Thursday Thoughts: So Long, Old Friends

Brooks Adrenaline 9: March 2010-December 2011

These are the shoes I wore when I ran the Boston Marathon in April 2010. I also wore them for the Thunder Road Marathon a year ago. In January of this year I got a new pair of Adrenaline 10s because these, my fourth pair of Adrenaline 9s, were completely wasted. Once my new shoes went into rotation, these became my hashing and yard work shoes. They served me well through the spring, summer and into the fall, getting nastier and dirtier all the while. One particular hash was especially brutal from a mud perspective; afterward, I knew the shoes' days were numbered as I didn't even want to put them on my feet anymore. I got my newest pair of shoes in mid-November, which pushed my Adrenaline 10s into the dirty work position...and pushed my cherished Boston shoes into obsolescence.

I should have thrown them away long ago, but I couldn't. These shoes crossed the starting line of the Boston Marathon in Hopkinton and 26 miles later ran down Boylston Street to the finish. My Boston journey from qualification to finishing the race will likely be the pinnacle of my running career, as I don't see myself becoming fast enough to requalify for a long time. Maybe ever. My first Boston could be my only Boston. These shoes were there, man! I can't get rid of them!

Except...despite my propensity for allowing piles of paper to accumulate all over the place (I call it my "Pile Problem") I am not a hoarder. I don't have a problem throwing things away even when they have sentimental value. Worn-out dirty shoes, even if they trod the Boston Marathon course, are still just worn-out dirty shoes. Thus, this morning I carried them downstairs, flipped open the trash can lid, and dumped them inside. I admit I felt a tiny pang of sadness as they fell in with yesterday's coffee grounds and an empty tomato container. Farewell, faithful shoes.*sniffle*

Our shared moment of glory: the finish of the Boston Marathon.

My new pair of shoes are women's Brooks Adrenaline 12s. I wore men's shoes for years because they were roomier than the women's version, and the size I needed in a women's shoe wasn't readily available because I have giant freak feet. However! When I went to Running Fit last month for a new pair of shoes (having decided my old shoes were partly to blame for my aching ankles), they had the 2012 Adrenalines on hand AND THEY HAD A WOMEN'S SIZE 12! I snapped them up immediately and wore them a few days later for the Girls on the Run 5K in Ypsilanti on November 20. Running in them after using my crashed-out, washed-up Adrenaline 10s was like...puffy clouds! drifting raft! feather bed! A THOUSAND COMFY CHAIRS!

Side note: does anyone else think the evil chuckling of the Inquisitors in the video sounds exactly like the evil chuckling of the pigs from Angry Birds?

In other news, this morning when I got up it was 55 degrees. I took advantage of this by running to the gym (almost 1 mile), working out, and then running home. I was accompanied by light rain; it was not enough to dissuade me from running outdoors. 55 degrees in December in Michigan is rare indeed and must be celebrated, because it surely will not last long! Sure enough, temperatures are going to nosedive over the course of the day until we're back to 25 degrees overnight. Sigh.

Collection

You know you are a runner who perhaps has a few too many running clothes when...

...you're moving your clothing stash from one place to another, which entails emptying out various drawers, thereby requiring refolding and rearranging of said clothing so it will all fit into its new home, and you find yourself saying one or more of the following:

"I wondered where that went."

"I totally forgot about this!"

"Ah, the first proper jacket I ever bought."

"Oh yeah...this one."

Additionally, you may revisit triumphs of deep discount sales (hello, Asics Storm Shelter jacket that I got for 50% off), milestone race shirts (Detroit Marathon '08), and questionable purchases (not every piece of gear is awesome).

I am happy to report that all of my stuff is neatly tucked into drawers, and I rotated some neglected items to the tops of piles so I will see them first and therefore be more likely to wear them. 

In other news:

I ran when I got home from work, because the morning temperatures of late have been alarmingly cold. Dangerously cold. Like, wind chills below zero. Having frozen my hands on a subzero run two years ago, I hesitate whenever the ambient temperature dips below ten degrees. Thus, I balked at going out this morning (9 degrees) and pushed my run back to the afternoon when it was a pleasant 25 degrees. I decided around mile 2 to go longer than planned in order to run through the cemetery and take a picture of the sunset, but no sooner had I made that choice than my guts sent out a warning signal of impending doom (seriously, it was like five seconds later) and I knew I would have to go home along my originally scheduled route. The cemetery and the setting sun will have to wait.

Thursday Thoughts: You Know You're A (insert name of cold region here) Runner When...

You know you're a Michigan runner when 15 degrees and four inches of snow don't bother you.

This morning I actually got up and went for a run before work, which has not happened since before the Thunder Road debacle. It was about 15 degrees outside, so I dressed appropriately (thick Sugoi tights, Jacket of Wonder, gloves, earband). I knew I was going short and slow. Longer miles (and hopefully my erstwhile speed) will come in time. My goal for the rest of the month is to ease back into the routine of getting up to run multiple times during the week.

I have to admit, it was pleasant. Lovely, even. The cold temperature was bothersome for only a brief time; the new snow skritch skritch skritch-ed under my shoes. There was no one else around. A few lazy snowflakes spun down in the yellow glow of the streetlights.

I was forced to prematurely abort my run 0.04 short of 2 miles because I had to make a frantic dash for the bathroom at home. I was trying so hard not to let something unpleasant happen my toes were clenched into little toe-fists inside my shoes.

Speaking of shoes, I have pushed my current pair to the brink of 700 miles. They have endured two marathons with me, a distinguished career, and I believe it is time for them to retire with full honors. This means I will have to shoe-shop for the first time in ages, since I have been cruising with an unbroken string of Brooks Adrenaline 9s for over two years (I am on my fourth pair of the 9s). My last pair of 9s I ordered online almost a year ago. I highly doubt there are any unused pairs of a two-year-old model drifting around. This means I must...change shoes. I could take the easy way out and just make the leap to the current model of the Adrenaline, since my feet get along so well with them. Or at least they do until I wear them well past their retirement age, in which case unfortunate things occur such as nasty blisters which lead to bacterial infections and the falling off of toenails. Yes, while the paronychia has cleared up, my poor beleaguered little toenail, battered and insulted, went into its death throes a couple of weeks ago. I helped it commit assisted suicide.

