Just get out the door already.....

"For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning."
--T.S. Eliot,Nobel laureate in literature

It was dark at 7:30 by the time I finally got out the door for my run this New Years Eve. But I got out the door and got in a quick 5 miler to wrap up 2008. 1314.6 miles per my training log at Runners World. I'll make my 2009 debut tomorrow afternoon running the Nature Trail with the Rainbow Chupacabras.

2008 Year in Review

In my mind, 2008 was the year of the marathon for me. Looking at the results, it doesn't seem to be that way at all though. Stretching out the Great Alaskan Maritime Marathon into 3 seperate events, I completed 12 races this year. I PR'd at the Chicago Marathon and ran a 10 miler PR by default as Ten for Texas was my first race at that distance.

2008 was also the year of the achilles for me as I reinjured my left achilles tendon in early February and nursed it for most of the year. I do think I found a solution to my problem with custom orthotics that I started running in late in the year. Time will tell.

Here are the distances and months:
2 5k's {May and June}
1 5 miler {June}
1 9k {January}
1 10k {June}
1 10 miler {November}
4 1/2 marathons {January, February, April, June}
1 marathon {October}
1 200+ mile relay race [23.4 miles total for me] {February}

February and April races were run injured; no fun at all.
No March, July, August, September, or December races. Guess that's where the marathon training took up all my time and miles!

I'm looking forward to running the Houston Marathon next month and getting back to shorter distances for the remainder of 2009. The latter part of 2009 will have me running long again prepping for my January 2010 39.3 mile Goofy challenge weekend in Orlando.

My Running Window is Narrowing

I finally showed up for a Woodlands Fit Saturday morning run. I was teased Saturday morning about being a closeted warm weather loving runner because I hadn't shown up the prior 2 Saturday mornings opting instead to run later in the day when the temperatures were a little warmer. Well Saturday definetely proved that I'm not a warm weather runner. My shoes were soaked after running 21 miles in 70 degree 90 percent humidity weather. As I was also reminded that I don't run in the dark, I guess it has to be daylight between 55 and 65 degrees for me to run. I also don't like treadmills so I wonder how many days of the year I can run with all these limits???
I need to run 30 miles this week to average 25 miles per week for the year. Not bad considering my weekly mileage for the first half of the year with the achilles issues. 2006 was the first year that I tracked my mileage and I averaged 22 miles per week in 2006 and 23 in 2007. Pretty consistent the past 3 years I'd say.

The Science of Running

I just thought I was putting one foot in front of the other. After watching this clip of New Balance's 1063 I realize how much is really going on with each step.

New Balance has already come out with a replacement model for the 1062 that I just purchased back in May this year. I ordered the new model from New Balance Tampa to see if it was a "must have" model or if the 1062 suited me better. The 1063 seems to be alright but I went ahead and purchased 2 more pairs of the 1062 from Road Runner Sports on sale with an additional 15% off and free shipping. I still find the 1060 model of the line to be the most comfortable; although later models don't seem to break down as fast as the 1060 has.

I missed my scheduled track workout Tuesday after convincing myself that it was ok to skip out. I packed my workout bag with warm clothes for the workout, even remembered the right sports drink powder, valet key and had tights and a long sleeve shirt hat and gloves for the workout. What I forgot/left on the bathroom counter were the sweats for pre and post workout. I decided to head home to get them instead of heading to the workout directly from work. Once I got home that was it and I missed the workout; cold temps and pain in my neck all day long got the better of me. Wednesday morning I just added a towel to my workout gear that I had packed the day before. I hadn't really paid attention to the weather; I got out around noon for my run in tights and a long sleeve shirt to find Tuesday's 40 degree temps replaced by temps in the 60s and humid. I was way overdressed and sweat profusely while running. Thursday I ran in shorts and a sleeveless running shirt but was still soaked after my run with temps making it to the 70s. My last long run before Houston this Saturday has forecast high temps near 80; sweating's good for you right?

