Sammamish River Trail

Dropped Wil off at work this morning with a plan: to run on the Sammamish River Trail. I had only ever been on the trail once before, I think -- years ago, during a work offsite, after our hot air balloon ride. (Things were once good at the magenta T...). But when I went to Map My Run and searched for a Redmond run, the trail came up and it seemed just about perfect for a morning 5-miler.

I parked on the street near the city hall (very nice -- but I bet you thought those stairs in the glass corner would look prettier somehow...) and walked down the ramp to the trail and headed out. A couple of minutes in to my warm-up walk I spotted a bunny, which is a sure sign of an awesome run.


I was a bit worried that it would be like walking along a freeway -- albeit a bicycle freeway -- given that it was 7:35 when I set out and the trail runs between Woodinville and Redmond. But there weren't all that many bikes, and most people were friendly and called out "on your left" before whizzing past. I started daydreaming about commuting along this trail, but then remembered that I really don't want to live on the east side...

Still, the trail was lovely, broad, and flat -- with tiny inclines every so often as we approached bridges or climbed out of underpasses.


I felt a bit sluggish at first, and seem to be a bit sore in my right shin, but once I relaxed and loosened up things went okay. I somehow didn't manage to get a picture, but there's a lovely otter relief in the wall of one underpass -- that totally made my morning.

I don't know how much longer I will find myself unscheduled... but this is a great spot to run, so perhaps Wil has found himself a ride to work for a while longer. :)

Hot yoga, hot running...

Hot yoga this morning. Hot. I think I'm almost done with it -- I just don't really enjoy it enough. I want to enjoy it, but I don't.

Then a great, productive, if fragmented day. Then went out in the afternoon to meet Wil at the bus stop and run home. It was hot hot hot... we actually considered not running, but decided that we had to get home somehow. The Burke-Gilman was busy with bike commuters, but we hugged the right shoulder and just kept our heads down. We made it to Fremont and happily finished the run when we got just past the Fred Meyer.

Tough to run in the heat... still, good to get miles under our feet.

the NYC Marathon Get Started Guide has arrived!!!

treadmill miles

Ran on the treadmill today -- how great is it to have a treadmill in the basement?! Of course, it was cloudy when I descended into the basement gloom, and the sun had come out by the time I finished, but whatever. Thrilled to have the treadmill, thrilled to be running again. Ran 8 x 5:1, plus warmup and cooldown -- increasing the pace each time. Ahhh.

the countdown begins!

Somehow we have already hit the 16-weeks-to-race-day point -- YIKES!!! Feeling a bit stressed on two counts:
1. Getting the training in
2. Raising the money for Girls on the Run!

But all will be well, I know it.

Today lured Wil out for a little run by promising to collect him at the bus stop. Met him at MOHAI, and then we drove to Greenlake for a spin around the lake. We were supposed to do a 42-minute workout, but since it's Wil's first run in nearly two months, we took it easy. Ish. Wil kept up a too-fast pace for most of it, leaving me queasy after one loop. As such, was happy to cut it short at 30 minutes.

Yay to Wil for getting back "on his feet"!

long run

Didn't manage to get out for a run this weekend -- we mainly spent our time cleaning the house (hooray!), hanging out with the cats, and riding our sweet cruisers around. But I wanted to get some more miles on my shoes so I headed out this morning.

I had plotted out the "usual" 6-mile route -- up to the lookout, down the hill, around and onto the Burke Gilman, out to Golden Gardens, up the trail and stairs, and back. But I felt... I don't know, hesitant?... to run on the trails in the early morning. I hate that I have become nervous about running alone, but there you go.

I should quickly interject that there is no specific reason I would prefer not to run on trails alone -- Seattle is an incredibly safe city. But I just felt a little weird this morning.

But I set out and decided to alter my route a bit.

Out to the lookout, then down down down to the locks, along Market Street, then up the hill to home. I needed to pad the distance a bit, so I did one loop on the strange little track at the elementary school. And, yes, I felt like a dork.

I know that I should welcome the hilly nature of Seattle -- I should celebrate it. I know people who have to drive somewhere in order to run on hills. But sometimes the fact that we live halfway up a long, gradual slope is exhausting. See, I either have to start or end a run with a hill. On short runs, because I'm lazy, I tend to do the hill first. Get it done while my legs are fresh, etc. But today, because I needed to get 6 miles in, I ran up a hill, then down a long hill, then up a hill to home.


Still, I know it's good training. Pity I'm so freakin' lazy!

fortune cookies

So I had lunch with my pal Jen on Wednesday. Along with my tasty tofu stir-fry, I picked up a fortune cookie. I love fortune cookies -- I even like the cookie part -- and was amused by my fortune: YOU WILL BE SPENDING TIME ON THE WATER IN THE FUTURE.

Which brings me to today's developments:



July 10 - 17, 2011.

NYC Marathon fundraising -- 20% so far!

Thanks to my very generous donors who have already helped me raise $500 -- 20% of my fundraising goal -- in just 2 days. There's a long way to go, but it's great to be off to such a good start!

Learn more about Girls on the Run and why I support them by visiting my donations page -- and thanks!

hot yoga, day 5

From the minute I walked in the studio this morning I felt a little off. The room felt TOO hot, somehow, and I felt a little woozy. But I figured it would pass. I really struggled through the standing postures -- the "standing head to knee pose" was especially rough today -- and I couldn't seem to get myself balanced at all. Not sure if I was hungry, not hydrated enough, etc., but I was really happy to go into "corpse pose" and start the floor postures. Still felt nauseous attempting "camel pose". But I made it through the practice without either running from the room or passing out.

