Thursday, July 31, 2014

And today's smile is brought to you by a leafy branch

MW: 129.2
Days to Race:108
Distance/Time: 2.96 mi/ 37:09 min (12:33 min/mi)

Well not so much the leafy branch but the relief that the branch that hit me in the face was neither an enormous winged insect nor a bird. That's the problem with running in a baseball cap. In the winter, the branch just sort of skims over the brim but in the summer, the leaves weigh it down and it flutters beneath the brim. So yeah, after a moment of terror, I got a chance to laugh at myself.

So another run and done.

Last Tuesday's run's smile was brought to you by Paul Rudd

MW: 129.4
Days to Race:110
Distance/Time: 2.96 mi/ 36:30 min

Gah! I'm getting terrible at updating this time around. Anyways, last Tuesday's run was excellent. I kept thinking about the upcoming Antman movie (in which Paul Rudd plays the title character) and smiling. I try to keep my mind somewhere happy.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

A little bit of rain

MW: 128.5
Days to Race: 113
Distance/Time: 4.29 mi/ 53:27 (12:27/mi)

Sorry folks. Unexpected knee pain on Thursday cut my run a little short. My legs have been a little achy lately so I've started doing yoga and I *ahem* appropriated a foam roller from my mom's house last weekend. Hopefully that will help ease some of my pains.

Today is unseasonably cool, and I'll take it. As I did my run, a touch of rain began to fall and I remembered running in the rain this winter. In the summer, it's actually rather nice (the winter? not so much). Because of my achiness, I started out easy, doing intervals of 2 min running and 1 minute walking and then slid up to 3 minutes running and 1 minute walking. That seemed to really help so I'll try to keep doing that.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Heat and Gas

MW: 129.4
Days to Race: 117
Distance/Time: 3.6 mi/48:03 min (Sat) and 2.96 mi/38:10 min (today)

I was too busy floating in my mom's new pool to log my run this weekend. Today, I've realized that some things change and some things stay the same. While training for Disney Princess, I fought the cold, now I am struggling in the heat. Instead of trying to put on as many layers as possible while still being able to move, I am struggling to keep enough clothes on so I don't give the town a show. One thing does not change, however. I still burp and fart my way through my run. It is gross and embarrassing and it feels so darn good to get it out.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Sirius Black

MW: 129.4
Days to Race: 122
Distance/Time: 2.96 mi/ 38:33 min (13.01 min/mi)

Another early morning run completed. Everything hurt a little. I think it's my body readjusting itself to the demands of regular exercise. Like I said, it's been a while. I also think I need new shoes. Not running shoes, but everyday shoes that support my feet a little better.

I saw Sirius Black this morning. There's a black stray that's been living in town for a couple months now. Animal control can't seem to catch it and for the most part, she just watches and runs away. Lately though, she seems to have taken a bit more of an interest in me (and to my concern, Coco). This time, she fell into a trot a few yards behind me for a stretch. Her ears were up and her tail was high. Not sure if she's curious or exhibiting predatory behavior. Until she's caught, killed or moves on, however, she's probably going to be a regular entry in this blog.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Day One

MW: 130.3
Days to Race: 124
Distance/Time: 2.96 mi/39:11 (13.14 min/mi)

I'm not going to lie folks, I've been less than religious about my running habits. After the Disney Princess Half Marathon, I let things slide. I skated by on luck and determination for the Broad Street Ten Miler. After that... Yeah, I've been lazy. I also got a dog! She's a little white terrier-thing that is sweet and wonderful and loves long walks. I thought a small dog wouldn't need much exercise, but she never gets tired. Never. This means that a great deal of my free time is spent tromping through the neighborhood.

So, to accommodate the princess dog, I set my alarm for 5 AM. No, that is not a typo. 5 AM. I forgot how much I like that pre-dawn time. No one else is really up, just me and some birds and the odd commuter. The cats are thrilled with this new arrangement. They've been trying to tweak my schedule in favor of more food earlier for a while now.

I like to say that the first day is the hardest and I've got to admit that it wasn't easy. Parts of me are a little creaky and all I want to do is sleep now. The good news is that I've done my run for today, the bad news is I still have a full day of work to get through.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Cue "Eye of the Tiger"

Training for the Avengers Half-Marathon starts this Tuesday. While I've kept up with my running, I've not been as reliable as when I was keeping this blog and following a plan. So... I guess it's time to start tracking my progress here again.