no snow
admittedly, i was bummed that the snowshoe race i was planning to do was cancelled due to the lack of snow. i could have shown up for a local 5K/10K, but opted to head out on a long run instead. the twenty miles i ended up with was the longest i had run since October 2009 when i ran a rather disastrous trail 50K. a check on my GPS data said that i had ran the final 13.1 miles in 1:36:26, which bodes well when i do re-emerge for a few final turns in the 35-39 age group this spring.
2/8 – 5.25 miles (noon)
2/9 – 5 miles (noon)
2/10 – off
2/11 – off
2/12 – 6 miles (3pm)
2/13 – 5 miles (noon, found a $1 bill on the sidewalk)
2/14 – 5.5 miles (noon)
2/15 – 5.25 miles (noon)
2/16 – 5.25 miles (noon, rolled thirty three thousand on my odometer)
2/17 – off
2/18 – 20 miles (12:30pm, averaged 8:15 pace for the first 7 miles then averaged 7:22 pace for the last 13 miles)
2/19 – 6 miles (11am)
2/20 – 5 miles (noon)
MTD – 116.5 miles (16/20 days)
YTD – 311 miles (46/51 days)
Odometer – 33,034 miles
winter rules
today’s constitutional led me through a local par three golf course for a bit. while there’s little to no snow, it’s a bit cold out for golfers so i didn’t have to evade any stray shots. before you get your knickers in a bind, i didn’t set foot on any of the greens and kept mainly to the fairways and cart paths.
while cruising along on the back nine, i stooped over to snag a wayward golf ball (Top-Flite) with the giddiness of a child finding an Easter egg. continuing onto the front nine, i let out another yelp as i scored yet another (Callaway). admittedly, it felt a bit awkward running the twenty minutes or so back to the locker room while carrying two golf balls in the palm of my hand. (insert self-deprecating joke here)
previously, my personal record for golf balls found during a run had been “1” so i’m still setting PR’s at thirty nine and a half.
before launching into a recap of the last week or so, i am now obligated to cite a brief caddyshack reference.
Danny: “Why don’t you improve your lie a little, sir?”
Judge Smails: “Yes. Yes. Winter rules.”
1/30 – 5 miles (noon)
1/31 – 5 miles (noon, 193.6 miles for Jan. 2012)
2/1 – 5 miles (noon)
2/2 – off
2/3 – 5 miles (noon)
2/4 – 18 miles (9am, averaged 8:10 per mile pace)
2/5 – 10 miles (3pm, first five in 41:00 and second five in 36:45)
2/6 – 5 miles (noon)
2/7 – 5 miles (noon)
MTD – 48 miles (6/7 days)
YTD – 241.6 miles (36/38 days)
Odometer – 32,966 miles
rock star
so i’m out snowshoeing in the late afternoon at the retzer nature center, which is just down the road from our house. all things considered, it’s a pretty normal sunday afternoon for me considering i’m its “mayor” on foursquare. regardless, as i am making my way uphill i made my way past two hikers coming downhill who snapped a picture or two of my as i passed. no big deal. i guess i’m i bit odd or perhaps even interesting. as i make my way around the backside of my mile long loop, i find myself bounding down a long downhill and notice that the shutterbugs are snapping photos away at the foot of the hill. admittedly, i didn’t mind much but i did feel a bit self-conscious. as i turned past them, i exchanged pleasantries and went along on my way. i only wish they had been around when i clipped the inside of my ankle with my snowshoe a bit later into my workout. i let out a string of expletives that would embarrass the most eloquent of cussers. nevertheless, for the remainder of my workout i was a bit more focused on form and refrained from further verbose outbursts.
1/16 – 4 miles (started running during the 2nd quarter of the NYG-GB playoff game, couldn’t watch it)
1/17 – 5 miles (noon)
1/18 – off
1/19 – 5 miles (noon, treadmill)
1/20 – 5 miles (noon, treadmill)
1/21 – 5 miles (3pm, retzer nature center, atlas aspect snowshoes)
1/22 – 5 miles (noon, retzer nature center, redfeather “running” snowshoes)
1/23 – 4 miles (noon, treadmill)
1/24 – 5 miles (noon)
1/25 – 5 miles (noon)
1/26 – 5 miles (noon, last two miles were at 7:15 pace)
1/27 – 15.75 miles (6pm, indoors at the pettit center, two hours flat, first hour averaged just under 8:00 pace for 7.5 miles, second hour averaged 7:20 pace for remaining 8.25 miles)
1/28 – 6.25 miles (3pm, two loops around the ‘hood before church)
1/29 – 8 miles (3pm, retzer nature center, redfeather “running” snowshoes)
MTD/YTD – 183.6 miles (28 days)
Odometer – 32,908 miles
orange sled
while out on an easy noon hour run, i spotted an abandoned sled left lying at the foot of a small snow covered hill. as i approached it, a thought rolled through my head that i should step off the partially plowed roadway and take a quick ride down the hill. admittedly, i chickened out and simply headed back for a quick shower.
1/1 – 5 miles (11am, easy, home in time for DET-GB kickoff)
1/2 – 13.1 miles (trail run at retzer in two hours, cold & windy)
1/3 – 4 miles (easy, noon, treadmill)
1/4 – 5 miles (easy, noon)
1/5 – 7 miles (5am on the glacial drumlin)
1/6 – 5 miles (easy, noon)
1/7 – 10 miles (6:30am, averaged 8:00 per mile)
1/8 – 10 miles (4pm, first 4 miles at 8:00 pace, last 6 miles averaging 7:20 pace)
1/9 – 5 miles (easy, noon)
1/10 – 6 miles (5am on the glacial drumlin)
1/11 – 5 miles (easy, noon)
1/12 – 5 miles (easy, noon)
1/13 – 4 miles (easy, noon, was tempted to go sledding instead)
1/14 – 14.5 miles (7am, indoor at the pettit center, averaged ~7:40 per mile, gave Chris an elbow for hogging the inside lane)
MTD/YTD – 98 miles (14 days)
Odometer – 32,823 miles
so far
the new year is starting off fairly solid for me. earlier this week i rolled a two hour training run out at the retzer nature center over my one mile loop, accumulating 13.1 laps. admittedly, i didn’t go there with the intent of running that far but somehow it just made sense to keep going. i wish i could bottle and save the sheer buzz after a long run as it’s something to savor. looking back at the last two years, the longest i have run has been only fifteen miles, which is a trend that i’ve got to change as i’m now considering not wearing anything that says “marathon” or “ultramarathon” on it for the risk of false advertising.
MTD/YTD – 34 miles (5 days)
Odometer – 32,759 miles