Oct 2 20 Miles!!!

Keith and I planned on a 20 mile run- our longest to date and a test for me.  I was worried, the twenty miles would be a good way to answer exactly how worried I should be about New York.  We met at 6:15 am on Saturday morning.  I am at the end of my allergy bout, with the past two weeks of not being able to breathe, or sleep and cutting into my running a bit and completely cutting out my yoga.  I had been going to the chiropractor, and despite some positive results I think my "back" problems are here to stay.  I did learn that my neck curves the opposite way and that my problem is most likely a neck issue and not a back or shoulder issue.  We started our run early on the coldest morning yet of the fall, of course unprepared in sleeveless shirts and shorts and both complaining of not being able to feel our fingers.  I think we both made mental notes to include a ditchable long sleeve sweatshirt, gloves and hat on the next run.  I mapped the first part of our run down Bardstown Rd. to have the benefit of the streetlights.  We left the main road and entered into the Seneca golf course as the sky started to turn.   About 8 miles in on the downhill from Seneca park towards Cherokee, I made an amazing discovery in regards to my neck pain.  Instead of running with my arm over my head, I ran with my head down and immediately noticed pressure taken off the knot in my neck.  I ran the rest of the way with my head down and able to for once focus on other pains in my body.   I designed our route to include some substantial hills a little over halfway into the run.  Mile ten through thirteen included both hills of Cherokee and exiting the park up Cochran Tunnel hill which made the tiny "bumps" in Beargrass creek seem like a steep incline.  Miles 14 through 17 took us down to River Road and Waterfront Park.  Keith is a good running partner and I feel bad if I slowed him down, at that time I felt a bit sluggish and that I had slowed down a bit.  The last two miles through the heart of downtown to Broadway then home.  And I did it-three hours and 25 minutes later, but I didn't stop and its given me a bit of hope for the twenty six.  I was only mildly sore and a bit dehydrated from the run, but I felt really good.  

Sept. 8-15

My week back from Burning Man was a recovery week, emotionally and physically, but I kept up running 6-8 mile runs.  I've missed two long runs because of my ankle being tender and being in the desert, so that has me a bit worried.  I am determined to do my long run on Sunday and mapped my route from home down to the river and along the path to Shawnee park and back for 17+ miles.  I started today out at Molly Malones for Ed's Sunday Funday which consisted of watching everyone have drinks and I chug my water. I started at 4 and ran at a slow pace and had a good start.  

I compromised on getting a water belt and got a hand strap with a water bottle.  (Andrea is going to love this)  By the time I got a few miles in, my water bottle was empty and I figured I could get a refill at Shawnee park, but not a water fountain to be found.  The running trail was beautiful though.

When I hit the golf course before the park, I was greeted by this signand a bicycling couple climbing over the rail.  Apparently the trail was safe but had been "closed" for safety reasons during flooding and never reopened.  I climbed the fence and continued my run.  The trail looked like something from "Life After People" and was safe but overgrown and neglected.  To the left of the fence was the golf course.

 I finally made it to Shawnee to the end where Broadway ends, and turned into the park looking for water.  I couldn't find a water fountain in the park so I re-entered the trail and headed back the way I came thirsty with the big Ohio River to my right (water water everywhere...)  I had been texting pictures to the Sunday Funday crew of my progress and this was my response.

By my mile seven they were on cocktail #7 so our days were pretty similar after all.  I made it out of the park and found water around mile 13, and continued, just around the bend and downtown in my sights.  I was feeling pretty bad, but at least determined to make it to the 15 mile mark.  It was a struggle, my legs were screaming at me to stop and my neck pain was bringing me down, but I hobbled the last couple of miles to the Muhammad Ali Center, my 15 mile marker and walked.  I had a 2 and a half mile walk to my house with a sufficient amount of pain.  

At home I found myself with chills and shaking, but showered and went to meet up with Sunday Funday, took a Glucose Tablet from Stephanie and ate a bit.

Black Rock City Mad Flava Running

My trip to Burning Man was delayed to Saturday evening so I was excited for a 14 mile run that morning.  It would have been the longest I've run to date.  I was in bed early and up at 5 to meet the girls at the y at 6, ready for the challenge, ready to break in my new shoes.  About five blocks into my run, I stepped on loose  concrete and twisted my ankle.  I stretched a bit and thought maybe I could run, but two steps in and I knew it wasn't happening.   I hobbled back to the Y and on to home, upset and feeling clumsy.  i iced my ankle and it swelled a bit.  We left for the desert that night.

We drove for 24 hours and the next night stopped in Wyoming for the night.  I went to bed with my running shorts on with the intention of getting up and trying to run.  I woke to lightning and rain and a pretty dismal stretch of hotels and fast food chains, not conducive to running.  We drove another 16 hours, waited three hours to get in, set up camp around 3 am, rode bikes til the sun came up and crashed in the cold.  At 9 am, the sun warmed up the tent and woke me.  I rolled over and saw an older man running by in a tiny speedo and got up and followed.
I ran about five miles and saw some amazing sights, sounds and people.  A lady yelled at me that there was a 5 k race the next day at 8 and I told her I would be there.
I got up and met people for the "Mad Flava Racing Black Rock City 5K."

