Some pictures of the pets and us

Note: The picture of me by the Indigo Crow sign is in New Mexico, about two hours before our wedding a few years back. We ate lunch there before getting married. I told the waitress we were getting married because I thought maybe we would get a free meal. It didn't work. As for the picture of Bill, I have no idea where it was taken but it appears that he is eating delicious fried food from a basket. (You know fried food is excellent when it comes in a basket.) The all-black cat is Teela, who was my only pet back before Bill and all the dogs. She's 10 this year and holding up well. The other kitty is Macy, who is 8 and in kidney failure. Don't worry too much about her; she's been in kidney failure about 3-4 years and is hanging in there.

No gloves, no I-Pod, and No Murphy

I returned about 4:00 from today's 5+ mile run. Actually, it was a tempo run, with the first and last miles run at an easy pace, and the middle three miles at a hard pace. It ended up being 5.5 miles, rather than 5, because I thought I was closer to home than I was toward the end of the run and miscalculated by route. According to my training plan, the hard pace was supposed to be 9:49, but I wasn't even close. I ran hard, but I had to climb over some snow banks and splash through some slush. It was almost a minute slower per mile than it was supposed to be, but I'll take it. It was about 18 degrees, maybe about 7 or so with the windchill, but the snow falling made it a nice run. I opted for my warm weather tights, with no pants over top, a moisture-wicking shirt, a pullover, and then my new North Face fleece. I had a hat and gloves, too, but I took the gloves off about 5 minutes into the run, which is typical for me.

I saw an older man walking a Bichon at about mile 4, and he asked with concern, "No gloves?" I think he would have given me his gloves, but I explained that they were in my pockets and he seemed to feel better. I also wore my beloved Yaktrax and my gators, of course. I saw a former student of mine drive by while I was running, and he honked and waved. It was amazing that he was able to recognize me with my get-up.

I haven't been using my i-pod lately when I run. This is mostly because I sometimes have to run on the road to avoid snow/ice, and my goal is to avoid getting hit my a car. I've also been running at night more. So, I've been going sans music mostly for safety reasons. Also, the headphobes worn under a hat are annoying to me. It's interesting; I used to think I needed the music, but I'm sort of enjoying running without it. I think it contributes to the feeling of calm that winter running brings. I also like hearing the snow and ice crunch under my feet.

I'm still want to take Murphy out running with me this winter, but I'm unsure it will work. With all of the snow we have on the ground, I worry it wouldn't be pleasant for either of us. I'm not sure how well he'd do with trudging through all that; he's a smaller guy--only 26 pounds--and his legs are pretty short. Yet, I know that Murphy isn't getting enough exercise because he's increasingly annoying. Maybe he's like me in that sense. More running means less crankiness. I've seen some little dog booties online; not sure if those would be useful for him or not. Of course, he'd look ridiculous.

Rest Day & My Beloved Yaktrax

I started a new running plan yesterday. I got the plan from Runner's World's website. It is a 16 week training plan for a 1/2 marathon on April 17, which is the Drake Relays 1/2 Marathon in Des Moines. Today was the 2nd day, and a rest day. It could also be a cross training day, so I could get on my spin bike this evening, but I probably won't. I don't have anything better to do, but the spin bike just seems boring. Tomorrow is a 5 mile run, with the first and last miles run at a slow and easy pace and the middle miles picked up to a much quicker pace. It's great to have the Garmin for a run like that. It keeps me from being a slacker. I expect the weather tomorrow to be about 15 degrees, which I don't mind, as long as it's not unusually windy.

Bill and I signed up to do the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Chicago on Aug. 1. I know it's a long way off, but I'm pretty excited. I've never done one of the Rock and Roll events before, but always wanted to. We've got our hotel reservations already. I'm planning on doing several halfs in 2010; not sure yet if I'll do a full. After my knee surgery, I worry about getting injured training for a full. I'd be devastated if I missed another summer of running.

