Snow Run

Yesterday, I was asked, “what motivates you to get up and run so early in the morning day after day.” At the time, I really didn’t have a good answer. “I don’t know, I just enjoy it,” was the only thing I could think to say as I shrugged my shoulders and smiled.

On most days, that really is the truth. I’m not really sure why I get up at 4 in the morning, roll out of a cozy, comfortable bed and head out for a run on dark, cold winter mornings and humid, sticky summer mornings alike. I just do it – me and Nike think alike it seems.

However, this morning as I crunched the fresh snow underfoot I found another reason why I get up early to run before work, while most people are still asleep. Being the first one to make tracks in the snow is one of life’s small gifts. It means nothing, the person following in my footsteps won’t even know who made those footprints, and yet it will make me giddy every time. Like seeing a rainbow or rain on a sunny day, it just makes me smile.

This is why I got up early this morning – to be the first person to make tracks in the fresh snow.

Less than a half mile later, I found another reason why I get up early to run; because I’m not the only one out there. I don’t mean this from a competitive stand point but rather from a place of camaraderie and community. I like being part of group that gets up each and every day to go out and run regardless of the weather and conditions.

Running in snow like this – fresh, soft, crunchy…perfect – is a rare treat for a DC area runner and I took full advantage of it on my run in to work this morning. I’ve run as it was snowing and I’ve run after it snowed but to run on such pure snow is a treat. The air was cold but clear. There was little of the wind that has plagued my running lately. I took my time, fully enjoying the experience and even stopping to snap some pictures. I love being a runner in DC and I think the city looks amazing after a snow fall.

The Washington Monument

On the National Mall

On the National Mall

Perfect.

Daily Dozen:
10 mile run-commute to work

A Nice Welcome Back

After taking last week off, I’m back to running. I am off two minds looking back on my self-imposed / snow-imposed hiatus. On the one hand, it felt good to stay up a little later than my usual 8 o’clock bedtime and even better to sleep in 2 hours more than usual. However, I also let myself eat many more cookies than I usually do and by the middle of the week I was feeling sluggish and unhealthy.

I’ve run every morning since Saturday but it wasn’t until this morning that I felt like I was finally back in the groove. The first run post-hiatus went better than I expected, especially since it was raining cats and dogs during the run. I did a five mile run and with the unusually warm temperatures, the rain actually felt nice instead of burdensome. The bike trails were still snow covered before it started raining so I was running through puddles of slush/snow mix. By the end of the five miles, I was happy to be inside some place warm and dry but still thrilled to have completed a run finally.

Sunday was a gorgeous winter morning. Cold but refreshingly crisp (instead of biting), the snow glistened in the snow and ice glistened in the snow as it slowly melted. Birds were out chirping and there were plenty of runners out on the trails, many of whom looking to equally glad to be out running on such a beautiful morning. The bike path had been significantly cleared from the previous day’s warmer temperature and rain so dodging ice was less of an issue than the day before. I only slipped once; the bridges were still covered in snow, slush and ice.

The schedule has a long run of 15 miles for Sunday but I told myself to just go out and run until it felt like it was time to come home. I ended up running a very satisfying 9.5 miles.

Monday I ran an easy 5.3 miles in the early morning hours before work and it made me realize how much I missed my predawn runs. I went out at an easy and relaxed pace – like a little, running monk, Ommmmmm.

I am surprised at how easy it was to get back in to my routine and that none of the runs have been a struggle but it wasn’t until today that I felt like I was really back from a break. This morning’s 10 miles were perfect. I felt like I was gliding along the path this morning instead of pounding away at the pavement. It was effortless and energizing. I didn’t see anyone else on the bike path for close to an hour so it was just me floating along this morning, enjoying the solitude, the dark, the (relative) quiet. Running felt awesome – I felt quick, the hills hardly gave me any issues, I felt like the Energizer Bunny, as trite as that is, it is true! It turns out my pace wasn’t anything surprising (I was secretly hoping it would be even though I wasn’t pushing the pace at all) – a steady 10 minute mile but it felt so easy.

It is good to be back!

Daily Dozen:
10 miles run @ early morning
(planned) Strength Training @ lunch hour(planned) 3 miles run/walk after work w/ Jenn

“Be careful. There’s a gym right around the corner.”

Each week by Thursday, I’m usually exhausted and looking forward to the rest day schedule on Fridays. Today is no exception.

