more running!

Ran this morning before work because I knew this afternoon would be crazy -- thrilled to say that I ran a very happy 5.32 miles. Sure, it was on a treadmill. But I felt good and relaxed and happy all the way to the end. Happy to say I gave over 110% in April -- 46.66 miles total.

goal achieved!

Managed to squeeze in a run between my last meeting and the first bus across the bridge this afternoon -- really nice little treadmill run, distracting myself between 1980s dance music and an afternoon Mariners/White Sox game. Warmed up for 5, then ran 45 minutes at a gradually increasing pace, then a 5-minute cooldown before a quick shower and a dash to the bus. The 5.23 miles put me over the top for my April goal -- HOORAY! -- the first monthly goal I've hit this year, I think. So hopefully I am now officially back on track.

Oh, and yesterday I went to water exercise at the gym. Oddly enough, it was the same basic crowd as the week before, with one Very Large exception. Is it possible that removing one Very Large person -- who, both times I have encountered her, fosters dissent with her constant complaining -- makes for a more enjoyable workout? Also had a different instructor than last week. In the three times I've been to that class, I've had three different instructors. Weird.

Tomorrow is an XT day; maybe I'll get gung ho and put my bike in the trainer. :)

weekend run(s)

We went for our long runs on Sunday. Wil has been riding his bike rather than running, so I didn't want him to run all 6.5 miles with me. As a result we headed out toward the lookout together, but Wil turned back to run the more direct route home. As with last Sunday's run, I headed up to Loyal, then back via 77th, and up 75th all the way to 3rd. Had an easier time of it - and an easier time running down the steep block of 65th between 3rd and 5th. To make sure that I got a full 6.5 miles in, I ran up Dibble to 75th and then back down to home. At least it feels as if it's getting a little easier.

commuterun

Decided to try running home again. Well, running to the park and ride, anyway. Clearly, the little backpack wasn't going to work, so I decided to try the waistpack.
Now, I love this waistpack. It is my favorite pack for day hikes, with its comfy hip straps and great big Nalgene holders. I wasn't going to run packing two liters of water, but I stuffed the center area pretty full of gear.
I thought it would be great.
But I was wrong.
With every stride, the pack bumped up and hit my kidneys. Not super hard or anything, but repeatedly. Annoyingly. Bruisingly. Nothing I did to adjust the straps had any effect. Step bump, step bump, step bump.
So I decided to just let the running gods decide. If an odd number of bikes passed me between Factoria and the little bridge, I would run to the Bellevue P&R. However, if it was an even number I would go to Mercer Island P&R.
As I approached the bridge, 6 bikes had passed.
To be completely honest, I had started playing the "well, I also passed three pedestrians on the run... that would be an odd number of humans..." game. But then, I saw a bike cresting the bridge. Hooray! Then another. Boo. Then a third. Hooray! I was halfway over the bridge by this point, so I was very very happy to look around and see no further bikes. I crossed the bridge and turned right, my course decided by the bike gods. :)
A short and simple run through the Mercer Island Slough park, a brief cool-down walk for the last block to the P&R, and then a nice short wait for a bus across to Seattle.
So, not the distance I should have done, but a good test run with the waistpack. It's a shame it didn't work better.

Sunday run

Six miler today -- longest run since the marathon. (Fun that I pretty much get to say that every weekend until, oh, September...). Nice sunny day, not too hot or breezy. Ran the usual 5:1 pattern, out to 16th, up to 75th (pant, wheeze), all the way out to the bluff, and then up to the "diagonal street" (Loyal?) as a spot to start heading back. Ran back along 77th to 15th, and then crossed 15th at 75th. I really think the crosswalk button there is closed -- after an unwanted 3-minute break, I just sprinted across the road and kept going.

As I needed to add a bit more mileage, I ran along 75th up to 3rd, and then down to 65th -- that first block is a very steep drop! Across 8th to Dibble, where I panted and wheezed up two more blocks before shutting down and walking the rest of the way home. 6.16 miles in just over an hour -- not too bad.

Had tweaked my right hamstring doing some gardening on Saturday; so I felt a little sore during the run and a lot sore now. Good thing tomorrow is another rest day.

scene from my jogging commute

Decided to take advantage of the good weather and run from my office to the Mercer island park and ride. I had mapped it out last week, and even thought I had found the right little backpack to carry my clothes home in.

This morning's weather made me think today wasn't the right day for it, but I packed my things anyway. And when the sun came out at 3:00, I took it as a sign.

I got changed inthe locker room,discovering that my little ballet flats alone pretty much filled my little backpack. Oops. I managed to cram everything in, and then set off.

I walked down the hill, and then started running up the bike path. It felt really hard - was it nerves? I felt like I couldn't get my breath. I ended up walking nearly as much as I ran. It was only when I got to the park and ride that I realized it was because the backpack restricted my breathing. Hey, it was my first time,okay?

A pretty awful run, but it won't be the last time I do it.

Bunny hop

Woke up early this morning and headed out for a run. It was drizzly and blustery, so we ended up cutting our run short -- just 4.32 miles including our warmup and cooldown. Hoping for better weather this week so we can get a longer run in on Tuesday.

third run this week!

Wil, being a rock star, has been riding his bike in to work... so now I really need to keep up the running! So today I ran, on schedule. This is only the second time this year that I've actually completed three running workouts in a row, so I am feeling hesitantly confident (if that isn't an impossibility) that I'm back on track.

Was going to run at the gym -- decided that, since the weather looked drizzly, I would run indoors. But I really couldn't look a decent weather horse in the mouth a second time, so when I got home I changed into my running gear and headed out for a 5+40+5 workout. I decided to follow Wil's course, running straight up 16th to 75th before cutting over. Wheeze, pant, wheeze. Then all the way out to the Sunset overlook, and then back -- this time adding a tiny stretch to 80th, then out to 24th, where I cut over to 77th and ran out to 15th. Felt pretty good most of the way, having my usual challenges with pacing and breath. But all in all, a good run.

PTO!!!

Taking a day off to celebrate with Rebecca for her birthday -- yay! Have been very productive this morning, mapping runs in Factoria and running routes that coordinate with buses. Maybe I'll try one next Tuesday. Woot!

sunshine... and a treadmill

Now, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there's some lovely serene place to go for a run near where I work. I know there's a bike trail, but I wasn't prepared to run with a laptop bag today -- or have the lycra nation zip past me at 28mph. But I needed to get a run in before heading back across the bridge, because Wil and I had a lecture to go to that started at 7pm.

So, despite the fine weather, I ran indoors on the treadmill. I'm sure it was this action -- the snubbing of sunshine -- that led to the clouds rolling in and the evening turning cold while I rode the bus home. I blame myself.

Of course, now I'm obsessively scanning Google Maps to see if there is indeed somewhere nice to run near Factoria...

back on track

Okay, we're over our colds (finally). And the horrible weather seems to have abated for a bit. And then last night I read a very nice article in Runners World about getting back on track after being derailed by illness.

So today was the day to get back out there. We woke up nice and early, feeling rested, and with neither of us feeling sick. We laced up and headed out before 8:00. We were scheduled to run a 5.0 mile LSD, but we decided to be responsible and just run a nice easy 4-miler. We set off, nice and easy, and then Wil sent us up the hill from 65th to 75th. By the time we hit the top, we were huffing and puffing and decidedly warm. We ran 5:1 intervals, and at the end both of us felt fine.

In bigger news, our pal Lindsay ran the Birch Bay Road Race yesterday -- I'm so proud of her! (And so glad that this year's pack didn't get lost. :) )

It's been a very good weekend -- a productive day yesterday, then a good run today. I have high hopes for April.