Cow in the road

I ran this morning mainly because I did not want to write a big ole zero in the little box in the lower right corner of my running log book.  I also would have had to copy the same number from the second line in the box which is the year to date mileage.  I had to miss Thursday night running group due to having to work late. 
I set off on my 5.6 mile loop on the roads where I live.  About 3.5 miles into my run I came upon a black angus cow just chillin in the middle of the road in front of the farm pasture he escaped from!!  As I got closer he began trotting down the middle of the road.  I got closer to him and headed him off the road into a field; at least he was out of the road.  This road does not have very much traffic; it's one of my favorite roads to run on and I can run down the middle most of the time. I decided I should go to the house and let someone know their cow got out.  I ran up the drive and knocked on the door.  The people were still in their jammies!  They were appreciative of me letting them know and for getting their cow out of the road!! This house has a very long driveway.  As I was nearing home I looked down expecting to see somewhere in the area of 5.57 - 5.58 and my Garmin said 5.8!  That run up and back that driveway added nearly 1/4 mile to my run so I decided I might as well run a little farther down the road and make it 6 miles. 
Today's temp was 15 - more than double the temp when I ran last Sunday.  I was wearing 1 less layer.  I guess there is more snow coming.  oh yippie.  I was thinking about the half marathon I signed up for which is Memorial Day weekend.  That's the end of May so 4 weeks of May, 4 weeks of April, 4 weeks of March = 12 weeks.  I don't have to really start training till March.  This afternoon I looked at a calendar and found that March 5th is 12 weeks out from the half marathon.  I can slack off for another month!!!  I hope we have better weather by then. 

I spent most of my day studying for a test on Tuesday.  My brain hurts, I still don't feel like I am anywhere near ready for the test.  I will be able to study tomorrow morning before I have to leave for school but that means I probably won't go running.  I've been running on Mondays before school which is surprising for non-morning person me!  Tomorrow I need to study instead. 

Runner Nerd
hoping and wishing for warmer weather and melted snow

But, what if I wanted MY penny?????

My total at Subway was $5.29 so I hand the clerk $5.30 and was waiting for her to hand me a penny but she grabbed the little penny out of the cash register and tossed it into a jar sitting there.  Wait...that's MY penny; what if I wanted it?????  So, when did this become the way things are done?????????

Cold Cold Cold

single digit temp

This is my indoor/outdoor themometer this morning just before I headed out for a run.  Yep, that top number is the outdoor temperature, 7 degrees.  I donned my most hard core running gear - Underarmour Cold Gear tights and shirt, 1st layer.  An old pair of running pants over the tights and another winter shirt over the other one and to top it all off - a jacket.  Hat, mittens and Garmy added the finishing touches!! 
I'm not sure how good running clothes do it but I was not too cold, even when I was just starting out.  My hands got too warm in my mittens.  I rarely wear the mittens because they are too warm. (yes, I just said that!) 
Well, I have to get back to studying for my test tomorrow.  I just wanted to record the fact that I went running in 7 degree temps today!!  For some reason since this run I am really feeling like getting in a long run.  Maybe next weekend. 

1 month into winter and I have had enough already.

How much more of this do I have to put up with?  I've had enough.  It's crazy cold this weekend.  Yesterday was single digits.  A friend posted a picture on Facebook that she took in her car on her way to work and her themometer said 7 degrees.  Yep, that's all...just 7 little degrees.  So, I went to the kitchen to check my new fancy schmancy indoor/outdoor themometer and it said 7.5 degrees.  Later in the day my daughter came home and she noticed that it said 7.5 degrees so the temp hadn't changed.  Today it got all the way up to a sweltering 15 degrees!!  I think I will like this new themometer better in the summer when the outdoor temps can be higher than indoors.  Right now it's too depressing to look at the outdoor temp.  This was our family Christmas present.  There is a little unit that is hanging outdoors on the patio and the indoor unit is inside the house on the side of the refrigerator.  The outside unit sends the temp to the inside unit.  The indoor unit has a magnet on the back for putting on the refrigerator and it also has a stand that can be pulled out and folded out to set it somewhere. 