As I started my run this morning, one of my first thought was, “I sure am glad I don’t have to do this tomorrow. I’m tired!” and as I tried to find a groove, my second thought was, “Ugh, I don’t want to do this. Running sucks. Maybe I should cut this run short.”

The first few minutes of short 3-milers and long, slow 19-milers have begun the same way and this 9-miler was no exception, with me analyzing the route I planned to run and trying to figure out ways to cut it short. Yet, I rarely follow through on the adjusted plans.

As I settled in to my pace, feeling every bit as tired as I did moments ago when running “sucked” I had to wonder if thinking out ways to cut a run short, adding up known distances and figuring out how I need to adjust my plans– if I take this path and jump off on to that street its 2 miles and then I’m only 1.5 miles from home if I stay on this road so that would make this a 3.5-miler – is really just my mind’s way of distracting itself. I never follow through with my, sometimes, elaborate escape routes, meaning I almost always cover the distance I had scheduled and yet I still tend to run through scenarios as I am warming up.

Often, I am thinking up ways to cut a run short until I find something else to distract me. This morning it was a women who called out as I passed, “Be careful. There’s a gym right around that corner.” I half nodded to her and sort of smiled but more or less kept going before her words hit me – “Be careful. There’s a gym right around that corner.”

What? What could that possibly mean? Why do I have to be careful around a gym? Granted, it is a boxing gym (not a “gym” gym) and I guess there are more overly-testeroned men who frequent that gym. I just never thought to be concerned about something like that. Is that woman crazy? Is she right? Have I been carelessly running past this gym at least once a week, without a concern in the world, never realize the immanent danger I was in? What would I do if a crazed boxer started chasing me? I’d run as fast as I could to that 24 hour CVS or that restaurant that always has cleaning crews inside when I run by in the morning. I’d start screaming. Yeah, yeah. Shouting is good. Really loud…

And just like that, I forgot all about planning evasive maneuvers to get around doing 9 miles this morning.

For the rest of the run my mind continued to wonder. I planned more ways to get away from the zombie boxers that were after me (yes, they eventually turned in to zombies that were chasing me) and moved on to what I planned for the coming weekends, the race on Sunday and meeting up with Kate on Saturday, what I needed to get done at work today, and various other bits and bobs that popped in to head. Before I knew it, I finished the run, even more exhausted than when I started but proud that I had completed the 9 miles and I realized two things,
1. Silly girl! Of course you finished the run. You always finish the run.
2. I’m still glad tomorrow is a rest day.
Ok, three things,
3. I still don’t know what that is supposed to mean, “Be careful. There’s a gym right around the corner”?! Lady, do you live in fear of gyms during the early morning hour? Is there something I don’t know? Regardless, good lookin’ out. You never can be too careful! Thanks!

Today’s daily dozen:
9 mile morning run
XT, 30 minutes on recumbent bike at a leisurely pace @ lunch hour

Be Prepared

One of the things I’ve noticed about non-runners and runners who run almost exclusively on the treadmill in comparison to runners who run almost exclusively outside is the perception of what constitutes bad weather.

Fifty degrees and slightly overcast is perfect running weather. Rain usually isn’t an issue. Even cold and snow can be a good thing. However, to non-runners or runners who view the temperature controlled environment of a treadmill, these conditions are believed to be ideal.

This contradiction hit me as I was cooling down and walking home after my run this morning. I ran 3.5 miles in a light, wet snow that was hardly sticking to the ground but when it did it was mostly slush. Whenever I run in snow like this I imagine that this is what it must be like to run inside a snow globe because the wet snow resembles glitter as it falls past street lights along the bike path. The idea always makes me smile.

However, it struck me that most people wouldn’t see my run this morning as a “good” one. Most people would hear early morning run in wet snow and assume it took some massive feat of willpower that brought out to the streets this morning. Non-runners and treadmill runners may think the act of running in this morning’s conditions is impressive, or insane, or some combination of the two.

I started thinking that with the right gear I can run in just about any weather and enjoy it. To steal from the Boy Scouts, “be prepared” is my motto for enjoying running all year round.

In fact, braving the elements in running and discovering that not only can I “brave” them but can have a good run in spite, and even sometimes because, of them has given me the necessary mindset to seek out other activities in less than ideal situations. Hiking during the winter just required some additional layers. Skiing? Running tights and waterproof pants worked great this time, whereas I remember being very good last time. Inauguration in temperatures in the twenties? No problem!

