Lost Valley run

RUN 10.5 miles (0.4 miles walked) on Lost Valley, 2hrs 7 minutes

WOW a trail run!! I was stressed most of the morning -- this was going to be LA and 1st weekend apart -- and I was mentally a mess. Trying to distract myself, Azu and M were looking over my shoulder, and I was sick the day before with gut pains (from stress). I got a late start, but a start nontheless.

My first surprise of the day was pulling into the parking lot for the visitor's center and thinking I had the wrong turn because there was a WHOLE NEW BUILDING at the entrance!? WTF? When did that appear? Has it been THAT long? That made me kinda sad. 

The goal was to find 10 miles, either out n back or a loop using the Hamburg. Since this was my first trail run since .... July of last year?...see above paragraph...I wanted to be sure I didn't come out here and bang up the joints and connectives in a bid to see some trees.

I haven't mentioned yet -- this was a PERFECT morning for weather! I was in a t-shirt and shorts, sunshine and dry and little wind. Unseasonably wonderful. So there were many others out on the trail, hikers and bikers (the latter of which seemed to forget that "on your left" is an expected phrase!). 

Out to Hamburg, down the hill, walk up the next hill and running until I find the right-turn to the trail I was coming up on 3 miles and was certain I'd missed that turn, when I found it. Mental note on the distance! I I though I'd just see how this goes, and also thought the creek bed along the road was maybe 5 miles out. But I knew by now that wasn't right, it had to be 8 or 10? I know I did this out n back run  last year. Has it really been that long!?

I'm going along, loving it, feeling the rocks hit my feet but not hurting, feeling the mild stresses on my hips and knees but not in a bad way. But I know I gotta turn around soon, no way I'll make it to the creek bed. I decide to run to the collapsed bridge, and to my surprise - that's 5 miles! Mental note that too.

I pause, snap a few photos, send one to TV and one to LA (who is on his way here!! That totally changed my outlook on the weekend!) and turned it around. The way back to the road felt much longer than 2 miles, and the road back felt longer than 3 miles. A sign that I'm still building. A good reminder too, because at one point I was thinking "if 10 can feel this fun, I'm so CLOSE to 20, amiright?!) NO!!

Only two loops today

 BIKE 14 miles in 60 mins, two loops of TGP

BE suggested two loops today, and I agreed. I debated coming early or staying late to do a third, but I'm planning to run "long" tomorrow and I'd rather put my focus there. 

Perfect morning in TGP - the yellow leaves are spectacular over the black tree trunks, with a blue sky dawning overhead. Yesterday, EW called the sunrise a Runner's Reward. Today, it's Rider's Reward.

I'm a little frustrated that in the 3-4 months of riding, I don't feel like I've made many gains in strength or endurance, as measured by the perceived effort of this ride. What is causing that? I'm that out of shape? Something else? Same goes for my running, I need to be patient. 

Tomorrow, I'm thinking Lost Valley! I need only 10 miles (then four on Sunday) and LV is more like 13 miles. I'm definitely doing a run/walk, maybe I'll walk the hills and still get "10".

This is the first weekend I won't be seeing LA. I'm doing my best to stay fully distracted. 

An easy run with EW, and a swim

RUN 4.5 miles in about 53 mins
SWIM 1200 yards in 32 mins, 2x300 in 6:18

BE bowed out again for the calf, so it's just me and EW today. IT is still out with his family in Ballwin, tending to his father. The sun was almost up, and it so warm still!! To think I almost thought I wanted a jacket for this run!

In the first mile, I told EW about going to AK for thanksgiving, and shared some other news about life. She's so sweet, she prayed for me at the end of the first mile. I used to think of praying as a begging of sorts, at least that's how I experienced it. But her praying is a conversation, like a call to focus on good things and a clear path and having a tailwind, so to speak. 

The next miles, I learned more about her. Her hub's family and thanskgiving, his family's trials and tribulations and separations and more. In the last miles, I learned that the last 7 years of her job has been full of trial and tribulations! I had no idea, she felt so pushed to leave and how she hung on with tenacity and grit. I know she can speak her mind, but I was impressed to hear how she described her standing up for herself and how she's navigating this problem. Impressed!! And I was just saying how sweet she is!! I love it!

