On New Year's eve we had some beautiful (but cold for here), weather. It only made sense to make the most of it, so I took my dog (I dog-share with my inlaws. It's complicated.), to a logging road I only recently discovered was any good for running.
Showing posts with label animals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animals. Show all posts
Thursday, January 1, 2015
NYE Run ~ The Trail I Was Bound to Find
On New Year's eve we had some beautiful (but cold for here), weather. It only made sense to make the most of it, so I took my dog (I dog-share with my inlaws. It's complicated.), to a logging road I only recently discovered was any good for running.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Running, At the track, and (warning) dead animal pictures
Would you rather run when it's 90F at 3 pm, or would you rather see this ?
And have the option to wear my ipod.
This is a good transition into why I have been running odd hours.
One reason has to do with my husband's hunting season. The best hours for Elk hunting are dusk/dawn. So I have been saving my running for later.
Before you think I am some kind of wife hero for "letting" him hunt, I should tell you that i have been a little grumpy about it at times. So...if you are reading, honey, I AM SORRY. Now go get the dang elk, already!!
I think Jon might have been bummed when he and his hunting buddy, Brandon, decided to take a break for a few days, then Brandon went out "just to look" for some elk and ran across one of these:
The bear part of the combo tag got filled, and I feel a bit safer running at night again.
***
Running strange hours also led to an interesting speed workout.
I happened to be visiting at my parents house and left after the kids were asleep (Yes, I did come back for them, eventually!). I also forgot to pack my Garmin, which I have started to get a little attached to. This seemed like a good test for me to withdraw from the pace babysitter. I brought my regular wristwatch, a written assignment for intervals and repetitions, and headed to the track under the lights.
Sidenote: I had never done a track workout in my life. (ok once a year in PE and once for a mile last summer). All this speed work I have been doing has been on the road with the beeps and measurements programmed into my watch. "RUN 200M" and other things flash instructions to me at the right time and place, and I follow the prompts, hoping the satellites are tracking-- and that what I typed/wrote on my hand was correct.
Just as the softball teams were wrapping up, I stepped out to the narrow oval of gravel track, and - blink- the lights went out. On went my headlamp.
I placed a waterbottle near the first turn so I could have a marker, and proceeded to warm up and visualize the workout I had coming up. It was one I had done recently:
4 x 200M @ repetition pace (42 secs using my VDot)
3 x 1000M @ interval pace (3:50)
2 x 400M @ repetition pace (1:25)
What followed was not pretty.
These are the notes I copied from my log:
At my parents house and left my Garmin at home.
I really have no idea what my total miles were tonight. I think i ran about 26 laps +/- on the track, but lost count, plus back to their house.
warmed up 2 1/2 miles I think....
Speed workout = Baah. Not one of those confidence boosters.
Gravel track at middle school: weeds, in the dark. no markings- just guessing. And. oh do I hope it's a 440 (440 yard track)- but I doubt it.
200 Reps, GP= 42 secs- 45,44,41,43 plenty of recovery
3x1000 - 2 minute rests (What the hecK?? That's 2 1/2 laps around right?) G =3:50 Not a chance after the 200s. 4:12, 4:01, 4:02
2x400 Reps G= 1:25---- 1:32, 1:36 with adequate recovery.
I will chalk this up as:
a) gravel
b) just a **appy workout
c) hormones
d) I am in the wrong training VDOT despite my races
e) long track
f) uphill track
g) dark night without good markings
h) anything else I can blame
So much for my first track workout! I rocked!
***
I did get a little neurotic about missing all my goal times, and posted a comment to a friend (who- I am sure- has ran many a lap on that middle school track). I was told that it was, indeed, a 440 track, and therefore just a bit longer than the metric kind. That made me feel a bit better. Until I looked up the difference in distance.
400 Meters = 437.4453193350831 Yards 440 Yards = 402.336 Meters
Now I am not great at math, (or measuring where to start or stop on the track), but that doesn't look like much of a difference to me. But who's counting, right?
I have been running some crazy hours lately. For the most part, I really don't mind. The only thing that really bothers me, didn't use to bother me.
For two years I ran without a headlamp. In a reflective vest and with just the moon and stars. No glowing eyeballs. Looking back I can't believe I avoided major injury! Risky...I know. Those potholes can sneak up on you, never mind the eyeballs.
I would rather run in the day time- when it's not 90F.
In the last month I have probably ran 2 or 3 times in total daylight, an prefer to see things like this:
This is a good transition into why I have been running odd hours.
One reason has to do with my husband's hunting season. The best hours for Elk hunting are dusk/dawn. So I have been saving my running for later.
Before you think I am some kind of wife hero for "letting" him hunt, I should tell you that i have been a little grumpy about it at times. So...if you are reading, honey, I AM SORRY. Now go get the dang elk, already!!
I think Jon might have been bummed when he and his hunting buddy, Brandon, decided to take a break for a few days, then Brandon went out "just to look" for some elk and ran across one of these:
***
Running strange hours also led to an interesting speed workout.
I happened to be visiting at my parents house and left after the kids were asleep (Yes, I did come back for them, eventually!). I also forgot to pack my Garmin, which I have started to get a little attached to. This seemed like a good test for me to withdraw from the pace babysitter. I brought my regular wristwatch, a written assignment for intervals and repetitions, and headed to the track under the lights.
Sidenote: I had never done a track workout in my life. (ok once a year in PE and once for a mile last summer). All this speed work I have been doing has been on the road with the beeps and measurements programmed into my watch. "RUN 200M" and other things flash instructions to me at the right time and place, and I follow the prompts, hoping the satellites are tracking-- and that what I typed/wrote on my hand was correct.
Just as the softball teams were wrapping up, I stepped out to the narrow oval of gravel track, and - blink- the lights went out. On went my headlamp.
I placed a waterbottle near the first turn so I could have a marker, and proceeded to warm up and visualize the workout I had coming up. It was one I had done recently:
4 x 200M @ repetition pace (42 secs using my VDot)
3 x 1000M @ interval pace (3:50)
2 x 400M @ repetition pace (1:25)
What followed was not pretty.
These are the notes I copied from my log:
At my parents house and left my Garmin at home.
I really have no idea what my total miles were tonight. I think i ran about 26 laps +/- on the track, but lost count, plus back to their house.
warmed up 2 1/2 miles I think....
Speed workout = Baah. Not one of those confidence boosters.
Gravel track at middle school: weeds, in the dark. no markings- just guessing. And. oh do I hope it's a 440 (440 yard track)- but I doubt it.
200 Reps, GP= 42 secs- 45,44,41,43 plenty of recovery
3x1000 - 2 minute rests (What the hecK?? That's 2 1/2 laps around right?) G =3:50 Not a chance after the 200s. 4:12, 4:01, 4:02
2x400 Reps G= 1:25---- 1:32, 1:36 with adequate recovery.
I will chalk this up as:
a) gravel
b) just a **appy workout
c) hormones
d) I am in the wrong training VDOT despite my races
e) long track
f) uphill track
g) dark night without good markings
h) anything else I can blame
So much for my first track workout! I rocked!
***
I did get a little neurotic about missing all my goal times, and posted a comment to a friend (who- I am sure- has ran many a lap on that middle school track). I was told that it was, indeed, a 440 track, and therefore just a bit longer than the metric kind. That made me feel a bit better. Until I looked up the difference in distance.
400 Meters = 437.4453193350831 Yards 440 Yards = 402.336 Meters
Now I am not great at math, (or measuring where to start or stop on the track), but that doesn't look like much of a difference to me. But who's counting, right?
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