8 Mile
Date: 04/22/06Time: 7:50am
Route: Over Broadway and up to Going (view approx route)
Length:8 miles
Dog: No
Notes: Ran with PFit, went out a little strong on the hills and paid for it on the way back.
Time: 7:50am
Route: Over Broadway and up to Going (view approx route)
Length:8 miles
Dog: No
Notes: Ran with PFit, went out a little strong on the hills and paid for it on the way back.
Good Weather
Date: 04/20/06Time: 8:15am
Route: Down to 162, over to Glisan, down to 148th, over to Stark then up to 172nd and home (view route)
Length:4.27 miles
Dog: Yes
Notes: Took yesterday off, just to make sure my back is feeling good. Today it didn't bother me at all, so I figure I am out of the woods.
Forgot to bring a poop bag again and wouldn't you know it, my dog took a dump. This one was far enough away from anyone's house that I just picked it up on my way to work. How does she know when I don't have a bag?
Short One
Date: 04/18/06Time: 7:30am
Route: Down to 162, then up to 172nd via Burnside (view route)
Length:3.16 miles
Dog: Yes
Notes: After the weekend, my back has been bothering me--too much riding in the car. So, I took Monday off and ran sort today. My back felt fine until I hit the last mile.
Bach vs Saint-Saens
Date: 04/14/06Time: 9:00am
Route: My house to Glendoveer for 2 loops and then back via the Christa loop in Summer place(view route)
Length: 7.22 miles
Dog: Nope
Notes: I am heading to Wenatchee this afternoon to help Johno with Night at the Cross. I'll be driving home tomorrow, so I'll miss the 7 mile run with PFit. This means I need to run 7 miles today. Steven recently posted about a tool that uses Google Maps to help you find mileage for routes you run in your neighborhood. It is cool and you can now see links in my route section (above) that show exactly where I've been running. (Be sure and click the satellite button.)
I usually don't listen to tunes when I run, but I knew today might be a little long and since I would be running alone I decided to give it a try. Christa has a cool MP3 player with an FM radio, so I figured I could find something to listen to.
The start of my run coincided with the beginning of Performance Today, so I decided to leave the mp3s for later and I'd give the pace of the classics a try.
The beginning of the show featured some transcriptions of Bach played by the U.S. Marine Band . The first cantata kept my feet dancing. Next they played Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. As this tune is often heard at a weddings, I couldn't help but feel like a bride with my wobbly legs and white top, complete with fancy appliqué down the sleeves, (thank you adidas). Its familiar melody ushered me down the tree-lined aisle dotted with petals from recent cherry blossoms. It was quite a treat.
Then they transitioned to Saint-Saens. This move from the baroque to the romantic didn't do good things for my pace. Saint-Saens' lilting melodies, inconsistent meters and unresolved chords were not meant to be run with. Maybe a nice stroll along the beach, but not well suited for my training run. So I switched over to Sheryl Crowe and finished my run with a spark.
Poop
Date: 04/13/06Time: 8:am
Route: EHalsey|S172|PALPark|EBurnside|S181st|WStark|N172|WHalsey(view route)
Length: 3.36 miles
Dog: Yep
Notes: When Sinopah joins me for training runs she is only allowed a couple of short breaks to pee. I know that if it were up to her, she'd leave her mark on every block we pass. So, I let her go only when we are stopped at a light or if she puts on the breaks with a look that says, "Hey, I'm not kidding around here, I have to go!" She's never needed to poop, but I carry a bag just in case.
Until today.
I forgot a bag and at the corner of 181st and Burnside, while we waited for a light, she commenced to squat in someones yard. Mortified, I yanked on the leash and stopped her mid-poop; but the damage was done. Never wanting to be one of those owners that doesn't pick up after their dog, I adjusted our route to take us to a park that has a plastic-bag dispenser provided by volunteers. When we got there a few minutes later, the dispenser was empty. However, I found a discarded bag in the street and we headed back to collect the evidence.
Carrying it to a dumpster at HBLee, I chuckled to myself and reassured my companion that this anxiety-filled, re-tracing of our path was not her fault and that I would be better about bringing a bag. After all, who hasn't been on a run when a bathroom emergency strikes at an inopportune moment? (I'll save that story for another time.)
An Earful
Date: 04/11/06
Time: 7:45pm
Route: Lewis and Clark
Length: 40 minutes
Dog: Yep
Notes: I should have known after all the rain I slogged through on my last 2 runs that there would be some residual left at the park. However, I was not prepared for the lake that blocked a trail we ran just 7 days ago. Not to be deterred, Sinopah and I adjusted our route and sloshed off to a path cut through a black-berry patch. At one point the narrow path was blocked by puddles. To avoid submerging my sneakers, I deftly navigated the banks of the path sometimes successfully and other times not. On one such maneuver an unkempt blackberry vine caught me on the top of my ear. With more water to circumvent I didn't have time to stop and I thought little of it. Later in the run I casually ran my finger over a slight tickle in my ear and it came back red. It is really a small nick, but it dripped quite a bit on my shirt.
More Rain
Date: 04/10/06Time: 8:00am
Route: WHalsey|S148|EBurnside|N172
Length: 25 minutes
Notes: Took the dog and got pretty wet. Running this route in this direction presents a hill that you don't notice going the other way. Ron Clark was waiting at the light at 172nd and Glisan and gave me a honk and a thumbs up!
Wet
Date: 04/08/06Time: 8:30am
Route: CNF/Front/ESteel/SEsplanade/WHawthorne
Length: ~6mi
Notes: 2nd week with Portland Fit. Small group due to nasty rain. Temps were still in the 50s. Christa came for her first week and finished 5 miles with a smile.
I often talk to the runners around me and today someone spoke back. In my standard quiz, one of the questions is: "where do you work?"
Steve, the gentleman kind enough to talk to me said "Nationwide over on 19th".
"No way", I said "that's where I work."
Short One
Date: 04/06/06Time: 8:30am
Route: S172, WBurnside, N162, EHalsey
Length: 30 minutes
Notes: Took the dog. Weather was nice.
Evening
Date: 04/04/06Time: ~7pm
Route: Lewis & Clark State park. East from the lot then West through the big field. At the end of the field I turned North until the watch said 20 minutes. After that I turned around and re-traced my steps.
Length: 40 minutes
Notes: Took the dog and she enjoyed running off the leash. Saw an amazing sunset. Pink and gray look good together, nice choice God.
Random
Took the dog for a short loop:40 minutes was on the schedule and this hit it as perfectly as I could tell using the microwave clock, (my watch is dead).
Sinopah started to drag on the last quarter of the outing. I was feeling it a bit as well. We were happy to wait at the trafic lights ;)
Passing H.B. Lee we met a dozen students along the sidewalk. Sinopah did well and everyone gave us room to pass—I’m sure it helps that I had the dog.
When passing a group of 2 girls and a guy, one young lady yelled “Viagra! It works!” I’m not exactly sure if I look like someone that needs that bit of knowledge, but she certainly shared it with me. (A more pressing question might be: how would she know?)
The First Step
I joined Portland Fit Saturday. It was the second week, so they were already up to 5 miles for the group run. I haven't run 5 miles since I can't remember when, but it went pretty well. The last mile was rough, but that is probably because I didn't have anything to eat before or during.I am excited to be training for another marathon.