It's been quite a month -- our most miles so far, including an 18-miler! I officially crossed the 500-mile mark for total mileage on my Nike+ -- and completed my "500 in '08 Challenge". So far, touch wood, we've stayed pretty healthy, with just some achy feet and creaky knees to fret about. They always say that the training is harder than the marathon itself.
In December my goal is to run 85 miles -- which shouldn't be too much of a challenge, but as the days get shorter it gets more difficult to get the midweek runs in.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
10 Miler
Overslept a little this morning -- didn't get out of bed until 8 -- so much scurrying around to get ourselves out the door. Some waffling -- it was drizzling, and we're now paranoid about rain -- but we headed out with our Scaffel Pike waterproof tops on.
The 10-mile route was a truncated version of the 18-miler last week -- very truncated. Down to the BGT, along it to the University Bridge, Eastlake to Roanoke to Fairview, and then around the tracks to Westlake and home. Wil tells me that it was uphill the whole way, but I have not seen the Garmin evidence to prove it.
Both of us were feeling a little tired, so it wasn't the most energetic of runs. But we made it, and the good news is that it's still only Saturday and we have another day of rest.
The 10-mile route was a truncated version of the 18-miler last week -- very truncated. Down to the BGT, along it to the University Bridge, Eastlake to Roanoke to Fairview, and then around the tracks to Westlake and home. Wil tells me that it was uphill the whole way, but I have not seen the Garmin evidence to prove it. Both of us were feeling a little tired, so it wasn't the most energetic of runs. But we made it, and the good news is that it's still only Saturday and we have another day of rest.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Seattle Marathon Expo
Met Wil downtown for lunch today -- poor thing, had to work the day after Thanksgiving -- and then we went to the Seattle Marathon Expo. We were going back and forth over whether we should just register for and run the half marathon, and decided to let the tech shirt gods be our guide.
Well, the shirts were... white. Boring white shirts. And, given the "last gasp" registration fees, in a (strange) moment of fiscal prudence, we decided to skip it. Why pay $170 for two white shirts and a medal?
So I've mapped out our 10-mile course, and we shall run it on Saturday morning, weather permitting...
We did, however, register ourselves for the Seattle Rock and Roll Half in June, 2009. And Wil got to see, in person, the Coast to Coast Medal for the Disneyland Half. Guess we're on for that one, too. :)
Well, the shirts were... white. Boring white shirts. And, given the "last gasp" registration fees, in a (strange) moment of fiscal prudence, we decided to skip it. Why pay $170 for two white shirts and a medal?
So I've mapped out our 10-mile course, and we shall run it on Saturday morning, weather permitting...
We did, however, register ourselves for the Seattle Rock and Roll Half in June, 2009. And Wil got to see, in person, the Coast to Coast Medal for the Disneyland Half. Guess we're on for that one, too. :)
Turkey Trot 2008
May blessings rain down on the fine folks who organized the Seattle Turkey Trot! Apparently they held one in 2007, with about 30 participants. Thanks to the wonder of Google, I found their site and got on the mailing list some time in October. As we were scheduled to run 60 minutes, I figured the hustle over to the start at 85th and 32nd, and the walk back from the finish line at Golden Gardens would be enough to cover us for the additional 30 minutes.
We signed up in early November -- which was lucky for us, as the organizers had to shut down registration early as too many people had signed up! See, STT was a very grass-roots sort of race. No bibs, no timing chips, no awards, no permits... And apparently they had reached a number larger than they felt they could responsibly send running down sidewalks.
We walked to the start line -- hustling we got there about minutes before the start. A couple of hundred people, perhaps, many wearing their bright orange STT08 shirts. One woman dressed as a turkey. Another dressed as Pocahontas. Lots of people with strollers or little kids in tow -- many of them having no idea that lining up in the front was a bad idea.
A nice little talk from the organizer -- we had raised over $2000 for the Ballard Food Bank, yay! -- and then we were off. Plenty of chalk markings on the sidewalk, plus super cute direction signs wherever we turned.
We plugged along at a pretty decent clip. The first half of the route was a nice steady downhill. We turned to cross the railway tracks, and then hit the BGT for the run out to Golden Gardens. We even had a gentle tailwind -- perfect run conditions! We took two short walking breaks but otherwise ran steadily. Had to pass a few people on the narrow path right before the finish, but otherwise had plenty of room throughout.
Held hands as we crossed the line, a bit of whooping, then cups of water and we collected our t-shirts. Sure, the walking to and from the course was longer than the course itself, but we had had a nice run and we had raised some money for the food bank. Already looking forward to STT 2009!
We signed up in early November -- which was lucky for us, as the organizers had to shut down registration early as too many people had signed up! See, STT was a very grass-roots sort of race. No bibs, no timing chips, no awards, no permits... And apparently they had reached a number larger than they felt they could responsibly send running down sidewalks.
