No Runs, No Posts

Yeah, I haven't posted in forever, because I haven't RUN in forever.  I am finding it increasingly difficult to get out there and run in this cold weather, despite my brave bullshit of a few posts back.  30 degrees is cold.  35 degrees is cold.  40 degrees is warmer, rarer, and in my present state of mind, still damn cold.  I get super hot when I run, and thus a mile or two into it, even in say 35 degrees, I want to be down to shorts and t shirt.  Which makes the beginning 2 miles a huge suffer-fest as I freeze myself to bits.  This, of course, really interferes with my motivational strategies and inner monologue . . .   "It's 35 degrees!  You'll be plenty warm once you get going!" vs. "It's 35 degrees!  Body parts will fall off in the first mile!"  Guess which dialogue's been winning the past 10 days?

Sure, there's tights and running jackets and gloves and hats (all of which I have), but that all becomes extra flotsam after that first crucial mile, plus it interferes with my carefully crafted excuse-making skills.  This is all a long-winded introduction to my newest piece of running equipment, the seemingly dreaded TREADMILL!

I bought a gently used Proform 545s from a girl I work with, loaded it into my car with about 1/2 inch to spare (no exaggeration), brought it home, quickly broke it getting it out of the car, and installed the thing in my spare bedroom.  Don't know exactly what happened, but when I turned it on it just wanted to incline up and up and up.  4 hours, helpful boyfriend, many tools, and a lot of internet searches later, the incline motor is now unplugged and the thing works just fine as a replica of flat runs -- my fav!  I initially thought to repair this missing feature, but the more I consider it, the more I think about how I hate running up hills in the first place (tho I've gotten a lot better at it in the past 6 months).  A nice flat treadmill sounds just fine to me.

So after all the moving and repairing and researching and thanking wonderful boyfriend for his help in all of the above, I got my running togs on, iPod fixed in my ear, and my water bottle all filled and ready to go, clambered on the thing and . . . 

. . . ran 2.5 miles.  Wow!  I stayed warm, though.

2.5 miles, 11:30 pace.

O Happy Day!

I just watched the inauguration ceremonies . . . not to get political, but YAY! and Good Riddance!

Anyhow, went out for a run yesterday and was just NOT feeling it, physically I felt fine but mentally I wanted no part of it.  So I just went out and did 2 miles, slowly, and I felt the better for it when it was over.  It sure required some fortitude to get out the door . . . I suppose I am pleased with myself for actually making it out the door, because there was a time not too long ago when that would not have happened.  So I plan today to get out and do a decent run, redeem myself a bit for these numbers:

1.89 miles, 14:12 pace.

Trail Run Fun

I had a great run yesterday, and a very different experience from usual.  Tom and I went "off the hill" down to warmer weather and no snow in Auburn.  We met up with our friend D for an afternoon of activity.  We met up at Grizzly House Trailhead, preparing to set out along the Foresthill Divide trail, which D knew but was a brand new place for me and Tom.  

The first order of business was checking out each other's outfits, for the "theme" of the day was to dress in the most obnoxious gear we had.  The photo is a little less than stunning (must start carrying my camera -- not the phone -- if I'm going to continue with this blogging business), but D and I certainly are.  She is completely mismatched in some kind of swirly top, a *bolero* for crying out loud, and what looked like pajama bottoms, topped off with funky socks.  I've gone all Euro, and have some nasty color combinations of yellow, orange and pink.  Tom had mismatched gloves, and that's it.

So we got all geared up . . . Tom and D were on their mt bikes, and I was on my feet.  The whole journey was really fantastic, through groves and groves of live oaks, and constant elevation changes.  I thought Tom and D were just going to go ahead, and we'd meet up again at the end, but they waited for me on various parts of the trail, which made it really cool for me (are they around this corner?  here?  there?  the next?), who is so used to just running alone.  I'd stop, have a gel or a water and a laugh, then we'd all be off again.  Another lousy photo, but you can see them bombing along the trail ahead of me.

Anyhow, there was lots of elevation changes and some fancy footwork (but I only fell 3 times!  No blood, even!), and that wonderful Garmin just kept track of everything!  1828 feet of elevation gain over 10.2 miles.  It was challenging for me, but I surprised myself by running almost all of it.  I took a few walking steps here and there along the steepest of climbs, but mostly ran it -- if very slowly.  This is about 3/4 into it, and here I am red-faced and sweaty, starting to get a little tired.
All in all, it was a great run and I felt good after it was finished -- no gimping pain or back problems or muscle soreness at all.  I think I'm starting to get used to these long distances.  I want to do a 15 miler sometime soon.

10.2 miles, 14:00 pace

The new Garmin's here!

. . . and, as suspected, it's a little humbling. My Nike+ was certainly overreading (by at least 1/10 mile), and I'm NOT putting down the blistering pace of sub 10 minute miles. Nope, back where I belong in the 11 and 12 minute paces! Actually, today probably is not a good day to judge, as it's my first day back at altitude and thus complete with not feeling like it, and wheezes. So.

I think I'm loving the forerunner, though I still am just figuring it out. Bye bye, Nike+!

2.52 miles, 12:33 pace

Routine

Just an uneventful run through the neighborhood today. I think my Nike+ thing is more unreliable since I put in the new sensor, even though I calibrated it properly, on a track even. Anyhow, it seems to over- or under-read, at least according to what it has recorded in the past. Anyway, I would be more concerned, but this is in the mail:

Whopee!
4.7 miles, 10:39 pace

Beautiful Places

I ran out in Pt. Reyes today, a really nice run out to Arch Rock and back.  The run started out kinda cool and damp, just kinda perfect running weather, then it got perfecter . . . 

Sure, the picture is lousy, but the sun came out and filtered through the trees. A little hilly, then I get this as a present halfway through . . .


This is the trail I get to run back with. Really, I am lucky to be able to run in such lovely places.


10 miles, 12:12 pace

Duathlon!

We went skiing this morning -- I can't believe it, but this is my first day this season!  It was a great first day, over at Homewood, simple and easy and a nice way to start off.  Probably because of the igloo-building, today was around 45 degrees out, sunny, positively balmy!  It's forecasted to remain in the 40's for the next 5 days.

I came home, changed, and went out for a run.  Oh, I miss the trails . . . running on the road is just not the same.  

3.21 miles, 11:08 pace