It's been an exciting running week, even though the actual act of running wasn't full of fun and fireworks.

I put in a shin-splinty 4.41 miles on Tuesday and vowed to buy new sneakers ASAP.

Wednesday was the 'award ceremony' for the running Point Series I was involved in this past racing season (spring through fall). I placed first for my age-division, which was bitter sweet considering my competition had to get pregnant in order for me to finally beat her. But as we like to say: "Run the race that's placed before you" which is what I did each and every time. So I do take pride in my accomplishment, especially when I look back at my running career thus far.

While I was at the ceremony, one woman overheard me talking about trail running (I really have been harping on that subject lately). She stopped me and asked me if I could consider running with her daughter. It appears that the daughter really loves to trail-run but mom doesn't like her out there alone. I quickly and enthusiastically agreed. I'm always happy to play in the woods with other runners. She's quick and she's young (13) so hopefully I can keep up!

Then Friday was the 'feather in my cap' with the RBF article finally getting published on-line. And as irony would have it, I learned about it from reading another running blog...I actually had no idea it was even there! The rest of Friday was filled with jokes about autographs, sunglasses and six-figure deals...and someone at work even made me my own 'trading cards.' It was a great way to kick off the weekend and just the incentive I needed to get on the treadmill for 5 miles.

I hit the roads for my weekly 10-mile yesterday, and was pleased with the results. Having my new fancy Nike gadget allowed me to track my splits very easily, and even though I found my pacing a little erratic, it all averaged out in the end. I forgot about the snow on the levy, which explains the slow down from miles 4-6. My goals is to be able to do this run with an 8:45 average. I'm getting closer!

Mile 1: 8:25 (downhill)
Mile 2: 8:54
Mile 3: 8:57
Mile 4: 9:08 (snow)
Mile 5: 9:30 (snow)
Mile 6: 9:11 (snow)
Mile 7: 9:06
Mile 8: 8:55
Mile 9: 8:44
Mile 10: 8:46

Average pace: 8:58

For me, it was a great week to be a runner. I'm looking forward to the spring even more now, as I begin to set dates on my race calendar, looking for different races and new challenges.

For My Running Blog Family (RBF)!!

As some of you may recall, I've been trying to get the RBF some publicity.

After my being an annoying pest, Mr. Burfoot finally gave in and asked me to do a "review" of some of the blogs that I read.

This was a daunting task. Not only was I asked to write about my peers, which is much, much harder than I ever imagined...I also only had 600 words in which to do it.

Talk about feeling conflicted.

There are so many blogs that I read, and I love each one, for different reasons. But with the 600 word limit, I needed to set up some criteria. I tried to balance my list based on gender, age, newbie/veteran, etc. I wanted the list to provide at least one blog that each reader could identify with. If your blog does not appear on my list, please do NOT take it personally. You have no idea how quickly 600 words can get eaten up.

My primary goal was to get the RBF out there, with the hopes that we could inspire more runners than ever before.

I had no idea it was going to be published on line TODAY (Forgive me, Alison!).

Hope you like it!

I miss running on trails, being out in the woods, listening the busy lives of the creatures that live there and taking in the different smells and sights that each season brings. I miss seeing the trees rush by, passing hikers with their canine companions and bumping into bikes. I even miss tripping over roots and rocks and turtles.

I've been patient, but it's just been too long. I really wanted a 'trail fix' this past weekend.

Saturday was supposed to be ten miles on the trails. My time management skills were seriously lacking and I had to change my plans and run the roads instead. On the positive side, I was able to verify that one of my ten-miles routes is really ten miles (The Watch - still nameless - told me so.) But being on the same old boring pavement just made me miss the woods even more. And running without partners is really taking it's toll...I didn't realized how much I'd come to rely on my partners to keep my pace consistent and my mind occupied. Being out there alone all the time has given me far too much time to dwell on the same old topics, over and over. For example, obsessing over our finances isn't going to actually pay the bills, but every time I run, I think about the bills, how much we owe, how much money we have (or don't) and when I can pay off certain debts and focus on others. Same issue, same thoughts, every time.

