Running/Annual Physical/Silliness

These are old pictures.  There is hardly any snow

now. I love the picture below.  That is the

kind of day I LOVE to run on.

I really shook things up on Sunday.  I decided not to run early as I usually do and rode my trainer first.  I was so cold the day before that I didn't want  a repeat and thought I would wait for warmer temperatures.  So I set out after 11, listening to my political podcasts thinking I would run at least 6 but probably 8 miles. I thought about trying a different route but in the end I went on the main road which wasn't snow covered.  I didn't take my camera but soon wished I had as the sky and the contrasting snow on the mountain were gorgeous!  Everything looked different with the sun fully up and I delighted in my surroundings.  I didn't turn around when I got to 4 miles but kept going up the dirt road which was snowy.   It was a nice change from the road I had been on and it had been a long time since I ran here. So I ended up running 9 miles, longer than I have gone in quite awhile.  I was tired but it was  a good tired. The only problem with running later was the church (bathroom) wasn't empty. In fact there seemed to be a discussion group going on as I barged in to use the facilities! Oh well, the stop made the rest of my run much more comfortable.

So nice to know that Ryan is watching out

for me!

Today I had my annual physical. I know I have talked about my doctor before but I have to again. I love my doctor. Seriously love her!  Once again my physical was almost an hour long.  She takes a ton of time with you and really listens.  We started out with my talking about my job this year and how hard it has been.  She was checking in to make sure I wasn't depressed and I assured her it has turned around for the better.  This is a woman who really knows how to listen and remembers important things from visit to visit.  She assured me I didn't need to worry about one thing I have going on, keep an eye on it but worry not. (She knows me well.)  My blood pressure is good, in fact she wants me to monitor it and possibly go off the half tablet I have had to take for a few years now!  My cholesterol was excellent. And she said my weight........was.........perfect.  Now I don't think it is - though it is much improved - but how can you not love a doctor who says your weight is perfect!  She also said I am approaching 60 as many 40 year olds approach 40.  She said she sees that in about 20% of her patients. This is a 20% I am happy to be a part of!

I have another race in less than two weeks.  I can't wait to get to the finish line!  I don't care at all what my time is!

Polar Cap Four Miler Race Report

The Polar Cap Four Miler  was quite fun for yet another year.  The weather was cold but not unbearable.  There seemed to be a huge crowd although I haven't compared numbers to a previous year.  Now I have, there were more last year. But I got there more than an hour ahead and had to park in the farther parking lot which I have never had to do.  I was almost worried I had the wrong starting time.  My husband ended up coming with me so I parked him in the cafeteria and went off to find the bathroom.  Who is in line in front of me but Darlene so she was easy to find.

Before the race

We made our way to the start without too long to wait.  Once you take off you go past the finish line and then up a hill.  It isn't that much of a hill but maybe because it is in the beginning it feels like quite the challenge. There is someone at both Miles 1 and 2 yelling out your time.  Mile 1 was 9:18 for me and that felt okay.  Mile 2 has a bit of a downhill and I did that one in 8:58.  Loved it! I have now compared my times to last year and each mile is so similar!  

We're off!

This is a picture Darlene took after the race. It is at

the beginning of Mile 2 looking down on Lake George.

One of the things I like about this race is that it has both 

ups and downs.

I had a number of people that I kept changing places with and it was a nice challenge to keep up with them.  There is a very long hill at the end of Mile 3 and going into Mile 4.  I actually did okay here and managed to stay ahead of some people from this point until the end.  Mile 3 was my slowest mile at 9:38 and Mile 4 was 9:11.  My overall time was 37:06 well under the 38 I wanted to be under.  I really was shooting for under 37 once I saw how I was doing but I didn't quite make it.  My husband was at the finish to get some photos of both Darlene and me.  We placed 2nd and 3rd in our age group which is the same as last time we were both here.  Yay us!  My overall pace was 9:17 which was better than the 5K I did on New Year's Day - quite a bit better!  

On my way to the finish.  

Same design as last year but not on white!

Our lunch bags.

I did get my husband to do a little shopping with me after.  We went to Target and I bought an ironing board - exciting right?  Then I got some pants that were 70% off at Eddie Bauer.  I also bought a slip that needs to be returned.  I was exhausted and had no desire to go out last night but we did.  I was also cold and just couldn't get warm.  But it was nice to see some people I haven't seen in awhile and we didn't stay too late!  Man, am I old!  

I'm Racing This Weekend!