My family is coming to visit for the weekend, which means running with Dad, a trip to IKEA, a fancy dinner, and the enjoyment of my favorite malty beverage. I was with the Engineer down in Indiana on Monday, and took the opportunity to pick up some brews from Three Floyds Brewing for my dad and I to sample.

Now it is time for me to pick up the lovely Redhead for lunch...stay warm out there, folks! (unless you're from somewhere in the South and claim anything under 40 degrees is "too cold." And you think I'm "nuts" for enjoying running in cold weather.)

What Running in 15 Degrees Looks Like

Pictures from last Saturday's Run Like The Dickens 5K:

Serious face, I has it.

I'm wearing my Jacket of Wonder, my preciousssssss Sugoi Firewall 220 Zip, my ultimate piece of winter outerwear, that which I do not dare to don until the temperature has fallen to 20 degrees or less, which it most definitely was that day. I would quantify the climate as "butt-ass freezing."

Bright red is the antithesis of my all-black Stealth Bomber outfit which is my other favorite winter getup; maybe I was feeling festively frisky?

I am still dragging my feet on setting my training schedule for Boston. I've had almost seven weeks of down time and I know what I have to do (GET MY LAZY BUTT OFF THE COUCH OF DOOM) but it's so...freaking...hard. I have utilized every lame excuse at my disposal to avoid running: it's too cold, I overslept, I went to bed too late, it's snowing, it's windy, I have to bake cookies, I have to catch up on my TiVo backlog, I'm doing something after work, my clothes are all dirty, my hamstring hurts, my knee hurts, I feel weird, it's rest day (who am I kidding, day has been rest day lately), etc, etc, etc.

I'm meeting my friend & running buddy after work (excuse to not run!) for dinner and we are going to complain about how flabby and out of shape we are and then we need to mutually kick each other's butts into gear, RIGHT? We will both be running Boston in FOUR MONTHS (omg omg omg omg!) and IT'S TIME TO PUT DOWN THE BACON AND POP TARTS AND START RUNNING AGAIN!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Thursday Thoughts: 300

No, this is not about an overly oiled Gerard Butler in a loincloth¹ (as much as I wish it was). This is my three hundredth post for my humble little blog. Shocking, I know.

You know you're a runner when...your phone (in this case, the wondrous iPhone) has Gu residue on it from being stuffed into a waist pack for a long run. Or anything else which one might cram into a pack on a long run. Sticky Gu smears (or the fuel supplement of your choice) are just part of being a runner, I guess.

Also: YKYARW...

You pull something out of your jacket pocket and safety pins sprinkle the ground like fairy dust.

Bonus running dork points if said jacket is a jacket from a marathon you ran.

Double bonus running dork points if you're wearing said marathon souvenir jacket as part of your work ensemble for the day...and you work in an office building.

I think I win for the day. And yes, I fully acknowledge this was a contest only I was playing, and yes, I am a complete running dork. I think y'all knew that already.

I have "new shoes syndrome," that unavoidable malady all runners experience a few times a year. I recently acquired my third pair of Brooks Adrenaline 9s (and yes, once again they are men's size 10 shoes, please hold the big feet comments) and have begun to break them in. These are the shoes which I will wear in the NYC Marathon. Right now they are, to put it lightly, blindingly white. I feel incredibly self-conscious. I need to get these babies dirtied up, stat. Of course this is what happened the last time I had brand-new shoes...I'm not anxious to repeat the sudden-death overtime dirtying experience, but I believe 16 miles of Dexter country roads with my training group Saturday morning should lightly dust them with a respectable sheen of dirt.

Tonight's RF501 group workout: 6.68 miles of HILLS. Whew. Yes, we have a few hills in Michigan. We use one of them for our hill workouts. It may be seen here. That's me at the bottom in the orange shirt.

Registration fee for the 2010 Boston Marathon: $130 (applied to card only when qualifying time has been verified).

Registering for the freaking BOSTON MARATHON: PRICELESS.

1: Confidential to Mr. E: Remember the Beastmaster drinking game where one of the cues to drink was "excessive oil"? Yeah, I know you do...don't deny it. :) See also "hawk vision" and "unnecessary swordplay." And the catchall "things that make no sense," which was pretty much the entire movie...

Also: GQH, somehow Lansing survived the great Angry Librarian Invasion of 2009. No cars were overturned, no mobs of rampaging librarians set fire to couches in the middle of the street. The madness is over...FOR NOW...

It Was Dark And No One Saw

Yesterday I received a present in the mail from the good folks of the Cleveland Marathon (you know, that little race I'm running in less than five weeks GAAAAAHHHHH). It was a cute little stretchy black beanie-style cap with "Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon & Half Marathon 2009" stitched on the front. I got it because I registered early for the race. Score one for being an overeager beaver! (aka "total dork.")

I wore it this morning for my five-miler.

Now, in some circles, this is considered a serious breach of running etiquette. Some people believe you should not wear race garb before a race you will be running nor should you wear race garb for a race you have never run (for example, I would never consider wearing a Boston Marathon jacket, cool and awesome as it may be, until I have actually run Boston¹).

But I couldn't resist the lure of my free beanie (freebie? freanie?). As luck would have it, this morning's weather was ideal for such headgear: chilly and damp². So I slipped it on (excellent 'fro containment properties!) and headed out, feeling very sprightly and stylish indeed, and loped my way to 5.23 miles at an 8:16 pace.

No one saw me committing this pre-race faux pas, I swear. My secret is safe with me (and you guys, so don't tell anyone, OK? OK).

1: Which I will be doing in 2010, or 2011 in the event of unforseen disaster. And then you bet your ass I'm getting a BAA jacket and I'm going to wear it everywhere, even to weddings. And funerals. And other inappropriate places.

2: Good thing I went out before dawn, because it's now POURING.

Best Mile Ever!

Who knew that simply running one mile would be such a triumph? Sure, I've run one mile before and had it turn out really well, but this morning's one mile was a different kind of victory.

