10 Running Related Personal Questions

I got this from MCM Mama.  If you haven't done it join in.

I love running in a snow storm.

1. Best run ever:This is a tough one.  I would have an easier time choosing a best race ever.  I'm sure it's a run that I did on a vacation such as running around Stanley Park in Vancouver or one of my many runs on the beach in the Outer Banks.  One of my best runs ever was during a race because it was the first time I ever ran! I was shocked and thrilled that I could do the distance.  So I'm not really answering the question other than to say I have had lots of good runs.

After all that I am choosing a run I do often near my home BUT I don't get to do it very often in the middle of a terrific snowstorm on a snow day from school.  Last winter I didn't get to do any of these runs (no snow) but I LOVED this run on a very snowy day. It was the snow, the storm and me out there! Nothing better.

If I didn't race I am not positive I would keep running.

2. Three words that describe my running: Stress reliever, race preparing, life affirming (looks like 6 words but 3 groups.....)

3. My go-to running outfit is: seasonal - tech shirt, shorts or capris, running hat

I am even doing it while running in a wet suit.

4. Quirky habit while running: I hold my thumbs up like I'm hitch hiking. I have noticed this in pictures far too many times but never seem to think to not do it while running!

5. Morning, midday, evening:  I greatly prefer morning although when I am working this rarely happens.

6. I won’t run outside when it’s: lightning. I will run in almost any weather.  The worst weather I have run in was a northeaster and I realized it was incredibly stupid as trees, power lines etc. could have blown down on me.  I don't run in the dark near home but will drive to a place with street lights to run.

7. Worst injury—and how I got over it: My two run stopping injuries have been my piriformis and plantar fasciitis. I haven't had problems from my piriformis in a long time and this weekend driving back from New York it hurt! Yikes.  I do think stretching have helped both and I haven't been doing that lately.  Yikes!  But these injuries got me biking and then swimming so it is all great!

8. I felt most like a badass mother runner when: I crewed for Emily at the Can 50 this last weekend!

9. Next race is:  this weekend in Half Moon New York -a duathlon where I get to race on my bike again this year!

10. Potential running goal for 2013: Last year was the big goal of doing a triathlon. I don't have a new goal like that but I want to do more and more and more triathlons and go back and do some of the same ones and improve my times.  I want to stick to sprint distances but maybe choose some with a bit of a longer swim.  And then maybe not. Is this a running goal?  I want to continue to race and enjoy it but my focus will once again be triathlons.  

Any race that lets me race on my bike is a good race.

An Amazing 50 Miler! (Not mine!)

Emily with her plaque - the lake and race course! FIRST WOMAN!

This past weekend I drove to western New York to watch Emily in her first 50 miler.  She KILLED it but more about that to come.  

It was a pretty day when I drove over but I definitely went through parts of New York I have not been in and man were they remote. I got a cup of coffee in New Haven, Vermont and did not find another good cup for hours. One problem though was that I also could find no bathrooms and I had had that one cup!  Driving though parts of the Adirondack Park is unreal - no anything!  I was beyond thrilled to finally reach a town and find public bathrooms in a local fire station.  Yes, a local fire station. There were 3 other cars there so I don't think I was the only grateful motorist.

But I finally arrived in Rochester, NY where I stayed with someone Emily knows through running.  She and her family were  wonderful hosts!  Em and I went and got her race stuff and returned "home" for a pasta pre race dinner.  We were up dark and early the next day at 4:00 ish to a downpour!  Emily packed about a thousand things she might need and we drove about 25 minutes to the race start.  It continued to down pour and it wasn't exactly a balmy temperature either.  It turned to a drizzle before the start but of course everything was soaking wet.  I started my day of finding the aid stations and trying to anticipate Em's needs. It took a bit for us to find our groove but we did. It worked best to stop, run out to Emily, find out what she wanted and drive ahead and have that item ready for her.  She would often say in two miles or whatever distance she thought would work.  I would go as close to that distance as I could with finding a pull over spot.  Everything had been organized in the car but it didn't take long for that to  dissolve.

Nice foliage but overcast.

Emily in blue running with some of the 50K runners.

She also had me tweeting, something I don't do and it also took me some time to remember to do it and to find my groove for that as well. Once I did it was rather fun and I was also trying to put some stuff on my Facebook account.  But we did find what worked for Emily as a racer and me as a "handler."  It was a great race as you could drive most of the course and really help out and see your racer.