The run itself was a challenge, and not just because it wasn't on my preferred route for that day. I had a side-stitch for the first 4.37 miles. It was colder than I thought and the wind was 'brisk' to say the least. But it was another 10-miler for the log book and I kept reminding myself that each ten-miler accomplished will only made me a stronger runner.

Turns out that the trails I love so much are not suitable for running yet. Not without serious spikes on my treads. When the hubby and I went hiking on Sunday, it was treacherous in some spots - just sheets of lumpy ice, where the snow had been rained on and frozen and thawed and frozen with footprints, bike tracks and ski tracks in it. We took it slow and walked carefully as the dogs charged ahead, oblivious of the peril. It was great to be out there, I just wanted to be moving along a little faster.

Is it spring yet?

The weather was perfect for a run yesterday afternoon: temps in the low 50's (around 12C for you Northerners) with overcast skies. Did I say overcast? I meant black, ominous clouds threatening to rain on my running parade so to speak.

But the temperature was a real treat for February in New England and there was no way I was going to let the day get by without a run. I decided to take my chances with the impending rain, joking with my office-mate that the skies would probably open up just as I hit the halfway point of on my route.

Off I went, with hope in my heart and my windbreaker tied around my waist, just in case.

The run itself was only mediocre. It wasn't fast or slow. There were no epiphanies realized or best-sellers written. I was troubled by my sore shins (maybe I need new shoes? maybe my orthotics were in the wrong spot? maybe they need to be replaced? maybe i need to get back out on the trails instead of the pavement?). Uneventful really. I wrapped up the 4.38 mile run in 38:39 and trotted back up to my office.

No sooner had I entered my office and sat down, when my office-mate exclaimed "It's pouring out!"

It was true. Buckets from the sky. I had avoided the rain by mere seconds. It was a running miracle. The running gods were smiling upon me. And I smiled back.

I learned something about myself as a runner yesterday.

I suck at math. This is not exactly shocking to me, but I did take Calculus at one point in my life, so it's tough for me to accept this fact as hard reality.

I also learned that being a runner does not give me the intuitive ability to read and understand the lane markings on a track.

It appears that the combination of these two shortcomings left me lacking in my goal-fulfillment for the day, which was to officially calibrate my new toy.

I ran from my office to the indoor track - little less than half a mile. Went into the indoor track to discover that there was a high school team practicing. Since the track is not specifically closed to the college community at that time, I took my chances and jumped in with them. I figured they would kick me out if I didn't belong.

I warmed up for about 1.22 miles, according to my new Nike gadget (it needs a name...like Mark has for Gretchen...I'm open to suggestions). As I was running, I took special notice of where the track was marked "4x400." I thought it was safe to assume that if I ran from that point for four laps, it would equal 400 meters. The instructions for calibration of my Nike gadget specify to run on a track for 400-800 meters (there's a special function within the watch where you can adjust the calibration after you run a set distance).

So I ran the four laps. And the watch said it was 825 meters. What? How?

Maybe it was 800 meters that I just ran instead of 400? I adjusted the calibration from 825 meters down to 800 meters and went about my business of running around the track. The pacing information seemed a little wonky after that. Then it dawns on me that this is not a full track. It's indoors, and thus smaller than the regulation sized track outdoors.

Sigh.

Basically, I had no clue what I was doing.

And through all of this, I had to run around the high school kids who were no longer doing their track workout, but instead were playing soccer ON the track. In my lane. Repeatedly. And none of their 'adults' seemed to address their inappropriate track behavior.

I think I managed to put in about 5 miles total.

When I got home, I did a little math (based on my measured run over the weekend) and figured out that the original calibration of the watch, right out of the box, was pretty accurate. My whole experiment was a flop and for no real reason.