I ran the whole mile without feeling any pain whatsoever. It was the first time this has happened in almost three weeks.

Yesterday evening I obtained a new pair of shoes after deciding that my old shoes may be contributing to my ITBS. I'll be sorry to see them go; after all, they were the ones I wore for the Detroit Marathon, but at 450 miles their life cycle was nearing completion. My new Brooks Adrenaline 9s are actually men's shoes. Size 10. I have big feet, OK? The shoe guy felt that I would benefit from even more wiggle room in the toe box, and there were no women's Adrenalines bigger than size 11 (the size I've been wearing) so I've been bumped up to the status of a dude, as far as my feet are concerned. Actually, this opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for shoes. I can go with more "manly" color schemes (case in point: the new shoes) and I'm not limited strictly to the women's offerings. Sometimes it pays to have big boat feet.

I am now in the uncomfortable position of being an experienced runner with a new pair of startlingly white shoes. I can't help feeling sheepish and self-conscious, since my shoes scream "noobzilla!" while my legs scream "I can run 12 miles at once!" Unfortunately, my legs are covered up at this time of year, so I will have to get out there and pound some pavement and dirty the shoes up a little instead.

I decided not to break them in during the group run last night and instead hit the treadmill at the gym this morning for my triumphant one mile. I quit after that sole mile because I felt it was best if I didn't push my luck. Also, that way I could accurately say "I ran one mile without any pain!"

I did my stretches and strengthening exercises like a good little runner; they are becoming less annoying and more habitual. I'd put them on a par with flossing my teeth: I know it's good for me, but it's still a bit of a drag. Just like I doubt I will ever squeal "Oh boy, time to floss my teeth!" I probably won't be excited to do my stretches, either. However, now that I have experienced actual positive results from running through the routine every day, it will be even harder to neglect them because I know what the consequences will be.

I have 7 miles at race pace (8:30/mile) scheduled for tomorrow. I am feeling optimistic about being able to complete the run. I will have the additional benefit of running around my hometown near Cleveland as I am heading down there this afternoon to visit the family. A change of scenery is always welcome.

Starting Monday I will also be taking a weekly yoga class. I have been contemplating this for a long time and I'm glad I am finally going to do it. I think I need something to balance the running. It's all about finding inner peace, you know?

Go Blue!

I just found the shirt I'm going to wear in the Cleveland Marathon:

You asked us to expand Wolverines Run and we listened. It is now open to AAUM members running in any marathon. Join Michigan alumni from around the country in Wolverines Run. Alumni Association members who register any marathon can sport their Maize and Blue spirit while running.

Here’s how it works:

Alumni Association members who participate in a marathon are eligible to register for a free Michigan T-shirt (from Cool-Max or similar material) to wear the day of the marathon. T-shirt quantities are limited this year so register now! Submit your order for your Wolverines Run T-shirt two weeks prior to the race date.

Yes, I'm a member of the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan, and when this was included with my weekly e-True Blue newsletter:

Wolverines Run is open to AAUM members running in any marathon. When you register, you'll receive a free Coolmax Michigan T-shirt to wear on race day. Not only will the shirt tell everyone you're a Michigan grad, but other Michigan alumni can easily identify you and cheer you on to the finish line. Register today!

I saw the words "marathon," "free," "Michigan," and "T-shirt" and I was like, I am so all over that.

Yes, I realize this means I will be wearing a University of Michigan shirt in an Ohio race. I like to court danger. And Viper, if you run the half marathon, you will be able to recognize me as I zoom past you.

Thursday Thoughts: Writing Frightening Verse

I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour
But heaven knows I'm miserable now...

I spent yesterday jotting down notes for things I wanted to say today. Because yesterday was Wednesday, and today is Thursday, and it's not Thursday Thoughts unless it's Thursday, y'know?

• During some Internet wandering the other day I found this.

  White people will train for months, telling everyone who will listen about how they get up early in the morning, they run when it rains, how it makes them feels so great and gives them energy.

• The sad part is that it's so true. And we all know it.
• I have something to do on Sunday afternoons again because the 2009 NASCAR season kicked off last Sunday with the Daytona 500. Let's go racing!
  
• I am trying, oh yes, trying very hard to break my department candy jar addiction. It's become like crack. My cubicle wastebasket is littered with candy wrappers by the end of the day. This habit is not good for my blood sugar nor my overall diet. I have decided I must wean myself off the chocolate teat. However, it is proving extremely difficult because the selection this week includes Twix and Heath bars, which are two of my favorites. Must. Stay. Strong. Resist the fun size candy¹!
  
• The New York Times is finally available for home delivery in my town. Many years ago when I lived in Ann Arbor I got the Times at my apartment. When I moved out to the sticks, that stopped, and for the last 8 years I have been waiting for the day when I could once again receive the Gray Lady on my doorstep. Apparently my town is no longer considered irretrievably rural, because as of yesterday I will be getting the Sunday Times delivered to my house. Oh, Sunday crossword, how I've missed thee! (I do it in pen, in case you were wondering.)
• I don't know why I waited so long to try it, but this morning I sang a little bit of opera (very pianissimo, mind you) in the shower at the gym. My gym has two very nice private shower rooms (they're nicer than my bathroom at home) so I wasn't serenading an entire locker room's worth of ladies with my rendition of "Deh vieni, non tardar" (Mozart, Le Nozze di Figaro). The acoustics proved to be scintillating as only a small tiled-lined box can be. I think I will do it more often. Maybe I can garner myself a reputation as "that chick who sings in the shower" at the gym.
  
• Speaking of music, I pulled Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion and Deerhunter's Microcastle off iTunes last week and MPP has been on near-constant repeat everywhere (office, car, gym) ever since. The teasing I got from "My Girls," "Brothersport," and "Summertime Clothes" was only the beginning. I haven't loved an album this much and so fast since Neko Case's Fox Confessor Brings the Flood three years ago. Additionally, I bought a ticket to see Animal Collective IN CONCERT in May (yes, the concert the day after the Cleveland Marathon; I hope my legs hold up). I am very excited as I have not been to a rock concert for a long time (incidentally, it was Neko Case at the Temple Club in Lansing in 2006 on her tour to support Fox Confessor). But first, even before AC, I am going to see the incomparable Andrew Bird at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor in early April. If there's one song of his that you must investigate, it's "Scythian Empires." Gorgeous. His new album, Noble Beast, came out January 20 and now that I think about it, WTF am I waiting for? I have to buy it...
  
