Start time: 10/8/09, 6:45pm
Location: North Arlington
Distance: 6 miles
Average pace: 8:53min/mile
Total Miles For October: 30 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 647 miles

The plan was to get up before work and knock out a 4-miler—but I was really super-tired this morning and it just didn't happen. So, after work it would be, even though generally speaking my post-work runs are never as strong as my early morning runs. But it was still nice out this evening; not as cool as earlier today but still nice. So after I ran my 4-mile loop, I picked up an extra two miles as well. It sure was a beautiful night!

(8:33, 8:27, 8:55, 8:47, 8:57, 9:35)

Start time: 5/16/09, 10:00am
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 6 miles
Average pace: 9:16min/mile
Total Miles For May: 32 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 293 miles

After taking some time off post-marathon, it was back on the trail on Saturday morning. It was a wet morning; it was raining when I left the house, and did so for about the first mile or so. Then it just got to merely a wet air sensation rather than actual rain, but meanwhile I was stuck with a wet hat for the rest of the run. Ho hum. Was definitely struggling a bit early on mentally after a few weeks off, but it felt good to do so.

(9:04, 8:52, 9:17, 9:37, 9:39, 9:10)

Start time: 4/17/09, 4:45pm
Location: Rosslyn, Memorial Bridge, Kennedy Center, Georgetown, Key Bridge
Distance: 6.15 miles
Average pace: 9:15min/mile
Total Miles For April: 39 miles
Total Miles For 2009: 229 miles

Took most of this week off from running to see how my tendon would feel. I did do some exercise though; swam 1000m on Monday morning plus spinning class, and another 1100m in the pool on Thursday. Everything felt fine so I went for a run this afternoon; through Rosslyn, down to Memorial Bridge, past the Lincoln Memorial, up along the Potomac to the Kennedy Center, through Georgetown, then across Key Bridge back into Rosslyn and home. Good news is the run wasn't bad (although I was dragging a bit); bad news is that my tendon is a little sore now. We'll see how it is in a day or two... Hopefully it'll be fine tomorrow.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2737747

Start time: 1/11/09, 4:00pm
Location: Basement of Charlie's condo
Distance: 3 miles & 3 miles
Average pace: 9:42min/mile & 9:58min/mile
Total Miles For January: 13 miles

Two things I really dislike about winter running are the cold, and the treadmill. It's honestly a wonder I get any running done at all, really. I decided today's wind was the bigger enemy, doubly so since I had a grumbly stomach yesterday so I didn't want to be several miles out and then hit an, "I don't feel good" moment. So, I went over to Charlie's and ran two sets on his treadmill with a couple minutes off between them. That last bit felt like some real failure; I am bad when it comes to bouncing back from extended time off and expect to be immediately back up to speed. Nope. I had to take that second set a tiny bit slower, unfortunately, but after a mile or so I picked the pace back up so it ended up not being as bad as it could've been.

Sooner or later it'll all be back up to full speed, but until then, I'm mister grumbly.

Start Time: 10/25/08, 11:00am
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 6 miles
Average Pace: 8:48min/mile
Total Miles For October: 60 miles

Well, the plan was to go out and run 12-15 miles on Saturday; not a super-brisk run, perhaps, but just something to get back into the groove. I missed my Tues/Thurs runs this past week due to a funeral on Tuesday morning, and just not being able to wake up on Thursday. (At least Monday was an hour of rowing and elliptical, and Wednesday was spinning class, so the legs did get some work.) When I woke up early on Saturday, though, it was raining. I fell back asleep for a couple extra hours, but when I woke up... the rain was gone! Should I chance it? I decided that I should slightly change my route; instead of starting at marker 3.5 and running directly out and back, I went to marker 5 and decided I'd run down to marker 2 and back, then up to marker 9 and back. That way if it started raining again, I'd not be too far away from my car.

Well, good call. I was four miles along in my run when it started raining... and when I say raining, I mean pouring. Torrential downpour. Boy, was I glad I only had two miles to get back to the car at that point instead of four.

