Christmas Run: 12/25

I decided that I needed to go for a run because we were going to get hit with a big snow storm that night and Raleigh does not react well to snow.  I wasn't sure how long it would be before I could get to the gym.  After Hiro and I exchanged presents and had breakfast, I decide to go for another art park run.  I am really grad that I did because this was a very good run for me.  I felt really strong throughout the run and got stronger as the run went on.  There were a few people on the greenway, but fewer than normal.  It was pretty cold and I think that most people thought that I was crazy to still be wearing shorts when the temp was in the low 30's.  However, I didn't feel it at all after the first half mile.  Also, I got a new running jacket that is water proof.  The Nike Storm Fit-1.  After one run I could tell that I made a good choice because even though it was light weight I still felt warm on a chilly day.  After I use it some more, I may do a product review, but so far so good.

As for the run, it was like a Christmas gift to myself!  I ran strong the entire way and kept thinking that I was running too fast and would run out of gas at the end but it never happened.

Mile 1: 9:24.39
Mile 2: 9:58.39
Mile 3: 9:30.24
Mile 4: 9:32.25
Mile 5: 9:17.96
Last .37: 8:28 pace

Not really sure what brought on such a strong run, but I am really have that it happened.

Dec. 24th: Quick Run to the Gym Before Shopping.

I am not usually one of those last minute shoppers when it come to Christmas gifts, but I was this year because I knew what I wanted to get Hiroko and didn't want her to know about it before hand.  So, I did a quick workout before my shopping.  I ran 1.67 to the gym then ran 1.5 on the treadmill and then did some abs, a little leg work, and that was all she wrote for this workout.

Sports Conditioning: Dec. 22st

I went to my first morning workout class in a long time and could feel the difference in my conditioning.  I got up and ran the 1.67 miles to the gym, which was a good warm up.  Then when I arrived I took the Morning sports conditioning class.  They were doing a 12 days of Christmas workout, which is one of my favorite workout.  However, it is kind of difficult for your first day back and involves running a lot of stairs, which I am not confident that my PF will really allow me to do at this time.  Currently, my left foot is doing better but my right flares up at times.  Plantar Fasciitis is just one of those nagging injuries that is really slow to heal.  I have heard of people having to deal with it for several months, which is where I am.  However, mine was not really treated correctly for a long time, so I who knows how it would have responded. 

I did two thirds of the class before I went and did some abs and stretching on my own for the last 15 minutes of class.  Afterwards, I jogged over to Hiro's work as a cool down and picked up the car for work.  It was good to go back to the class, but I felt bad about how much my conditioning had dropped off.  I am glad that I took a break from the class and focused on running, but I know that I need to maintain at least degree of cross training i n my workouts. Therefore, I really need to plan my weekly workouts better over the coming months.

12/19: Art Park 5 Miler #2 of the Weekend

Saturday's run went well, so I figured that I should do it again and this time try to use some of the features that my garmin have to offer.  I set Old Bob up to give me mile splits and to compare the run to the course setting that I a had saved form my first Garmin run the week before in the rain.  I had a feeling this days run would be slower than the one I had done the day before.  I feeling a little stiff and sore, but I just felt like I needed this run.

The weather wasn't an issue.  However, it took me a while to feel like as though I were properly warmed up.  My mile breakdown were :

1. 9:41.08
2. 10:09.78
3. 10:14.46
4. 10:15.11
5. 9:57.80

Overall I felt lie I struggled all the way with this run.  I was having minor knee pain, which wasn't enough to stop the run, but just enough to make it a little unpleasant.  Over all I did 5.38 in 53:25

Art Park 5 miler: 12/18

It finally stopped raining and warmed up a bit, just in time for me to avoid a complete meltdown.  People who live in the southeast have this unspoken agreement with Mother Nature.  We will tolerate the nearly 9 months of hellish punishment called summer, take our four weeks of spring and summer, and in exchange, other than for a few days in January and February, she leaves us the eff alone when it comes to winter!  Well, this year Momma has gone plum-crazy, and not in the charming way where she sends some random ass Christmas like trivets (thanks mom!), no our dear Mother Nature has gone all shooting at the neighbor's kids with an air rifle crazy!  Snow in December . . . Twice . . . a whole week where the high is 34 degrees . . . WTF are you thinkin' Lady?

Anyway, before I get into full on rant mode . . . it finally got into the mid 30's so I decided that I need to go for a run.  I didn't want to stray too far from my house because I needed to leave Hiroko with the car, so I decided to run the Greenway like I had last Sunday, when God tried to drown me.  This time I made sure that the wasn't a cloud in the sky before I left the house.  Last time I ran the 5.36 miles in 53:53 and this time I did the same course in 52.39.  The run went well, but I was really pushing over the last mile, so that I could do better than my run the week before.  By the end of the run, I was spent.  I really enjoyed it however, and like that with Old Bob, I can track my courses pretty easily.