• This week has been the Week of Non-Running, aka I'm Nearly Losing My Mind. After Sunday's near-disastrous and very painful long run (thanks to my running partner Fritz for putting up with my slow, gimpy ass and inability to complete the intended mileage), I decided to do the hard thing and not run this week, giving my IT band a chance to recover. It's now day four and I'M GOING FUCKING INSANE HERE, PEOPLE. I have been doing alternative forms of cardio at the gym but I crave the running, I need the running. Along with the elliptical, rowing machine, and stationary bike, I have been diligently doing my ITB exercises which I got from the doctor last week. My knee feels ever so much better, but then again I have not pounded on it since Sunday.
  
• FOAM ROLLER. I get it, OK? I'm going to buy one of my very own today. Then I can roll on my carpet at home while watching yet another rerun of "100 Greatest Songs of the 80s" on VH1 Classic.
• Along with the IT band meltdown on Sunday, I managed to break my just-over-a-month-old YakTrax:
  

Tragedy!

I was emboldened by Steve's post about his busted YakTrax to post my own sad story in the hopes that the kind folks at YakTrax will send me a replacement pair. I should confess, however, that the destruction was entirely my fault. I beat my feet against the pavement to bust off a wad of ice and snow which was interfering with my gait (which was fucked up enough already), and I guess the impact was too much for the wires to bear. Sproing! This event could not have come at a worse time since we are projected to receive three to five inches of snow on Saturday, and I was hoping to do a little (I said a little) running this weekend. I might be sentenced to dreadmill hell instead. That might not be a bad idea anyway, since if I feel my ITB start to quiver I can bail on the treadmill for the elliptical machine.

• Finally, this:

Yeah. Um...

I don't Twitter (I already have two blogs of my own and contribute to a third and I'm on Facebook² and that is quite enough, thank you) but this, from the comments, makes me squirm uncomfortably:

Do you have cravings to blog first thing in the morning?

Do you often think about how or when you will next be able to blog?

Has your blogging ever interfered with your personal life?

Has your blogging interfered with your health (loss of sleep, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc.)?

Is there any recurring time during the day when you find yourself thinking of blogging?

Do you try to overcome shyness or become more confident by blogging?

Do you find yourself pressuring other people to blog?

Have you gained a reputation as a blogger?

Has blogging increasingly become the central focus of your life?

Great. Not only do I need that iPhoneaholics Anonymous group, now I need Bloggers Anonymous as well?

We admitted we were powerless over blogging—that our lives had become unmanageable...

UPDATE: 1:45 pm. I managed to eat only half as many pieces of candy as I usually do with lunch. Two Milky Way Darks, one Heath, one Snickers, and one Kit Kat.

1: It's after 10:30 and I haven't had one piece of chocolate yet today. This is a small but important victory.

2: If you can find me there, I'll friend you. Unless you're one of those weirdos whom I know is resisting the siren call of Facebook. And you know who you are. But I love ya anyway. ;)

Snowy Saturday Run

Stopping by woods on a snowy morning...

After a too-brief respite from the unrelenting misery of a Michigan winter (I wore shorts on Tuesday to stairclimb practice; it was 60 degrees) it was back to normal today as a few inches of the white stuff fell overnight. The prospect of a seven-mile jaunt through the snow would otherwise be cause for me to grump and whine, but I was actually looking forward to it because it would be my first chance to test-run my latest acquisition:

Behold the Sugoi Firewall 220 Zip! Now with Brown Tabby Stamp of Approval.

I had been saving a gift certificate from Running Fit for just the right occasion. I bided my time, waiting...waiting...until it went on sale. This was a $180 piece of apparel. I got it for considerably less. Zero, in fact, since I was able to use my gift certificate for the entire purchase. I even had a little left over so I grabbed a couple of boxes of Mint Chocolate Gu (limited availability).

I am normally a fairly frugal person when it comes to clothes, especially since I lost weight and had to overturn my entire wardrobe three times. Replacing all those clothes became prohibitively expensive and so I started shopping at a local consignment store. Now I refuse to pay more than $15 for blue jeans and a $3 shirt is like the best thing ever. (I once found a brand-new pair of black wool Calvin Klein dress slacks at this store for $14! Score!)

But when it comes to running gear...well, my frugality falls apart. I am aware there are differing opinions on the benefits, both positive and negative, of fancy running gear. I think we can all agree that moisture-wicking fabrics are a must, and that one should avoid cotton in the winter. Beyond that, however...it's all a matter of personal preference. My personal preference (read: weakness, obsession, addiction, craving, LUST) is for lovely, soft, attractive things, which more often than not are overly expensive. Most of you have seen this post (one of my favorites) about all of my running gear. Then there's my "if you look good you feel good" outfit, and my all-black Stealth Bomber outfit. And of course let's not forget my massive Bondi Band collection, one of which I can coordinate with anything in my inventory. Actually, I believe that I can apply the "if you look good, you feel good" maxim to any outfit I wear. I take it one step further, however, and include "if you feel good, you run faster." Therefore, my gear purchases have a clear purpose: to make me run faster, obviously. It's simple logic, really.

Yeah, when it comes to running, I'm a total clothes horse. (Clothes whore?) Now, back to that gorgeous jacket. I finally got it yesterday and just hung it up in my closet to admire it. I stroked it. It's so soft, you have no idea. It's also a much livelier red than the little camera in my iPhone (aka the Eighth Wonder of the World) can convey. I couldn't believe it was mine! No, I didn't sleep holding it next to my cheek. Sheesh, what kind of weirdo do you think I am? But it was there to greet me when I got up this morning for my run in the freshly fallen snow.