Although I do have to admit, it was fun to run somewhere new and different, regardless of the obstacles I faced. (Did I mention how AWESOME it was to be able to wear shorts and a tank top and run on a level, flat, dry surface with no cars to worry about? There are some redeeming qualities to running on an indoor track).

I realize that I haven't been writing much about my running. Odd, isn't it? A blog for running, but not much blogging on my actual running.

Well. My latest acquisition has given me something to blog about.

As a reward for surviving my first marathon, I promised myself that I would finally get some type of distance/pace gadget. After three months of research, I finally settled on the Nike Triax V10. (It's not GPS based - I was worried that all the trees and hills would interfere too much with a Garmin=type product. It's a watch and a foot pod - no heart-rate stuff.)

I was so excited to finally get it on Tuesday night. And I had my heart set on calibrating it on Friday. Even though you can use it 'right out of the box,' I still felt compelled to calibrate. Has to be perfect, don't you know?

My plan was to use the indoor track where I work (at a college). As luck would have it, the track was closed Friday starting at 2:00 p.m. (my run was scheduled for 3:30 p.m.) And the outdoor track was still covered in snow. Phooey.

I took a chance and just decided to wear it "as is." Curiousity was KILLING me. I'd been running the same loop around campus for months and really needed to the distance. Had. To. Know.

Out I went, all geared up and LOVING the instant information on my wrist. My pace, distance, total time and lap time were all easily readable and accessible. I learned that the route is a little longer than I had estimated - I thought it was about 4.25 miles but my watch told me it was 4.41 miles. That was almost a relief, as my fear was that the opposite would happen...like it would turn out to be a 3.50 mile route.

I learned that my pace is all over the place, still. Anywhere from 8:15 min/mile to 9:10 min/mile. I guess hills and wind really do affect pace. There's an interval function on the watch that will beep when you get out of a certain pace zone. I just might need to set that.

Of course, I still wanted to know if it was accurate or not. So for my 'long' run on Saturday, I ran on a measured trail near my house. The snow thwarted me once again, as the markers were covered by snow...but I had a good idea where the markers were and the results on the watch seemed fairly close.

One of the greatest things was being able to run a new route and not have to guess where to turn around. I hit the four-mile mark and headed home. Sweet. An eight-mile run for the day - right after a hard 4.41 mile run on Friday. Wrapped up the week somewhere around 21-22 miles. Winter hasn't killed my running spirit yet.

Sigh. There's nothing quite like taking your addiction to the next level. Next thing you know, I'll be making color coded charts, graphs and spreadsheets with my speed, distance and total time results. (yes. that was a total dig on some of you out there. you know who you are! i say it with great affection, of course!)

To all you Freescale racers this weekend, I am cheering for each and everyone of you!! Whenever you see the color orange, think of me yelling "wooo hooo! looking good!"

Have fun!

Finish!

Make your time-related goals secondary to enjoying the experience of racing!

Run smooth and strong.

Good luck y'all!

Mark was kind enough to make a spiffy, new header for my page! Doesn't it just fit perfect?! Mark totally rocks. Thanks Mark!

And my office mate was nice enough to actually make the dang thing work on my site. Thanks Roy! Um, Reggie. Whatever your name is.

Woo hoo!

It would seem that my two-month streak of bad luck may be disappiating.

Signs that the worst may be behind me;

1) Saturday's 10-miler was great! Energy level was good, legs felt great...just had some muscle troubles due to stretching and being too cautious in the puddles. Overall, a solid run. And I didn't have to take a nap afterwards!

2) My busy, productive weekend made me feel like a contributing member of society instead of like a sloth.

3) The Patriots won the Superbowl.

4) I discovered that I actually DID have my current favorite pre- and post- run snack with me yesterday. I thought I had forgotten it! (Kashi's Go Lean bar - oatmeal raisin).

