october musings

i took an easy 2 mile recovery run yesterday morning, about 7:30 a.m. why 2 miles? it's just a logical loop through the neighborhood that i chose that happens to be 2 miles. i felt fine, although it's still just so dang muggy and i just get so dang hot that i can't go as fast as i would like to. i was surprised that i really wasn't that sore or tired after the ATM on sunday. my legs did ache a bit sunday afternoon, but i rested, took an advil, and it went away rather quickly. my only other complaints are a sore toenail and mildly sore hip flexors. that's all.

later in the day we set record temperatures as we reached 94 in DC, and Dulles International Airport. 94? this is october. weird weather. the leaves are changing color, and we have the AC on! the weatherman promises changes are coming over night and we'll be enjoying typical october weather in the morning.


my daughter and i signed up for the veteran's day 10K in washington dc on november 11th. we're both really looking forward to that.

i'm also considering doing the 5K at William and Mary's Homecoming on october 28th. i love going down to "the Burg" as my daughter calls it. i love "CW" (colonial williamsburg), all the outlets, the little local dives...and yeah...i've been to The "Leafe" (Greenleafe Tavern).... this time i'm finally going to Sno To Go, which is undoubtedly a right of passage.

#1 son leaves for Parris Island on 10/22. the weekend trip to the Burg is something i planned to keep my mind off my "baby" leaving home.

not to be outdone by his old maw, the "baby" went out on monday and ran an equivalent 10 miles on the trails around the neighborhood in the heat & humidity. he finished in about an hour. ahhh. that's so cute.

my ATM stats

i got my time from the army ten miler. i did exactly like i thought i did. what's even better? since this was my first ever ten mile event, i PR'd!!!

overall place: 16645
division: female: 45-49
division place total: 629/
sex place/total: 6809/
chip time: 2:15:16
gun time: 2:38:56

i've been reading the message boards at the http://www.armytenmiler.com/ web site. omg. lot's of discussion regarding the poor young man who died, as well as the lack of water on the course. i'm so sorry for him and for his family and friends. how very sad and tragic.

the one with the army 10 miler

i did the entire army 10 miler.
i beat the bus!
i had an awesome time!

washington d.c. is a beautiful city, and this was a wonderfully scenic course. i wholeheartedly recommend it to everybody!!

my strategy today was to run 12 minutes and to walk 2 minutes as long as i could. it was quite warm and extremely humid, so i had to really take it easy if i wanted to get through the whole 10 miles. i carried a little water bottle with me the entire time, which was the smartest thing i have ever done. if i wasn't drinking water, i was pouring it over my head to keep myself cool!!

i lost ground at a potty stop at watering hole number 1. sheesh. but didn't have to "go" anymore after that.

around mile 6 there was some weird CONCENTRATED GATORADE. omg. blech blech blech but it's supposed to be good for you? blech blech i thought it tasted alot like sweat. blech

around mile 7 we ran past the capitol building. it was so beautiful. i invaded a fountain there that was within our course range and re-filled my water bottle ...not to drink, but to keep pouring water on my head. phew. it was stinking hot! with the humidity so high, people were cooking. ambulances were running all morning. eek.

around mile 8 there wasn't any water. finally it seemed some was brought to that station before i passed it completely, and at the very last table i got a big drink of water. i was super thirsty, and still had the yucky leftover sweat taste of the gatorade piss. big rookie mistake, man. i drank a whole cup...and immediately regreted it because i got a cramp. oh well...so i walked really fast most of mile 8. in hind sight, getting that water was really important! there were no more water stands after that.

at mile 9 i was getting happy to see i still had energy to burn, but was only comfortable now running 4-5 minutes and walking 3-4 minutes. ugh. hot hot hot! folks around me were pretty much doing the same. no shame in walking. better than heat stroke, any day!

the last mile was surreal. we were on the exit to the pentagon. the sun was blasting us. people were literally staggering along. it was hot as blazes there. i think i got through it because i had managed to down water at mile 8, and i was still carrying my trusty water bottle, with just enough water to keep pouring on my head. it was the most challenging and longest mile of the entire race i think. i kept up my walk/jog combo as best as i could but when we got to the last 1/4 mile i knew i could run the rest of the way. i asked the woman on my right if she'd like to run the last 1/4 mile together, and she agreed. we kept gathering women as we went. with our encouragement we picked up about 15-20 women who ran the last 1/4 mile all together. that was awesome. i even had enough energy left to kick it in the last 30 meters or so. yay! that felt so amazing!

i think my time was about 2 hours 15 minutes. i beat the bus, guys!! i beat the bus!!
army 10 miler, babyyyyyyyyyyy!

http://www.armytenmiler.com/


................
ps i read later in the washingtonpost.com that a runner died at the race today. my heart goes out to who ever that was and to their family.