(8:41, 8:43, 8:52, 9:05, 8:51, 8:37)

Start Time: 10/18/08, 8:00am
Location: W&OD Trail (Arlington)
Distance: 6 miles
Average Pace: 8:04min/mile
Total Miles For October: 49 miles

Start Time: 10/19/08, 5:45pm
Location: W&OD Trail (Vienna)
Distance: 5 miles
Average Pace: 8:17min/mile
Total Miles For October: 54 miles

Oops! Catching up a bit here. Saturday was the last Empowered & Fit session; it was a beautiful morning, nice crisp weather. On the schedule was a 6-to-8 mile progressive run, and I headed out with Donna, Paul, Other Laura, and a guy named Jason from Sundays. The run wasn't quite doing a good job of slicing off 15 seconds every mile, but we certainly did speed up. I decided to just run 6 and call it a day, so I definitely picked it up on that last mile. Wow, though, what a difference cool weather makes!

On Sunday I ran in Vienna for a quick five-miler before heading over to my parents' house for dinner; I was originally going to run 6 miles but I could tell that it was getting dark fast enough that I needed to stop while I was ahead, so to speak. More crisp, great weather for running.

(10/18: 9:40, 9:03, 8:48, 8:44, 8:38, 8:04)
(10/19: 8:29, 8:15, 8:09, 8:19, 8:14)

Start Time: 10/12/08, 7:45am
Location: Clarendon, Ballston, Bluemont Park
Distance: 6 miles
Average Pace: 9:01min/mile
Total Miles For October: 38 miles

This was thankfully a lot nicer; the day after my run I was supposed to run a 6-miler at a 9min/mile pace, and while my quads were not thrilled with me they held up a-ok. One funny thing was that I decided to try out having a clear breath-right strip on my nose to see if that would help out any. It did... but after three miles it fell off because of all the sweat. Bah!

(8:59, 9:11, 8:37, 9:09, 9:03, 9:07)

Start Time: 9/28/08, 11:00am
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 3 miles
Average Pace: 9:04min/mile
Total Miles For September: 61 miles

Wow, that was horrible. I was supposed to run a 10-miler, but the humidity? Out of control. As in, having problems breathing and feeling like it was actually pulling me back. Much worse than anything through the summer itself, which was rather unexpected. Aborted the run and went home; my only consolation (hours later) was hearing how many other people had the same problem with outdoor exercise on Sunday. Still, a little distressing.


Start Time: 9/30/08, 7:30am
Location: North Arlington
Distance: 6 miles
Average Pace: 8:52min/mile
Total Miles For September: 67 miles

A slightly later start than I wanted this morning, but it all actually worked out very well. Just randomly ran all over the place; down Clarendon Boulevard and 10th Street to Glebe, then over to 50 before winding through residential neighborhoods, followed up by two more miles on 50. Nice weather, didn't feel like I was pushing, and it was ultimately just what I needed to feel like things were starting to return to normal.

Start Time: 8/24/08, 8:50am
Location: Mount Vernon Trail
Distance: 6 miles
Average Pace: 8:49min/mile
Total Miles For August: 70 miles

A duplicate of Friday's progressive run on the Mount Vernon Trail, except this time I was really struggling. Allergies from dog-sitting? Not enough sleep from said dog whining outside the door at midnight, 5am, and 7am? A hot sunny morning? (The temperature was actually lower than my Friday run's was, but it felt hotter. Hmmm.) Or just a bad run? Oh well. I survived, I finished it, I more or less hit the times. Move on and stop coming up with excuses.

Splits: 9:24, 9:10, 9:01, 8:42, 8:36, 8:12

Start Time: 8/22/08, 6:30pm
Location: Mount Vernon Trail
Distance: 6 miles
Average Pace: 8:49min/mile
Total Miles For August: 64 miles

Now, technically I was supposed to run this on Saturday (and then on Sunday another progressive run, or alternately a make-or-break run). So it was about 5 1/2 hours early. But I'm dogsitting starting Saturday afternoon until Tuesday, and I know the dog in question likes to get up early. Really early. So I figured Saturday morning might be my last chance to sleep in for a while!

