Our short 1 Mile Trail Run and taking photos

  It was pretty sad this morning, I had to force myself out of bed.... at 7:00 this morning. The plan was to run our first 1 mile of the streak, and then hike through the woods searching for deer with my camera. We ran the 1 mile in 10 minutes and 50 seconds, and then hiked for an hour and a half (probably just a little over 2 mile though), I think we were off the trail trying to flush deer out for a half hour. I got some decent images of doe and came so close to getting an awesome image of a large buck, sadly things were not in my favor though.
  It was a good hike, and a good start to my holiday streak - so far I have ran everyday since Thanksgiving and will hopefully run everyday through to New Years Day. Tomorrow Rocky and I have 11 miles to run, which will give us 30 miles for this week (another 30 mile week!). I am also closing my 5th triple digit month with 108.2 miles for November with hopes that December will be a really good one, though I am concerned that it will be a good jump from the low 100's into the mid 100's. Hopefully with most of these runs being on trails, it won't cause an injury and I might drop January back just a smidge and call it a rest/recovery month along with my first trail half marathon (and at night) on January 25, 2014.

24th Annual Turkey Day 5k RR

Well...... I beat my modest goal of 24:58 by 18 seconds, and my old PR by 40 seconds I think.

I now know I have a limit on how cold I can race, my heart and mind was in it to get under 24 minutes but my legs were saying "FUCK YOU!". My calves were frozen stiff it felt like, an average pace of 7:57 was all I could give - now grant you my goal this year was to get a sub 8 min/mile pace for a 5k so I did achieve that.

In the first mile we came up onto the river front and were blasted by freezing cold wind... and the shock from that took a while to get through.

Mile 1 - 8:21

The 2nd mile wasn't so bad, I had gotten used to the chilly air coming off the river and was actually beginning to burn up. My stride didn't exactly feel right and I'll blame that on getting used to running trails for the last 2 months.  Still, nothing was hurting and I wasn't really struggling to maintain pace, just struggling to pick up pace.

Mile 2 - 8:13

The 3rd and final mile was perhaps the toughest, I was beginning to burn up at this point and trying not to notice a few people passing me. I just kept pushing along and telling myself "fuck these temperatures, fuck this shit, fuck these temperatures!" I decided I was going to earn my Thanksgiving meal and pushed harder wanting the last mile to be under 8 minutes.

Mile 3 - 7:53

That final little bit, as I saw the finish I found some energy and mustered up a little kick though I don't want to see any photos this time as I probably would kick myself in the teeth. The final little .1 was with a 6:45 pace and I was done. I am so glad I didn't commit to any races next month, I am going to enjoy this little break.

Official time: 00:24:40 - 7:57 min/mile pace

Overall: 247th out of 1,521

Female: 68th out of 833

F 25-29: 13th out of 114

Our 3 easy miles on the Greenway Last Night

   We ran on the Greenway last night, I didn't want to get out bed yesterday morning so I had mom watch Dorian after she got off work. I just wanted an easy run, not to work my legs too hard but still wanting to get some mileage out there. It was 37 degrees with a feels like 32 degrees and NNW 7 mph winds, elevation gain of 51 feet and a loss of 47 feet. We saw about 12 deer out there, two of them I am sure were bucks staring at me and pondering the act of charging me.
   We got 3 miles in at 30:59 with an average pace of 10:19 min/mile so it was relatively slow though I felt like I was going a bit faster - strange.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:28
Mile 2 - 10:12
Mile 3 - 10:16

    My goal for tomorrow's race is 24:58, and I think it is a modest goal as my fastest 5k PR is 25:29 back in May. I am hoping I can crush that PR, but I am not able to promise anything.

A Slow and Sluggish 6 Miles on the Trails with Rocky

   I did not want to get out of bed this morning, and the temperature didn't help at all either. I literally had to force myself out of my tahoe at the trailhead, but I knew Rocky was really excited to get out there and I knew it would do me so much good to run - I would regret it if I didn't run. 
   It was 28 degrees, cloudy but not as much wind as yesterday. I didn't wear my face mask, just my head band and for the first 2 miles or so I was wishing I had worn my face mask. Rocky wore his doggie pack again, I almost thought about not having him wear it but our runs are getting easier and easier for him, the 11 miles yesterday didn't even slow him down. I think, depending on the weather next weekend, that we will hit the Hoosier National Forest trail and see how we handle the scary hills. I want 11 miles, but I can't promise that without knowing anything about these hills. Even if I have to drop it down to 9 miles, I'll still be able to hit 30 miles for this week which will be awesome. 
   Anyways, back to the run - things were pretty sluggish for the first 2-3 miles and then got better as my legs started to wake up and warm up. We ran the 6 miles in 1:04:24 with an average pace of 10:44 min/mile and an elevation gain of 74 feet and a loss of 80 feet. Heck, Rocky didn't want to get back into the Tahoe - he was wanting more but he reluctantly got in after coaxing him for a minute.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 12:44
Mile 2 - 10:27
Mile 3 - 10:38
Mile 4 - 10:45
Mile 5 - 10:15
Mile 6 - 9:33
  Overall a good run, and I am so glad I got out there and forced 6 miles on myself.