School is crazy.  I never expected this program to be easy and was prepared to work and study hard.  I'm overwhelmed, it's complicated stuff.  The teacher says that it's all going to come together.  I sure hope it does soon because I am so confused.  The first test is on Monday so I have been studying for that all weekend.  I am so glad that I didn't have to work yesterday.  I worked all day on my notes and writing stuff out to study and today I have been studying and also doing work for the other class.  My brain hurts! 

Well, it's time for me to go to bed.  I'm all studied out, my eyes hurt, my brain hurts, I'm quite exhausted for not doing anything physical today.  I did not go running then I felt like such a slacker and was totally jealous when friends Garmin Connect runs started showing up posted on Facebook.  I am a LOOSER at running this weekend.  I froze Thursday night, the footing was bad on the dirt roads which makes my legs so sore after a run.  I'm sure it's good for me but I just want to be able to go out and run and not have to worry about falling every second.  I can't let my mind wander when I run in snow; I'd fall for sure if I did!  I ran on a treadmill Tuesday and hated every second of it. 
Soooo, anyway there is all of my complaining about winter. 

Runner Nerd

It starts today

I'm off to my first day of being a full time college student!!
I'm finally starting the RT program!!  I've been working toward this for 2 years.  I started this blog around this time 2 years ago but I don't think I wrote much until the 2nd year. 
I ran 3 miles this morning.  Things are still sore from my fall on Saturday night and muscles still sore from running in the snow.  It wasn't fast or pretty but I did it!
Anyway.....here I go!!!!!!!

Runner Nerd
beginning a new chapter....

First race of 2011, first age group win

I ran my first race of the year and won my first age group award of the year!!  It was a small race.  It was an 8 miler night cross country race.  It was a fundraiser for a high school cross country and track program.  Four of the Thursday night running group members ran in this race. 

At the start line ready to go!

We all placed in our age groups!!

It was 15 degrees.  I fell during the race too.  I'm not sure why, but I think my foot stepped off the edge of pavement.  The race was on the school grounds.  I'm not sure what we were running on; it was some kind of driveway and was paved.  I think my foot stepped off the edge and I fell and got covered in snow which made my clothes wet and from that point on I was freezing.  It was around 5 miles into the run that this happened.  Much of the race was on grass and trails through woods.  That was hard to run on.  After the race I went into the school and changed out of my running clothes.  I am so glad that I took clothes; I almost didn't.  I was sitting at the school cafeteria table waiting around for the results with the others and saying that I wanted to just go since I didn't think I would place.  They said to stay there so I did.  I was shocked when I heard my name called first for the 45-49 age group!!  The medal is shaped like a star with runners in the middle!! 

Getting my medal. (wearing coat because I was still freezing)

Thursday night groupies showing off medals!



Right after race thawing out



Happy about my medal

So, that was exciting!!  Now that I am home I am beginning to feel all the places that hit the ground when I fell.  My left hip seems to hurt the most.  I have a burise on the side of my leg just below my knee. 
I've had enough winter now; it can go away now. 

Runner Nerd
age group winner

Orientation

Today is orientation for the Respritatory Therapy program that I will be starting on Monday!! 
I have been working toward this for 2 years!  I'm anxious and excited.  I can't wait to meet my classmates.  We will be together for the next 2 years.  I ordered my books from Amazon Textbooks and don't have them yet but I talked to a classmate last night and he said they are HUGE!  Oh joy, a backpack that weighs almost as much as I do!  One of the classes has 3 books.  I should have my books today.  I am leaving my garage door open so the UPS man can leave them on the steps to the door. 
Well, I better go get dressed. 