The Wetlands are Wet Again

Ooops I did it again..... slept in that is. I got out the door about half an hour earlier than I did last weekend Saturday. I had tentatively planned to run down Branch Crossing and do the Alden Bridge loop to get close to 12 miles in. The light on Woodlands Parkway at Branch Crossing had just turned green when I ran past it. I would've had to wait on cars to cross so I just kept going down Woodlands Parkway. I then decided to head on to Flintridge and get in some of the George Mitchell Nature preserve trails and then head back to get close to 12 miles.

I hadn't run in the Mitchell preserve since Hurricane Ike a few months ago. Lots of trees were down but The Woodlands Community Association had the trails all clear. I noticed a couple of new signs since I'd last been in there. They had a sign for "Bike Trails" and later I saw on for "West Trail." I stayed on the "Trail Loop" passing by the sign for "The Wetlands". Father's Day morning was when a few of us took the Wetlands trail in hopes of finding a connection to trails at Creekside Village, the newest village here in The Woodlands. We ended up getting lost for awhile and managed to find thorny vines and chiggers instead of connecting trails. I was right at 6 miles when I saw the "West Trail" sign so I took that to see where it would go. It only went about a tenth of a mile and stopped where the creek banks were too high to cross over. I turned around and retraced my route to get in a 12.2 mile run.

Sneaux Day

Many areas along the I-10 corridor experienced snow for the first time in quite awhile this past week. It was the earliest snowfall on record for many of those areas. All I got was some snow mixed with rain that didn't stick to anything as the temps were still too warm when the moisture came through. Watching people just east of me try to drive in that mess the next morning made me grateful for this; I know at a younger age I would've loved to see the stuff stick.

I let the dogs stay in Wednesday morning as the high was forecast to remain in the 40's . I worked til lunch and then ran my 5 miler on the treadmill at work before heading home to check on the dogs. Treadmill running is ok every once in awhile but I definetely prefer being out running.

Windy Track Workout

We somehow managed to dodge rain again last night at our Tuesday track workout at College Park. It was pretty windy as a cold front came through yesterday evening. After about a 2 mile warmup and no drills, we ran 4 1600's. Another mile to cool down and then stretch and I was on my way home nice and warm. I believe I'll get my 5 miles in today on the treadmill; 60% chance of rain and lunchtime temp below 40 in the forecast.

Just one more long run before Houston

That was what finally got me out the door Saturday afternoon right before 1:00. It didn't hurt that the afternoon weather was totally awesome for a long training run. My original plan was to run the early run and regular run with the Blue/Green Woodlands Fit group to get in my 20 miles. Looking at their maps/routes Friday evening I realized that I would be running closer to 21 miles than my scheduled 20. I also knew that they would be running much faster than my training pace as I try to run my long runs at least a minute per mile slower than my target marathon pace. They seem to run a race every Saturday morning. So snoozing once when the 4 o'clock alarm went off and then turning it off and catching more zzzzzz's was pretty much a no brainer. The Weather Channel also had the 4 am temps in the 30s.

I ran the same route that I ran the weekend before Thanksgiving; one big loop out my front door registered 19.2 miles. Unlike my pre turkey day run, Saturday's went fine for a training run. I ate more in the morning this time and didn't run out of gas the last few miles of the run.

Training for Chicago and piggybacking Houston has gotten to be a long training season for this half marathon runner. I'm looking forward to wrapping up what has turned into a long training stretch of way too many long runs over 15 miles. I definetely am a fan of the half marathon and look forward to returning to that distance in 2009.

December in Houston

Just back from a 5 mile run. 78 degrees and 60% humidity had me sweating like a summers day in most other parts of the country. Of course a summers day here in Houston would have my shoes squeeking from being soaked 2 miles into the run. The next 2 days should have highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s which should be our coldest weather of the season to date. This drastic change in weather conditions is what worries me most about the Houston marathon next month. However, it is totally out of my hands; just gotta hope for optimal weather conditions.

We ran 4 800s at interval pace at the track last night with a lap jog recovery in between 800s. We then ran a 3200 at threshold pace; was a nice, solid workout.

I came into the week fresh as I missed both my Thursday and Saturday long runs last week as I was out of town. I brought the running gear with me but just didn't get out the door. At least I got in a runner's core routine workout over the weekend.