  The lady I met yesterday was  named "something something Beaver" which I remember that part because she was wearing a bikini made of what I can only imagine was beaver fur.  I felt a bit under dressed for a bit (I wore running shorts) as people were in costume, wigs, tutus, until I ran next to someone really underdressed, naked barefoot guy.

Had a good run, met some nice people, even naked guy (who was faster naked and barefoot!) and ran 6-8 miles every day while I was in the desert.  

August 14-21

This is the week in running starting last Friday with a 630am 12 mile run.  I ran with the girls from the Y, Andrea, Andrea, Lesley and Abby, and when I say ran with, I really meant ran behind.  Those girls are fast!  It was a good flat run through downtown to the edge of Iroquois Park and back.  I felt really good through the whole thing.
Keith and I ran after waterfront yoga 4 miles, another 5 for me the day after, a quick early morning foggy double loop around the park the following day (a little over 5)  then Saturday at 630 I met the girls for a ten mile run.  By the time we got halfway through the park, the rain started coming down pretty heavy.  A couple of ladies stopped dead in their tracks and one said "I did not sign up for this!" and they retreated to their cars.  The rain felt pretty good, and we had some tree cover in the park.  We ran for maybe three miles when the sky really opened with heavy rain, lightning and thunder and we were directly under the storm as it passed overhead.  We took shelter in a very nice man's garage and waited for the downpour to let up.  fifteen minutes later we continued our run, through the neighborhood, alongside the golf course, up hills (thanks Abby!) and down (the best part of the hills!) and down Trevillion toward Bellarmine.  We crossed Newburg Rd and into Joe Creason Park.  I've passed by the park thousands of times and never knew what a huge and gorgeous space was behind the line of trees.  The path we took went up the hill toward the zoo and back around for maybe a mile loop.  By the time we came down the hill the rain was coming down pretty hard and my shoes felt heavy like it was 1983 and I was running with ankle weights.  My fingers looked like I had been in the tub too long, and we were all soaked to the bone.  Up the hill past Bellarmine and back to the car for a little over ten miles.  By the time I made it home, showered and ready to go to work, the sun was out and the day was warming up.  After running in the heat and humidity of the summer, the rain was a refreshing change of pace and a good lesson to learn that the weather in a race can be unpredictable and to prepare for anything.
thanks to Andrea H for a good route, lots of hills and turns to keep it interesting and to all the girls for their encouragement.

I went out later that day and bought new shoes at Fleet Feet and they feel like running on little clouds.  I still can't bring myself to wear a water belt, so I compromised and got a small hand bottle.  Jon, B and I went to dinner after work, good pesto basil pasta and I had the idea that I would eat about half because I was running a short night race at 9.  I ate the whole thing with an hour to spare before the race.  We ran home and changed, then I met Keith, Keith's dad, Kim, Julie and Linda near the park for a three mile night race.  Despite tasting basil pesto the entire time and a bit sore from the mornings ten miles, I moved through the dark park at a pretty good clip.  Thanks to my training, flew past people on the up hill parts of the park.  I finished in 24 minutes and we celebrated sneaking beers in front of the cops at a table on the sidewalk.

It was a good day.

Come Back Inn
Fleet Feet

August 7

Ran 8 miles from Cherokee to Seneca and back.  Felt great, especially coming up the big hill in the park.

My musical selections for the time are:

We Will Walk  Matisyahu
Your Love Is My Drug Ke$ha
Dancing On My Own Robyn
Dying Is Fine Ra Ra Riot
Airplanes, Part II  B.o.b.
Fire With Fire Scissor Sisters
All The Lovers Kylie Minogue
Please Don't Leave Me Pink
Young Forever Jay Z
Shark In The Water VV Brown
Rain Mika
Kings And Queens 30 Seconds to Mars (Jordan Catalano!)
Make Her Say [Explicit] Kid Cudi
Tessellate Tokyo Police Club
Konichiwa Bitches Robyn
Crossfire Brandon Flowers
Please Don't Go Mike Posner
Umbrella Rihanna (ella ella ay ay ay)

Runningrunningrunning Aug 6

The past few weeks I have been traveling to Atlanta, DC and Rehoboth Beach, and despite the oppressive heat and humidity, have been running still.  I've had mostly good runs, with heat being the only major issue, and minor issues like the sunburn on my feet and my routes being unknown.  Marc and I ran in DC early in the morning from Dupont Circle down to the mall and Kennedy Center, on a great path alongside the river.

We ended up leaving the path at some point, because we had no clue where we were, hopped out on a busy road with not much shoulder, got honked at a few times,  and when we figured out where we were, it was close to our hotel.

Rehoboth Beach was beautiful and we got a break from the heat, but not the sun.  I ran past Poodle Beach along the boardwalk to the Henlopen State Park and Whiskey Beach and back, about 6 miles.

If I look angry in the picture, it was the tops of my feet being burnt and after three of the six miles in the sun.  Or I'm just an angry person.  Either way, I'm on the beach.