I'm headed back to Lake George to run the Polar Cap Four Miler.  I have been doing this for several years now.  This is my 6th or 7th.  I have always won an age group award but I'm wondering if this will be the year that I don't.  I'm at the top of my age group and have been quite slow lately. I keep remembering that long hill in the fourth mile that goes on and on.  At least the weather should cooperate and not be as cold or icy as it has other years.  No one from home is going with me but Darlene will be there racing too!  Truthfully I'm kind of looking forward to some time alone. I can catch up on some of my podcasts in the car, take as long at Target afterwards as I want and make time for a stop at Eddie Bauer Outlet too.  I do need to get home in time to go to a 50th bday party that night with Mr. AJH but I would have to do one heck of a lot of shopping to not get home  in plenty of time.

So what are my goals for this race?  Well I always say Have Fun and I do truly mean it. I love to race.  I want to be under 40 minutes. I can't believe I am writing that but my New Year's 5K was barely under 30.  Okay I just looked up my time from last year. I cannot wish to under 40.  I am going to try to be under 38!  Take that slowing body.

My friend that went with me last year and raced it has resisted all invites to come race with me this year but she did sign up for the VCM two person relay with me so all is forgiven.  It's a lottery so who knows if we'll be in it.  This is the 25th anniversary so VCM is doing it up. Today's paper announced that Bart Yasso, Jeff Galloway, Frank Shorter and Bill Rogers will all be there.  This is big doings for our small state!

Have a great weekend everyone and if you're racing have fun and good luck!

Who Runs Outside When It is Below Zero?

That would be me!  It's not the first time but it is the first time this winter.  First I ran on Saturday. T and I headed out when it was minus 3 with just a little delay for me to find my face mask.  It felt cold but not unbearable.  My hands and feet have definitely been colder on other runs.

  When we turned around 4 miles into the run we were running into a colder wind.  But it wasn't the cold that was bothering me.......it was that the bathroom was still 2 miles away. Why do our bodies betray us when we are trying to make them healthier?  Eventually got to the church with the clean bathroom and continued on. The sky was a brilliant blue today and the river was a deep gorgeous green so our surroundings were beautiful in spite of the temperature.

This is my first week of training for my half marathon in April.  I had a long break from a training schedule and it feels good to be back on one.  I had a great speed workout on the TM and one other treadmill workout this week that was also quite splendid. It can also be nice to have a bathroom a few steps away!  The gym has a couple new treadmills I like so it isn't as bad as when there seemed to be only one I really liked at all.  There are some months the gym membership seems worth it and this was definitely one of them.  I don't like running outside in the cold and dark after work.

 I ran outside again on Sunday. It had warmed up and was -2!  Truly though I was never that cold and the day was just gorgeous.  We went on a new route as I was thinking of my daughter telling me I always ran the same route (a route  she thinks is dangerous) and I had a lot of other routes I could take. Well, yes.  BUT they all involve hills.  But for some reason today that sounded okay. It would be a little shorter than the 6 I have been doing on Sundays but more of an effort for sure. I tried to take pictures of the hills especially the one that goes on forever and I do mean forever.  My pace was seriously slow but it really was a very nice change.  Most of the time when I am on these hills I am on my bike and MOST of that time I have done a loop which ends up with me going down these hills. But I do ride up them some and  was thinking today I should add them in on a regular basis as it would be such great hill work! 

Starting up the first big hill

Another hill...

The beginning of the one that goes on forever.....

......and on and on.......

......and on and on.......

Here I am coming up  it.

Another face mask day....

Getting closer to the top but....

.just when you think you are there there is one more section

.Beautiful views all around.

We've turned and are headed down toward home.

I definitely want to try that route again both on my bike and as a runner! Who knows?  Maybe I'll even try to find some other routes I never go on in my own home town!

Three Things Thursday

1. I feel like my workouts are not exciting enough to blog about lately.  Next weekend I have a race - yay!  I have two races in February I'm already registered for.  The second one is partly on the beach. Should I plan on my time being (even) slower than usual due to the sand or if it is hard enough is there no big difference?  I have never raced on the beach and am looking forward to it in spite of the fact that it is in New England in February.

And when the race is done:

After Party will be at the Carousel Lounge with free pizza from the Community Oven, 1 free beer from Cody Brewing Company for every participant (age 21+), hot chocolate and live music!

