Last Run of the Year

Just a short run around Jenny's neighborhood today...it was sunny and warm enough that I quickly took my fleece off and ran in my tank top. I was enjoying the Florida vegetation and birds, keeping my eye open for lizards and hoping it was still too early for gators. I was also trying out my new shoes, Brooks Glycerin 6, which I just got at a great price ($65) yesterday at Jenny's running store. So far so good, they seem like they will break in just fine - but I didn't want to overdo it so I limited my run to 40 minutes. I mapped it when I got back and it turned out to be 5.5 km.

I hope everyone has a happy celebration tonight and I wish for many good things for you all in 2009!

Merry Christmas

Wishing peace, love and happiness to one and all.

I Love Loops

Gorgeous weather this morning here in sunny Florida - perfect for running! It was chilly yesterday but not today, it was just perfect. Jenny had to do a tough tempo run for her marathon training and Mark was going to pace her up at the high school track, so I tagged along with them and decided to do an easy run around the track for however long it took Jenny.

It was a great run! I ran four loops (1 mile), then walked, drank some water, changed direction and ran another four...repeat, repeat, repeat. By the time Jenny was done with her tempo segments, I had run 5 1/2 miles already! It was fun watching the birds swooping overhead, the squirrel on the green, and the sun getting higher and higher in the sky.

Jenny and I ran another four loops together for her cool down, which put me at 6.5 miles total in about 80 minutes.

Jenny and Mark, who have always teased me about running loops at my lake, said they couldn't believe how happy and relaxed I looked as they passed me on the track - because I guess I just love the security of running loops.

Yesterday we took the kids out for a big hike at a nature trail and saw lots of Florida wildlife: a deer, turtles, frogs, snakes (ew!), huge spiders, and two cute racoons!

This afternoon we are heading to the beach to catch some rays and vitamin D. We did the Christmas shopping for our big crowd (19) tomorrow - Mark will be grilling flank steak, and portobella mushrooms for the veggies, Jenny and I are doing roasted asparagus and Brussels sprouts, potatoes au gratin, a big salad and rolls. And Mom just baked two chocolate pecan pies and loads of cookies. Yum!

One last thing - I want to wish everyone a very merry and safe Christmas - enoy yourselves wherever you are!

Pony Express

I felt a bit blah about my neighborhood run today and was contemplating putting it off until tomorrow and going to the gym today instead. But that is a slippery slope to go down (the slippery slope of putting things off), and I decided it would be much better to get it done today, since it wasn't raining (yet).

And then a great idea popped into my head! I had a few Christmas cards to deliver around the neighborhood and I usually just bike them over, but I thought I could make a route for my run and drop them all off! I had one which was actually kind of far (on the other side of the Delhaize) and figured it would make a great turn around destination. So I looked at my map to figure out the best route, put the cards in a little backpack, and then off I went.

First to Ingrid, then past one of our nice bakeries, which had such a lovely display of Christmas pastries which made me think of my mom (should have taken a picture!). Then on to Linda, past the little Buddhist temple someone put up in their front garden (I'll take a picture of it some time, it's cute), then a long part all the way past the Abbey of Vlierbeek (finally stopped and took a picture) before I got to Marleen, which was my turn around.



I felt great heading back, the hip/glute was only nagging at me a little bit (it's not quite so cold out today, which helps). Through the Heuvelhof park and one loop around the Finnish track:



...and then onto Helene's house, which is nearly home! It took me 49 minutes altogether and I just checked the distance on Map My Run: it came out to 6.7 km.

Tempo Tempo

Just a quick post because I am so hungry and have some yummy leftover stirfry tofu and veggies with brown rice calling my name for lunch...

Today was a speed workout on the treadmill in the gym and it went just fine (3.7 km in 25 min). I did take ibuprofen yesterday. But I guess I will have to take some more because now it hurts again! Thanks Jenny and Mom for the tips, I will try the oxy cream, too, but I am scared to put ice on it, because it is too cold out. I have to get my nerve up for that, or perhaps have half a bottle of wine first!

Painful

My right hip and glute are still quite painful even though I did some good yoga last night. I was hoping the walk to school this morning would help. Aside from ibuprofen, anyone got any tips?

By the way, here is a neat website if you are interested in helping the environment: We Add Up. Jurgen had it on his blog and I thought it was cool and wanted to share!

Bummer

We set out this morning to do 8 loops around the lake but for some reason it felt hard right from the start and my right leg, actually the right glute and thigh just had that awful tight feeling like it is going to cramp up at any moment. We took good walk breaks at the top of each loop and stopped once to stretch, but as we got further and further into the workout, I struggled more and more. Finally as we rounded the half way point on our sixth round, I told Stefaan I only had six in me today. So that's what we did, six, in just under an hour. Bummer.

It still feels awfully tight, so my plan is to get some good yoga in this evening after my parents-in-law head home. I also plan to tack an extra 20 minutes onto my run on Thursday to make up for it. Hopefully it feels better by then.

Good luck to Jenny, Kathryn and the rest of their running group on the half marathon today!