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The swim is my third in a row! Now I don't swim again until the WH pool on Sunday. I'm only 3 swims away from finishing the beginner level 1000K plan - which means I get to do a 1000 TT next week. Oh boy! I'm already planning ways to limit myself - do I take a break at 200, 250, 300? I mean just a breather, not really a break, just 10 seconds to breath at the wall. Oh just try it!

I thought I'd be sore and fatigued for this, but I'm holding up great. Earlier after the run I could feel some back fatigue, but it didn't show in the swim. I'm still a sloppy swimmer, still struggle to squeeze in drills, but I'm doing it!

The next plan I'm starting begins at 1600 yards and builds to 3000 yards in 8 weeks. I set up a few "ramp" workouts to bridge me up to 1600 from 1200. And these include drills as a regular routine. This 1000 yard plan lacked that type of specificity. 

My kind of TriFecta

BIKE 20 miles in 90 mins, TGP
RUN 3 miles in 33 mins, FoPa
SWIM 1100 yards in 30 mins, YMCA (haha)

BE and I rescheduled our Monday ride to today since I was still at home with LA. With the warm weather and the time change, this was a great ride. My energy still a bit flat, what's up with that? EW and her hubs were going to join, but decided to ride local instead. Great ride, we talked about everything but yesterday's elections!

The run was supposed to be 2.5 miles, my plan to get the midweek goal of 12 miles by doing a 5+2.5+4.5 sequence. Again it was a 3pm run. I turned around at 1.35 and thought on the way back I could take a shorter route. But once I got on the gravel and bridge section I enjoy and the lap counter beeped, I had a mental moment of "gosh, I'm 1 mile from the lab building? I can't cut it short!". So I take the gravel path west of the lake instead of the paved path that curves up east of the late. As I'm running south on Clayton along the lake, I realize my error that I only needed another 0.5 miles, not another full mile. Ooops.

The swim - again I was about 15 mins late but this time I wasn't in as much of a hurry. My right leg and both feet are fatigued and I can feel it in the push-off and kick sets. Injured? Or fatiged? Denial counts them as the same. I did 3x200 in 4:07 or so each. Just think back to August when I started this Beginner 3 Months to 1000K plan - I was barely doing 100s! 

Whew, what a day! I'm so behind on home life though. But I made a point upon getting home to walk the dog and mediate before sitting down to dinner. Those little movements really help me relax.

Again, no commute so I could get to the pool. Feels like I'm sinning against this unseasonably warm weather. 

Late day workouts

 RUN 5.25 miles in about 53 mins, Fo Pa from work
SWIM 1000 yards in about 28 mins, after work

BE's calf is still hurting from last Tuesday's track run, so he bowed out for today. With the flexibility of being able to run anytime during the day, but the limitation of swimming to only when I can get a lane before or after work, I opted to run over lunch and swim when I can. 

Unfortunately, there were 6 6am lane cancellations that came in too late for me to act on. I didn't get a lane until 5pm, and I hoped for a 6pm but no luck there.

The run was later in the day, I think 3pm, and I was happy again to run somewhere besides my usual out n back. I did an easy loop to the VC to the memorial gardens area (where LA and I walked on that little bridge near the Jewel Box a year ago) then back to lab. All felt good, my right leg is uncomfortable, but since I'm in denial about it I won't talk about it yet.

Once I got back to lab, I almost had to leave right away for the swim. I arrive to the deck 15 mins late, and rush rush through my 1000 yard set. It sounds small, it is small, but I'm swimming back-to-back-to-back lately when I can. And I'm thinking the Endurance Nation viewpoint of Frequency over Volume is good for me now - to focus on form and being fresh for each swim. I did 4x100 in 1:57 each!

No commute?! It's absolutely GORGEOUS outside and unseasonably warm, and I'm not biking? It's hard to get to a 5pm swim from work when I have to bike home then drive to the pool. And my energy isn't up for it for some reason. And my leg, gotta let it rest while I'm in denial, right? 

Weekend at home with family and LA, Blue Moon!