2. Speaking of New England in the winter, this morning at my house it got down to -22 degrees.  Wow!  I had no intention of running outside as I never do these days before work but if I had I think I might have just gotten myself to the gym. I thought maybe school would be delayed - busses might not start, they wouldn't want the kids waiting at the bus stop but nope.  It started at 8:00 as usual and even though lots of kids in the school are absent I only had one kid out.  My kitties are no fools and this morning found two of them in one of their favorite spots near the woodstove.

3.  And speaking of school my school year has really calmed down for various reasons I can't go into but my day is much easier.  Huge relief.  But I'm still thrilled tomorrow is Friday and the weekend is almost here!

True Confessions

I now have my Ipod.  After two days of looking for it I had given up.  I had put stuff on my phone so I could give it a try. BUT I didn't like using it in the car for my podcast listening as it made the phone hard to answer and just wasn't as friendly as my IPod. So I had pretty much decided I would get a new one when Friday night I looked at the top of my microwave and there it was.  I am not a complete idiot who missed seeing it there all that time. On Fridays I have a cleaning lady (best money I spend all month) and she found it.  I had to call her to see where and it had been UNDER the microwave. When I set it and my phone on the counter it must have slid under it. I then moved my phone to another counter without a thought as to where I first placed it and this is not one of the places I scoured looking for it.  So yay to my Ipod being found!

I ran the same thing this weekend as the last two weekends, 8 on Saturday and 6 on Sunday.  Nothing too spectacular about either run.  This week I start training for my April half so I will begin speed work,  pace runs and tempo runs again. I do none of these unless they are written on a training plan as I am basically lazy. Really!  I like to do my speed workouts on the treadmill as it keeps me honest.

Hey all you Maine bloggers..........what touristy things would you recommend in Maine especially in Portland?  I will be there in Feb. with a couple of girlfriends (non running :() and we are looking for things to do.  We usually shop and eat out a lot but we want to expand our horizons this time.  We are planning on going to the art museum in Portland and the Shipyard Brewery.  But what else do we want to do?  All suggestions welcome.

I had forgotten that 4 years ago I did an inauguration race this weekend. Main points

• it was freezing - well below zero and we huddled in the car until it was time to run
• I did it with my daughter
• we drove 4 hours. It was the only inauguration race around but truthfully when I signed up I mixed up Dartmouth with Durham  (both college places) and didn't think it was that far
• Both Emily and I won age group prizes and came home with lots of goofy stuff
• we did a little post race shopping in Kittery at the factory outlets
• I smile as I think back so overall it was a good experience!

I Pod or I Phone While Running?

I have always loved my Ipod.  But I have lost it - again.  My car - which I love except for this- has a very very small space between the front seat and the console. If you drop something there it disappears, sometimes for a long time. It's the Bermuda Triangle of cars. When I went to watch Emily run the Lake Placid Ironman we lost the key to our cabin.  We looked and looked but no luck. About a year later it showed up on my car floor. I guess it eventually found it's way from under the seat.  I lost my Ipod once before and it was nowhere to be seen. Nowhere. But I used a ruler to eventually work it out of no mans's land. Well it has happened again and I have looked several times, used a ruler and I JUST CAN"T FIND IT!  I was ready to run out and buy a new one - I use my Ipod daily - when I thought about my phone. I know many people use only their phone.  So I talked to my son and thought I would give it a try. I won't tell you how long it took me just to figure a few things out.  But I'll try it for a week and see. I have some of my music loaded (not much) and my podcasts. When I ride in my car I listen to podcasts.  Now I am wondering if I will be able to listen to podcasts with the phone plugged in and answer it? Reach it?  I am sure these are laughable questions but that's how I roll.

But my main question is what do you use for music when you work out?  If you use the phone is it not too bulky?

Today I did a workout with no Ipod and thought it would be awful but I actually had a great workout!

Plus I couldn't get on my treadmill and I used a new treadmill at my gym and I liked it a lot. So I now have 3 treadmills I like as there are two of these new ones.

I went to the broken wrist doctor today ( too tired to think of the correct term) because my wrist has continued to bother me.  As recently as two weeks ago I winced twice when I picked something up.  Two odd things - it is the side of my wrist that I didn't break.  And today we couldn't make it hurt.  The thing that causes it to hurt the most is opening a jar.  Plus it hurts every morning when I wake up until I flex it some.  The doctor did not think I was a  nut case, at least she appeared not to.  More xrays were taken and things looked fine which is of course good news. She wants to see me again in a few months.  She wanted to know if I had any tris coming up. She must think I am really hard core as it is January in Vermont and there is snow on the ground and ice in the lakes.