Runnin with the Ironmen again!

I ran with the triathlon group from the Y again today.  We ran 10 miles.  I kept up better today.  I ran an overall average pace of 9:30!!!!!!!! That's the best I've run any distance over 6 miles in a long time!  Part of our run was on a portion of the Falling Water trail.  The Army has a mile marked off out there in this section so 2 of them stopped at the Army finish line to catch their breath and then run all out for a timed mile.  I was just catching up to them when they were about to start, the coach said, "timed mile, come on, run it with us" so without any rest I took off!  (this was mile 9 so after running 8 miles we do this!)  I started out good but slowed around 1/2 mile then picked it up again and then really ran the last 1/4.  (The quarters are marked)  I had about 8:50, fastest I've run in forever!  I thought I was going to puke!  I managed to finish the last mile back to Sharp Park but not very fast. 
It was 14 degrees when we started and I don't think it got any warmer.  I put my coat on and got into the car but I couldn't sit back against the back of the seat because when I did that my 1st layer shirt was wet and FREEZING!!!!  I just love how all the sweat these fancy clothes wick away goes right back in as soon as you stop running!  
Later this afternoon I got a massage!!!  It's been sooooooooo long since I've had a massage.  I paid for it way back in the middle of November.  I was giving a presentation at a senior citizen health and wellness expo for work and got to talking to a woman who was there representing the place where I got the massage.  She was selling gift certificates during the expo for a really good price so I bought one with the intention of using it right after I finished last semester.  Well, last semester ended, Christmas came and went, New Years came and went and I am back in school again and still hadn't used the certificate so I called the other day and asked to make an appt with the sports massage therapist and found out that he was working today and had an opening in the late afternoon which was perfect, I could run in the morning and get a massage in the afternoon!!  The massage therapist is a runner too!  He has run the Boston marathon 5 times.  I also won a free massage from this same place several weeks back and I can't wait to go back!!!  (blog post about winning free massage)   Another very cool thing about this place---they give discounts to police, fire and EMS!!! (I work in EMS) 
So, I end this week with a total of 19 miles, way down from last week but due to getting out of work with not enough daylight left to get a run in twice during the week. 
OK, I suppose I should get at least a little bit of studying in now.  I did not even touch my books yesterday. 

Runner Nerd

No running group

A gigantic suicidal deer abruptly halted my journey to running group tonight.  It lept from the side of the road right into the side of my Jeep, I never saw it coming.  It hit me, I didn't hit it.  I didn't run over it, it hit and flung back onto the side of the road. 
Fortunately, I can still drive it until I can get it repaired.  It's been parked in the garage for over 2 hours now and nothing liquid has leaked out.  The headlights are intact but the right turn signal is gone.  The thingy that the bulb plugs into is still there and the wire seems to be intact so we are going to try plugging a bulb in and see what happens. 

Two men stopped.  One of them wanted the deer so at least the deer is going to be food for somebody!! 

My Jeep is very sad, I am too.  I feel like I let her down and didn't protect her.  All of the damage is on the front right side so I am positive that it will be repaired and not totaled.  I luv my diesel Jeep and would never be able to find another one.  She was the Jeep that nobody wanted and I rescued her!!!  I was looking for a used Jeep Liberty and stumbled on that one; it was 2 years old yet had never been owned, most likely because it was a diesel.  The dealership wanted to sell it badly and I got a really good deal.  For the first time in my grown up life I was looking for a used vehicle which was depressing.  (Kids in college changes your way of life fast)  So I was able to get a new vehicle after all and I have the lowest car payment that I've ever had!! 
Soooooooo, I will be the one in the navy blue Jeep Liberty missing it's front passenger side fender and turn signal and with a dent in the passenger door.  Don't laugh at me!

It's Thursday night!!!!!!!!!!!

One of my fellow Thursday night running groupies posted this on our google group this morning:

"The weather looks delightful for Polar Bears. At 6pm we can expect 18
degree temps and dropping. Winds 15 -21 mph. Snow flurries as well. So
we will start into the wind so it pushes us back home."

 I have to wonder....is this normal????  Most likely, people will not feel the need to yell their absurdities out their car windows in this weather!!!  
I am going to dress in the 2 most expensive pieces of clothing that I own (yes, that's true)  my Underarmour cold gear tights and shirt.  Over top of them I will wear a pair of lighter weight running pants and another winter running top,  and depending on the wind may wear a jacket too.  AND....of course, the dorky reflective vest and headlamp! 

Off for a run
Runner Nerd

12 miles today and 27.5 for the week!