A Great 11 Mile Trail Run with Rocky

Rocky and I were out the door around 9:15 a.m, and boy was it cold! It was twenty-seven degrees with a feels like 20 degrees, burrr! Rocky loved it though, didn't bother him at all. I started out with a face mask that covered my nose and around to my ears (and of course my mouth and neck), along with my hat, gloves and tights and two layers of shirts, and a pair of dry max socks. Around 2 miles I ended up taking the face mask off as it was getting too warm, I stuffed it in Rocky's doggie pack (thankful I brought it with us). The first 3 miles I felt kind of sluggish, my feet didn't want to move but I trudged on telling myself at 10 miles we'll see how we feel.  Made it to 5 miles and was feeling much better, my legs had decided to cooperate. I did stop to give Rocky some water as all puddles and other flooded areas were frozen, so I knew Rocky wasn't getting any water.
The next 6 miles went really well, had to stop twice for a nature call so other than that it was a great run. Heck as we were edging near 11 miles I was honestly tempted to try and get as close to 20 miles as I could...... thankfully logic was louder and I decided to leave it at 11 miles. I will reach 20 miles soon enough, when it is time. We ran 11 miles in 1:53:32 with an average pace of 10:19 min/mile and an elevation gain of 196 feet and loss of 207 feet. Pretty good over all for a trail run.
Laps/Splits were:
Mile 1 -  10:54
Mile 2 - 10:49
Mile 3 - 10:29
Mile 4 - 10:28
Mile 5 - 10:01
Mile 6 - 10:12
Mile 7 - 9:48
Mile 8 - 10:30
Mile 9 - 10:07
Mile 10 - 10:24
Mile 11 - 9:48
  Another milestone for Rocky, 11 miles is his furthest yet and I know he can go even further so I am really excited as we progress. And I think this is the first 30 mile week for me, of just running so that is a great milestone!

Our 6 Mile Run on the Trails...... at Night

  Last night was a long and restless one, Dorian was dealing with constipation and just didn't seem tired at all so in other words I didn't get any sleep. I honestly didn't know if I would even have the energy to run later today, but luckily I found some energy. Rocky was excited, he wore his doggie pack again and looks so good in it. The temperature was 45 degrees with 8 mph winds, and I could have sworn at some points I saw snow.......
  I did much better than I have lately, didn't trip too much though I did slip and trudge through a lot of mud. It was still a good run with mile 3 being my fastest mile as that was on top of the levee, I just wanted a little break from the roots so I ran that mile on the levee which was flat. We saw probably 4 or 5 deer, or more but I can't remember. Running the trails at night after the sun goes down is a lot creepier than running them before dawn and as the sun comes up. 
   Rocky and I ran 6 miles in 1:05:13 with an average pace of 10:52 min/mile, an elevation gain of 111 feet and loss of 100 feet.... and lots of mud. It was pretty windy on the levee and during times I was close to the edge of a field. Overall it was a good run, both Rocky and I really enjoyed it.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:07
Mile 2 - 10:46
Mile 3 - 9:59
Mile 4 - 10:56
Mile 5 - 11:06
Mile 6 - 11:17

   I was thinking about going to Hoosier National Forest to run a little bit of the Indian-Celina Challenge, but after a thinking about it for a bit I decided I'll wait until next weekend. I don't know the elevation changes and I want my legs to be fresh and ready for the 24th Annual Turkey Dash 5k next Thursday, I want to place well in my age group and maybe even in the overall female area. It would be nice :)

A Slow 7 Miler on the Trails - I Broke 1,000 Miles!