Last year, I might have shied away from these things during the winter because I was afraid of the cold but I have nothing to fear from the cold. Or even the heat for that matter. As long as I have the right tools and equipment, temperature and weather do not make a run good or bad.

Today’s Daily Dozen:
3.5 miles run
Core workout @ lunch hour

(Mini) Vacation Running

This weekend we took a weekend mini-vacation to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to go skiing. Before leaving, I mapped out a run that would take me through downtown Gettysburg and several of the surrounding battlefields. I was looking forward to the novel sights and sounds of running a different route.

However, winter once again got in the way of my plans.

Pulling in to the parking lot of the hotel, I started to have apprehensions about the likelihood of my run taking place as planned because the hotel was on a busy highway with no sidewalk and very little shoulder due to the piles of snow that had accumulated because of plowing. After settling in, we walked across the street to get a snack and the ground was a solid sheet of ice in most places. I resigned myself to a no-go run, decided to sleep in and started making plans to run after we got home on Sunday.

The next morning, to my surprise I woke up with plenty of time to get in a run (without the alarm) and after laying in bed for a few minutes I realized I had no excuse not to get up and check out the hotel’s gym.

By 6:30 I was on the hotel’s only treadmill, trying to figure out how it worked. There was no manual button, only buttons for pre-programmed workouts most of them with significant inclines and speeds up to a fast walk, and none of them longer than 30 minutes. After a few frustrating minutes, I just started one of the programs, upped the speed and decreased the incline EVERY TWO MINUTES as it would try to force me through the programmed settings.

Rather than give in to the frustration, I told myself that I could make the most of it since it might actually make the indoor miles go by much quicker. Any in fact, the first 30 minutes and 3 miles did seem to go by pretty quickly. I jumped off the treadmill, did a quick set of pushups and then jumped right back on.

I set the program again and started running but I was determined to find a manual setting. The more I thought about it, the less sense it made. What kind of treadmill wouldn’t have a manual setting? This is insane. I graduated from college. I cannot let a treadmill defeat me.

And then I found, buried three deep under some category that didn’t make any sense. Satisfied that I hadn’t been beaten by a piece of machinery, I settled in for the next hour or 6 miles of running; eager to just while away the time and get the run over with.

I listened to some podcasts – Smodcast and two episodes of This American Life and just bopped along.

About halfway through that second hour, another hotel guest decided to gym me in the gym. He turned on the TV, warmed up and hit the universal gym weight machine.

And then a second guy came in to the gym. I had seen this gym peek in to the gym about a half hour early and this time he decided to stay. He climbed on the recumbent bike next to me, peddled very slow and kept throwing glances in my direction.

Ten minutes later, two more people show up. This gym consists of one treadmill, one bike, one elliptical and a universal gym weight machine so it is officially over-crowded at this point. The bike guy’s glances are getting more and more impatient.

I stop the treadmill a little less than a half mile short of the 9 planned miles and gave up on the run. I was a little bummed that I couldn’t finish out the run in relative piece and quiet but I have to respect that I had hogged the machine for most of the morning.

Oh well. At least I was able to run while on vacation and I felt great being able to start my day better than I had thought I would be able to start it. I was ready to face a day on the bunny slopes!

Snow Run - Not to be

Unfortunately, this week’s snow didn’t fall during the “right” time for me to get in a good snow run. I ran 3.5 miles Tuesday morning, just as the snow was starting to fall and really it was more like tiny hale than snow. The crunch under my feet was more like running on gravel than the soft, muted crunch of fluffy snow.

The next morning I woke up, got bundled up for a snowy winter run, took three steps outside, slipped and slid and made a quick decision to head right back up to the apartment, change in to shorts and hit the treadmill. I did 4 miles with a one mile warm-up, 2 miles at tempo pace (9:30 for the first mile and 8:54 for the second) and a one mile cool-down. It had been a while since I hit the gym for a run in the mornings.

This morning, Thursday morning, I took a chance and headed outdoors for my final run of the work week, aiming for 3 miles. I saw the state of some of the sidewalk on the lesser used side streets and decided to run an out-and-back along the Wilson Boulevard. For the most part, I could stick to the sidewalks and keep a close eye on the icy patches to avoid any slipping; however, there were a few stretches that forced me on to the street. It actually turned out to be a good way to ensure that this morning’s run was nice and easy even if I did stretch it to 3.38 miles.