We walked to the start line -- hustling we got there about minutes before the start. A couple of hundred people, perhaps, many wearing their bright orange STT08 shirts. One woman dressed as a turkey. Another dressed as Pocahontas. Lots of people with strollers or little kids in tow -- many of them having no idea that lining up in the front was a bad idea.
A nice little talk from the organizer -- we had raised over $2000 for the Ballard Food Bank, yay! -- and then we were off. Plenty of chalk markings on the sidewalk, plus super cute direction signs wherever we turned.
We plugged along at a pretty decent clip. The first half of the route was a nice steady downhill. We turned to cross the railway tracks, and then hit the BGT for the run out to Golden Gardens. We even had a gentle tailwind -- perfect run conditions! We took two short walking breaks but otherwise ran steadily. Had to pass a few people on the narrow path right before the finish, but otherwise had plenty of room throughout.
Held hands as we crossed the line, a bit of whooping, then cups of water and we collected our t-shirts. Sure, the walking to and from the course was longer than the course itself, but we had had a nice run and we had raised some money for the food bank. Already looking forward to STT 2009!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
18 Miles!!!
Wil got us up and moving at 7:05 today. He toasted bagels, I mixed Powerade for our packs. We were out the door at 7:30, loaded with bus passes, cash, and a fistful of chocolate Hammer Gels. Today was 18-mile day.
The sun was very low in the sky when we set out. We ran down to the Fred Meyer, then joined the Burke-Gilman. Steam was rising off the cut and the sky was turning from pink to blue. Gorgeous! We ran under the Fremont Bridge, then out past Gas Works and to the University Bridge. Found our way on to the stairs up to the bridge, and then the real routefinding began. I wasn't sure where exactly to turn down, or if there was a nicer road to run on that would go through. So we stayed on Eastlake all the way to the bottom of the lake. By this point I was already feeling a little tired, though I enjoyed running somewhere new.
Then along the S.L.U.T. tracks to Westlake, where we rejoined our usual route. Over to Dexter, across to 2nd, and then down to Jackson. As we got closer to the stadiums, we started seeing Seahawks jerseys and I was glad that we were down there early because running past crowds of fans wouldn't have been pleasant.
We turned on to the waterfront, and started the trip home. Part of me was thrilled that we were headed home; part of me was worried that we were still 8 miles from home. But on we went, through the sculpture park, running into a 5K/10K course along the way. (We ran on the grass past the finish chute and refrained from hitting the water stop.)
Then past the railyard, where we got stuck behind three people and a dog... none of whom appeared to have any spatial awareness. Luckily, we had just squeezed past them when the cyclist zoomed up the ramp. Yikes! At some point Wil raised his arms and said "wooo!" because we'd completed a half marathon. And weirdly enough be both felt okay.
We made our way up to Gilman (or is it Thorndike?) and kept heading towards the locks. I was really slowing down at this point, but another shot of Hammer Gel perked me up. (mmm, chocolate...). Wil stopped to refill his water bottles at the locks and was stopped by another runner, asking what he puts in the bottles, how long they last him, etc. He very happily told the woman that it was a "10K belt", but that we'd just run 16 miles and he was only now needing a refill. Yay for bragging about miles!
Then across the locks, where the big lock was empty and stinky. Past the Lockspot, and up on to Market. Truly the home stretch now, but I was dragging. To make sure we got the mileage in, we veered down Shilshole towards Fred Meyer. Plod plod plod. Then when we got to 11th we turned for home. Another few blocks up the hill, and we were done. EIGHTEEN MILES.
The last few blocks walking home were really, really rough. My knees, my feet, my calves, my right hip, my right achilles, everything hurt. After we got home and stretched, I could barely make it up the steps to the back door.
Now, a few hours later I am very stiff, very sore. Wil is napping. But did I mention that we ran 18 miles today?
The sun was very low in the sky when we set out. We ran down to the Fred Meyer, then joined the Burke-Gilman. Steam was rising off the cut and the sky was turning from pink to blue. Gorgeous! We ran under the Fremont Bridge, then out past Gas Works and to the University Bridge. Found our way on to the stairs up to the bridge, and then the real routefinding began. I wasn't sure where exactly to turn down, or if there was a nicer road to run on that would go through. So we stayed on Eastlake all the way to the bottom of the lake. By this point I was already feeling a little tired, though I enjoyed running somewhere new. Then along the S.L.U.T. tracks to Westlake, where we rejoined our usual route. Over to Dexter, across to 2nd, and then down to Jackson. As we got closer to the stadiums, we started seeing Seahawks jerseys and I was glad that we were down there early because running past crowds of fans wouldn't have been pleasant.
We turned on to the waterfront, and started the trip home. Part of me was thrilled that we were headed home; part of me was worried that we were still 8 miles from home. But on we went, through the sculpture park, running into a 5K/10K course along the way. (We ran on the grass past the finish chute and refrained from hitting the water stop.)
