Getting Off Your Butt

I started reading The Non Runner's Marathon guide for Women Get Off Your Butt And On With Your Training.  It's a cynical woman, Dawn Dais, who writes about her decision to train & then run a marthon. She adds to the book journal entries she made while training.  Here's one:

"I was running along at my normal five-minute-mile pace (or maybe it was my five-minute-quarter-mile pace; whatever, it's not importain) at a local park popular with runners and walkers alike.  Apparently people like to run there because, oh, it's so cute, with the ducks and the roses and the adorable houses.  That's what I have been told by Chipper Jen.  I cannot confirm or deny the park's cuteness, because when I run I am aware of nothing at all, and I'm definitely not aware of anything adorable.  A parade of puppies and newborns could go by and I wouldn't notice."

There are's a lot of humor in this book.  I'm glad I started it & will be thinking about what I read during my long runs.

Cold Weather Running

Cold weather running is not my favorite.   I don't like to sit, walk, or run in cold weather.  My husband would say "it's all in your mind".  As I begin running, my nose becomes a dripping facet, where I have to use the inside of my shirt as a tissue. My toes, legs, boobies, & arms are frozen. Yes, I wear base layers, but still freeze. 
 I keep telling myself I'll warm up, but I never do.  When I round the last 2 miles on a long run, I imagine myself in a hot bath with hot coffee. 

About 10 minutes after I get into the house, my body begins to shiver and shake.  My skin is purple with red splotches.  After a bath, I put on my thick-ass sweats(the kind my husband hates), ),fuzzy socks, plug in a heating pad, & climb into bed, covering myself with 3 blankets.
I've read blogs about people who take ice baths which helps minimize muscle swelling. These people are animals! I hope someday I can do that too... bazinga!

Scary Road

Thursday night I changed my course for my short 5 mile run.  This route begins with a steady climb for 1.5 miles up hill, more residential, & less traffic.   I use this route on my long runs early morning on the weekends. During the daylight, the run is very challenging.  I run on side walks for the most part but there's 2 miles of unpaved, uneven, dirt, & gravel.

It's 6:50 pm by the time I get started.  The dark sky is clear & there's suppose to be a full moon somewhere. There's a slight breeze and temperature is warm for this time of year of 63 degrees.  Starting out, my mind begins to decompress.  I love this part of my run because most of my stresses run off me like sweat.  As I head into my 2nd mile, the road becomes uneven, but well lit by street lamps.  It's not my first time at the rodeo, so my running style changes to more of a lighter landing and higher step due to the gravel & rocks.  As I turn into mile 3, the road is still unpaved, gravely, and no street lamps. It has become scary and is pitch dark! There is an occasional car that passes who's headlights help me gage my next few yards & luckily showed a small bridge I almost ran off!   My ipod pacer music is trying to keep me focus, but can hear a distant yelping sound.  Approximately two months ago, during a morning long run, I saw a funny looking dog, coming down a hill, on the sidewalk, on the opposite side of the street.  As it got closer, I realized that wasn't a dog, it was a coyote!
I kept running and so did the coyote.  On scary road,  I know the yelping sound I hear are the coyotes in the nearby nature reserve. As I round the turn heading into the 4 mile, I see the full moon sitting on the horizon!  What a lazy moon.  The side walks & street lamps are back and I'm alive! I'm alive! I'm alive!  A flood gate of relief & don't tell my husband about this night swirled around me as I headed home.  There's no way I'll do that again.

On to the Next Half Marathon & Cookies

This week I have resume training for the next half marathon in March 2012.  For my 2nd 4mile short run this week, my husband joined me.  At the end, by the time I reached  my lawn, hit my watch, it was 41 minutes flat.  I ran faster tonight because he was there!  He's a great influence and then on the other hand, he's a bad influence. 
Great influence: 4 miles in 41 minutes not to shabby for me.  On the last mile going up the hill he was far out in front of me.  He slowed down a the end to finish the run with me.  Very nice!

Bad influence:  I'm sore because I pushed it. Curses & I had to take 600mg ibuprofen tonight!

I also ate cookies!  At first I ate one, then he tossed another one at me!  Later he was saying he shouldn't have eaten the cookies.  I told him not to worry about it because he ran tonight & only ate two cookies.  He said, "it wasn't two, it was more like eight!"  Little does he know I had another cookie at work today.  By way, it was delicious!