  I didn't want to get out of bed this morning, a restless night's sleep after having a cup of coffee before I went to sleep. After seeing 30 degrees on the forecast, I decided to wear my tights instead of the capris - thank the running gods I did that. I had to layers of long sleeves, my warm gloves and a head band and some really warm socks.
  Rocky was excited, and the doggie pack he has started wearing during our runs this morning didn't even slow him down. I even put two bottles of water in it so he can get used to carrying weight as our runs get longer.
  It felt like I was going fast, but looking at my garmin said otherwise - didn't matter though as I am supposed to take it easy a day for every mile I race so 9 days of easy for the most part. Within the first mile I tried to navigate around a flooded section and ended up in ankle deep (freezing) water, thankfully my socks kept my feet relatively warm. Things were pretty sluggish up until mile 3 when I dropped my headlamp and flashlight off at the Tahoe as the sun was up enough and the trees bare enough for me to see without a light. Things got a little better after that, and faster. I freaked out though when my phone alarm went off saying it was 7:20 and I wasn't even halfway done. My Garmin said 6:20 though, and I knew that I had gotten to the trails at 5:40 and there was no way it took me an hour and 40 minutes to run 3 miles. I kept running, praying my phone was screwed up and my garmin was right. Just before mile 5 I stopped and called my mom, asked her what time she had and luckily my garmin was correct - she laughed saying maybe I ran through some time warp except my watch would have changed too.... oh well.
   Nearing the end of our run, we ran into a man and his four dogs - one on a lead who seemed a bit aggressive while the others were relatively friendly, I had to "drag" Rocky away as he wanted to go with them. Overall it was a good run, better than some and could have been worse so that is good. Rocky and I ran 7 miles in 1:15:32 with an average pace of 10:47 min/mile, with an elevation gain of 126 feet and a loss of 121 feet. 
Laps/Splits were:
Mile 1 - 12:29
Mile 2 - 11:30
Mile 3 - 10:34
Mile 4 - 10:28
Mile 5 - 10:07
Mile 6 - 10:12
Mile 7 - 10:09
   
    This morning's run put me at 1,006.9 for 2013!! My goal was 1,000 for this year and I am going to surpass it, I'll be even more beside myself if I can reach 1,200 miles by the end of the year!

Our Slow Recovery 6.2 Mile Run

   Due to yesterday's rain I figured it would be best to avoid the trails since I didn't feel like slipping and sliding on already sore legs, so Rocky and I ran on the roads out in Chandler. The first 3 miles were a  bit difficult, my legs were definitely sore from Saturday's race and my ankles were feeling it too, I was half tempted to call it off at 4 or 5 miles but we ended up running 6.2 miles in 1:06:19. My hands were freezing, the forecast said 48 degrees but it was 40, I didn't have my gloves so that was a bit miserable. Running these roads reminds me how much I hate roads, and love the trails..... I hate having Rocky on a leash especially on a road with cars constantly driving past us. Trying to keep him off to the grass is just as irritating, he will stop and jerk me back every minute or so because he smells something interesting. Not only that, but sometimes he will actually try to trot towards an oncoming vehicle which can be very stressful, even more annoying was when a garbage truck waited to let me pass in front so I tried to hurry across only to have Rocky run right into my left knee. He was too busy staring at the truck and ran right into my path as my left knee was coming up and right into his ribcage, he yelped of course. I appreciate the trails even more after this run, I hate that they are so far away and will probably be muddy for the next few days, but I don't care and will run them Wednesday and Friday anyways.
   Laps/Splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:57
Mile 2 - 10:56
Mile 3 - 10:46
Mile 4 - 10:46
Mile 5 - 10:46
Mile 6 - 10:07
.2    - 9:25