Speaking of running in Chicago in August, the weather here as of late has been pure Iowa December. Some wind chills below zero and lots of snow and ice on the ground. The good news is that I have discovered Yaktrax. If you are not familiar, check out the following:

http://www.yaktrax.com/yakfacts.aspx

http://beginnertriathlete.com/cms/Article-detail.asp?Articleid=1080&vote=10

http://tracktrailrunner.blogspot.com/2009/02/gear-review-yaktrax-walker.html

I echo all of the reviews on these babies. Yaktrax are amazing. I'm told they wear out quickly, but that doesn't even bother me. They are $30, so I'll just grab another pair if these start to fail me. I've been running in them almost a month now, and I've yet to fall. I wouldn't be out running without them. The first time I wore them, it took me about 15 minutes to get them on. However, I've since figured out the trick--you have to put your shoes on FIRST. I love these so much that I insisted my husband get a pair as well. We both wore them to run the Snow Shuffle 5k earlier this month. Yesterday, I was running in a residential neighborhood around here and I passed a guy who was also wearing them. As we passed each other, he shouted, "Love the Yaktrax! They're the best!" I think I yelled something like, "Totally!"

I would recommend Yaktrax not just for runners but for people who are just worried about slipping and falling on ice and snow. The ones I have are the pros, but they make ones called "walkers." I'm not totally sure of the difference, but the pros were about $3 more expensive at my local sporting goods store. I know someone who bought the "generic" version of Yaktrax, but wasn't impressed. I recommend the real thing.

The Mediocre Runner

I never would have expected to start a blog about running. First of all, a blog seems rather self-indulgent. I mean, who wants to hear the mundane details of my running? I really don't expect anyone read this...except maybe my parents on a slow day. However, I like to write. I even wrote a series of novels in kindergarten (about a fictional family--the Kits; my mom still has them). I've been encouraged to keep a running journal of some kind. The value of a running journal is that you can see the progress that you've made, but it just seems boring. Maybe a blog could be a way to keep a running journal for myself. A running journal that is a little less boring.

I begin by saying that I am not a fast runner. I've done 5ks, 10ks, 1/2 marathons, and even one marathon (although the full marathon was a combination of running and walking). I've been running seriously (or maybe a better word is regularly) for about 6-7 years. My PR for the 5k is 22:30, although my usually time is between 26:00 and 30:00 in the past couple of years. In fact, I think that the course I ran the 22:30 on might have been mis-measured. Maybe not. Maybe I just had a good day. I'm usually around 2 hours for a 1/2 marathon. If I come in under 2 hours, I call the day a success. I've won some local races in my age group. However, many of those wins have come when there were four or fewer people in my age group. Once I won a 10k women's division. I was the only woman in the race.

I had minor knee surgery this past August. I was unable to run all summer, and (as my husband will tell you) I was a complete bitch. I saw people running along the road and wanted to hit them with my car. Okay, I am exaggerating, but it was rough for me. I was able to get back to running by Oct. 1 and ran/walked a marathon with my mother-in-law on Oct. 18. Overall, I call it a success. After a summer off, I am just thrilled to be running again.

I have somewhat of an obsession with running gear. I tend to be very cheap in some ways, but I do not hesitate to splurge on running gear. I've learned that it's worth it. Winter running gear is my latest passion. I have found the best cold-weather tights, the best hats for keeping your ears warm when it's below 0, you name it...I think my obsession with gear keeps me running. I HAVE to go running to justify $60 tights.

My latest toy is the Garmin 405, which keeps track of my time and mileage. I had an older Garmin, and I have to say that Garmins have come a long way. My new Garmin is worth every penny. I should say "our" Garmin, although my husband hasn't used it as much as I have thus far.

Oh, and my husband, Bill. Bill is a much faster and somewhat more accomplished runner than I am. He's done several marathons, and ran cross-country in high school...he got into running in high school. I didn't really pick it up until my mid-20's. Bill is one of the big reasons I got interested in running. I ran before I met him, but he showed me that "real" running and racing was something that wasn't beyond my reach. He's also the reason that I started doing triathlons. He and his father were planning to do their 1st one and Bill had a book about how to train. One night, when I couldn't sleep, I picked up the book and had a revelation. Maybe I could do it. And I think I've done maybe 6-7 of them (sprints)--some more successfully than others. I've also done a few as a part of a team, and that's always fun.

I have two regular running buddies. One is Bill--although I probably do more runs without him than with him. The other is Murphy, who is our beagle mix from a local shelter. He's about three years old now. He can run forever. However, it's winter now, and I hesitate to take him out on the snow and ice. He's certainly not a Husky. He isn't always fond of winter weather, and I worry about snow and ice getting stuck up in the pads of his paws. In the spring, he'll be back on the trails with me. You can see Murphy below. He's the one in the middle. (Yes, all three are our dogs.)