Interestingly, I saw more people running along Wilson Boulevard this morning than I do most mornings. This isn’t my normal route so I wonder if the street is usually run this much or if more people really were out this morning. Were other runners forced inside to use the treadmill yesterday and therefore, taking their revenge this morning? Regardless of these questions, it is nice to see so many people starting their day in such a positive, active way.

The forecast for the coming weekend and beyond is sunny with some rain coming mid-week next week. It doesn’t look like we’re going to be revisited by the snow anytime soon, which is disappointing as I was looking forward to a snowy run. Maybe it’ll happen in February?

Today's Daily Dozen:
Run - 3.38 miles
Core Workout @ lunch hour

The Bad Run

What a relief, I had a bad run.

Since I started running two months ago, after recovery from a foot injury, I've been waiting for a bad run, that one bad run where everything goes wrong and you've got to convince yourself not walk – not for an obvious reason like pain but rather because something mentally is telling you, you can't run.

I woke up early on Saturday morning, ready to face my step-back long run of 5 miles, thinking, "Five miles, not a problem, I can pop that off in under an hour." Since there was still an hour until sunrise, I decided to wait out that hour and leave when it was light outside.

I putzed around and slowly gathered my stuff together, finally got dressed about an hour after waking up and took off for the five-miler. However, within 10 steps of starting to run, I realized something was wrong. I felt sluggish and just as quickly realized the problem; I had forgotten to eat my banana or even drink a glass of water this morning. I was running on yesterday's energy tank!

I toyed with the idea of turning around, going back home, getting a banana and proper hydration but I knew that as soon as I got home it would have been hard to convince myself to come back out. If this was to be the bad run, I might as well suck it up and get it over with so I could stop wondering when it would hit.

The two hills in the first mile of my normal five mile route were a struggle, much more than usual and they sent my heart rate way up. As I gasped for air and felt my heart try to jump out through my ears, I started getting scared. What if I can't make it? I know this is the bad run but what if it becomes the run to end all runs. Forget having to walk for part of it, what if I can't…just can't…finish the run.

As I tried to recover from the hills, I told myself, all I need to do is make it to that straight away by that pretty house that marks 2 miles. I was running on fear as opposed to actual, real energy so I didn't dare look at my watch to see my distance or my pace; I just focused on the next landmark.

As I hit that stretch of the trail that meant I was 2 miles in to the run, I started telling myself, "all I have to do is make it to the tennis courts, that's the 5k mark, just get to the tennis courts." I turned it in to a chant, repeating it over and over in my head, "ten-nis-courts-ten-nis-courts-ten-nis-courts."

As I ran under the overpass and saw the tennis court emerge along the trail, I heard my watch beep off the three mile mark but I put it out of my mind. At this point, numbers didn't matter, distance and pace were irrelevant. All that mattered was that I was still 2 miles from home and the only way I was going to make it home was by the power of my own two feet. If I walked, it meant that the bad run would just last longer so I had to run if I wanted it to end.

The bad run was the monster chasing me and if I just ran fast enough and stayed ahead of it, I might make it to safety.

After the tennis courts, I focused on mile 4. This mile was tough because it is along a straight section of the bike path, with few turns or landmarks to focus on but I knew that the intersection at the end of it would get me to that soccer field, in that park, where I ran that race last summer…and the turn on to Fairfax Drive. Once I hit Fairfax drive, I knew I could make it home no matter what so I just had to grit my teeth, focus on the intersection and put mile 4 and the bad run that much closer to being behind me.

I focused on the things I knew. There are those rocks we had an impromptu PB&J picnic at that one time. There is that house we looked at last summer; I don't remember it being that shade of green. Is that the intersection up ahead in the distance? Oh, I smell McDonald's French fries, yup, that's the intersection, just dig a little deeper and get there!!

Before I knew it, I was turning off the bike path and on to Fairfax drive. I had just over ¾ of a mile to go and I was going to make it. I ran to the metro station, turned right and then left down the small road across from the mall. Next I just had to get to that yoga studio and then after that the construction site. Once I get to the construction site, the park next to our apartment building is just a block away. That park, by that church, where they sometimes hand out soup to the homeless, if I got there, it would be a complete 5 miles and I would have a 2 block walk to home.

