Some people run turkey trots to make themselves feel better by stuffing themselves at Thanksgiving. This year I was going to run a 5k, but after talking with a friend of mine the other day I decided to just run with a few other people, and log more than 3.1 miles. I was a bit hesitant at first to do what they were planning to do, but I stuck with it this morning and in the end had no guilty feelings about stuffing myself this afternoon. And I saved $20 in the process.
We ended up running 7 miles ... yes, SEVEN miles on big hills in Bedford that I'm not used to anymore. This coming from me who has cut way back on running since August. My longest run since the Rock 'n' Roll Half has just been 5 miles, I think, while I've mostly stuck to runs between 3 and 4 miles with a lot of cross training. Today was the answer I was looking for -- cross training does go a long way. At the same time, though, it doesn't fully replace running.
Don't look for me to change my plans for this winter -- I still plan to keep doing what I'm doing with less running. I am happy though to know that I can still push out a distance like I did today with no problems. Overall it was a great run. Of course with a group we started off faster than I would have liked -- the first mile was just a tad over 8 minutes -- but overall we kept a good pace. Two of the guys pushed it at the end while me and another guy hung back, finishing in just about a 9-minute mile pace. It made me feel good about what I might be able to do next time I run a 5k.
Lastly, I'd just like to say HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone out there. I hope you had a great day, and if you happened to run a turkey trot or something even longer, I hope you had a great run.
A personal 7-mile turkey trot
Missing out on a tradition
For the past three years on the first Saturday of December, I have ran in the Bedford Christmas Classic in Bedford, Va. Even though I moved to Richmond a few months ago, I had every intention of making this race my first post-marathon event. I think it would have been a perfect chance to return to the 5k distance that I first fell in love with.
But as you've probably already read, the snot in my head had other plans for me this week. Two days after getting on a prescription, I'm finally feeling worthwhile today. There's not as much cloudiness in my head. I was sluggish this morning, but by noon and a quarter box of tissues later, I took my sad-looking dog out for a walk. Poor thing hasn't had his usual walk/runs this week. We even ran for 0.7 miles, which felt pretty good. It had been a week since I last ran -- my longest running drought since September 2006. Even though it wasn't even a mile, it does a lot for my confidence. My legs still work and they felt great! And I think the full week off helped me fully recover from the marathon. On Thanksgiving and on Saturday, I had some discomfort in my right heel and my left knee, but nothing major. I stress discomfort over the word pain. Perhaps completely taking time off is the medicine my lower half of my body needed to get back to running again.
So, on a day that I lost a 3-year-old holiday tradition, I feel like I've actually gained a lot when it comes to running. Now, about those 1,000 miles I want to hit ...
Feeling free
Due to a family yard sale in Bedford, Va., I spent the night at my mother's house last night. My plan was to get up early this morning and just go out for a nice long run somewhere different. My goal was about 6 miles. Well, about a half mile into my run, my battery died on my Garmin Forerunner. I've become hooked on my GPS watch, so I immediately thought about just running Bedford's "loop" (click here for more details on the loop) and nothing more. What happened though was one of the most independent-feeling runs I've had a while and may be the start of something new. (You can click here for the route I took today.) In the end, the less-stressful run was surprisingly right at 6 miles.
I think runners often get too addicted to their watches and get too focused on their times and mileages, but it's soooo hard to break away from having a watch on. I'll be the first to admit to that. So maybe, just maybe, I'll start going out once a week without the watch and see where the path takes me. Like today, maybe I'll continue to be surprised at how great it feels.
Bedford's loop
Bedford's "loop" is a popular course among runners and joggers. It's also home to the Bedford Christmas Classic, which has a 5K and a 10K. It's a fun race to do, and would be even better if more people came out to it. Forget how cold it is - just get and out do it! Click here for my attempt at creating a Google map so you can see the route of the "loop."
