trepidation

So, tomorrow I head to Louisville, where I'll be spending the next couple of days taking the bar exam. All day Tuesday and all day Wednesday to be exact. I'm going to put in a run tomorrow morning before I get organized, pack, and head up there, because I won't have time to run Tuesday or Wednesday. As terrifying as the prospect of taking the bar is, at this point I just want to get it over with.

I have a lot of races I'm looking forward to on my calendar. This Saturday, partly as a celebration of being done with the bar, I'm doing a tiki torch 5k ... it's at night on the same cross country course where I've been running the XC challenge, and it's ... lit by tiki torches. I guess this is the month for night races, because in a couple of weeks I'm doing the Midsummer Night's Run. My last race in August is the final leg of the XC challenge. I improved a lot from the first to second leg, so I'm hoping I can improve again.

I'm also hoping that once my schedule gets more routine, I'll be able to amp up my running again. Last September I was running 100 miles a month, which is an all-time high for me. I'd also like to do longer races, since I might actually have the time to train for them once law school and the bar are behind me.

For now, though, that's the main goal - get the bar behind me. Start my new job. Get back into a routine. Spend time with my horse. And, after 3 years of law school, get my life back!

shenanigans

Last Sunday I ran to the park to do my usual 4 mile trail run. The trail goes around the circumference of the grassy fields and comprise most of the park - it's an equestrian complex, in addition to a few other things - and is mostly a mowed grass path, although you have to cross pavement a couple of times. Normally I run so early in the morning that there's really no one else there, although there's a dog park, and also a ton of soccer fields as well. Last Sunday, however, I reached the park and saw that every soccer field was in use by the youth league, and parents jammed the sidelines.

Maybe it's just me, but I like a bit of solitude on my runs. So instead of turning left towards the soccer fields, I decided to turn right and find a route on the other side of the park. This worked out well until I reached the water crossing - I mentioned this is also an equestrian complex - which is usually pretty dry, but that day was full, about ankle high. Not wanting to soak my socks and shoes, I turned left, hoping to find a perimeter trail in that direction. No such luck. I found a gravel road, which I ran up, and then found the two dressage rings, but there was no trail in sight. Even worse, now this guy who was walking his dog was looking at me like I was nuts, I was in full view of the soccer crowd, and I'm too damn stubborn to admit that I had sort of gotten lost (not so much lost as off-track). Ahead of me, I could see where I wanted to go. The only problem was that it involved running downhill, jumping a ditch, then running uphill - all through un-mowed field grass that came up above my knees.

Well, stubborn as I am, I decided to pretend like I did that very thing every single day. I just kept running, into the field. The grass was so high that I had to really pick my feet up, and my dog was bounding through it like a deer. We reached the ditch, which was overgrown with some kind of vine that snared us both as we attempted our leap over. Unfazed, we found our stride again and galloped up the field to return to the path I should have been on all along. I had quite an audience, let me tell you. My dog, of course, was delighted.

It's good to have an out-of-the-ordinary run every once in a while. Audience optional.

rain running with the pooch

I promised my dog I'd take him for a quick run today ... of course then it started raining and didn't stop. I swear my dog understands English and knew what I'd promised him - or else he just knew I hadn't taken him running yesterday and he was due for a run! Finally the rain slowed to somewhere between a mist and a drizzle, so I took him for a quick jog. Dog heaven!

My dog has two hobbies - napping and running. He's a big dog, but not at all hyper in the house. When I adopted him from a shelter, he could walk on a leash ok, but I had to teach him to run with me. It didn't take him long to figure it out (once he got over initial nervousness about cars or people coming up behind him), and before long he followed the commands "right" and "left" as we ran, so, although he was on the leash, I could just let the leash go slack and not worry about directing him. He's a great running partner - always ready to go, and able to run for miles with a smile on his face!

The picture's from February '08, shortly after I got him. I took him to the farm where I keep my horse so he could have a good run in the snow. Happy dog!

cross country 5k challenge, race 2

Ran the 2nd leg of the Cross Country 5k challenge last night.

The first leg was in June, and it was blazing hot, even at 7 in the evening. The course isn't technical - it's mainly grass - but it's extremely hilly. It's a fun, but challenging course. Last time the sun really got to me, since I usually run bright and early in the AM, before the sun's really up. I actually had to walk a couple of times last time, and came in with a time around 32 minutes - about 4 minutes higher than my previous worst 5k time! Still, I came in 3rd in my age group (25-29 y/o women), which I guess speaks to the difficulty of the course.

Last night it was warm, but not nearly as hot, and it was overcast, so no bright sun. I set a pretty slow pace for myself, because I was afraid I would have to walk again, but it ended up being a breeze. The hills were still challenging, but without the sun to psych me out they weren't a problem. It's still a hard course, and even running the whole time, I came in at 30 minutes and change. So better than my last time, but I set my pace so slow that it affected my overall time. Also, I got a really bad stitch in my side - first time I've gotten a bad one in a long time, since I switched up my stride/breathing rhythm and figured out how to stay properly hydrated. So, that shortened my stride a lot. Not making excuses, though!

I ended up 2nd in my age group. Actually, the girl who won my age group passed me at one point on the course, and she was breathing like a freight train - one guy even asked her if she was ok - and I didn't think she'd make it much further before walking, so I let her go. Won't do that again! But overall I'm happy. My goal was to run a faster time this leg, which I did, and not to walk, which I also accomplished. Winning any kind of award is a bonus.

I'll probably be running the same course - it's a great cross country course, and allegedly the hardest in the state - a week from this Saturday (the Saturday after the bar exam!). There's a 5k race at 8 pm lit by tiki torches! Sounds like a lot of fun, plus I like the course, and that'll be another chance to run it before the last leg of the Cross Country Challenge, which is towards the end of August.

My boyfriend, who has taken up running since we've been dating, has been having serious problems with shin splints. It's definitely because he basically started running by joining me on my 3 mile runs 3 times a week, which is a little much for a beginner runner. He's a trouper, as always, and is determined to keep running in races with me, even if it means strapping ice to his shins afterward. Hopefully by scaling back his runs and building up again we can get the problem taken care of, though.

As for me, my running shoe problems continue. After my Asics Nimbus 9 died (so sad), I got the Nimbus 10's, which proceeded to eat my toenails. I actually lost one toenail due to a bad blister. It was recommended that I go up a size in them, so I did that, but was still getting blisters on my toes. I had heard good things about the Nike Zoom Vomero 4, so I figured I'd give them a try. I hadn't worn Nikes since I got a pair of the Pegasus and they tore my feet up. But the Vomero has lots of cushioning, which I need (prone to stress fractures). Well, I've put about 10 miles on them, and I've got blisters on the sides of my feet, just like with the Pegasus. When I have a chance I'm going to call the folks at Road Runner Sports and see what they recommend. Luckily they have a no questions asked 60 day return policy!

At any rate, stiches and blisters aside, last night was great and a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to the last leg a month from now, and also looking foward to a great 5k season this fall.