All these things are running through my head as I slug out that last mile, not daring to look at my watch and hoping that I hit all the traffic lights right because if I have to stop for a signal, I'm afraid I won't start up again.

And then, I am at the park and I hit the stop button my watch. The watch reads 5.02 miles in 50:29! Impossible! I can't believe it! That is way too fast for a long run, especially one that felt so belaboring. When I check out my paces, my last mile was actually in the 9:20s. My bad run, where every step was coerced, ends up being a speed workout?

The long run should have been a long slow run but fear can be a powerful motivator when it is chasing you down a bike path at 7:30 in the morning. Bad run – DONE!

Today's Daily Dozen:

1 hour interval walk on the treadmill, 60 pushups interspersed (15 at a time)

Core workout @ lunch hour

Rainy Run

My footsteps sound different as they hit the wet pavement this morning. The cars are louder as I run along the portion of the bike path that is under an overpass. In fact, the sound of the cars zooming down the dark, drenched highway is near deafening and I can no longer hear my own footsteps or the keys jingling in my pocket. The Garmin beeps an alert for the first mile split but it was lost in the din.

As I began my three mile run this morning, running through a steady rain, I started thinking about how running in the rain is a different experience. It is different on a sensory level because of how it sounds, feels, and looks. The sound of this morning's run is just what I noticed first. There are fewer people out on the trails this morning because of the rain and in fact, I got so comfortable with the solitude that when I did hear someone say, "On your left!" I practically jumped off the path from fright. The voice was so out of place amid the raindrops hitting the pavement, cars swooshing by and my wet footsteps as I unsuccessfully navigate the puddles, splashing through them.

As I am writing this, I am also wondering about all the sounds that were missing from this morning's run compared to a normal (read: drier) run. No dogs were barking or birds tweeting, welcoming the coming sun. Without people, there were no bike tires whizzing passed or almost-whispered conversations that I only catch bits of as I slide passed, "Well, I told her, there was no way I was going…"

After I go back home, it wasn't until then that I realized I was soaked but not in the usual way. Normally, when I come home I am wet from sweating and so, wet from the inside out. However, on a rainy day, it is the opposite. My entire outer layer was soaked, especially the front thighs of my running tights and I had no idea until I got home. I was more or less oblivious to the feel of the rain while I was running and didn't notice it until I was inside, out of the rain.

Also, running in the rain, while I don't seem to notice the wetness of the rain, really gets me jazzed to be out running. Something about facing the rain and still going out for a run, makes me feel powerful. It makes me feel like there isn't a thing out there that could stop me and as a result, some of my best runs are runs in the rain. This morning I took off for the first mile to warm up and felt great. By the time I realized I was on mile two, I decided to let loose and pushed the pace, it felt great. I was zooming down the bike path. I ran fast this morning, much faster than I normally would on an easy day.

The look of a rainy day run is unusual, especially when I wear my glasses, and I like it. My run this morning was viewed through rain-speckled glasses. The streetlights and car headlights reflected and refracted in the drops on my glasses and every five minutes or so, I would have to use my gloves like a windshield wiper to be able to see. Towards the end of the run my glasses even started to fog up on me. I can only imagine what I look like to the people in the passing cars.

Needless to say, my run this morning was invigorating and exhilarating. It was a break from the routine and forces me to hear, feel and see my run and route differently. I ran well and I ran fast because it was an old experience made new.

Today's Daily Dozen:

3.01 miles run in the rain, 29:25

Walking on treadmill w/ inclines @ lunch hour, very light

Hills for a change

As I bundled up this morning, hoping I had on enough layers to keep out the cold air and chilling wind, I decided I wanted a challenge this morning. It was to be my first run of the New Year and I decided to take a lollipop loop route (basically a loop with an out and back so it looks like a lollipop when it is mapped out) that hits most of the big, long hills in my area.

I love running hills and I think it is one of my strengths when it comes to running. At last year’s inaugural Marine Corp. Historic Half in Fredericksburg, MD, I ran my fastest half-marathon time on a route that reduced many people to walkers by the end. There were two or three notable inclines and a handful of smaller, rolling sections of the course and from much of the feedback I saw on the race’s website and from the Runner’s World forums, most people weren’t thrilled about the hilly course.

