Chicago

I was in Chicago this last week for three days on business. I had great plans to run up to Lincoln park, or at least around that corner of the city. I packed my running clothes and shoes. And I forgot my orthotics, so I couldn't run at all. I did get out to walk about 10 blocks one evening - it was great - about 20 degrees, a slight breeze, and it was snowing. A pleasant little trip down memory lane.

No Running

Sick with a sinus cold, no running at all. No sleep either.

2008 Running Calendar

Now my 2008 Running Calendar is complete with a race almost every month:

• Marine Corp half marathon - mid-May
• Herndon 10k - early June
• W&OD 10k - mid-July
• Disneyland half marathon - end of August
• Baltimore marathon relay - early October
• Marine Corp Marathon - end of October
• JFK 50 miler - mid-November
• Goofy Race and a Half Challenge - start of January 2009

Hope to see you there!

Goofy Stinks

Maybe I'm the only one - I don't know. What is your experience?

For the 2008 Goofy Challenge they gave out dark blue long-sleeve technical running shirts - equivalent to the Donald and Mickey shirts for the Half and full Marathons. Nice shirts!

Except that the Goofy shirt smells like paint drying, while Mickey and Donald are odor-free. They've all been worn and washed numerous times. Whether hanging out to dry, in a drawer, whatever - the smell lingers on.

5 Miles

I ran 5 miles with the Reston Runners this morning. 35F with a slight breeze and abundant sunshine. It was a good run all told, I finished at about a 12 minute mile pace.

It was a path I'd never been on, lots of lefts and rights, and for once there was no pre-run briefing of the course. I started much faster than I would have liked because I had to keep up with the pack or I wouldn't have been able to follow the course. Adding in the insufficient warm-up time and the too-fast start and oh boy were my shins were hurting by the end of the run!

After stretching and thorough icing my shins and ankles I felt pretty good.

Cold and Dark

I have given up running in the freezing cold and dark. This morning was just over 20F with a sharp breeze and I went back to bed for an hour. What a difference a little sunshine makes on the whole picture! An hour later, the sun had broken a bit, it was still 25F with a sharp breeze but there was sunshine everywhere and not a cloud in the sky.

I took the flat route, 15 minutes out and 15 minutes back, keeping the pace under 9:50/mile. My shins hurt some more towards the end and after, probably from the faster-than-normal pace, but it was fun. Now each day has an extra 2 minutes of daylight, what a relief to have turned the corner from the dead of winter. Not out of the woods yet, but the trees are thinning nicely.

Ice

There was a coating of ice on everything this morning. I just can't get too eager about running in ice. Snow is fine, rain is okay, but ice - I keep on thinking how I'm going to break my wrist when I fall.

Getting the dogs out for a morning break was tough enough - why must they pull hard when it's slippery? - but running would have been impossible. The trees were lovely, all coated with sugar. But the sidewalks were impassable and the blacktop was patchy - just wet in most places, but icy in a few places and not always obvious.

So, it was back on the exercise bicycle again.

Yesterday

Yesterday was an awesome day in the DC area. Mid-50s, slight breeze, just perfect. At 3:30, went from the house down to the W&OD trail and then a few miles, then back. 5 miles at just under 11 min/mile, running 5 minutes, resting 1 minute. Beautiful. Finished strong.

Some pain in the front of my left ankle at the ankle and a little down into the foot. I don't think it is the tendon, it feels more like pain from the extensor retinaculum (fancy words from the internet). I've been icing it (not long enough) and spending more time stretching, let's see if that helps.

2009 GOOFY *REGISTRATION CLOSED*

I hope you made it in time. See you there along with 3,998 of your compadres!

From the website:

NOTE: Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge participants MUST register under the Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge Event. Registration for this event was limited to 4000 participants. The race has already reached capacity and is now closed for 2009. Athletes who register for the Marathon and Half Marathon separately will not be eligible for Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge or the Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge Finisher Medal.

WALT DISNEY WORLD® Half Marathon
Date: January 10, 2009
Time: 6:00 a.m.

WALT DISNEY WORLD® Marathon
Date: January 11, 2009
Time: 6:00 a.m.

• Registration is closed for 2009

http://disneyworldsports.disney.go.com/dwws/en_US/marathon/events/detail?name=GoofysRaceDetailPage

06 Feb 3.25 miles (0:34)

went a more hilly route than I usually do, coming back on a streambed trail close to the house. The route has another 30 minutes of medium-sloped hills that I could run if I had the time.

This morning was in the low 60s - winter? what winter? - and I left my outside layer at the house. Humidity in the air also.

Some discomfort with the left shin - I stretched it out, I don't think it will be a problem. I feel as if it is getting used to running again.

Weight-wise, dropped a pound since last week. Woo-hoo!

Every little bit helps

I was up late last night and didn't want to get up this morning. Has that ever happened to you? Still, I was pretty much awake at that point and if I tried to go back to sleep for a half hour, I wouldn't be that much more rested and I also wouldn't be doing my homework to prepare for my future runs.

I compromised by riding the exercise bicycle in the basement for 20 minutes. It gets my heart rate up and my breathing going, so there's good cardio-pulmonary exercise. It gives some of my leg muscles a workout also, though not the same as running.

As long as I continue to move forward, doing my homework every day (daily activity), I should be ready for the quizzes (long runs on the weekend) and should ace the final exam (half marathon in May).

3 miles

Seasonably chilly this morning, below freezing, gloriously sunny and no breeze to speak of. Tights and a long-sleeve shirt, fleece, hat, gloves. 3 slow miles to keep the shin splints from acting up, pace was 15:30 min/mile. I stretched afterwards.