Get Dirty Fall Trail 15k Race

   I was a little nervous this morning, but my main plan was to enjoy the race and finish it. My big goal was to place in the top 3 in females, so I was hoping there wasn't a whole lot of women in the 15k distance. It was 55 degrees when I got up so I wore my shorts, short sleeves and my new shoes. Mom came over to watch Dorian, even though it was warm enough it was still damp and I didn't want him out in it.
   It was about 57 degrees when we got to Angel Mounds, but the windchill definitely made it a bit nipply. I was looking around, there wasn't a lot of runners so I was hoping and praying that I might place in the top 3.
   We started off at 9 a.m for the first 5k lap, I didn't want to go too fast because I figured most people were doing the 5k and very few were running the 15k (I was hoping).
Mile 1 - 8:50
Mile 2 - 9:06
Mile 3 - 9:12
   I saw quite a few people dropping off at the 5k mark, the two women who had gotten in front of me were still ahead but I think one of them had dropped at the 5k mark. Around 3.5 on the levee I saw the other woman up ahead about 50-75 feet but I was still hoping she was doing the 10k. I was still doing really good, the trails were awesome and I pulled my shirt off around 3.3 miles.
Mile 4 - 9:00
Mile 5 - 9:17
Mile 6 - 9:15
    A lot more people had dropped off at the 10k finish, so I was feeling more and more positive that I was going to place well. I could no longer see the other woman so I hoped and prayed she had dropped at the 10k distance. I was feeling a little more tired, as I got back into the woods I walked for a few seconds before saying screw it and started back up with running. I told myself I only had one more lap to run and I would be done, I could keep this pace and not let anybody pass me. I was thinking to myself "I could run a 13.1 mile race out here", I could hear someone way back behind me but I didn't see this other girl until after mile 8 but luckily she was in the relay so she wouldn't count in the overall 15k distance.
Mile 7 - 8:50
Mile 8 - 9:23
Mile 9 - 9:13
.3      -  8:02
     It took a lot to keep going even when I wanted to walk, as I came up on the finish I kept wondering where I had placed but felt great to finish. I finished the 9.3 miles in 1:24:04 with an average pace of 9:02 min/mile.
Finish Results:
Chip Time: 1:24:18
Overall in 15k: 5th out of 19
Female: 2nd out of 8
The woman who had stayed ahead of me from the start had won 1st place overall in the female group for the 15k distance, DH said she finished about 10 minutes before me. I am still happy that I placed in the top 3, I placed 2nd for women and 5th out of 19 runners in the 15k distance. Awesome.
I'll post pictures at some point.
 

Our Very Slow 4.2 Miler this Morning

   I only went out for a run this morning to try my new shoes out before race this Saturday, I wanted to make sure that they will be comfortable to run in during the race. I didn't want to do too much running, I really wanted my legs fresh for the race but I just had to make sure they would be good for me.
   We only ran 4.2 miles very slowly in 47 minutes and 17 seconds, it was definitely slow and I rolled my right ankle inward really bad twice but the pain only lasted a minute or 2. I went ahead and taped it up but I am not sure if I did it right so once I get home I am hoping that I can find the ankle brace thingy and use it. I don't suspect an injury or anything serious but it is sore in the middle of my foot. Hopefully some wrapping and stuff will do the trick, and I'll definitely have to be more vigilant on the trails and watch my step. All the leaves on the ground make it really hard to see the roots, I'll be so happy when they start decomposing and stuff. I think I have a new reason to like running trails during the summer, no leaves on the ground which will be a nice change from right  now.
   Anyways, I decided to wear my tights and they didn't feel as constricting this time which could  be thanks to getting used to my capris. A summer of wearing shorts definitely makes tights feel extremely annoying. It was 30 degrees, no wind but I was definitely dressed for it.
  Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:46
Mile 2 - 11:41
Mile 3 - 11:05
Mile 4 - 10:54
.2      -  9:16

   It looks like Saturday morning is going to be like 50 degrees so I'll be debating capris or shorts depending on the wind. Hopefully not too many women (fast women) will be running the 15k distance, and I will be sure to line up a bit closer to the front so that I can pick out a position before the single track begins as it is very difficult to pass people on a single track and I want to be able to hear any instructions this time.

Our 5 Miler Yesterday

   Forgot to blog about it, but yesterday morning was 34 degrees with a feels like 27 degrees. It was freaking cold out there, but I was determined to wear my capris because I just do not want to wear the darn tights yet. I feel so constricted in them when on the trails, but shorts would be insane in this kind of weather so. We got to the trailhead around 5:58 a.m, I had plans to run the course of the race this Saturday morning so I could make sure that I don't get lost. It was very well marked, there just isn't any possible way that you could get lost on this course but I am sad that it stays pretty much on inner trails rather than going along the outer trails which are a lot funner and more technical. 
   It was cold, I mean after being used to 80 degrees and stuff all summer with horrible humidity, this run was tough. I started warming up around mile 3 though, and even though I am determined to wear my capris for as long as I can, I think I will start wearing my wool socks or whatever fabric they are. They are warm, and I think perfect for anything 35 and below.
   We ran 5 miles, I had to stop about 5 or 6 times because Rocky was going insane (enjoying the cold) and I was a feeling a bit eh. With just a quarter of a mile left we had to stop and wait for 5 minutes on the levee, some guy and his dog were just meandering on the levee ahead of us towards the direction we were heading and his dog was off leash. I didn't have Rocky's leash so we just waited until they were gone. We ran the 5 miles in 47:31 with an average pace of 9:30 min/mile, hopefully I can pull that pace off at the race Saturday but I seriously need to stop thinking about speed and winning if I am going to get into trails and ultras.
Splits/laps were:
Mile 1 - 10:05
Mile 2 - 10:03
Mile 3 - 9:30
Mile 4 - 9:06
Mile 5 - 8:44
    It would still be great if I can place in the top 3 of this race, races at distances 15k and less I think could be about pace and speed and placing in the top 3.... even on trails. But races with distances longer than 13.1 will definitely have to be more about surviving and finishing the race strong rather than in a certain time frame or thoughts of speed. If I am ever going to dip my toes in the 50k distance and beyond, I am going to have to forget about getting faster and worry about getting stronger and enduring the distance.