Fairfax Runner Dies in Army Ten-Miler Race
Associated PressSunday,
October 7, 2007; 4:14 PM
ARLINGTON, Va. -- An unidentified runner from
Virginia died Sunday during the Army Ten-Miler race, collapsing near the finish
line at the Pentagon.
The runner collapsed about 200 yards from the finish
line, said Col. Jim Yonts. Arlington County medics took the runner to George
Washington University Hospital.
The cause of death was not known. The runner
was a civilian, not a member of the military, Yonts said.
The race started in
70-degree heat and high humidity. Race officials said there was plenty of water
and first aid stations along the course.
More than 25,000 people registered
for the 23rd annual race -- the largest 10-mile race in the United States. The
course runs from the Pentagon, across the Potomac River through the streets of
Washington, past the Capitol and back to the Pentagon.
Runners included
amputees who were injured in Iraq and a group of 36 women from Georgia whose
husbands are deployed in the war zone.
One other race death occurred in 1990,
Yonts said.
© 2007 The Associated Press
'

just another race weekend?

america's largest 10 mile race is being held this sunday in washington, d.c.
yes, folks, it's the ARMY TEN MILER!!

you know the old saying, "this seemed like a good idea 3 months ago?" when i signed up to do this race six months ago, when i was back in switzerland, i was using it as a motivator to keep me moving through the hot summer months because i was SURE that by october 7 it would be COOL.

well, get ready my fellow ten milers, it's " going to be a bumpy ride!" our starting temperatures will be in the 70s with humidity in the 84% range, according to the army 10 miler web site. whenever the humidity is higher than the air temperature, you're just not going to feel very comfortable. anyone who has followed my complaints in my blog entries, knows that i am not a huge fan of this kind of weather.

so whatever. i'm dwelling on it, and whining a little bit, aren't i?

it's just going to be what it's going to be. i am re-adjusting my goals for this race since i do know my limitations with this kind of weather. i plan to run as long as i can, then walk to cool off some, then run some more. we'll just see! right? my best friend says to just "relax and enjoy the day." i will take her advice.

this entire week i've been fretting over the yucko weather, and complaining about yucko runs. i've stomped into the house several times with sweat pouring off of me, whining, "why is this so haaaard?" " why can't i be faaaaster?" "why isn't this getting any eeeeeasier?" i had to give myself a kick in the rear and a reality check...i went over my running log (it's posted on the right side of my blog)...... look at it, ok? go look at my first workouts last winter...and then look at my latest ones. i have accomplished a lot for myself. ok ok ok..maybe i'm not a RUNNER...but i'm at least a jogger, and i'm out there, on my two little feet, complaints and all.

this race -- the army 10 miler -- is a celebration of my accomplishments.
if you're in this race with me, i'll be the sweating, red faced, middle aged woman with a pony tail at the very back of the pack!! if i'm lucky, i won't be the very last one across the finish line...but hey, someone has to be last, right?

yall have a good weekend.
HOOAH!

the one with the really long run

this is the famous tyson's corner landmark we all call "the toilet bowl." i stayed at a hotel across the street from it from the beginning of july until mid august. all that time i managed to run in spurts here and there. i really disliked running there. i'm very happy that now that we're all moved into our real house, i can enjoy running around the neighborhood, or even better, taking to the trails in the woods behind the house. the trails aren't as extensive as the ones i enjoyed back in switzerland, but i can easily use a 1.5 mile link over and over again. and that's what i did today. i ran it 3 times. it took be a little over 2 hours. i walked for a couple of minutes every mile or so just to make sure i didn't "over do""it. at my "advanced age" i'm all about that! i just wanna keep being able to keep on keepin' on. i'm just sayin'.

this is the last weekend before the Army 10 Miler so i went out and ran and ran for 2 hours along the trails. with cooler temps and lower humidity i was in heaven. i'm not sure how far i technically went, but if i did a paltry 15 minute mile then i probably managed about 8.6 miles. if i kept up my average pace of around a 12 minute mile, then i managed about 10.75. hmmm. i don't think i went that far, so, i'm guessing my distance fell in between somewhere. i wanted to cover 8 miles today, so i'm satisfied with that.

supper tonight - mr. wonderful took me out to the local chinese restaurant. yeah, baby. no cooking! good food! and now....football.

have a great one.

summer's last hurrah

after mother nature teased us all this past week with low humidity and temperatures in the mid 70s, on saturday she gave us a reminder what summer in virginia is all about. with humidity higher than air temperatures, i ventured out early saturday morning to join in a 5K run by the Navy Federal Credit Union. although the actual air temperatures were only in the upper 70s, my hopes of "PRing" quickly faded about half way through when i felt like i had wrapped myself up in "Glad Wrap" and i was pouring sweat and my breathing was labored. i am definitely not used to this, even though i've been struggling all summer long to run in it as much as i could. so, anyways, not wanting you to read my obituary instead of my blog, i broke down and walked....and walked quite a few more times when i felt like i needed to. sigh. i was able to "kick it in" the last 100 meters, and that was fun and i crossed the finish line "in style!" ha. my time? well...36:30. slower than the last two 5Ks i did. sigh. i was 13th out of 18 in my age group. sigh. and i was 101st out of 158 women. my consulation is i wasn't last, and a year ago, i wouldn't have been able to do this at all! and yeah... i got a free t-shirt.

rare dinosaur sighting!

did you know, i'm so excited today! one of my favorite bloggers has reappeared after a long silence!! see Dinosaur!

in my personal running news: yeah...i'm still plodding along. the heat and humidity have been hard for me after my seven years in europe. ugh. but last weekend i was able to get in a little over 5 miles. it was nice and slow, and i was hot and uncomfortable the entire time, but somehow it felt marginally better than the 5 miles i did the week before when the weather was actually cooler.

i am SO ready for fall weather!!!

our house is unpacked. almost all of the pictures have been hung and most of the clutter has either been sent on to the salvation army, or dealt with. nina is happy because both of "her kids" are at home.

i'm sipping coffee now ....trying to battle the demons in my head who say DON'T RUN TODAY!! it's only 74 degrees but it's 91% humidity. yuk. oh well