5) Yesterday's 4.25 miler was three and a half minutes faster than last week.

6) Mark made me a fancy new header for my blog. It's not up yet, obviously, but it will be.

7) My fancy new running watch/SDM shipped yesterday and is due to arrive today.

I feel as if the stars are beginning to realign. Thanks for all your kindness and support!

I've been thinking about interval training/speed work for some time now. During the summer, I just counted my 5K races as my 'speed work' and focused more on the mileage for the marathon. Now that winter has set in, and I'm feeling stagnant and restless, I thought I'd try to mix things up, much like Jon and Richard.

I opted for the treadmill to do intervals. I knew the treadmill would force me to stay at a consistent pace, for both the acceleration and the recovery. The one drawback is my utter inability to calculate meters to miles, and vice versa.

Here's what I did:

1 mile warm-up, somewhere around a 8:45-9:00 min/mile pace.

.25 mile - 7:24 min/mile pace
.25 mile - recovery
.25 mile - 7:03 min/mile pace
.25 mile - recovery
.25 mile - 7:13 min/mile pace
.25 mile - recovery
.25 mile - started at 7:13; kicked it up to 6:30
.25 mile - recovery

1 mile cool-down, ranging from 8:15-9:00 min/mile pace.

I was dripping sweat when I was done. I'm sure my treadmill-neighbors were glad to see me go.

Then I hopped onto an elliptical for 7 minutes, to keep my step-father company while he wrapped up his workout. And then I did some weenie-weights and called it a day.

In un-related non-running news, I'd like to know what I have done to upset the delicate balance of the universe. Since the beginning of December, I've had a string of bad luck, and it just won't stop. I don't get it. Not a week goes by when something stupid DOESN'T happen. I know I've mentioned this stuff in recent posts, but it's worth repeating I think.

Seriously, here's a re-cap:

1) Water heater broke.
2) Car broke. (After backing in to friend's car for the SECOND time, I noticed that my brake lights didn't work. Problem was not directly related to the backing-up issue).
3) Stove broke
4) Favorite sunglass broke
5) Faucet broke.
6) Snake escaped.
7) I broke the car. (Slid into a curb. There's was like an inch of snow on the ground. Embarrassing to admit.)
8) Other car needed new tires.
9) Gift certificate we bought in-laws got lost in mail; company refused to re-issue it.
10) Car broke. Yes. Again. Door latch this time.
11) Air-freshener thingy ruined finish on new entertainment center. Stupid Oust Fan.
12) Dog eats trash. Force-feed hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. Clean carpets.
13) Credit card number stolen. Scary. No idea how.
14) Much anticipated back-ordered Nike watch is given to someone else, since credit card is declined (see #13 above).

Looking for the positive...I still have my health. The car is almost fixed. My dog is alive. We won't be charged for the fraudulent stuff on the credit card. I'm back in the queue for the watch. The gift certificate incident is mostly resolved and the snake has re-appeared. And I've still been able to run. So I've got that going for me, which is nice.

After the tough snow run on Saturday, I should have rested on Sunday.

Did I?

Of course not!

I went to the gym and did 13 minutes on the bike, 25 minutes of weight training (including lunges and calf raises) and 20 minutes on the elliptical.

Did I rest after that?

Of course not!

I went for an hour-long hike, in the snow, with five dogs and three other humans.

Then I ran 4.25 miles yesterday (Monday).

And it was the slowest recorded run on that route, ever, for me. Almost a full five minutes slower than my best time. I could tell within the first tenth of a mile that it was going to be tough, as every muscle in my legs ached with the first foot fall. Damn those lunges!

Needless to say, I pressed on and was just glad to be able to run outside in bearable temperatures, while sunlight was still shining.

And today. I'm resting. For real. No joke.

For those of you who haven't heard, please update your Complete Running Blogs link! And a big THANKS to Mark and Aaron for all their hard work! It looks fabulous!