   Other than that - I got my new trails shoes in yesterday, Brooks ASR GTX (10) and they a sexy black and reddish/pink color which will be my race shoes. I'll try them out tomorrow morning, but only for 3 miles as I am still feeling a bit blah and I would really much rather rest the next couple of days but I need to make sure these shoes will work before I wear them to the race. 
   

This Saturday's 15k Trail Race

 So I've got another race this Saturday, the Get Dirty Fall Trail 15k race at Angel Mounds which is where I run normally. Bad news is they won't have t-shirts, just gloves for the registrants :( BUT the good news is they will have awards to the top 3 males and females. If, and only if I don't get lost on the trail - I have a good chance at placing in the top 3 in the 15k race. I am not sure how many (women) will be running the 15k this Saturday but I am hoping like hell that my training on those trails will serve me well and I am going to kick hard booty if I can. I will also have to make sure not to go out with the fastest of the pack, knowing my luck they won't know where they are going and I'll get lost with them. But I am going to have to make sure that I don't start off too far in the back or middle so that I have to fight to make up for lost time, I guess I am going to have to ask a few people if they are 100% sure of the course and what their planned pace is. I talked to the Race Directors and they've already got course marked and someone apparently has a used a leaf blower so that the trail isn't so covered with leaves that we've got land mines of roots trying to kill us. 
  It's a little nerve-racking, I want to win an award because that would be awesome but also because I would like better proof of my hard work at this race than a pair of gloves. It's easy to get lost on trails though, but I think if I stare at the course map picture they have on their FB page I should be able to run the course no problem. I think I might be able to run most of the course tomorrow morning (if I can get out there). Of course I'll be running before daylight so that will definitely be a challenge.

I am about to Mentally Explode (Warning: Rant)

   So I didn't get up this morning and go for my run, I just felt blah and crap..... figured I could text my mom and ask her if she'd be willing to watch Dorian in the afternoon 3 so I could go for my run with Rocky. She said she would be watching my sister's kids until said sister gets home around 3:30 or 3:45, so I say okay can you watch him at 4 or after you leave there. She says probably, so I get happy and have been stoked all day as I've been feeling better and more ready for my run. I get dressed at the office around 3:30, expecting her to be here around 4 or just before so I try to make sure Dorian is happy and as content as he can be with his sinuses and teething. Instead I get a call from my mom asking if I want to go to Denny's with her and my sister and her kids (one of whom is sick) and then go run, I say no because it is going to be dark soon and I didn't bring my headlamp. Then acting as if I am being the unreasonable one (through her sighs), she asked why not skip the run and just go eat (mouth drops open). First off there is no explaining to a person who doesn't run or make running, or make exercising a part of their life.... you just can't make them understand. I tried, telling her I had been looking forward to this all day, that I've been cooped up in an office ALL day with my sanity being tested by Dorian's sinuses or teething and I was really looking forward to my run. Another sigh as if I am being unreasonable,  and a "missing one day is going to kill you", blah blah blah - I didn't just smash my goal PR at the Indianapolis Monumental Half by making excuses and skipping runs (unless I seriously wasn't feeling well), it is beyond frustrating to try and explain to someone what my goals are, why it is difficult to skip my runs when I feeling perfectly healthy and fine.
     I just want to scream at everyone right now, nobody understands and even worse some think it's funny how I am feeling. Tomorrow morning could be snowing, which isn't bad but if it isn't cold enough then it will be rain and I can never know how Dorian will be feeling in the mornings. I can honestly think I am going to be able to run tomorrow morning, and I am just about ready to say screw it on asking my mom to watch him anymore. I need to go home and take a few shots of Red Stag.