Treadmill & Exercises: Thursday 12/16

Not a whole lot to say about this one.  It was rainy and cold all day, so I ran 3 miles on the treadmill in just under 30 mins. at the gym followed by a small exercise session.  I did some abs, push ups, and lower body strengthening exercises just to get back into the swing of things.  Everything kind of felt a little crappy.  The run, the exercises, everything was just kind of . . . well . . . crappy.  I was really having to fight it.  I am glad that I did it, and I know that I am in for many more days like this if I want to build back my overall conditioning.  My feet held up well after this, so I'm feeling good about the state of my PF but still don't thin that I am to the point where I don't have to think about it at all.   There is still a bit of random soreness and a little pain here and there, so I know that I need to be careful and smart about my workload as I change up my workout.

Return to Toneing Class: Hubba Bubba Abs -- 12/14

I haven't been to Toning class in over 2 months and in that time my abs have turned to bubble gum.  I've been running, so my I still feel strong, but there is no denying that my over all fitness has declined over the last 3 months.  I need to get back into strength and conditioning classes or else.  I don't thin that I'll go back to the whole 4 or 5 classes a week thing, but I need to get more balance into my workout.  I ran 1.5 miles om the indoor track before the class.  The class was much more difficult than it had been in the summer for me.  The instructor hadn't made it more difficult in the slightest, but I am just no where nears as fit as I had been.   I was a little sore after the class, but it wasn't too bad.  I took off Wednesday because I wanted to give my body time to rest after working some dormant muscles for the first time in a while.  Also, I wanted to see how my feet held up as well.  They were a little sore, but nothing like they had been.  My PF is getting better, but I still need to be cautious.  I plan to sprinkle in so basic exercise on days that I run just to try to build back some of the strength and muscle that I have lost before I hit one of the more challenging classes.

First Run in the Rain . . . Cold Rain: 12/12

Another name for this post might Sunday stupidity.  I really wanted to run, but we  were suppose to get rain.  first a light drizzle then getting progressively harder throughout the day.  Also, the  Raiders had an early game this week, so I wouldn't be able to use the gym.  Therefore I decided to run the NC Museum of Art Greenway, which is just over 5 miles.  I put on enough layers for the cold and my best water resistant jacket and headed out.  The first two miles were fine the rain wasn't that bad, nor was the cold, but as I approached the midway point, the rain began to pick up.  Once I got to the exact mid way point, it basically hit a pretty steady rain, granted it wasn't an all out downpour but bad enough to make me wish that I had bought a waterproof jacket.  I slogged my way home and was fairly miserable doing it.  At that point, I had no choice, so I just went with it.  There were very few people out on the Greenway, but every time that I met up with someone we shared a little wave or a nod that made me feel like we were all in on some secret.  It kind of reminded me of the the nose rub thing from the movie The Sting.  I am still a newbie to running and I feel like there are certain rights passage that I need to go through before I can really call myself a runner.  If coming home, soaked to bone because your too stubborn to change you plans is one of them, I am one step closer.  Also, after the run, I knew that it was time to invest in some rain gear.

According to Old Bob I did 5.36 in 53:53, it was pretty much all hills and rain, so I felt good about the way I ran .

Reindeer Romp 5k -- Last Race of the Year: 12/11

Trying to warm up before the race



The Reindeer Romp was my last race of 2010.  And it was my best race in a lot of ways.  I did not get a PR, but I ran strong and without any injuries or tightness.  I spoke with several people, who had run the course before as we were lining up, and they all said that it was a slow course.  So, I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be getting any PR's, but I still enjoyed the run.  Not to make excuses or anything.  I know that I am not at my peak point of conditioning either, but I'm still running within striking distance of my PR.  Since this is my last race of the year, I plan to add more conditioning work into my program because I'm a little worried about repetition injuries from a running only regiment.  My PF has vastly improved over the last few months, so strength and conditioning work is a must. 

Chic fil a cow and a reindeer chatting before the race

About the race, I would give the overall in regards to organization a C+.  There were a lot of little things about this race, which add up to making the event kind of so-so.  The pre-race packet pickup was just one day and only staffed by two people.  Names were not printed on to the race bib and had to be looked up on a printout and then pulled from stacks of numbers.  The location was at Cary Soccer Park, which only has one entrance and exit and made getting to the race a little difficult.  They didn't seem to have enough people on staff considering the size of the crowd attending the event.  The start and finish were not in the same area, and it was difficult for people to find the starting line because registration and packet pick up were all at the finish.  The course did not have mile markers, but they did have people directing runners where to go, which was crucial because the race was trail run, and there were many intersecting trails.  Also the course, was one big loop with a panhandle, then a smaller loop, and a direction change, so it would have been really easy to get off course.  Also, there were no timing devices used at the starting line, so the timing chip was only giving a reading on you finish time.   Granted, there was a really large starting area so it was easy for people who cared about their times to find a place right at the line without fear of getting run down.  Personally, the mile markers and timing things weren't that big of an issue for me because I had Old Bob with me, but I did hear some people grumbling about it, and had I not had a Garmin, I'd have been . . . un-thrilled!

