Book Review - Let Your Mind Run

I just finished reading "Let Your Mind Run" by Deena Kastor.  I like reading and I like running.  I like reading about running.  This book was great.  I talked a lot about how your mind effects your effort and success.  Deena Kastor talks about her career from an early age  through running as a master.  She set many records but also had ups and downs.

I am still cross training.  The foot/heel is still sore. 

Cross Training Continues

The something that I did to my foot is a little better but it does not feel well enough to run.  It always frustrates me when I can't run.  Today I spent 30 minutes doing runner's yoga.  Then another 30 minutes doing stretching.  Then I spent 20 minutes on the elliptical.  Then Jim set up the bike trainer for me and I did 30 minutes on the bike.  Then another 10 minutes stretching.  After all this I was sweating so I felt I did get some workout done.  I start worrying about my plan.  Then I think back and every marathon training I had a week where I had to take off.

Rest Day

I put myself on the injured reserve list.  My right heel is hurting after yesterday's race.  I iced it and stayed off of it.  It is not major pain but is bad enough that I know I should not run until it feels better.  Right now I am calling it Plantar Faciitis.

Frozen Feet Half Marathon

Today was the Frozen Feet Half Marathon.  Jim got up and dressed warm and went with me.  Kathy was not feeling well and stayed home.

First they announced that the 1 mile loop on the dirt trail at Sherman Beach was flooded because the river came up over night.  They were going to take that section out and make the race 12 miles.  Then a couple minutes later they said that we would run the out and back on the Al Foster on the way back also making it back to 13 miles.

Shortly after the race started we hit the first patch of ice.  It was frozen across the asphalt so I stepped over to the grass.  Somehow the grass was sopping wet and I started the race with wet feet.  Had to run around patches of ice on the way to Al Foster.  The Al Foster trail was in good shape.  The Rock Hollow was okay until the last half mile.  It was a skating rink.  I was able to walk around the ice on the side of the trail.  Had to do a lot of walking that half mile to keep from falling on the ice. 

Somewhere on the Rock Hollow my foot started hurting.  It has hurt off and on for a while but not serious.  Today it was throbbing.  I kept running on.  I finished in 2:03:53 which was really good considering the icy conditions.  This was 2nd in my age group.  Candace was third.  She probably would have been 2nd but had an emergency port-a-pottie stop along the way.

My original plan was to run back to Sherman Beach after the race to get more miles on my legs but my foot was hurting.  Instead I came home and iced it.  I am hoping it feels better tomorrow.

Jim stuck to him plan to do a 4/1 run/walk.  He finished strong.

It was 12 degrees when the race started.  It was sunny and not much wind.  I was dressed warm and felt comfortable the whole race.

The medal had a corkscrew attached in case I needed to open a bottle of wine while wearing my medal.

Book Review: Finding Gobi

I just finished a book that I loved.  It was called "Finding Gobi".  It was about an ultra-runner who was running a 155 mile race across the Gobi Dessert.  A stray dog showed up and ran along side him for 75 miles.  He named the dog Gobi and they became very attached to each other.  It is the story about a runner, a little dog and his determination to bring the dog home. 

Tomorrow is the Frozen Feet Half Marathon.  It will be very cold.  I may have frozen feet when it is done.  Today was an easy day of stretching.

Frozen Toes

It rained all day yesterday.  I did stretching and yoga in the house.  It rained this morning.  I was running in shorts three days ago.  Today I was back to winter running clothes.  Since we had a lot of rain I decided it best to run on asphalt.  Jim suggested parking at Home Depot and running those trails.  I suggested Rock Hollow.  He said,"But we would have to run up that big hill".  I told him it was training and that was the idea.  In the end I told him he could decide.  He chose Rock Hollow because it was windy and that trail is more protected.  We still felt the wind chill.  There were places that a small creek was running down the trail.  Our feet were soaked.  I usually wear Smartwool socks when I know my feet will get wet but I didn't think they the asphalt trail would be wet.  I didn't have me Goretex shoes on.  My feet were very cold.  I took the run easy.

Two days until the Frozen Feet Half Marathon.  It will be very cold on Saturday.  Jim still has not committed to the race but he didn't wear his warmest running tights today because he is saving them for Saturday.

6 Miles

Today I considered doing cross training.  My foot/ankle was a little achy and I was going to rest it.  But I decided to take and easy run.  Yesterday was a run in shorts.  Today was back to tights and layers.  I went to Sherman Beach.  I started out slow.  The first two miles were 10:43 and 10:55.  The more I ran the better I felt.  The next mile was 10:23.  I ran up the Rock Hollow.  By mile 4 and 5 I was running downhill.  They were 9:04 and 8:32.  Then the last mile I ran some farklets with easy running in between and ran 8:31.

The trail is marked for the half marathon this weekend.  There is green leading the way.

Shorts weather

Today the plan had yoga.  The temperature outside was 68 degrees.  It was impossible for me to stay inside.  I put on shorts and went for a very slow, easy, short run wearing shorts.  Then I did my yoga.

Sunshine

Yesterday was groundhog day.  The groundhog did not see his shadow so he is predicting an early spring.  I hope he is right.

This morning Jim, Kathy and I went to Route 66 State Park for a longish run.  We were all shedding layers after the first 2 miles.  I wore capris but would have been comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt.  It was a beautiful day.  We walk/ran 12.4 miles.  Felt great.

Easy Slug Sister Run

Any run with Kathy is a good run.  Today we met at Sherman Beach and ran an easy 4 miles.  The polar vortex finally left us and we had a nice sunny day in the 30s.  It felt warm compared to the frigid temperatures we have had the last couple of days.