I had a hard time knowing what place she was in as some runners had started early and then at 10 all the 50K runners started and were intermingled with the 50 Milers.  I did keep seeing some of the racers over and over. There was one guy in a bright green shirt that was a ways ahead of Em so I when I saw him I knew about it would be  a bit before she might be coming.  That didn't always work. One time I was reading when she ran by and tapped the roof of my car. I thought I had a lot of time before she would get there.  I was always amazed at how quickly she kept coming.  I had thought of bringing my bike and riding the race course. I'm glad I didn't do that as I had all I could do to keep up with her in my car.

She's pretty much on her own now, this is one of many hills.

I found myself eating her junk food as I waited. I didn't think she was eating enough but she explained her plan to me after the race when I mentioned this and she certainly did have it under control.

At some point (in the 30s?) she told me she was the first woman.  By this point she was running alone most of the time.  Once she passed 35 miles every step was  new personal distance for her which was awesome.

The last ten miles were amazing.  She dedicated each one of them and had me tweet who she was dedicating them to to help inspire her to keep going strong.  I would barely get this tweeted and get to the next mile before she did.  I know that my daughter is a strong racer but yesterday I could really see it myself. I watched her just get faster as she neared the end of the race. I watched her having an amazingly positive attitude in spite of crummy weather for most of the race, unbelievable hills and 50 miles of running.  Well, not just running, racing!!! And I do mean racing. I loved watching her pass people in those last ten miles.  She did it again and again and again.  That guy in the bright green shirt that had been way ahead of her.....history!  And she was smiling and appearing strong throughout these ten miles.  Then she met up with a friend from DC who was doing the 50K.  The two of them were chatting and appearing to have a great time.  Chatting after 45 plus miles?  Smiling?  Both of them were awesome!  When I drove ahead to get to the finish line there was one more guy in sight ahead of Emily.  I almost missed her at the finish line because I was watching for him. Well surprise or really no surprise, he was one more guy whom Emily breezed past to become the top woman and third racer overall!  In her first 50 Miler!  She was shooting for 8 hours and killed it in 7:34: something! Wow! And she didn't appear dead!  What a race! What a day!

Random Thoughts Mostly Work Out Ones

All these pictures are from my bike commute yesterday

except the last two which I took today.

1. First I don't think the boar from my last post was wild. I think a family owned it as it was in a yard both times I saw it. Do people let boars run wild?  Will they stay put in one place? I did find out on line that Vermont has some wild boars.

Heading up along the river

2. A book I read last week is really staying with me.  My mind goes back to the story over and over even though it was fiction.  I looked to see if the author had written anything else as it was an old book but it doesn't appear she has.

Almost home

3. I managed to swim in the morning and bike on Monday after school. I had to go to Middlebury which is always a good place to bike.  I had packed both running and biking clothes as I didn't know if the rain would have let up enough to ride but it was great weather for riding.  Once again a bike ride was a great stress reliever and helped me end my day in a happy place.

There are now horses on our land - look closely

4. I have gotten up early both Tuesday and today to run and plan to repeat it tomorrow.  I always say I don't get up early easily but I needed to front load my workouts. I am going away for the weekend to cheer and support Emily in her first 50 Miler so I will not have time for work outs of my own.  I have two more runs to fit in and then I plan to be off my work out schedule and on Ems.  

The view from our front porch

5. I did doubles three days in a row.

The horses come trotting up as I get out my bike.  They must

think I have some food.

6. I took lots of pictures on my bike commute yesterday and a few more today.  It wasn't sunny but it was still very pretty.

By the time I got home it was quite foggy.

7. For a rainy week I have managed to have rain free rides.  

8. I'm not sure how I feel about running in the dark. I don't need sun screen.  You meet people but don't have a clue who you are seeing.  Yesterday I fell - brilliant - no harm done. I love scenery and running in a village in the dark does not provide it.  I don't think this will become a regular thing but it's nice to know I can fit it in this way when I need to.  