At the starting line

Since the starting line was so long, I did line up right on the line, which I doubt I'll ever do again.  I didn't have any problems with it, but I felt strange -- like I punching out of weight at all (both literally and figuratively).  It was fun to have such a large area for the start, and it eliminated almost all of the bunching problems that have been in nearly every race that I have attended.  The first mile was by far my best, but it wasn't because I was running too fast, it was just that a lot of the first mile was a downhill, so I was able to get a good start.  I did the first mile in just over 8 mins.  But the second mile was pretty much a series of up hills, so my pace came back to earth real quick.  I did enjoy running on the trails much better than any of the road races that I have raced on.  Even with the ground being hard from the cold there was a lot more give, and I felt much less pounding in my knees. Also, there were very few straight stretches, so I didn't get board or intimidated by what was in front of me.  In fact, I had no clue what was ahead of me because I had never set foot on any part of this trail in my life.  This was the first race where I had not at the least driven the course the night before. 

One . . . two . . . three . . . go!

I held up well over the first part of the uphill in mile two and did well through the panhandle that marked the halfway point.  Even though my pace had slowed, I was still going strong when I passed Hiroko, who was waiting at the at the original starting line to take some pictures.  After waving to Hiro I was able to pick up some more speed and get into a grove as we went on the downhill portion again.   At the end of mile two, I was around the 17 minute mark, but could feel that I was starting to struggle.  I had been running the tangents to try to shave off any distance that I could, and since this was a trail run, it was easier to see the benefit because of all the twists and turns in trail.  The course bottomed out at the end of the second mile, we were back to the hills for the last mile. 

Thumbs up for Hiro at 1.8 miles

Over the last mile, I just tried to focus on the trail in front of me.  Also I had passed a girl wearing really festive socks at the 2 mile mark.  I had seen at the Old Reliable Run and knew was a stronger runner than me, and it would only be a matter of time before she passed me back, but I wanted to make try to make it take awhile.  I was trying to find a way to push myself because I knew that the hills were  eating up time and that my slim chance at a PR was slipping away.  She passed me at 2.5 miles after a button hook on an uphill, and my new goal became to keep her socks in sight.  from 2.4 miles to 2.8 the course was almost entirely an incline that just killed my shot at a PR, over that part of the course I was doing around a 9.5 min. mile, which was alright, but needed to be just a bit faster.  I was able to keep up with the girl with cool socks and may have past her in my dash for the finish, but I am not sure.



Girl with cool socks is on the far left in red, one sock can be seen if the the picture is enlarged

 I was going to start my dash for the finish at the 3 mile mark, but I had I could tell that according to Old Bob either the course was off or I had shaved off some distance by running the tangents because the finish line was real close at 2.9, so I made my dash.  I saw Hiro just as I was approaching the finish and tossed her my hat and gloves then made a mad dash for the finish.  I felt kind of silly running all out when most of the runners near me we kids, but I just have to think that it's not about anyone other than me.  And, I want to finish every race as strong as I can. 





Discard what you do not need

Old Bob said that the course was 3.02, so either it was short or running the tangents really helped.  I am willing to trust that the course was right.  My time was 26:16

Looking and feeling tired

Overall, I enjoyed this race, but I am not sure if I'll do it again next year.  I think there will be other events that I can do that will be better more to my taste.  I want to thank Hiroko for coming out and supporting me at this race.  She really hate being cold and this was a pretty chilly day.

Thusday Cold A@@ Social Run: 12/9

Yeah, I went to Fleet Feet for the social run and it was a brisk 34 degrees out.  And, it felt every bit of 34 degrees.  Unlike Monday's nOg Run, I just couldn't get warmed up.  My legs were cold for the whole run.  Granted, I am still wearing shorts, so I should expect to be a little cold.  Also, I didn't really warm up properly either, so I guess that I shouldn't complain all that much.  The run was alright.  I ran the same course that I did last Weds. and Thursday, and I think that my results fell somewhere between the two efforts.  I know for sure that I ran better than Weds. because I have the stats from Old Bob, but I didn't hit the start button on last Thursday's run, so I am only guessing that last Thursday's run was faster than this run.  This week's run was 3.26 in 29:12 according to Old Bob. 

My Reversible Raiders Running Toboggan

Fleet Feet was also having an event that night where they had a person from Craft come by and let people wear test a base layer.  I didn't take part in the event because I was already dressed and didn't feel like changing.  Plus, I didn't know if they would have my size.  I need to start looking into some better cold weather gear.