weekend running route let me know that in the nearby wooded canyon there may be a mountain lion. Apparently another neighbor who walked his dog in there for years, and therefore knows what a bobcat footprint looks like has seen very large cat prints there that are NOT bobcat. It's both exciting and scary to think that one of those extraordinary creatures may be so close by. I just hope she doesn't get into trouble.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008


Karl the Great

I haven't run in a few days. First because of a cold, but then because of the loss of my beautiful buddy, Karl the cat. He was a majestic beast in his heyday, a great mouser and a real character. Big fluffy and gray, his hair was probably another element entirely - so we named it "foo". Karl foo got everywhere and clung to everything. He could be a total grouch and blame you for everything from the weather to the behavior of the other cats in the house. He loved catnip, raw meat of any kind and deep ear rubs. He hated rain, getting his belly tickled and being forced to stay indoors. He would bite and growl. He would also purr and cuddle. Karl was about 20 years old and will be missed by the entire neighborhood that he ruled for years. His mortal remains are at rest under our big orange tree, but I prefer to believe that his spirit is still hanging out on the deck in the sunshine, and following me around in the house.