Break out the YakTrax again! (My thighs look enormous in this picture; it must be the weird angle.)

A dreaded snowy day, so I'll meet you at the cemetery gates...The Oak Grove cemetery driveway and entrance gates. This is my favorite bit of road on all the routes I run. It is beautiful in any season.

So we go inside and we gravely read the stones/All those people, all those lives/Where are they now? Looking back the way I just came, up the drive toward the cemetery. I wasn't the only one to pass this way this morning.

My IT band was quiescent until I reached mile four-ish and then the pain flared up again. By the time I was inside the cemetery I was hobbling, and stopping to take pictures didn't help. I doggedly continued onward and finished the seven miles though I was in serious agony by the end. Stupid knee. Once home, I did the stretching and strengthening exercises I got from the doctor the other day. One of them is the classic "cross one leg over the other and touch your toes" stretch, except in my house, I perform a variation on that theme:

Bend down and touch your tabby.

They were both helping out this morning. Brown Tabby (Bouhaki) on the left, Big Orange Tabby (Darwin) on the right. They were facing that way because I was facing that way, so obviously there was something worth looking at over there.

The state of my knee at the moment does not bode well for my planned 14-miler tomorrow. It hurts like hell. I'm not happy about that, not happy at all. It was a difficult run today. The footing was questionable even with the aid of YakTrax. My feet were constantly slipping backward with every strike, which irritates my knees on a good day. This was not a good day. Except for my fab new jacket, midrun iPhone deployment, and the Feline Personal Trainer Corps.

7.13 miles/1:11:53/10:05 pace/annoyance level: high

All photos taken with the magical wondrous iPhone. Post composed in the normal manner, i.e. at my computer. Just to show certain people that I am capable of putting it down for...uh...how long has it been now? Hold on, I have to touch it again...

Nike Fit Dry: Not Just for Special Occasions!

You know you're a runner when your running wardrobe starts bleeding into your "regular" wardrobe, to wit:

Today I am wearing one of my beloved Nike Fit Dry base layer shirts under a scratchy wool sweater. I needed something long-sleeved, close-fitting, and not too heavy since it is, after all, a wool sweater. The Fit Dry shirt was perfect in every way.

Next thing you know I'll be wearing Smartwool socks with my Dansko clogs.

I don't think my workplace is ready for the stealth bomber outfit, however.

If A Garmin Falls In The Forest

...and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Or will it make a sound even if there is someone there who should hear it?

Answer: No.

Don't worry, this story ends well, unlike the sad debacle that was the Michigan-Ohio State game. Or at least the UM-OSU game ended well for some people who will remain nameless THOUGH YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

I decided I needed a change of scenery for my long run Saturday so I drove up to the Lakelands Trail State Park in Stockbridge. It was a brilliant, frigid late fall morning; the temperature was around 25 degrees. The trail was covered with snow, but I had a pair of YakTrax so I was not worried about slipping. I wanted to do at least 10 miles if not 12 on this lovely straight, level, out-and-back path. My iPod was freshly charged and beefed up with some new tunes and I set out at a nice casual pace. My fingers promptly froze and then thawed out around mile 2.

Around mile 3 I felt the familiar twinges of the beast in my gut and knew that sooner or later I was going to have to pull over. Fortunately the trail passes through rural farmland and woods so I was assured of privacy (and of course there was no one else out there on the trail with me-- only crazy people go running when it's that cold). I peeked at Garmy at 3.74 miles and just after mile 4 I took my leave to the side of the trail. I battled briefly with some groping thorn bushes that wanted to do away with my earband and sank their teeth into my nice New Balance NBx top-- goddammit let GO, fuckers!-- and took care of Business. I was back on the trail and feeling much better when I looked down at my wrist because something about it felt odd, sort of light and airy, and suddenly my good mood vanished, vaporized like my breath in the cold air, because Garmy was no longer on my arm.

PANIC! DEFCON ONE! TERROR ALERT RED! OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!

I screeched to a halt and turned around. Wild thoughts blew through my head: It can't be that far away, because I just looked at it at 3.74 miles, and I know that wasn't that far back, I took my pit stop just after mile 4, it has to be close by, OH PLEASE LET IT BE CLOSE BY OH MY GOD! I ran back the way I came, eyes frantically scanning back and forth across the trail. I knew its black band would stand out against the white snow. I thought: I wonder if it fell on the ground when I was going to the bathroom? Those bushes were pretty grabby, maybe one got a hold of it in just the right place and popped it off my wrist. I began looking for the spot where I had stopped. Everything looked the same: tangled bare twigs, lumpy snow. Would I be able to find it? I stopped again. I knew I had gone too far. I turrned around. There. There it was. The place where I had stopped. And LO AND BEHOLD, THERE WAS GARMY LYING IN THE SNOW. I thrashed through the bushes and snatched it up. It was still faithfully whirring along (my pace was now 17:30/mile) and I brushed the clumps of snow from its face and wrapped it around my wrist so tightly it hurt. Oh, Garmy, I almost lost you!

For the remainder of my run (I ended up doing 12 miles-- 12 agonizingly slow, ankle-bending, knee-twisting miles over the very uneven trail, uneven because horse hooves have ripped it to shreds and the cloaking snow cover lay just so in all the cavities) I remained extra-conscious of its presence, sneaking peeks at it constantly, swinging my arm farther out so I could see its red case out of the corner of my eye.

Strange coincidence of the day: as I was listening to the Fleet Foxes' "White Winter Hymnal" I came across a trail of blood spanning the path; I suspected a wounded deer had crossed there. It's firearm deer hunting season in Michigan and I wasn't surprised to find this. The bright red blood stood out alarmingly against the snow. There is a line in "White Winter Hymnal" that says "turn the white snow red as strawberries in summertime." How freakishly weird that just as I heard it, I came across the blood trail, yes, red as strawberries against the white snow.

Speaking of snow, it's snowing here. Again.

Oh, and this is my 200th post. Yippee!