I thought the course was great and very sincerely hope the race committee does not change it. There is no better feeling than finally coming to the top of a hill after battling your way up, legs screaming, breathing heavy. Suddenly, you can feel your heart beating and for a second you think it might just beat its way right out of your throat and run off down the sidewalk without you but it doesn’t. Slowly, your legs are renewed and your lungs and heart rate slow as you slide back in to a groove. It is invigorating and powerful.

Also, it is one of the best ways to combine running with strength training.

I took off in to the chilly and dark morning and letting my legs carry me up and down the hills of the bike path as it leads to Rosslyn and the Potomac River beyond. My pace was slower, over 11:00 miles, but that doesn’t matter when you are facing a hill, only the effort to get to the top can conquer a hill, not a faster pace.

After turning around just outside Rosslyn, I jumped off the bike trail and ran along Wilson Boulevard. Normally, I hate running on city streets, stopping at stop lights, dodging people, suspicious of every car, eyeing every driver to make sure they don’t have intentions of running me down as I cross a street. However, these frustrations don’t exist in the early morning and I quietly slip by closed stores, dark office buildings and the rare pedestrian or worker whose presence emphasizes the earliness and solitude of my morning run.

Today’s Daily Dozen:
5.29 mile run (28 min. run/1 minute walk x 2 intervals), some aggravation in my right hamstring during and soreness in my quads afterwards

Confessions of a Runner

I admit it. I may have over done it...a bit... this morning. I've been feeling good about my running lately and rather than follow the just over 4-mile loop I should have taken for a planned 42-minute run (13 min. run/1 min. walk x 3 intervals), I chose to take a five-mile loop.

I thought to myself, "I'm feeling good. Just go for it. What's the worst that can happen?" Don't answer that...I know that answer and I should know better but good running feels so good. It’s like a drug; I'm constantly looking for ways to extend the high or new ways to reach the high. I rationalized the longer loop thinking that if I wasn't feeling it, I could just walk the last mile and at least it would guarantee more exercise. If I am honest, even as formed the rationalization in my head I knew there was no way I would be walking that last mile, I had zero intention of ever walking that last mile.

As I walked to warm-up/wake up in the chilly morning, I was thankful that the rain had paused and that the temperature wasn't colder (mid-30s). The wind wasn't blowing so once I got started it was a surprisingly comfortable run temperature-wise. I took off running and got into the groove, working out the little aches and pains that pop up but go away just as quickly, assessing my body as it woke up and I found my stride, and I completely ignored the turn I should have taken to make a four-mile loop, stubbornly, sticking to the idea that I needed to go for five. Five miles was my usual easy run before I was injured.

I felt great, my running felt effortless and the intervals were now long enough that I could forget the clock and get lost in my run, which is what I did and almost ran right through the first walking break. By the end of the third interval, I will also admit that my legs were feeling a little tired, in a good way, in the way legs are supposed to feel after a great run. If I had ended the run there, as prescribed by my schedule, it would have been a successful run; nothing to be ashamed of in the distance or pace. I should have felt satisfied...

Then I had to face the reality that I was still a mile from home and I probably shouldn't have been. After a final walk break, my legs were feeling better so I took off running but gave myself permission to walk if I needed to. Long story, short, I made it back to the apartment running the entire rest of the way and I felt good.

In fact, I still feel good about the run a few hours later. My legs are feeling strong and powerful and I'm enthusiastic about the upcoming months and training. I feel like I'm back! Finally! Of course, I could do an extra mile, no big deal. What's five miles when I was going to run just over 4 anyway?

However, this is exactly the line of thinking that got me an overuse injury. I've got to learn from those training mistakes and not make them again. Testing out my abilities and stretching my limits is fine as long as it doesn't become my training norm. Now that I had my ill-disciplined fun this morning, I've got to be extra vigilant that I don't let myself get too carried away with how things are progressing. Friday, I promise, will be the scheduled 3 miles, nice and easy...that's it.

Roller Coaster Run

I didn't sleep well at all last night. I must have woken up every other hour – check the clock or look at my watch, roll over, try to get back to sleep, get up, go to the bathroom, get a drink of water, "ugh, I'm so dehydrated," lay back down, fall asleep, repeat in two hours. I have one of these nights every so often and it is never a good sign for the following morning's run.

I was up at 5 and this time couldn't get to sleep so I stared at the ceiling for a half hour before giving up, turning my alarm off and getting out of bed. The lack of quality sleep usually means my run will be, at best, OK (if I'm lucky) and this morning's run proved to be a roller coaster ride.