Our 9 Mile Trail Long Run

   So far, 9 miles is the furthest Rocky has gone (and we aren't stopping there). He is so awesome, and I can't wait to post about our first 15 miler which might be before this year ends (who knows though :) ), we'll just have to see how things go.
   We got to the trailhead just a bit after dawn, I figure the weekend is my only chance to run the trails in daylight so I must take advantage of it. My Tahoe's thermostat read 39 but my garmin says the average 45 degrees, not bad and around 2.7 I stopped by the Tahoe and dropped my hoodie off. My sunglasses were useless, every time I tried to put them on they would fog up and I wouldn't be able to see any roots so I had to suffer the sun at some points.
   The first 3 miles were a little blah, thanks to my sinus congestion but around mile 5 things got better. I managed to only hit a few roots this time, so it was better than the last couple of runs. We covered 9 miles in 1:36:36 with an average pace of 10:44 min/mile, elevation gain of 177 feet and a loss of 173 feet so not bad. I expect the elevation changes will be much greater on the weekends I run at Hoosier National Forest or John James Audubon State park. I expect some walking on those runs, but I have a 15k trail race next Saturday so I might run 8 miles at Hoosier National Forest the following weekend, I want to take Rocky with me but we'll just have to see.
Laps/Splits
Mile 1 - 10:57
Mile 2 - 10:57
Mile 3 - 10:43
Mile 4 - 10:46
Mile 5 - 11:10
Mile 6 - 10:50
Mile 7 - 10:37
Mile 8 - 10:36
Mile 9 - 9:58

A Foggy and Chilly 6 Miler with Rocky

  I almost didn't get up this morning, my sinuses are clogging up my head and I feel really lethargic. Yesterday I had an abscess that was on my pelvis "drained", it wasn't bad and they gave me another option which would have been antibiotics for 2 weeks and see if it goes down but I thought screw it.... I wanted it gone. I'm still not feeling any soreness so that good, but I am so glad it is gone as Dorian likes to bounce up and down on me right on my pelvis area and it was hurting like hell.
  Anyways, Rocky and I took out of the house around 5:15 and the windows were frosted but I fixed that. After a few minutes of running, I thought maybe I should just do a 30-40 minute run rather than aim for 6 miles, my legs were feeling beaten from all the roots trying to kill me Wednesday morning, so I just told myself to run between 35-40 minutes and I can head back home. Well, 25 minutes goes by and I am starting to feel much better so I tell myself "eh, try for 50 minutes and see how you feel". Rocky of course was feeling great, around 3.6 we stopped at the Tahoe to drop off my headlamp and Indy Monumental Marathon sock hat as daylight was here and my head was feeling hot. I grabbed Rocky E-Collar as I was a little annoyed with him constantly stopping and then racing after me, I don't have to use any of the shock buttons (1 is powerful in itself) as the vibrate button does the trick to get him back to me. I only have to use 1 or 2 when he sees another person or dog and won't listen to the vibrate, he's a friendly bastard but the way he runs up to say hi could give the wrong person or dog either a heart attack or reason to hit him. Once he's upon someone, he's doing this wiggle-jiggle dance with his whole body, (he has never met a stranger) but it is those seconds before his wiggle dance that worries me. Strangers don't know that it is just his nature and game to run up fast on them, don't ask me why he does it, but the E-Collar helps IF there are others out on the trail.
  Anyways, when I reached 50 minutes I said screw it lets shoot for an hour and see where we're at. I later ended it at 6 miles in 1:01:16, I know trail runners don't care about the distance or miles as much as they do about time, but I am still obsessive as a new trail convert. And I just have to have an even number if I can help it dang it.
  As the sun had began to really rise, fog rolled in from the river looking like a scene from the movie "The Mist". It was 32 degrees, I wore my capris and some florescent yellow long sleeve shirt with a spaghetti strap underneath and my gloves. After 25-30 minutes I no longer felt cold so I am really glad I didn't wear any extra layers.
Splits/laps were:
Mile 1 - 11:25
Mile 2 - 10:58
Mile 3 - 9:43
Mile 4 - 10:07
Mile 5 - 9:56
Mile 6 - 9:05