9. I miss swimming when I am only doing it once a week.

10.  An early morning workout is best followed by pumpkin spice coffee.

Reuniting With an Old Friend

My old friend, my mountain bike

It was a wet wet weekend.  I still haven't done the ride I was looking forward to and I am resigning myself to the fact that it may not happen this year.  But once again I had a great alternate ride.  Saturday it was raining steadily so I ran hoping I might luck out on Sunday.  You certainly couldn't call it clear skies but I managed a 25+ mile ride without rain drops!  When I left my house I thought I would be riding 10- 15 miles tops.  I was riding my mountain bike for the first time this season and I had a blast on it.  I headed to one of my favorite dirt road routes and at some point I decided to do some exploring in my own town.  I went up several dirt roads (and I do mean up) knowing I would be turning around at some point.  One road I went farther than I had ever been on that road and was amazed at all the houses.  I turned around shortly after the school bus turn around as the road really started to narrow. It was quite isolated but not scary.  Except at one point I had a large gray pig (boar?) right next to the road.  He wasn't too thrilled with me and took off. When I came back that way he was back by the road and once again I startled him and he took off. It was one of MANY times today I thought I wish I had my camera.  Because it was supposed to be raining I left it at home. I was amazed at how pretty all the foliage was everywhere I rode in spite of the gray skies and no sun.

Not as big as the one I saw.  I was worrying about moose not

a large pig.  

A second road that I went up was very hilly and I didn't go as far.  It never flattened out, there was nothing to see and I had no idea where it went other than up the mountain.  The next road was one  I have ridden to another town on although it is not a road that is maintained.  I went a good 2-3 miles up it and was once again surprised at all the houses and the lovely foliage. I turned around when it became National Forest Road.  It was great to be looking at completely different stuff in a beautiful setting.

I did come up this hill today but this is from 2010.

I decided I might want to hit 25 miles if I could and still needed to add some.  I found a loop to add on that repeated a little bit of my ride but then took me another way I don't usually choose because it is too short but for this it was perfect.  

It still wasn't raining but for some reason my wrist was hurting (holding onto the bars a different way or angle?) and I headed for home.  I had been wearing my rain coat and rain pants and I didn't spring for the pricey Gore Tex stuff so I was drenched with sweat.  

Since I didn't take pictures I went on line to find pictures people have posted of this fall's foliage.  

This picture and the one below look very much like

where I was riding today.

Thursday I had a great run mainly because I ran in a different place. (I had an appointment and was able to fit this in before it.) The sun was rising through the eerie fog surrounded by the fall foliage. But once again I didn't have my camera.  It was so nice to run in a different spot that I may run there again tomorrow.  I have packed both biking and running stuff and it depends on the weather as to what I do.

Last week continued to be somewhat stressful at work but Thursday I rode my bike on the bike path after work and what a great stress reliever that was. Plus I got to see my favorite son and dog!  Notice I mentioned the son first.

Foliage near my house earlier in the week

Jaxon sadly watching me leave for my bike ride

A gorgeous evening on the bike path

Three Things Thursday

Pictures from my run on Sunday along my usual route

1.  Knocking on wood as I write this.........this is the first fall I have not been injured in three years. Two years ago I took up biking because I couldn't run.  Last year I took up swimming as I was once again told not to run.  Those actually turned out to be good things as I have become this very new triathlete nut who is loving her new athletic life.  But........nonetheless I am thrilled - I repeat - THRILLED - not to be injured this fall.  I wonder how much the cross training I am doing now has contributed to this non injured status.  I am certainly still running but I used to run 5 or 6 days a week and now I am running 4. Whatever the reason is......it is a beautiful thing to not be injured.

flowers at home

2. It is very hard right now to fit in the training I am doing. Work is overwhelming. I don't know why it is so much worse than usual but it is.  I leave every day feeling like I should have gotten so much more done.  While at work I don't have a minute. I eat lunch as I continue working.  My friend, C and I both took great bike rides last weekend and have never had a second to chat about it.  I have to believe the frenzied pace at work is anything but healthy.  As I posted recently........even though it is hard to fit in..... the working out is keeping me sane.

Yes, I still love my cats.  Took Rocco on the right

to an emergency vet visit Sunday.  He has perked up

and seems to be feeling better.  

3. I LOVE fall.  There are so many things I love about it.  I could even accept year round school if it gave me some time off in the fall. I love the colors of the foliage. I love the cooler temperatures. I love all the races although I don't love that triathlon season is over around here.  I love pumpkin and all the wonderful pumpkin flavored things.......especially coffee!  I love traveling to Maine when it isn't so crowded.  (I don't know if I'll do this but here's hoping.)

Still so so colors. This weekend is supposed to be peak...

and raining. :( 

And these pics had nothing to do with the post. Oh well.