I was still feeling dehydrated as I got dressed so I chugged some water and ate my banana. I glanced at the thermometer display and it read 55 degrees. I switched to a lighter hat and abandoned my top layer before stepping out the door into the very slight drizzle.

Running in the rain it usually a great deal of fun, so I quickly decided to put the horrible night of sleep behind me and embrace the beautiful running weather (yes, in running, dark, rainy and in the 50s is damn near perfect). As I got into my rhythm, I was feeling great and I decided to take the slightly longer "short run" route that incorporates more hills, up and down.

Everything was going well, I even powered up the one giant hill and got to the top barely out of breath and just kept on going as if the incline had never happened. Shortly after conquering that hill and feeling better than ever before at the top, my Garmin beeped and it was time for a rest interval (today's run was at a 6 min. run/1 min. walk x 5 intervals). I walk for a minute. I run…

…and everything starts to go downhill quickly. That last six minutes of running was awful. My legs felt like lead, my breathing started to get heavier, and my right hamstring started tightening up. I had to start talking myself in to running – just to the next light pole, now to the street, just keep going until that car passes, now you've only got 3 minutes left, you can do 3 minutes, 3 minutes is easy, come on, a quarter of a mile, not a problem, just keep going, its almost over, I want to stop, just keep going… What was going on?

Obviously, it was the lack of sleep mixed with the dehydration (and charging up that hill certainly didn't help matters) that caused me to crash but it is always a hard pill to swallow when it hits so suddenly after such a high note. I end up finishing the run and when I got home, started stretching, got some more water and food in me, I felt fine.

I'm paying attention to my water consumption today and I'll be keeping an eye on my hamstring to make sure it isn't anything serious; however, I still enjoyed the run this morning…I'm just going to block out the last six minutes!

Today's Daily Dozen:
3.34 mile run (6 mins. run/1 min walk x 5)
Core Workout @ lunch hour

Run on a Cold, Winter Morning

I was practically gliding over the streets this morning. My stride felt effortless, breathing was steady and strong, and feet were light and quick. About halfway through this morning's run, I realized that I should be more thankful for rest days because when I actually rest when I'm scheduled to rest, my run the following day is usually a good one. (Obvious, yes…Does that mean I always remember it, no).

As I ran through the dark streets of my neighborhood, I was thankful to be able to run once again. I missed being outside before the sun came up, silently slipping through neighborhoods, exploring under the cover darkness. There is a whole different world going on before the sun illuminates the world. I share the trails and streets not only with a (very) few runners, cyclists and dog walkers but also with the people who deliver the newspapers papers, the street cleaners and the men making bread deliveries to the restaurants.

I feel almost conspiratorial because I'm one of a few people who are experiencing this time of day in this way. The day is still asleep and so are most of the people. Those who are awake are mostly on their way to work. How many of them are exhilarated with what they are doing at that exact moment?

I'm running with a secret and as much I love to run, I'm not so sure I want to share these mornings with too many other runners. Everyone else can stick to the treadmills and gyms on their lunch hour or evening runs. I want to keep the morning run for my own. More people try to join this clandestine running movement during the spring and summer when the weather is warmer and the sun comes up earlier but as fall turns to winter they rarely stick around.

They're missing the cold, raw winter mornings when running fast isn't just a desire but a necessity for generating warmth. Do they know how satisfying it is to run, not because of perfect conditions, but in spite of them?

Today's Daily Dozen:

Run - 3.05 miles (5 min. run/1 min. walk x 7 intervals)

1 hour walk @ lunch hour

Perfect Strangers

Now that I am starting my runs an hour later in the morning, I no longer catch the trash truck emptying park trash cans and I sort of miss it. I remember the first morning I ran by the park, it was pitch-black and from the other side of the block, I see huge truck headlights drive through the parking lot and right into the park, right up on the grass. The headlights stopped for a short time, 30 seconds at most, I heard some men talking briefly, and then the truck took off...towards the sidewalk I was running on. The truck bumped back on to the street and it took off in the other direction.

Needless to say, I was confused and a might concerned. That morning's run went by quick as all sorts of visions, conspiracy theories and strange explanations went through my mind When I saw them again the next morning, the conspiracy theories grew until I caught a better look at the truck and realized it was a county sanitation truck. I felt a little goofy but I got a good laugh out of it and every time I happened to time my morning run right and caught them in the park, I couldn't help but smile.