A 7 Mile Trail Run with Rocky

   I almost didn't take Rocky with me this morning, last night he had a seizure due to something he got into while outside. No more free roaming for him from now, but he was doing great this morning so I decided to take him with me and just keep an eye on him. I think we stopped at every mile, giving him a moment (he didn't need it) and to make sure he wasn't having any problems. He was doing great, I thought I was doing great too until around mile 2-3 when I started tripping over just about every freaking root. 
   It was 57 degrees, so I wore shorts and a t-shirt, it felt great not to be covered and hopefully I can do the same during next weekend's trail race. It wasn't quite an easy run, I am definitely feeling soreness in my legs now, in areas that hardly ever feel any soreness. We ran the 7 miles in 1:13:47 with an average pace of 10:32 min/mile, elevation gain of 132 feet and a loss of 122 feet. 
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:01
Mile 2 - 11:36
Mile 3 - 10:29
Mile 4 - 10:23
Mile 5 - 10:23
Mile 6 - 10:09
Mile 7 - 9:43
   The fallen leaves makes seeing the roots very difficult, even with a headlamp. Around mile 4 the sun started to rise and soon after I didn't need the headlamp but it was still difficult to see the roots due to all of the leaves.
After our run, we walked over to the riverbank to see the sun rising and let Rocky maybe get into the river. He got in alright, misjudging how slippery the bank was he fell in. I tried to coax him to a spot 5 feet away that he could climb out of easily but he wouldn't listen. In a few seconds I realized he wasn't going to get out of the water by himself, I knew then that if I didn't hurry he was going to go under. I ended up reaching down and grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and collar and dragging him out, I think he's around 52-54 lbs now........ luckily he wasn't too shaken up, and we headed home. Tonight I'm going to use some leave-in shampoo and conditioner spray to get rid of the wet dog smell he now has. I will definitely be more careful from now on, he doesn't have the depth perception (and smarts) that Molly had when it came to water, every time he goes near water he ends up in it.

Our 5 Mile Trail Run

   This morning Rocky and I went for a run on the trails, I almost decided to just run the roads with him but then I said screw it because I didn't want to hold on to a leash and be pushed into a pace faster than I wanted.
   We got to the trails about 5:15, I had to wear a pair of capris that were too loose but hopefully I can take them back and get a smaller pair. I had to hold my cell phone instead of carrying it in the back pocket of my capris because it was too heavy and pulling them down faster.
   Rocky enjoyed the run, I was a bit clumsy and slow, tired and sore but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It was a pleasant run, 2 days after the half marathon where I crushed my October PR and surpassed my goal time, I am still feeling the high from that race. It was an awesome race, I pushed myself past my comfort zone, to the point of wishing it to be over, feeling happy just to see the finish line but feeling so amazing afterwards knowing that all of my training and effort had paid off.
    Anyways, this morning the temperature was 43 degrees, chilly and dark. The sun started to come up around 6 am and for the last 10-15 minutes I didn't need my headlamp. We ran 5 miles in 58:35, that is probably the slowest 5 miles I've ran in a long time. I did have to walk around a couple of fallen trees, I hope somebody will be notified soon about the trees as we've got a race on that course November 16, less than 2 weeks away. If I can't notify someone, I might take my husband's chainsaw and go cut them.... if I can figure how to turn it on, I've never used one before.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 12:24
Mile 2 - 11:48
Mile 3 - 11:19
Mile 4 - 11:44
Mile 5 - 11:18

    Not bad, it was definitely a slow run though, hopefully I will have a chance to stretch and stuff this week.

The Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon

   After a stressful drive and getting to the hotel, I was hoping and praying for a great race. We are on a floor with a bunch of youth group kids, no sleep at all as they ran up and down the hallways from midnight to 4 or 5 in the morning, and Dorian waking up as neither of us are used to no fan in our room and the pillows suck. But, strangely enough I felt awake when my alarm went off and I took a shower just because and it helped me get my hair up. I tried to eat a cliff bar, but I couldn't scarf it down and I probably drank too much water before the start (big mistake). At 7:30 we headed down to the start, I was nervous but hopeful an ready. Temperature was 43 degrees with a feels like 39 degrees, 6 mph W winds and humidity of 87%. I was starving.
   I had no idea what corral to go into, they only had pacers for the full marathon so I just guessed and went in with the 3:30 pacer, figuring I was not going to get stuck behind slower people. I had already decided I was going to go out a lot faster than usual, afraid I'd probably have to stop somewhere around mile 11 to use the bathroom or have my knees and hips act up so I was going to make up for it now and suffer later.
   We were off, and I had to pee..... really bad..... I hated the fact that I had kept drinking until 7:30 and I had to stop just after mile 1, probably peed half a gallon of water. Along with the assumption I would be stopping again for the bathroom, I already figured I wasn't going to get a sub 2 hour, but somehow I couldn't slow down. I was being passed by quite a few people, a lot were passing me and most were the marathoners. I just tried to steady my pace.
    I kept my eyes off my garmin except when it would signal a new mile, then I would glance at it. It was .1 off from the race course, as usual, and I was under a 9 min/mile pace..... I was going to pay for this. After mile 3 I was still going, just chugging along. 
Mile 1 - 8:32
Mile 2 - 9:06
Mile 3 - 8:42
    I took a sip of gatorade around mile 5, surprisingly didn't choke on it (I am getting better). I was still pushing along, still feeling good at the pace I was going with no plan of slowing down as long as I could. My legs were feeling good, there were spectators EVERYWHERE, I don't think St. Louis even had this many out along the course.
Mile 4 - 8:54
Mile 5 - 8:38
Mile 6 - 8:40
     My 10k time was 55:49 so I was feeling pretty good, I was staying pretty close on target time though I was really hoping I had been doing a lot better in case I had to slow down at some point. I think just before mile 7 was the split from the marathoners, I was pretty much half way done and still going strong. I was surprised that my pace was still under a 9 min/mile pace, and still figuring that I would pay for it sooner or later. I think I had a gu thingy and some gatorade around mile 8 or 9, I wanted water to chase down the stuff but I had already passed it so oh well.
Mile 7 - 8:40
Mile 8 - 8:47
Mile 9 - 8:59
Mile 10 - 8:43
    Amazingly, I was still going..... no pain or any issues and I didn't have to stop at a port-a-potty. We saw the monument thing and I felt hope that I would finish good, didn't care if I only had a few second under 2 hours only as long as I got under 2 hours. I think at this point the marathoners met back up with us, but I can't really remember. I passed some pancake house and thought "hey, after the race we can go there and eat". Strangely I was under a 9 min/mile pace, which was amazing to me.
   I told myself I could hold this just a little longer, I told myself only half an hour more (or less) and I would be done. Around mile 12, I thought I'd have to hit a port-a-potty....... none were on the course anymore but luckily it was a false alarm. Just after mile 12, my right knee started hurting, I had to shorten my stride just a bit but this was a good thing.... normally it has been both knees and around mile 10 an then my hips would start to hurt. So things are improving, but I didn't speed up, I had about a half mile left but wasn't sure where the finish was...... I was looking for the giant blown up thing we ran through at the start, no wonder I couldn't see the finish. I was begging my body to give me just a little more, for my birthday (tomorrow)
Mile 11 - 8:44
Mile 12 - 8:44
Mile 13 - 8:55
.1 -      - 7:43
    When I saw the finish line, I felt a new surge of energy, not much but it was something and I took advantage of it. I've always wondered why so many throw their hands up at the finish, I guess part of me still figured it was an elite thing... until this time. I felt I deserved it and I finally understood why runners and walkers finishing so much slower than the elite throw their arms up at the finish. I didn't care what my garmin or the clock said, I knew I had finished under 2 hours, I stopped my garmin and wanted to puke. I wanted to fall over and die, but I kept moving along and hoping I don't die. I got the medal, and I truly felt I had given it my all and all I could give..... I had earned that medal, I actually stopped and let them take a picture of me and my medal.
  My sane and "not wanting any disappointments" goal was 2:05:00, my "insane, against most odds" goal was 1:58:59.
My garmin had said: 1:55:57
Chip time: 1:56:38 
Average pace: 8:55 min/mile
Overall: 1758
Division: 131/632
Gender: 614/3,575

  I had kicked ass, and the race had kicked my ass in return. I can proudly say I am a sub 2 hour half marathoner now, I surpassed my goal and can happily look forward to new goals next year. I shall have photos once they are up :)

Frustrated and Waiting to Leave

   I'm ready, everything is packed and ready to go.... except for DH as usual, I am always waiting on him. He is never in a hurry, and the more I push, the more aggravated he is so I am sitting here waiting while Dorian is sensing my tension. I just want to get to the hotel and relax knowing we are there, unpacked then I can walk to the Expo and get my race packet and then we can go eat somewhere. But no, it will most likely be rushed once we get there, stressful and nowhere even close to relaxing. Indianapolis is an hour ahead of us, which means as we're leaving Evansville at 2 it will be 3 up there which means we'll be getting there around 6 tonight. I wanted to be eating dinner around 7 after getting my race packet and back to the hotel between 8 and 9:00 to relax for a bit and then go to sleep. 
    No more, no more out of town races that are on a Saturday because I can't leave until Fridays and then it's just stressful to get there and try to relax. I like the trip to St. Louis because the race was on Sunday, so we had Saturday to relax and not feel rushed. At least until I can start leaving Dorian home with DH, which will probably be around 3 or 5 years old but who even knows then :( 
     I just want to crawl back into bed and hide there, depressed and just give up.That is how I feel right now, and probably how I will feel all day and all night.