Six Miles in the Desert

I'm in Las Vegas for the International Writing Centers Association conference. I had Wednesday free while my colleagues ran a pre-conference workshop, so I rented a car and went to Red Rock Canyon National Conversation Area. I decided to run the White Rock/La Madre Springs loop--six miles of sandy, rocky, hilly terrain in 80-degree heat-- not to mention that Lansing, MI is at a wonderful 860 feet of elevation, and Red Rock is over 2500.

I did pretty well, for the first 5-1/2 miles. I didn't have to stop and power-hike very much. However, the last half-mile killed me. I had to definitely slow to a crawl because it was all uphill.

Still, it was a great day: Lots of sweet-smelling pinion pine and sage brush, many stellar and pinion jays, some odd-looking bunny and chipmunk things that we're like chipmunk and bunnies back home, some tiny cute lizards, and no snakes. Any trail run without snakes is usually a pretty good trail run.

Oh yeah, and then I go to go see Penn and Teller that night. So, overall, it was a very cool day.

Natures "Call of The Wild"?

OK, I'm sorry to put you through this, but there is nothing worse than being on a 4 mile run and nature "calls" at 1.8 miles. I sound like an Orca whale in labor trying to manage the situation. Plus, you can never get the shoes and warm ups off soon enough when you finally make it home. I leave a trail of running gear all the way to the poop-a-torium. Again I am sorry, but it's an often discussed subject when you are over 50 which you youngsters need to prepare yourselves for. You can thank me later.

Time to Pay the Piper...

In less than 48 hours I will be running my first half-marathon.

I'm kinda nervous and kind of excited at the same time. I'm really worried that when I get there I'm going to get so nervous I'm going to do horribly. But my plan is to tune everyone out except to cheer them on in my head. And the route is going to be GORGEOUS so I'm looking forward to distracting myself by looking out to the ocean.

I've trained enough, I know I can do the mileage. It's just making sure my mind doesn't get the better of me! And, seeing how fast I can do it :) I am aiming for under 2:30 but I'd really like to do it and average 10min. miles (so a little over 2:11). I generally can average 9-10min miles, unless there are hills and then it's variable (depending on different factors) - well this run has HILLS let me tell you.

Anyway, I am looking forward to it 'cause I think it will be fun, and I am gonna feel happy to have just finished it!

Wish me luck :)

A Great Run with an End that Sucked

I ran over five miles today at Lake Lansing Park. The first four miles were awesome: sunny and 70 degrees with that wonderful smell of autumn!

Then I came back to the parking lot. I was about to head out for another half mile or so and head straight back when I saw my husband who had also came out to trail run. While Bruce stretched, I ran tiny little circles around him. I should have just kept going, but no! We live in the same house and work at the same place, yet I never get to see him; therefore, I run in circles around him, which I'm convinced just dumped a boatload of bad karma on me.

After about a dozen circles, I took off down the trail again. I felt really good, so I decided to run out 7 minutes, turn around and see if I can make it back in 5 minutes.

I ran for awhile, checked my watch, and saw that I'd met my seven-minute goal. MISTAKE! In looking at my watch, I tripped over a root and landed spread eagle on the trail. (Luckily no one saw me but a squirrel.) My groin now hurt, but I was still determined to make it back in 5 minutes.

Two minutes later, a bug flew down my throat. I needed to cough it up, but I couldn't because after an hour or so of running, I really had to go to the bathroom. Coughing and running do not work together when you have to go to the bathroom as badly as I did at that moment. So, I tried to run faster in order to put myself out of my misery sooner.

But NOOOOOOO! I twist my ankle on another root with that darn bug still caught in my throat.

I made it back in 6 minutes, used the facilities, and coughed up a mosquito. Expletives deleted.

on being sick and not running

I haven't ran in a week. *la sigh* Too much sickness in me. I wanna be healthy and be able to run again!!!

Lesson I learn from being sick: you don't realize how great your health is or how good you have it until you don't have it any more. As cliche as this may sound, its true.

Here we coooome

With only 2 weeks until the half marathon training is rather important. So it's a good thing I have been sick and not running. harhar. I took about a week off, then went for a 3.5 mile (with the big hill), and an 8. Then I took another couple of days off.

Yesterday though I was pretty proud of myself. I did a 6mile run with Jess and we tacked in the normal hill (which is about a half mile long) and then immediately added another half mile of uphill. I made it up the first hill fine, but then I had to walk a couple blocks. BUT then I ran the rest of the route! woo! I was TIRED though.

The only thing I"m really worried about with the half is 1) the hills - there are 2 and I'm afraid they'll be huge (hello, it's in San Francisco! eveeel). and 2) my mental attitude. I do really well when I run alone or with select people because I just tune out and just run and don't have to think about it. But when other people run with me I get all worried I'm not doing as well as they are and then consequently I do horribly because I get discouraged.

SO my goal for the next two weeks is to work on both of these. #1 shouldn't be much of a problem. #2 is going to be a bit more of a challenge! But I can do it. *does the Rocky dance*