I used to see the same runners every morning, particularly an older gentleman in a white singlet and white hat. We would nod good morning as we passed one another - him finishing his
run, me just starting mine. There were the two women out walking, chatting away as they huffed and puffed up and down the hills. I miss the cyclist who would shade his bike lamp with his hand when we he saw me coming, making the rest of the cyclists seem rude for not making the same consideration.

As I began my run this morning, 3 min. run/1 min. walk x 9 intervals, I thought about this cast of regulars that had become a part of my routine. I'm curious, are they still going about their routines now that it is getting colder? Are they making progress - getting faster, going longer, losing weight? Have they noticed my absense from the trails in the past two months? Do they wonder what happened to me?

As I passed runners, dog-walkers and cyclists this morning, I speculated about which ones would become a regular part of my new running routine. Which of these strangers will I come to
depend on seeing each morning?

Today's Daily Dozen:
3.37 mile run
Core Workout @ lunch hour

Once (Again) A Runner

I was a bit apprehensive as I pulled on my running tights and vest this morning. Is it possible for someone to forget how to run?

As I headed out the door into the cold, dark morning, I was struck by the fact that the last time I headed out for a run before work, I was in shorts and a T-shirt and now, two months later, I'm in tights, a short sleeve short, a long sleeve shrit, a puffy vest, beanie and gloves. The last time I headed out for an early morning run I did 9 miles with ease and here I was, nervous about 30 minutes!

I told myself to put aside those negative thoughts and set my Garmin to an Interval workout - 2 minutes of running, 1 minute of rest, 10 times. I walked the familiar route to my usual starting point for a 3-miler and the routine of it comforted me. Of course I would be able to do this run, I've done it a million times before.

And then, I ran. Two minutes on, 1 minute off. I ran. I walked. I repeated. The running felt harder than I remember it; my breathing was heavier and my legs didn't feel as light but my foot, or any other body part, never protested.

As I got in to the rhythm of running and walking, it struck me that 2 months ago I was working at a previous job and woke up to run an hour earlier than I did this morning. This morning the traffic was louder, there were more people out and about, and it didn't seem as still and calm at 6 o'clock than I remember it at 5 o'clock in the morning.

Then, the run was over. 10 run/walk intervals went by quickly and I felt relief as I cooled-down on the walk home. My apprehension and nerves seemed a little silly but I am happy to be a runner again.

Today's Daily Dozen:
2.75 miles - run/walk
Strength Training workout @ lunch hour

Early Morning, Empty Gym

It's early on a Saturday morning. I always wake up early on Saturdays, which means I almost always have the gym to myself on the weekends.

Since I'm healing from what I suspect is a stress fracture in my right foot caused by overtraining for a fall marathon, I've been hitting the gym in my apartment building lately to use the treadmill (walking only BUT lots of inclines), the free weights and occasionally the recumbent bike. Being injured and not being able to do what I love to do -- running -- has forced me to reintroduce myself to opportunities of a gym.

This morning with the gym to myself I hopped on the treadmill, turned up the music on my Shuffle, opened the latest edition of Runner's World, and sang along as I upped the incline for an hour long powerwalk (occasionally increasing the incline and speed to get my heart rate up and the sweat going). These early morning Saturday treadmill sessions in the gym have provided me with the opportunity to perfect the fine art of treadmill dancing, something I could never do when I am out running. I look at it as a way to work the arms as well as legs.

Towards the end of the hour another Saturday morning early-riser showed up to the gym and that put an end to the dancing and singing. Somewhat sheepishly, I finished off my powerwalk, cooled down, and hit the weights for full body strength training workout, I call Broccolis (well, really, BROCCLS but its close enough -- Bench press, Row, Overhead pull, Curl, Crunch, Lunge, Squat. I guess I need find another "O" and an "I" exercise). Preferring free weights to the machines, I hammered out the upper body work but struggled with the lunges and squats. Taking off a month from running and weights severly impacted my fitness.

Happy, energized and a bit smelly I returned home...just in time to see Mike off for some Billy Goat Trail Rock Scrambling. I am bummed I can't join him but I think my foot might be able to handle it next weekend! However, I'm thrilled to have once again had a whole gym to myself for a little while early on a Saturday morning. It's a great way to greet the day!