Back Talk

I should talk about my clothes more often! I was going to post a response comment to my wardrobe post but it was getting longer and longer so I just said, heck with it, I'll just write a talkback post a la Viper (though with much less snark since I don't want to verbally abuse and alienate my handful of readers).

jd-- have a bazillion shirts from races... Yeah, I completely forgot about my race shirts! That's another post entirely. I have, like, HEAPS of them. They have completely taken over my T-shirt shelf in my closet. I even have a few from my high school cross country days that I've hung onto all these years. Sim Earich Invitational, Warren, Ohio, 1988 and 1989. YEAH! (we won, by the way.)

Fritz-- no, I don't have a spreadsheet tracking clothing vs. temperature. What do you think I am, some kind of nerd? ;) And you are coming back to MI at the wrong time, you know. Just in time for WINTER! And, also, I think you are right, I will have to master the "drink on the run" technique during the marathon. I may well end up splattered with liquid (hell, I do that under normal circumstances when I'm just sitting on the couch) but I won't be hauling an extra five pounds on my hips. My Gu packets will just have to get cozy inside my shorts.

Viper-- My winter arsenal is much smaller, and I just keep wearing the same clothes over and over until laundry day. That's 'cause you're a dude and dudes just don't care about clothes the same way as chicks. Or at least certain chicks. This chick, for one. I try to wear my stuff twice before it goes into the hamper. Any more than that and I can't stand my own stink, and since I can't outrun myself like I could outrun you and your stanky same-clothes-all-fortnight self, I have to get out fresh clothes every couple of days.

(Just kidding on the "I could outrun you" part since your half marathon PR is way better than mine though I think I still have the edge in the 5K department. But you probably still smell pretty bad by the end of the week.)

Mike-- Totally, when it comes to temperature it's all relative. 45 degrees feels like Antarctica right now but if it was 45 degrees in January I would probably be tempted to run in shorts. Or I would complain that it felt "too warm." I'm never happy.

Megan-- how do you carry water to drink if you don't have your hip pack? Or do you find water fountains? For all of my long runs this summer I have been spoiled. I either have water stops every two miles provided by my training group, or John is with me on his bike and carries water for me. I've never had to hunt for water. And if my run is less than 8 miles, I don't even worry about water (though I probably should).

do you mind if i point my running group here to look? Of course not-- the more the merrier, LOL!

i just realized something you may have forgotten - sports bras. I was going through my must have list. a good sports bra definitely makes the cut. Oh, I didn't forget-- I just didn't think everyone should be seeing my unmentionables. ;) But for the record, I am a huge fan of the Champion Seamless line (I have four of them, all exactly the same). I also have an InSport "DriTec" plain white bra which doesn't appear to be in their product lineup anymore. I'm fortunate to have Nearly No Boobs so I don't have to strap "the girls" down or hold them up with massive amounts of Lycra, so I can't offer any helpful suggestions for the bigger-bosomed lady runner. I'm definitely not ready to go all Katie Holmes when I run, however!

Nitmos-- I'm angry that you have reminded me of winter running though when I'm still wallowing in a state of seasonal denial. It was 31 degrees this morning. Denial will only get you so much further, my friend.

e-- Holy F do you have a lot of running stuff! And this from a guy with boxes of rocks in his garage... ;)

Bri-- Do you have specific temperature ranges for each outfit as I do, for example, under 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, etc. OF COURSE! Like, today, for instance, I decided to go with my "If You Look Good, You Feel Good" outfit which was perfect for the conditions (around 35 when I started just after 8:00, but warmed up to about 50 by the time it was over 2 hours later). I didn't wear the red hat, however, just my stretchy black Sugoi headband. I took off the gloves around mile 4 and the jacket around mile 10. And I just know it was the outfit which propelled me through my 14 miles in 1:58:30 (8:27 pace). Because when you look good, you feel good, and you run really good. (I know it should be "really well," and it nearly killed me to write "good" instead, but I wanted to stick with the theme. Forgive me, o grammar gods!)

I've had my kale-banana smoothie and now it's time to hit the shower. I have a busy afternoon of drinking beer for which to prepare! Why else do y'all think I run so much? So I can drink beer and eat pizza, of course! Physical fitness is just a pleasant side effect.

The Post Which Will Make Everyone Who Runs In A Warmer Winter Climate Very Glad

Edited to add on January 4, 2009: I submitted this post to the Runner's Lounge Take It And Run Thursday (January 1) as my favorite post of 2008. This post was the most fun to write (it involved no running to acquire content) and provoked many wonderful comments which I had to address in a separate subsequent post.

Megan in the comments of my previous post asked if I would mind posting about the stuff I take with me when I run, especially in the colder months of the year (aka "most of the time in Michigan").

Ask a girl (who normally doesn't give much of a crap about clothes but has an unnatural obsession with running gear) to talk about what's in her closet? Are you kidding? OMGBBQ!!111!!!!

It seems appropriate to me to do so now because Thursday morning, for the first time since April, I donned a full cold-weather outfit for my 8-mile run. It was about 42 degrees when I got up at 5:30 and the brief yet chilling blast of air through the door when I let the dog out made me think, yep, time to dig out the jacket and gloves again.

Here we have the hub of activity. This is the area where I keep all of my running gear. The top drawer is stuffed full of running clothes and as such cannot be closed all the way. My training schedule (with handily-placed pen for notes) is on the wall next to a pace chart. The area on top of the built-in bureau is where my odds and ends reside.

This is my Garmin Forerunner 305, also known as The Sainted Object, That Which Has Transformed My Running For All Time. In this picture one can see the evidence of Thursday morning's run, namely, eight miles in one hour and seven minutes. I never ever ever ever leave home without Garmy. If I have shoes on my feet and Garmy on my wrist that's all I need. If one interprets that to mean I would run naked, well, I guess I just might. Last year I decided to ditch the annoying rubbery wristband which I could never fasten quickly nor gracefully in favor of a Velcro-based wristband, which is available as part of the Quick Release Kit. I believe the QRK is intended for use with a bicycle, but my wrist and a handlebar are all the same to a Velcro strap. I love the Velcro strap (though it's a little funky-smelling after a long summer of sweaty running). And if you're going to get a Garmin 305 and all its accompanying accoutrements, you might as well get the ultimate in Garmin gear conveyance:

The Garmin Carrying Case. It totally rules. It holds Garmy, all of the charging and data transfer parts, the heart rate monitor, plus extra wristbands, wristband changers, and even my RoadID.