Then past the railyard, where we got stuck behind three people and a dog... none of whom appeared to have any spatial awareness. Luckily, we had just squeezed past them when the cyclist zoomed up the ramp. Yikes! At some point Wil raised his arms and said "wooo!" because we'd completed a half marathon. And weirdly enough be both felt okay.
We made our way up to Gilman (or is it Thorndike?) and kept heading towards the locks. I was really slowing down at this point, but another shot of Hammer Gel perked me up. (mmm, chocolate...). Wil stopped to refill his water bottles at the locks and was stopped by another runner, asking what he puts in the bottles, how long they last him, etc. He very happily told the woman that it was a "10K belt", but that we'd just run 16 miles and he was only now needing a refill. Yay for bragging about miles!
Then across the locks, where the big lock was empty and stinky. Past the Lockspot, and up on to Market. Truly the home stretch now, but I was dragging. To make sure we got the mileage in, we veered down Shilshole towards Fred Meyer. Plod plod plod. Then when we got to 11th we turned for home. Another few blocks up the hill, and we were done. EIGHTEEN MILES.
The last few blocks walking home were really, really rough. My knees, my feet, my calves, my right hip, my right achilles, everything hurt. After we got home and stretched, I could barely make it up the steps to the back door.
Now, a few hours later I am very stiff, very sore. Wil is napping. But did I mention that we ran 18 miles today?
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
wet wet wet, lazy lazy lazy
Wil's been very dedicated -- running home from work on Tuesday and Thursday. Me, not so much. I did run on Tuesday morning, but couldn't make myself run Thursday evening. Went into work a little early today to get some running in, but was only able to run for 40 minutes as I had an early meeting. Feeling a little twingey in both knees, for no apparent reason.
Weather forecast is very wet and blustery; we've decided to do our long run on Sunday morning in the hopes that it won't be so wet. New course this weekend...
Weather forecast is very wet and blustery; we've decided to do our long run on Sunday morning in the hopes that it won't be so wet. New course this weekend...
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
San Mateo
Nicer than expected run this morning. Playing with Map My Run last night, looking for runs in San Mateo, having a hard time finding the "right" run -- until I figured out that you can display results by distance. When I displayed the "run + 1-5 miles + longest first", then #1 result was "San Mateo Marriott Run". Result!
I hadn't been particularly impressed by my glimpse of strip mall San Mateo. But in the early morning light, under a pinky-orange sky, it looked much nicer. Sure, the first couple of blocks were a bit nasty -- the backside of a Kmart, the loading dock of a Michaels. But then the road narrowed and I was running past early 20th-century bungalows and palm trees. People walking dogs. Children dawdling to school. Gardeners, bundled up against the morning chill, waiting in small groups for their rides to work.
Running felt pretty easy -- though I did have lots of unplanned "breaks" when I had to wait to cross streets. My right achilles was still a little sore this morning, but not too bothersome.
Hit the first turn in the "lollipop", ran under the train tracks, and then ran back towards "downtown". Decided to deviate from the route and was pleased to see that there is still a nice little downtown, with cute shops and cafes.
Sun much higher in the sky (why didn't I wear my sunglasses???), squinting along the sidewalks and braving traffic. To avoid the less pretty roadway, I veered into a residential area, running past newer homes along well-maintained sidewalks. (Some bumps, but nothing like Ballard. Lack of sodden leaves helps too....)
Then the time was up and I walked the last few minutes back to the hotel. Not the longest run -- only about 5.4 miles, including the walking -- but I sorta made up for it by "briskly walking" the 1.9 miles each way between the hotel and the workshop location.
I hadn't been particularly impressed by my glimpse of strip mall San Mateo. But in the early morning light, under a pinky-orange sky, it looked much nicer. Sure, the first couple of blocks were a bit nasty -- the backside of a Kmart, the loading dock of a Michaels. But then the road narrowed and I was running past early 20th-century bungalows and palm trees. People walking dogs. Children dawdling to school. Gardeners, bundled up against the morning chill, waiting in small groups for their rides to work.
Running felt pretty easy -- though I did have lots of unplanned "breaks" when I had to wait to cross streets. My right achilles was still a little sore this morning, but not too bothersome.
Hit the first turn in the "lollipop", ran under the train tracks, and then ran back towards "downtown". Decided to deviate from the route and was pleased to see that there is still a nice little downtown, with cute shops and cafes.
Sun much higher in the sky (why didn't I wear my sunglasses???), squinting along the sidewalks and braving traffic. To avoid the less pretty roadway, I veered into a residential area, running past newer homes along well-maintained sidewalks. (Some bumps, but nothing like Ballard. Lack of sodden leaves helps too....)
Then the time was up and I walked the last few minutes back to the hotel. Not the longest run -- only about 5.4 miles, including the walking -- but I sorta made up for it by "briskly walking" the 1.9 miles each way between the hotel and the workshop location.
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