Running Circles at Hinckley

Yesterday, I forced myself to go for a run. I would have been more than happy (and comfortable) to stay home instead of getting outside for a run, but I needed it, so I went. I was originally thinking of 15 miles around the Hinckley Metropark APT. 5 loops. I also had a somewhat arbitrary self-imposed time limit to which I wanted to adhere. So, there I was, running up and down and all around, mileage VS. getting home by noon. I compromised. I ran 4 loops for 12.5 miles and ran hard, averaging somewhere around 8:30. I got my run in and was able to get home and take the dog out for a 2 mile walk before the rain began. Then I took a nap.

Cold and Dark Run, #2

Last night I went for a run after work and after taking the dog for a short walk. I get out of work at 5:00, so by the time I get home this time of year, it's very close to being dark. It's so dark, I've been walking Porter with a headlamp so I can have light to pick up his poop by. Once I was ready to run, it was really, really dark. Except for the Christmas lights. I ran with a headlamp, but never needed to turn it on. Everyone's Christmas lights gave me enough light to see by. It was still cold, though. Running pants and facemask cold. Even with the warm days we've been blessed with this fall/winter, (It's December. That's winter enough for me.) we've still had our share of cold nights. Anyway, I was dressed properly and the run was quite pleasant. I had a relatively uneventful 4.5 miles, except for the barking dog. As I rounded a corner and was heading down a cul-de-sac one street over, I startled a dog across the street who was apparently in the middle of doing his business. He didn't appreciate being startled and let me know it. As he was barking and crossing the street his owner yelled, "He doesn't bite!" I've actually heard that before, and been nipped, so I stopped and held out my mittened hand. That dog didn't want to make nicey-nice with me, just bark and get ALL the other dogs on the street barking. It was actually quite humorous.

Towpath Twenty 12-1-12



What blog re-boot would be complete without some photos from the trail? The Towpath Trail, that is. Saturday, which the calender said was December 1 but felt more like November 1 if not earlier, I wanted to get in some miles. A long run, one could say. Trails would have worked, but I didn't want to be gone all day. After considering my options, I chose the Towpath for a flat out-and-back of 15 to 20 miles.

 

Parking at Lock 29, I ran north. As I was getting a later start, people were already out and about, but it was nowhere near crowded and I had a pleasant run with just my thoughts and a certain Christmas song, which shall remain nameless, that I couldn't get out of my head.

 



 

 Passing under the I-80 bridge near the Boston Store.

 

 

One of the first things I noticed was how much wildlife was out and enjoying the warm weather. I could hear critters everywhere, and with a little inspection, I could spot most of them. The squirrels were overhead chowing on their nuts. Ducks were in the canal sections the entire way, as were some geese. Blue jays and cardinals were the easiest birds to spot. There was even a turkey, which I could hear well enough, I just couldn't find it through the underbrush.

 

A squirrel eating a nut overhead on the Towpath.

 

 

I warmed up a bit running north. The breeze I could feel was very slight. Even though it wasn't as warm as the weather people were calling for, it was very comfortable. Hey, it's Dec. 1st and I'm running in shorts! No complaints!

 



 The Cuyahoga River just south of Station Road in Brecksville.

 

 

I ran past the Station Road spur feeling just fine at nearly 7 miles. I had my "ultra" pack on and didn't need to stop for fluids. I would need to eat something soon, however. I could feel myself fading already. But I had 3 miles to go before turning around and decided I would have some Clif Bar at the Frazee House a little further on. It turns out that the Frazee House is almost to my turn-around point and everything works out well. I run a little further to hit 10 miles and find myself on new trail. I've never been this way before. My turn-around is at Lock 37 which is behind an operating feed store that used to be a mill.

 



 Lock 37 looking south.

 

I turn around and begin my 10 mile trek back to the car. This is when I notice how strong the wind is. I had been running with a tail wind all this time! Now I've got a decent head wind to accompany me and IT'S COLD! Oh, well. It happens. I press on. Once back into the narrower sections of The Valley, the wind isn't so bad. I make a quick stop at Station Road to finish my Clif Bar and keep going. I'm feeling good, nothing is hurting, but I just don't have much energy. By the time I'm at the Jaite area, I take a gel to get me back in one piece. From there it's about 4 miles.

 



Crossing under the I-80 bridge heading south.

 

 

I finish my 20 in just over 3 hours, which is a good time for some LSD (Long Slow Distance). I get an interesting look from a woman, who also has just finished a run, as I enjoy a post-long-run Reese's Tree. I had a Reese's. She had a banana... and Reese's envy.



So, I Suppose It's Time to Begin Again

More for historical recording purposes than anything else. My memory isn't what it once was. For example, I never forced myself to sit down and write about my Burning River experience in 2011. While the memories are still there, they're not as vibrant as they were a year ago. As a quick scroll down the page will show, my blogging ended with my finish at BR. Why? I don't know exactly why. I didn't want to write about it. I didn't feel the need to write about it. Looking back, I kind of wished I would have. I'm sure my BR memoirs would have been much more interesting coming from a fresh experience rather than a year removed.

2012 was a "down" season for me. I was drained both physically and mentally. I had zero desire to write about any training, racing, or whatever. I stopped keeping track of my mileage like I used to. My training was sporadic at best and my racing suffered as a result. There was no consistency. 2012 was also "The Year of the Beer." Heather and I have drank our way through The Winking Lizard's World Beer Tour. THAT, as it turns out, is incompatible with training and I'm lucky I haven't put on a ton of weight. We've reached our 100 beers (apiece), receiving our tour finishers' jackets, and are nearly done with 150 as a team to achieve the stretch-goal of a hooded sweatshirt. It takes a lot of time (and $) to drink 100+ beers. That time has to come from somewhere. Training. I'm relieved the tour is nearly done, I'm excited to go after some major races next year, and I feel the need again to write about what I'm doing.

What's on tap for 2013? I'm hoping for a road 50K PR at Green Jewel in March. Since I have yet to run that race up to my potential, I think I've got a good shot. I would like to go under 5 hours, but we'll see. At the spring NorthCoast 24 Hour Endurance Run in April I want 100 miles. I could have had it last spring and I let it slip through my fingers. In May at Rite Aid, I hope to run a new PR for the half marathon, going under 1:30 if possible. June brings the Mohican 50 Miler. This will be more of a training run, but I've never run a 50 so it's an automatic PR, as long as I finish. I've decided to enter Burning River again and July brings me my big run for the year. I don't need to finish faster, I just want to finish, hopefully without the lingering hip pain I had after 2011. I originally signed up for the Akron Marathon the day after I ran this year with the desire for redemption. My run started out well enough, but fell apart mid-way and the whole second half was miserable. With BR now on my plate, I don't know what the plan for Akron will be. There may be additional small races thrown in, but those are the biggies.

Of course, the only constant is change, so plans can be fluid. I'm mad a myself for having such a crappy season this year, which is good because anger REALLY motivates me, and I intend to focus on these events, train for them with an intensity I haven't unleashed in a while, and push myself to achieve these goals. We shall see how this all plays out.

I'm also REALLY hoping the Mayans are wrong.