RoadID. Really, really don't leave home without it. If I ever get hit by a car and knocked into a ditch this will help them identify my unconscious/dead body. Okay, that's a worst-case scenario, but it's one we runners have to consider. Garmy on my left, RoadID on my right, I'm all set. I have never carried any other form of ID with me nor do I carry money or my cell phone. I suppose one could say I have grown complacent, running around my town never more than 3 miles from home on my weekday runs or being accompanied by John or the folks from RF501 on longer runs.

This is the elusive Bouhaki, my other personal trainer, and that is his customary spot when I am getting ready in the mornings. I do not take Bouhaki on my runs with me but he provides Valuable Feline-Based Support and Encouragement. As far as I'm concerned he is as important as Garmy. Or a pair of shoes. Isn't that right, little Boo? (Notice Garmin charger which is perpetually plugged into wall in the background.)

Now on to the nitty gritty. This is when those of you who live where it stays warmer or warm-ish during the winter will be all, "I'm SO GLAD I DON'T LIVE THERE OH MY GOD LOOK AT ALL THE CLOTHES."

Here we have my pants and tights in descending left-to-right order of Inclement Weather Resistance. The ultimate in wind and precipitation blockage are my Asics Storm Shelter pants. They block everything. I wore them when I went running in this last December and didn't feel a thing. Impervious, I tell you. Next to them are my Asics Thermopolis pants, not quite as wind-resistant, but very warm and soft. They are my go-to pants for most cold-weather runs. Next we have my Nike capris, soft and stretchy. These are my favorite pants for middle temperature days, when it's too cold for shorts but not cold enough to break out the big guns. I'm wearing these pants a lot right now as we transition into fall. I also frequently wear them in races. Finally, tights. You gotta have the tights. I wear them by themselves or underneath other pants in bitterly cold weather. I have three pairs: Sugoi (with the teal patches), Pearl Izumi (at the top with the red stitching) and Danskin (far right), which are actually my favorite tights to wear in winter races. The Sugois are really thick and heavy. I wore them in last year's Detroit Half Marathon which in retrospect wasn't an extremely wise decision as I got very warm during the race. Not this year, folks. I'm going for the minimalist look (shorts and singlet) unless it's pouring rain.

But one's stable of cold-weather clothing would not be complete without jackets and tops. And boy do I have plenty of both.

Blue Asics Storm Shelter, black Mizuno, red and black Pearl Izumi, Brooks Nightlife vest, New Balance X Windblocker. The Asics is my most impervious jacket. It will resist a blizzard. I know; I've run in one. My Mizuno jacket is similarly wind-resistant but not as bulky as the Asics. It was the jacket which I wore one frigid December day and actually became so overheated I ended up unzipping it all the way. The Pearl Izumi is very lightweight and not as warm as the previous two. It's a great cool but not cold weather jacket. My Brooks vest I wear when I want to keep my core warm. Additionally, it's extremely eye-catching (hard to tell in this photo, but if you've ever seen its color, you know what I'm talking about) so I wear it in the country this time of year (crazy deer hunters). The New Balance X jacket I just bought last weekend and haven't had a chance to wear but I am looking forward to doing so. So soft...ooh...soft and fuzzy...

Base layer time! My heaviest shirts are on the left (Pearl Izumi, Hind, Asics); midweight ones in the middle (another Asics, Columbia) and on the right, my beloved Nike Personal Best Dri-Fit shirts (four and counting). My Nike shirts can be seen in virtually every photo of me from every race I run from September through April. I love, nay, adore my Nike shirts.

So what is my ultimate ensemble, the one I would put on for a run in a howling blizzard or near-zero temperatures?

Sugoi tights under Asics Storm Shelter pants, Nike Dri-Fit base layer, Pearl Izumi middle layer, Asics Storm Shelter jacket, InSport hat, Sugoi neck thing (I can't remember its proper name), and my Brooks gloves. Yes, all of this goes on my body when I head out for a nasty winter run.

On days when it's cold but not too cold, and not very windy: Asics Thermopolis pants, Asics base layer, Mizuno jacket, InSport headband, and Brooks gloves.

My "I want to look uber-stylish and coordinated" Christmas-present-from-my-parents outfit: Pearl Izumi tights, base layer, and jacket; InSport red hat, and gloves.

What I've been wearing lately: Nike capri pants, Nike Dri-Fit shirt, Brooks vest (or no Brooks vest). Darwin approves. The Orange Tabby Stamp of Approval is very important.

However, no discussion of what I take with me when I run would be complete without:

BONDI BANDS!

I have 17 of them. I love them. They keep the white chick 'fro under control. I can match them to any outfit. Or not. The day I discovered Bondi Bands was a very good day indeed. The only day in months I went running without a Bondi Band was the day of the Run for the Rolls. I figured my hair was sweat-plastered back well enough after running 18 miles earlier that I didn't need additional assistance.

Finally, my CamelBak FlashFlo waist hydration pack. I have worn this in the two half marathons I have run. I have not decided if I am going to wear it for the Detroit Marathon. I have not been training with it this time around but its convenience is unparalleled. Along with its 42-ounce fluid capacity (available for deployment at any moment) it has ample room for small item storage (Gu packets, cell phone, etc). I really don't know what I am going to do with regards to wearing this for the marathon. It's a quandary. For my 20-mile run at Kensington last Saturday, I safety-pinned my Gu packets to the waistband of my shorts (the packets themselves were on the inside of my shorts and not flapping against my hips on the outside) and that worked rather well. I normally do not carry my cell phone with me, but I think the marathon may be an extenuating circumstance as I will be anxious to contact my family at the end. I will most likely waffle on this like the champion procrastinator that I am until the night before the marathon.

I hope y'all have enjoyed this tour through my closet, and Megan, I hope I covered the material you requested adequately!