Like before, the splits were supposed to be 9:30, 9:15, 9:00, 8:45, 8:30, 8:15. I wasn't as dead-on the mark as last time, but since only one mile was too slow (and by all of four seconds) I am not complaining. My right ankle was a little stiff heading out, but by the time I got back it was all good. Oh, and why does no one actually walk their bike through the stretch of trail underneath Memorial Bridge? You know, that super-skinny section of the trail, with the huge signs on either side saying, "Dismount and walk your bike"? Today was a new one—a cyclist heading north slowed down, saw me halfway through the bridge, and then kept on riding. Trust me when I say there is not room for two people there. Ugh. What a jerk.

Splits: 9:29, 9:15, 9:04, 8:36 (oops), 8:27, 8:05 (eager to finish)

Start Time: 8/12/08, 6:10pm
Location: Mount Vernon Trail
Distance: 6 miles
Average Pace: 8:48min/mile
Total Miles For August: 32 miles

My last attempt at a progressive run was seriously off-pace, never really hitting the times I was supposed to, always too fast or too slow. The idea is to start the first mile at a 9:30min/mile, then drop 15 seconds off each mile. I was originally going to run this on the W&OD trail, but on the way home the Mount Vernon Trail just looked so nice... so I took a detour and ran there. (Which turned out to be nice because during my warm-up walk down through the creaky bridge, I ran into canis_lupus_va on his way home from a bike ride, and we stopped and chatted for about ten minutes.)

The first mile was a little fast, but from that point on the GPS swears I hit all of my planned splits within 3 seconds. Hurrah! Much, much better. Having the GPS certainly helped out a lot; I needed them because the mile markers are nowhere near the Roosevelt Island parking lot and are only on the full mile, but it helped keep me on pace a lot more. Very, very nice. (But can I do a 8-mile version now? *gulp*)

Splits: 9:07, 9:13, 9:01, 8:42, 8:30, 8:13

Start Time: 7/29/08, 7:00am
Location: Arlington Boulevard Trail
Distance: 2 miles & 4 miles
Average Pace: 10:02min/mile & 8:08min/mile
Total Miles For July: 74.5 miles

Uuuuggghhh. Today's run was a small "make-or-break" run (2x2miles, plus warm-up and cool-down miles) and thank god it wasn't more or I would be a smear on the pavement. The official air quality is orange, and "unhealthy for sensitive groups". Um, yeah, I would agree. My throat actually hurts a little bit now. I think I am going to leave the car at work (I don't need it for anything tonight) and take the bus home so I can at least feel a little better about not pumping more nastiness into the air.

Anyway, I ran this on the Arlington Boulevard Trail, which of course means that the first mile has a gradual uphill and the second mile reverses it. I was happy with my first 2-mile set, not quite as thrilled with the second but honestly I was glad to have survived without any asthma-esque problems. I did feel fat and slow as I lumbered through the second set, which really means that I was overheated and running out of gas. I must have looked like a right mess by the end, my shirt clinging to me with sweat. *shudder* And I am amused that both times the second mile was 20 seconds faster than the first.

warm-up: 9:34
2-mile sets: (8:08, 7:48) & (8:28, 8:08)
cool-down: 10:30

Start Time: 7/26/08, 9:30am
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 6 miles
Average Pace: 8:44min/mile
Total Miles For July: 68.5 miles

After taking a few days off while starting the lung steroid (yay), the plan was to run a 6-8 mile progressive run on Saturday; start at a 9:30min/mile, then drop 15 seconds each mile. Well, that was the plan. Half a mile up the trail, I glanced at my watch and I was just over 5 minutes. A little slow. So I picked up the pace a bit, hit the mile more or less where it should be... and then my times were all over the place.

