good deed
i began my new year with a bit of trail running at the Retzer Nature Center. the recent thaw had melted the snow cover so i had to leave my snowshoes at home. afternoon temperatures were thirty degrees colder than yesterday so i was sporting much more gear than i had only 24 hours previously. as i began my run, i noticed a rogue flock of geese circling above. they aren’t the most stealthy of aviators as i could hear their incessant honking above the din of my ipod. regardless, i had the trails to myself and i settled into a shuffling pace while winding my way through the trails and open prairies.
about twenty minutes into my constitutional, i came across a cellphone lying on the boardwalk that i was running along. i stooped down to pick it up and put it in my jacket pocket and headed towards the park office where i dropped it off at the front desk. not wanting to become complacent with the warmth of the indoors, i quickly did a 180 and got back onto the trails.
rather than sticking with a single loop repeating over & over, i opted to mix up my run with taking different routes each time. in all, i mustered a bit more than five miles and headed back to my car for the short ride home.
MTD/YTD – 5.25 miles
Odometer – 31,111 miles
looking back
with one more year in the rear view mirror, it’s time to take stock of the year that was.
half empty
- didn’t meet my mileage goal of 2000 miles for the year – actual 1598 miles
- no races further than a half marathon
- right hamstring pull in the fall
half full
- solid effort at the Frankenmuth 10k this summer
- starting the new year without noticeable aches/pains
- passed the following milestones on my running odometer
- 30,000 miles (mid April)
- 50,000 kilometers (early December)
hopefully 2011 brings more miles and a marathon (or longer) event for me to focus on. time will tell.
victory lap
news is breaking from a small suburban city in southeastern wisconsin, that a middle-aged man was seen running through various subdivisions sporting a honolulu blue colored jersey with the number twenty upon it. while the person in question was dressed more like Ralphie’s little brother from “A Christmas Story” than the Hall of Fame running back, he displayed the dedication & perseverance of a true Lions fan as he slogged his way through the slush-covered, wind-blown streets. more often than not, city residents who were seen outside their homes sporting green and gold jackets were more concerned with removing the snow from their driveways. however, their canine companions voiced their displeasure with the rumbling, stumbling, die-hard fan. local authorities are not releasing the identity of this individual and are instead dismissing the incident as an isolated incident that isn’t likely to reoccur until the latter part of 2011.
under maintenance
in the past few weeks my right hamstring has improved to the point where i can run with a full range of motion without any twinges. for now, i’ve been focusing on getting in easy runs lasting 45 to 60 minutes and occasionally going a bit longer than an hour. weather-wise i can’t complain much as October has been warmer and drier than usual. that said, i still miss the fall racing scene. i was happy for my friends who had the opportunity to run their marathons, but really wished i would have been in a position to be out there as well. regardless, i’ll refocus my efforts through the fall and winter so that by the spring i’ll be able to toe the line again.
MTD – 72 miles
YTD – 1455 miles
Odometer – 30,963 miles
hamstrung hamstring
as i mentioned about a month ago, i strained/pulled my right hamstring for no real apparent reason or cause. an executive summary of the past few weeks would be that i mustered a poor effort at a local half marathon (1:33:35) then made a wiser decision to ease way back on the miles/pace to allow my hammy to heal up.
essentially, i’ve been running at an easy pace every other day for about 45 minutes and avoiding hills – – which isn’t easy to do in my neighborhood. the (relative) rest has paid off and i’m slowly working back to running on successive days without too much discomfort.
regardless, my fall racing plans have been effectively shelved as i’m not willing to risk running at a fast pace and do any further damage. so, for now, i’ll be aiming to work my way back up to four to five days a week and enjoy the fall weather.
MTD – 61 miles
YTD – 1,356 miles
Odometer – 30,864 miles