Long Bike Ride or Long Run - No Contest

When I was training for marathons I truthfully looked forward to long runs.  When I would begin the training cycle I couldn't imagine ever running 20 miles but I would gradually build up to them and even enjoy them.  They were hard in the moment but certainly an accomplishment each time I completed one.  These days my longest races have been half marathons so my longest training runs are 12 miles.  I do many 12 milers in a year because I do lots of half marathons yet I only do them when I am training for a half.  If I am not doing a half my longest runs tend to be 8 miles with the occasional 10.  Do I ever do a longer run for the heck of it like 15 or 16?  NO!

Approaching the end of the Mohawk Hudson Marathon

Yet with biking the length of the ride seems to have nothing to do with a race.  I have only recently started racing through triathlons and my longest distance was 16 miles in a race.  Yet I repeatedly ride 30, 40 and 50 miles.  My most recent weekend rides have been 46, 50 and 38.  If I had more time I would be going even longer.  Why? Because I love it!  

I love the effort it takes to go on a longer ride.  I love the scenery I see with the miles I cover.  I love the exhausted feeling I have when I have put that effort in.  I love the feeling of  accomplishment.  I love the joy in the moment of the ride which is the difference between long rides and runs for me.  There is no need for me to ride these kinds of miles to get ready for a cycling race. It is purely a choice. But personally I would NEVER choose to go out and run 20 miles for the pure joy of it.  I haven't done that since my last marathon training cycle.

This summer one of my goals was to ride a century.  This hasn't happened and at this point I don't think it will.  When I started riding last spring I did a 50 miler in April and again in May so I was well on my way.  Then there was the whole broken wrist thing that got in the way. First I couldn't ride at all, then there was the gradual reintroduction to riding.  It is only recently that I have gotten the longer distances in.  I'm where I was earlier last summer when I worked up to 60+ miles. I do think I would have reached the 100 without the injury but for now this is next summer's goal.  A lot of my friends say a 25 mile ride is all they care to do but I love pushing the envelope and going as far as a day and training  allows me to on a bike.

This Saturday's ride was less than the two previous weeks but a much harder terrain.  It went up into the mountains and then back down.  I'm not talking crossing gaps here but decent foothills.  I did this ride last year with my friend but today I rode it solo. I had intended to do a different ride but I listened to the weather forecast (a mistake) and put it off.  I thoroughly enjoyed the ride I did and can't wait to get out there again next weekend for a longer ride.  I dread the coming of winter when I have to put my bike away.

Approaching Camel's Hump

An alpalca farm

Fall colors starting to show

Staying Sane

  Monday after school I got out on my bike on a flat and fast route.  It was a bit windy but nothing compared to the ride in the Islands.  I put a lot of effort into my ride and negative split it!  It was an out and back. When I got to the turn around I was at a 14.7 pace and at the end I was at 15.0.  I have done it faster before (fresh in the morning?) but I felt I worked hard for a solid 23 miles.  Both C and I hit a pothole as we watched a heron in a swamp.  Then when I got home I disturbed a flock of turkeys in my yard. I couldn't get out of the car fast enough to get a close shot but here is a picture of them running away from me.

Tuesday I got up early and swam and saw two of my work mates there.  They were fast swimmers and I just may have convinced them to consider a tri next summer. Then when I was leaving I ran into a woman my age that started doing triathlons a few years ago.  It was fun to talk to someone who gets it!  After school I got my miles in at the gym as there was a major storm roaring outside.  I plan to get up early in the morning and take a run in the village and I hope to be home in plenty of time to also ride my bike to work. I have not exactly been Miss Getting There Way Ahead of Time lately so that may not happen.  But I have everything ready being hopeful.  The worst thing that will happen is I will come home after school and ride.  Do you have trouble getting to work on time even when you get up plenty early?

Well, I don't have any more triathlons but I have signed up for a duathlon in October.  Surprisingly enough I am a little disappointed it does not include a swim but I won't have to put that lovely wet suit on.  It is a run, bike, run. It sounds pretty but not flat. Are there bike courses out there that are?  Darlene has told me she will come and cheer me on as it's in New York somewhat close to where she lives.  And of course a race in New York means Target and shopping at the outlets if I so desire.  It's something to look forward to and keep training for.

Working out is keeping me sane these days. It's a bit of a hard year this year and things haven't settle down yet.  It seems like they are when it heads in the other direction.  All three days this week have been tough and my bike ride and two runs after work have been just the ticket to get me home in a better mood.  I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who feels life would be much worse without the sweaty stuff.