What happened to my old pacing ability? I think I somehow killed it with all that trackwork in the winter, which is counter-interintuitive since that's what gave it to me in the first place back in 2005. I don't get it. Argh. Oh well. I got a late start, the sun was beating down on me, and I called it a day after 6 miles. (Amusingly, my average pace is faster than if I'd hit the times where I should've, which would've been an 8:52. Heh.)

9:26, 8:43, 8:42, 8:27, 8:39, 8:28

Start Time: 6/24/08, 5:00pm
Location: Long Beach, CA
Distance: 5 miles
Average Pace: 8:57min/mile
Total Miles For June: 48 miles

Start Time: 6/26/08, 8:00am
Location: Long Beach, CA
Distance: 6 miles
Average Pace: 8:44min/mile
Total Miles For June: 54 miles

I was in Long Beach last week for a business trip, and while Long Beach is lovely (in places), the part I was in... not so much. So I ended up sticking with the treadmills, both times doing a progressive run where I just slowly pushed up the speed over time. A nice time, all in all. Not terribly scenic, but there you go.

Start Time: 6/1/08, 10:30am
Location: Mount Vernon Trail
Distance: 2 miles & 4 miles
Pace: 10:03min/mile & 8:29min/mile
Total Miles For June: 6 miles

It's been a long time since I've run on the Mount Vernon Trail; I gave it a try once and really hated it. Too many bicycles that whipped by without any warning, really narrow sections of the trail, and generally speaking a big headache. But it'd been almost three years, and I figured I should give it another shot, if only for variety's sake. My plan was to drive over to Roosevelt Island early, while there's still parking, and head out from there. Unfortunately I was so tired this morning I slept in a couple of extra hours, and I knew it was going to be a humid day. But, it was only 10:30, so despite the lack of shade, I decided to give it a try instead of diverting back over to Rock Creek.

All things said, it wasn't bad. It's still got a lot of cyclists who think it's ok to not warn people they're about to pass (trust me, I had no headphones on, I would've heard a bell or a "passing!" from them), but there were enough that understood how things are done that it wasn't too bad. (I was a little horrified that I only saw one cyclist actually get off their bike and walk it through the two sections where the signs say as much, because of the path being incredibly narrow at that point. It's an accident waiting to happen.) It was supposed to be another 5-7 mile run (including the warm up and cool down miles at either end) and I made it as far as the airport (3 miles in) before deciding I was going to turn around while I still could. (There are some parts around there where there's no shoulder.)

The way I was definitely huffing and puffing a bit, and (so far as I can tell) with no uphill grade as an excuse. Ah well, that's why I'm doing these, to get better at this. Not to bad, all in all. Perhaps the most important thing was that knowing it would be warm, I threw out my pride and wore a racerback tank top that I'd gotten from Pacers. I felt very silly afterwars when I stopped at Giant to get a drink, but otherwise? Not so bad. So maybe I'll keep from baking this summer. We'll see.

Start Time: 5/27/08, 7:00am
Location: Arlington Boulevard Trail
Distance: 2 miles & 4 miles
Average Pace: 10:01min/mile & 8:14min/mile
Total Miles For May: 46 miles

After my previous two make-or-break runs were mostly downhill, or on a flat track, I decided that I needed to be a little tougher. So, the plan was to run on the Arlington Boulevard Trail, where the first mile of the 2-mile repeats would be uphill (as well as the cooldown run), while the second mile of the 2-mile repeats (and the warm-up) would be downhill. And... oooooof. That kicked my butt, big time. Specifically, the uphills; I could just feel myself running out of energy. Each time. I'm glad I did it, though, now that it's over. Clearly I need to add hills back into my running life. Here's how the breakdowns ended up:

warm-up: 9:52
first 2-miler: 8:23, 7:48
second 2-miler: 8:47, 7:59
cool-down: 10:10

Start Time: 5/25/08, 11:00am
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 2 miles & 4 miles
Average Pace: 9:51min/mile & 8:23min/mile
Total Miles For May: 40 miles