Runner Nerd
back to school

Sooooooo, these new Vibram five fingers ads

OMG!!! 
I was sitting in the middle seat on an airplane, my 19 yr old daughter by the window to my left and a complete stranger to my right.  I take out my new Runner's World magazine.  The magazine naturally opened by itself to a double page folded ad.  It reads: YOU are the stability/arch support/pronation control.  Being a person for whom pronation control is a necessity I opened the folded ad and, OMG, to my surprise see a naked woman except for her Vibrams!!!!!!!!!!!  I have to say I wasn't expecting that. 
I also had a Running Times magazine that I bought at the airport and when I was looking at it last night I saw the same ad folded into this magazine.  I almost didn't open the page since I've already seen the naked lady and wasn't really inclined to see her again but for some unknown reason I did open it and, WOW, it wasn't the naked lady from the Runner's World magazine but....this time it was a naked dude!!!!!!! 

So, this is the new way of advertising running shoes?????

Runner Nerd
who may never throw away her Jan/Feb 2011 Running Times

Emerald Nuts Midnight Run

This was the most fun I have had running in a long time!!  I can't believe it's over already.  I can't believe the weather!  It was 41 degrees which makes for comfortable running. 
We rode the subway to Central Park and just followed the crowds of people heading to the area where the race starts.  Emerald Nuts was handing out 2011 crowns.  Of course I had to have one!!  It was a mob in front of the tent where they were handing them out.  I finally got up there and my daughter and I got them and one for my sister.  (when she saw the crowd she said she didn't need one.) 

Doesn't everyone need one of these?



My daughter, me, my sister before the run.



 

I met up with a friend who lives in NYC.  I'm surprised that we were able to find each other with all the people in such a concentrated area.  We started making our way to the start and had to go quite a ways before we could even get into the starting corral.  There was music playing, people in costumes, lots of those noise maker horns,a bunch of kissing people and  lots of chaos!!  There was a count down and then FIREWORKS!!!!  We finally got moving and finally got across the start line 3.5 minutes after the run started to the sound of Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer".  It was slow going and nowhere to go at the beginning and for most of the first mile.  It took me nearly 12 minutes for the 1st mile.  The fireworks were still going off, I think I had run almost 2 miles when they stopped.  There were spectators all along the course and everyone was screaming and yelling HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  There was a water stop and a champagne stop!! (my sister told me later that it was sparkling apple juice.)  I planned to run with my sister, I told her I'd stay with her even though she thought she'd have to walk a couple times.  It wasn't far into the run and she  pointed out a person dressed like a cat and I  pointed out 3 men wearing ties with running clothes and then I did not see her.  I looked behind me, I stopped along the edge and looked for her but never saw her again.  So much for that plan!!   I continued on running and then saw my friend.  We ran along together for a while then got seperated.  Later on he and his brother flew by me.  I didn't want to run very fast anyway, I wanted to take it all in because I don't know if I will ever get to do it again.  When I crossed the 3 mile mark I guess I got caught up in the excitement and decided I'd pick up the pace and run the last mile faster.  Toward the finish there were more and more people along the edge and they were coming out into the road farther and farther and high-fiving runners and screaming and yelling!!  I'm guessing it was around a half mile to go when I got passed by a giant banana!!!  When the finish came into sight I didn't want it to end.  My time was 39:53 but seemed like it was only a few minutes.  I saw my friend standing at the end of the finish chute waiting for members of his running club.  I stood there to watch for my sister.  He asked me how I liked it and all I could say is that I am definitely coming back someday!!  I wish I could do it every year. 

After New Years Eve Midnight Run

Sooooooo, Here I am, back in my hotel room.  I can't believe it's over already.  I've been talking about this and looking forward to it all year and here it has come and passed that quick!  I think I want to plan to do this again New Years Eve, 2012 which will mean that I am graduated and will be calling myself a Respiratory Therapist!!!  Hmmmm......I think it sounds like a plan!!! 

We have to check out at 10am which is only a mere 5 hours away so I guess I should get some sleep. 

Happy New Year and happy running 

Runner Nerd

bringing in the new year from New York City