I note this because, for the first time in my 5-class run, three different women scurried out of the room today. I had never seen anyone leave, let alone three people. But I guess if you're feeling ooky and you've seen someone else do it, why wouldn't go get out of the heat?

Other amusements today: the woman next to me was a noisy yogi. She did lots of "whooshing" breathing throughout, and whenever we moved into "corpse pose" she basically threw herself on her back with a thud. Also, the instructor came in wearing something extra skimpy and explained that she had forgotten to wash her yoga gear last night so was wearing "backup gear" -- "but it's okay because I'm just leading now, not practicing..."

triathlon, of sorts...

Yesterday I seemed to figure out this "funemployment" thing. I have been struggling to develop some sort of schedule, some sort of routine, but end up with the days just slipping away with little apparent accomplishment. I guess I am the sort of person who needs to do something, achieve something -- or maybe just plan to not achieve something? -- and the lack of rhythm and structure has been making me edgy.

But yesterday I managed to get things to click. I got up with Wil, packed my things, and I dropped him off at work while I went to the 7:30 hot yoga class. I love the 7:30 class. Not too crowded, not too early, not too late. Juuuuust right. Had a good workout -- though my back feels a little sore or stiff today. Still felt queasy during the camel pose.

Because the weather was starting to clear, I decided to head over to Magnolia to Mounger Pool for their water exercise class at 11:00. Mounger is a treasure -- an outdoor public pool -- and I wanted to check it out during the day. Got there 20 minutes early, but was allowed to go in, get changed, and I lay on a lounge chair in the sun reading a magazine until class started. Water exercise was attended by the usual suspects -- sweet elderly ladies, very heavy men and women, and bored housewives. Oh, and the unemployed (me). The instructor was a little bored, and it certainly wasn't as high energy as I would have hoped, but it was a gorgeous day and great to splash around a bit. After class I hung out on the lounger and watched the first 15 minutes of the noon lap swim -- CROWDED, but not as bad as the 5pm one. I still think that this may be a great place to go on Tuesday lunches.

Then home, where I did some work -- I set up my Girls on the Run fundraising page and posted the link on Facebook, and also did a few hours of work on my resume -- and then went for a run on the treadmill downstairs. Just a 5+(5:1)x6+5 workout, but it was easy and I felt good throughout. So another 4.05 miles under my belt for the month.

Not the most usual of multisport days, but a nice bit of exercise to make up for a slothful weekend.

my new treadmill!

Today I took delivery of my beautiful, new-to-me treadmill. Met the movers at Elizabeth's house, watched them break the big machine down and move it out of her place, then we drove to mine and they set it up in our basement. Thanks to having an unfinished ceiling, it's possible to run on the thing -- between the beams, that is!

I'm super glad that we got Mercury Fitness to move the thing. See, it's a Life Fitness T5 -- a very big, very heavy, very sturdy treadmill. And even with the two guys, it still took a while to break down and set up. The guys were great, very friendly, very efficient, and very helpful. Now, I hope I don't have to move it again, but I wouldn't hesitate to call them if I did.

After going to the hardware store for a 14-gauge power cord, I decided to go for a spin and try today's workout: 5:1x7. I love running on treadmills because it's just so easy... and it's much, MUCH cooler in my basement than outside in the 97-degree heat. Even so, I still ended up sweating all over the poor machine.

Add 4.57 miles to the log!

New kicks...

Ah, Cascadia...

Went for a run this morning -- wearing my new trail running shoes so I could break them in. Really struggled with the "short" workout, for some reason. It was just meant to be a 5:1 x 6 set, not too hard, but I had to fudge the run bits after the first two sets. Weird.

What I did wrong: I waited until nearly 9am to start my run... by which point it was already hot. Okay, not east coast hot, but still 75+ degrees. I didn't drink anything before running, or bring any fluids with me. I didn't wear any sunscreen or a hat.

What I did right: I took it easy when I felt ooky. I kept in the shade as much as possible.

But at least it's some mileage under my belt. Oh, and apparently I ran fast -- 8-minute miles for the first half. No wonder I felt sick. :)

NYC Marathon shirts have arrived!

still HOT

Took my second Bikram yoga class today -- happy to have the same instructor. I like that she's a little harsh. She says some pretty funny stuff -- like when she noted that most of the students were Type-A people. "I was the same way when I started -- I didn't want YOGA, I wanted a workout. I didn't want all that chanting, I wanted to sweat, to work out." Lots of nervous chuckling around the studio.

I think "my practice" was better today, though I still felt a bit woozy at "camel pose". (giggle)

HOT yoga...

Went to my first ever Bikram yoga class today. Sure, okay, I know it's the "hot room" yoga. But I didn't realize that it was HOT... 105 degrees hot. I started sweating during the first pose (which is really just a breathing exercise, for heaven's sake), and didn't stop till the very end. My towel was soaked, so you can imagine the state of my clothes!

The instructor was great -- not super spiritual, but still very serious. When someone complained about the heat, she said, "Yep, it's HOT yoga." My kind of yogi. She also pointed out that it was normal if you felt a bit woozy or icky -- that you should just rest if you needed to. And she pointed out numerous times that you can only do the poses with the body you brought to class today. I struggled with a few poses (since I have no flexibility), but all in all, I enjoyed it.

I bought a Groupon for 20 classes... some crazy deal for $20, I think... so I decided to give it a go. So far, so good!