Fred had warned us that yesterday's run might leave us a little sore today. I wasn't feeling too bad—my glutes are a little sore, but other than that I was feeling a-ok, which is good because the schedule has a run scheduled for today. I headed out onto the trail, which was clogged with fair-weather runners and cyclists, and did a warm-up mile (9:54) before picking the pace up a bit. It went well; I was a little tired towards the end, but I think I kept pace pretty good (8:35, 8:11, 8:22, 8:23). That said, I sure was glad I was only running 4 miles at that pace instead of 5 because I was a little bit tired. (Some leftover from yesterday afternoon/evening's super-heavy tiredness?) I did my cool-down mile (9:48), stretched for a bit, and went home.

Start Time: 5/20/08, 4:00pm
Location: Thomas Jefferson Community Center
Distance: 2 miles & 4 miles
Average Pace: 9:52min/mile & 7:50min/mile
Total Miles For May: 31.5 miles

It was pouring on Tuesday when I woke up, so I decided to postpone my "Make or Break" run until after work. I actually ended up leaving a little early, but there were still dark clouds overhead. More rain? I decided not to chance it and instead ran on the indoor track (ho hum). It went well, though. 9:50 warm-up, then two good sets of 2-milers (7:56 & 7:55, 7:45 & 7:43), then a 9:54 cooldown. Of course, when I left? Not a cloud in the sky. Argh. I hope everyone else who enjoyed the good weather appreciated my sacrifice!

(No run on Thursday, I instead set up and used my Wii Fit for about 45 minutes. Fun!)

Capitol Hill Classic 10K
Start time: 5/18/08, 8:30am
Location: Washington DC
Distance: 6.2 miles
Finishing time: 52:30
Average pace: 8:28min/mile
Miles for May: 25.5

I missed the Capitol Hill Classic last year; I had an injury that had prevented me from running anything. So I had a lot to really prove for myself, because this was my first 10K since May 2006.

I made one small mistake this year; I ran into Emma early on and stuck with her until about mile 2.5. As Emma is normally faster than me, it meant I was starting to run out of gas. Fortunately I realized the error of my ways and slowed down a bit. It went well after that, aside from a misplaced Mile 4 marker that made me really wonder what the hell was going on, and running completely out of gas and walking for about 30 seconds up the long, steep, Capitol Hill. UGH. Not proud of that. But otherwise it went well, and I got to see a whole bunch of my old fellow AIDS Marathon staffers—Rick W, Rick C, Karen K, and Emma. Good times, good times, good times.

(8:19, 7:52, 8:14, 10:17, 7:11, 8:55, 1:33 for the .2. And yeah, that marker was definitely off for that fourth mile!)

And hey! Check out my age group placing!

2005: 315/386 (81st percentile) (30-39 group)
2006: 166/233 (71st percentile) (30-34 group)
2008: 98/192 (51st percentile) (35-39 group)

Start Time: 5/13/08, 7:00am
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 2 miles & 4 miles
Average Pace: 9:43min/mile & 7:55min/mile
Total Miles For May: 19.5 miles

Today is what Fred calls a "make or break" run; run a mile warm up, then run two sets of 2 miles at a good clip, then a mile cool down. So, off to the W&OD and its handy mile-markers, plus a lack of crossing any roads once I'm there. I had a good easy warm-up (10:08), then kicked it up a notch for two good miles (8:17, 7:47) for an average of an 8:02. I wasn't entirely sure how long one should rest, so I decided that normally we walk around the track once and that takes about 4 minutes. Then it was back off again for two more good miles (7:39, 7:55) for a solid 7:47 average. Finally, the cool down on the way back went a little faster than planned (9:18); I just find it hard to slow back down if I still have some energy, even though I keep telling myself that I'm supposed to be taking it easier...

It was a little windy and cool at first, but it turned into a really beautiful run. I'd put this one in the "make" category. And now, for lunch, I undo all the good the run may have done with a trip to Elevation Burger. YUM.