My Functional Relationship With Shoes

I walked in, said, "I need a new pair of shoes exactly like the ones I have on right now," flashed my Brooks Adrenalines, and five minutes later walked out with a box (and a new shirt and a box of Gu since the shirt was 25% off and my current box of Gu only has 4 packets left in it; you didn't expect me to visit my favorite running store and not find something else to buy, did you?).

I've bought more running shoes this year (2 pairs) and last year (2 pairs) combined than I have "regular" shoes in the last five years or so. I'm not terribly big on shoes. I don't like shoe shopping. I only buy shoes when I absolutely have to, and then I'll wear them until they literally fall apart. I'll spend good money on good shoes that will last for years, like my Dansko clogs (5 years and going strong).

Hey, who else wishes running shoes would last that long? Oh, oh, oh, I just formed a theory. What if...shoe companies have the technology to make a long-lasting shoe but purposely don't so we Obsessed Runners (or at least runners who care about the lifetime of their shoes and how it affects their feet) will have to buy new shoes every 500 miles, thereby making more money for the companies? It's diabolical, my friends, and yet so simple!

Darn

Yesterday afternoon I had to take advantage of the freakishly warm weather and go for a run. I only had to wear my Nike cropped pants and a Nike Fit Dry shirt. No gloves! No jacket! No heavy pants! It was 64 degrees! In January!! OMGWTFBBQ!!!

I also strapped on my iPod, freshly loaded with music. I hadn't listened to music while running for about four months. What to listen to...what to listen to...I went with the music of my youth, Depeche Mode. Black Celebration, 1987.

I set out. Clear sidewalks, warm temperatures, less clothing, totally rocking tunes. I was on fire! I felt like I had wings on my feet! I was definitely moving at less than 9:00 per mile, but I refrained from peeking at my Garmin because I didn't want to fall into the psychological trap of "this is too fast I have to slow down" when I am physically capable of keeping such a pace. I just decided to run as fast as felt comfortable and hopefully I would have a nice surprise at the end of my run along the lines of "holy crap, I averaged 8:30 per mile on a four-mile run!"

I got a surprise, all right, but not a pleasant one. Closing in on the end of my run I sneaked a quick peek at my Garmin, hoping to catch with my eye only the distance field on the display (I wanted to ensure I ran a full four miles). To my dismay the device had shut down and the screen was blank. It had run out of battery power before I had even run 0.75 mile (the distance it did manage to record was 0.72). I thought I had my music turned up loud enough to drown out the lap alert beeps; I didn't hear them because it wasn't making them at all.

Well, phooey. That left me kind of deflated so for what was left of my run (maybe 0.25 mile) I slowed down and just moseyed along. I hadn't made note of the time when I left the house so I couldn't even see how long my run had taken according to the clock.

The first thing I did when I got home was plug in the Garmin for charging.

Holiday Wrap-Up

Apparently this year I was "easy" in the gift department. I got a new iPod Nano and headphones (for running). I got a Velcro wristband for my Garmin (for running). I got a totally rocking three-piece Pearl Izumi outfit (for running). I was very happy.

I went for a couple of long runs while I was in Ohio, an 8-miler and a 10K. The 8-miler was a nice easy lope (9:44/mile) to the dead end of my grandmother's street and back to my parents'. The 10K I did in 54:45 (8:48/mile) including the final mile which was almost all downhill (8:23/mile) and the 0.2 at the very end for which I basically ran as fast as I could just to see how it felt and I ended up running at a 7:14 pace. I was tired but not totally overwhelmed. Breathing fast but not out of control panting.

That 10K was one of my nicest runs ever right up until I turned onto Sherman Rd. from Caves for my final 0.8 mile and in the ditch on the south side of the road was a headless, half-skinned dead deer. It had probably been hit by a car and had probably been a buck with a big rack hence the chopped-off head. It was horrible and disgusting. It was decaying there in the ditch and because the ditch was full of water the stink and contamination were being carried downhill and I was running alongside the ditch with my nose full of dead animal stench. I went faster and faster, trying to outrun the smell. I had to go about 200 meters before I moved out of the stink zone. Part of the reason I ran so fast was because I was so disgusted by the sight of that dead deer and pissed off that someone would just lop off the head and leave the rest to rot. That was probably some perfectly nice venison.

I also installed SportTracks so now I can keep track of everything that ever happens on a run and see my running routes in full color. Thanks to Fritz for the suggestion.

New Stuff!

Friday evening John and I went into Ann Arbor to the downtown Running Fit store. They were having a one-day sale, and since I had been unable to get to the big sale the previous weekend, I knew this was my chance to get the new pair of shoes I had been thinking about since before Thanksgiving. And, while I'm at it (and how could I say no to 20% off everything?) how about a new really-bad-weather jacket, a new really-bad-weather pair of pants, some new socks, and new running bras...

One hour and several hundred dollars later I walked out with a big bag full of my new goodies. The next morning I suited up in almost everything I had purchased (forgoing the pants because the weather wasn't bad) and hit the road for a lovely 6-mile run. No hurry, no pressure, just out and about on a crisp, clear Saturday morning.

How True...

This was Saturday's Frazz comic.

Shiny New Toy!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I own a Garmin Forerunner 305! EEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

The deal was John got to purchase a bass guitar and I got to purchase a Garmin. We all need our shiny new toys! He got the bass Wednesday and yesterday after work I came home, said, "Let's go out to dinner and then to Running Fit so I can get my Garmin!" And we did, and I did!

As soon as we got home I plugged it in to charge it and it's still sitting there, waiting for me to get home from work today so I can play with it. I might even have to go for a short run around town to road-test it before the race on Sunday.

Running Fit got in their first shipment of new winter running clothes and I was drawn to the shiny display like a moth to a flame...I got a Nike Dri-Fit long-sleeved shirt and a Brooks vest. I really, really needed a long-sleeved tech shirt and a new, high-visibility vest, of course! Oh, and I also got a whole box of Chocolate Outrage Gu.

My friend Elizabeth once said something to me about once upon a time she thought all one needed for running was a good pair of shoes...cheap sport, right?

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAAAAA! Oh...(wipes eyes)...sigh.