SWIM 1100y or so, Friday
RUN 4.5 miles or so, Saturday
RUN 4.5 miles or so, Sunday
REST! Monday

I'm liking my 'new-found' way to keep extra lines from creeping into my posts. I'm tempted to go back in time and edit some previous posts, to possibly reduce printed pages come the end of the year blog-print. Not that tempted, but still.

Friday I swim in the morning before going to work, and before leaving to drive home in the afternoon. My stress levels are much better at work, having told all coworkers of my future plans. Now to tell them about the rest of the story!

Saturday we helped Mom put up an arch for a wedding event, then the rest of the morning into early afternoon just busy-here busy-there. Buy apple cider, fill propane tanks, to bakery to meet up with Donna, visit gramma, home....all the while my anxiety about running is building. Will I get to run?! LA got in 3 miles in the morning, I fixed breakfast, now when for me? I decide to run at 4:30pm, and LA wants to go, but he's not ready yet. I suggest the canal path to get us out of the wind. It's late, I'm waiting for him, this anxiety is building - this urge to check this box. Did I want to check the box, or run?  I had 10 miles in my training plan, and I recognized my limiter of all-or-nothing, and pushed to get *something*, even if not a full 10 miles. 

We get to the path at 5:15 with sunset coming at 6:02, so we gotta go. I think this is his first canal path run? He's already tired, but pushes through the first two miles. I point out features of the path as a distraction to keep us going. After two miles, we start a run/walk. At about 2.3 miles, at Split Rock, we turn back. the anxiety to run is now replaced with an anxiety about getting home. It's getting dark and the kids are doing trick or treating. But we're running late, figuratively and literally. We hit the parking lot at 4.85 miles, I round up (of course!), and  head home. We missed trick or treating :( 

The next day, a cold front had moved through with high winds and temps down to 35-40. Last night was 60F! Ugh, November. We go back to the canal path, again to avoid the winds. This time, LA is more tired and his knee is hurting. But it's almost the same run - two miles run straight through, turn just after Split Rock, and back to Utica. Almost the same run, time and distance and pace. LA did 13.1 miles this weekend!! I hope this doesn't injure him.

There is a point in both of these runs, while talking to him and hearing some of his frustrations, that I remind myself of Alister's phrase to Tom: you have to stop eating sugar before you can tell someone else to stop eating sugar. I'm thinking of this figuratively. I know what I mean. 

So both runs were a run walk, I kinda kept track of the intervals, and trimmed out half mile from each of what I thought was the walking for my part. I pushed for a slow jog instead of a walk, and on Sunday pushed for brief walks in between slow running. This push was both to keep our efforts up and to keep us warm in the cold wind. 
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And the MOON! On the drive home Friday night it lifted over the horizon as I turned northeast towards Bloomington. All that night, it was a beautiful sight. Silver, pure, and bright enough to light the farm's yard as we walked to the travel trailer.

Saturday night it was obscured by clouds, but Sunday it was back. Again a heavy but weightless disk in the sky. Sunday night it rose up in an orange glow, and overnight it again it remained bright enough to light the yard during walks and overnight bio-breaks. 
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Great visit with my family, it always feels so comfortable and so close, then so far away when I leave. LA is stressed while I'm on an upswing after clearing up my clog of thoughts at work. 

I have goals for November, it's hard to start them while traveling. But I'm now a full 2 weeks plus with out the M! And I need to get Azu out the door.
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This was a good week! I didn't commute at all I think?! This is the last week before the time change. Next I'll be biking home in the dark -- BOO. 

October Blue Moon

Great picture LA!

It's November! A time change. An election. Back to STL and work on Monday. And goals. 

I drove back to STL on Monday, had a work meeting, and definitely noticed a few things right away. First, my stress at work is better for now. Second, I'm behind at work, on both getting stuff done and on mentally understanding our projects. I need to buckle down on that.

I came home to AZ and PB2, after thinking I wouldn't. It only feeds the dragon. I did that, then a walk, then a Power Hour of chores. Then more AZ PB2. Ugh. All new goals for November failed tonight. But no M at all - 18 days.

I feel a little out of order, like things are distracted, I need a firmer schedule sometimes. Knowing that BE can't run Tuesday (calf injury maybe), I suddenly realize I can run later in the day and swim in the morning. This flexibility does me more harm than good! I need the borders!