I ran 12 miles today! That is the longest I've run in a long time.  The last time I ran 12 miles was September 12. The last time I ran more than 12 miles was the River Bank Run wayyyyyyyy back on May 9.  The last non-race run of more than 12 miles was April 23 and was 14.5 miles and my last long run for the River Bank Run.
I ran with a group of triathletes from the gym.  It rained most of the night and most of the morning, it rained most of my drive to the trailhead where we met.  It was 40 degrees which isn't too bad but I wasn't looking forward to a wet soggy run.   It actually stopped raining!!!!!!!! Toward the end of the run there were a few sprinkles here and there.  We got really lucky, I wasn't very far into my drive home when it started raining again.
I also had the highest weekly mileage in a long time.  I had 27.5 miles!  The last time I had that much was September 7-13th.  I have to admit that it was very difficult to get out there and run this week.  Tuesday I worked a few hours in the morning then had a dentist appointment.  After the appt I changed at the gym then went to the trail and ran 4, I sure didn't want to do it and almost only ran 3.  Wednesday I ran on a treadmill at the gym during the break between classes.  I told myself all morning that I wasn't going to do it because my mouth hurt.  I had some repair work done that morning (before going to class) to a root canal which was infected badly under the crown.  Again, I almost quit at 3 miles.  Thursday night was with my Thursday night running group and I always look forward to that so no problem there.  Yesterday I nearly didn't run since I was going to be running 12 today but after finding out a friend had just run 5 miles I changed and went out for a 3 mile run from home.  How pathetic --  I have to trick myself into getting out and running!  Oh well!
I know one thing and that is that I am ready for spring already!!!!

rode his bike 77 miles on his 77th birthday

I found this mentioned in another runner blog I read regularly and I found the newspaper article online.  A man in  North Carolina rode his bike 77 miles on his 77th birthday last Friday.  It took him 8 hours, he rode loops around a local county park.  People eventually realized what he was doing and he had people cheering him on!  He started riding 5 years ago on an old mountain bike.  He has since bought a new bike.  He has competed in Senior Games both at the local and state levels.
I absolutely love this quote: "So many people my age, they’re sitting all day long and watching TV and not using their minds ... and not taking care of their aging bodies,” Weimer said. “I want to do the best I can. I’m pretty lucky to have lived all these many years.”
Well, Mr. Weimer, I'm 30 years younger than you and so many people MY age are also just sitting around watching TV and not using their minds when they aren't at work and they certainly aren't taking care of their bodies.  You, sir, are an inspiration and an example to all of us!
Happy Birthday and YOU ROCK, Cal Weimer!!!!

Info from Greensboro News & Record. 16 January 2010. Online edition.

I'm a delinquent DVD renter

Thursday afternoon I rented a DVD at Blockbuster and the clerk informed me that I had an overdue DVD from over a week ago.  OOPS!!  I was sure that I had returned it.  I told her it was possible that it was in the car and I'd look.  She let me rent the one I wanted to rent and said that if I find the overdue one when I get home to call in and tell them that I found a DVD that I had forgotten to return.  I said I'd do that if I didn't find it in the car.  It wasn't in the car but when I got home guess what I found laying on the dining room table!!  I called the store and told her that I found it.  She told me to return it as soon as I could and I wouldn't be charged  extra.  What she said next really surprised me.  She said, "I wish all customers who have this happen were as nice as you."  Geez, are people really that bad when they themselves forget to return a DVD?????   I was rather embarrassed when I realized that I was delinquent in returning the DVD.
I returned the DVD today and took it in and gave it to the clerk who was working there today.  He scanned it and said I didn't owe anything!!! 
Sooooooo, the moral of the story is...be nice to the Blockbuster clerk and they won't charge you for an overdue DVD!!!

Winter Running

After work today I went to my favorite place to run-Bandemer Park in Ann Arbor.  I don't know what the temp was, probably in the 20s.  I changed in the back seat of my jeep as usual (the reason tinted windows were invented!).  This is the first winter I've ever run there.  This is the 2nd time I've run there since it has snowed.  I forgot to take my yak trax.  (actually they are "fake" yak trax--Target cheapies)  I needed them.   It wasn't snowing when I started but somewhere along the way began snowing.  As I was approaching my favorite part of the run--the wooded trail beginning near the Argo Canoe Launch I noticed that it was snowing.  I sure wish I had a camera with me, I'd have driven over there after my run and taken a picture.  Running toward the entrance to the woods with the ground and tree branches already covered with snow and the snow falling was quite a sight.  I got the thought to take pictures from this viewpoint in every season.  (for some reason I seem to make all kinds of plans when running!)  It was difficult running through the woods with the snow but it was an enjoyable run.  It is a much different view in the winter.  Argo Pond is frozen and there are animal tracks going across it.  I felt so lucky while running through the woods.  Mainly just because I CAN!!  I felt very healthy and very alive and adventurous in the woods; just me, winter running gear, winter trail running shoes and Garmy!!  I thought about people running on treadmills in gyms and they don't know what they are missing.  It takes twice as long to dress for an outside winter run and you have triple the sweaty stinky clothes to wash...ok, now I am beginning to question the sanity!!  Well, it couldn't have been too bad because I saw other people out running too!!  If I remember right I saw 6 other runners during my run. 
One thing that crossed my mind today while running along slowly through the snow with bad footing was, is this effective for training for a marathon in the spring?  I feel like I am using the same effort as I would if I was running a 9 minute pace because of the bad footing and the snow.  My average pace today was 10:22.  Sometimes I really had a hard time if the snow was deep and if there were already a bunch of tracks through it.  To train for a 4 hour marathon I need to be running faster than that. 

I start classes again on Wednesday.  I sure have enjoyed having a break.  I'm kinda excited about doing the college thing again.  (geez, I really am a nerd!)

Well, it's time for bed. 

Runner Nerd
winter runner