Number 9, number 9, number 9...

Today I headed into Clemson to run the actual race course for my long run -- here's a link to what I did (Just about.  I veered left instead of right at the end so I landed up doing 9 instead of 10 miles, no biggie, I was scheduled to do 9.5 today.)  The beginning of the course was hilly in that gradual build dammit-why-won't-this-thing-end way.  And around mile 3 the vitamins I took that morning started to turn my stomach.  That lasted for two miles.  Whole Foods, you make good vitamins but man are they not happy when being jostled around.  After 6 miles, I got to the really beautiful part of the run -- the dike on Lake Hartwell.  I had never been up there before and, with it being around 65 and sunny, it was gorgeous.  And flat!  And soft and grassy, which was actually kind of weird and a little uneven to run on.  Even if it was better for my legs.  Here's someone else's view:

It really took my mind off the run and I loved looking around -- Maddy and Alice would love it up here, so I think we'll take them back some time.  I spent about 3 miles on the dike and then headed back past the golf course and to the Brooks Center, where I finished!  I went in to say hello to Woody and steal some water from the green room. 

I just checked my pace for the run and I ran 10:31 miles!  Woohoo!  That is 30 seconds better than my usual pace.  I feel pretty good right now but that will probably change this evening when my body realizes it ran 9 miles today...

8:20 mile!

My blistering pace continues to be, well, not quite blistering.  It more like a persistent itch, or maybe the beginning of a rash.  Either way, 8:20 is my fastest so far!  I did three mile repeats today and that one clocked in at the most...itchy.

A couple of days ago I ordered a different hands-free leash.  The previous one was fine but not quite padded enough for the occasional moments when Alice pulls ahead.  And, given that it was missing a price and the great folks at Appalachian Outfitters gave it to me $15, I didn't feel too bad about shelling out for a cushier one.  Not to mention, it's called a Mt. Tam Leash and Belt.  And I sometimes miss California.  I am a sucker for marketing.

8 miles high...

8.25 miles this morning!  Alice came along for the first 5, here's how we looked:

(I took off my hat and gloves for the pic -- the hat makes me look like an old timey aviator.)  Woody took Alice off my hands after 5 miles and I went out on my own for the last 3.  She didn't seemed phased by that distance...until now (about 3 hours after the run).  She seems to be sacked out for the day.  Clearly it was hard work keeping up with my blistering 11ish-minute mile pace.

Look Ma, no hands!

Today I went running with the very neat hands free leash I got for Christmas from Woody.  Alice was happy because she could roam (within Rachel-determined reason), I was happy because I could use both arms (to beat off the throngs of admirers and paparazzi that follow me on each run).  And I got my best time on these 3 mile runs yet.  Now if only I could find myself a hands free nose wiper...

No excuses...

The holidays... wonderful and fun, yet horrible for my running.  Thankfully, Rachel and Woody gave me a wonderful gift certificate to Nordstram Rack.... woohooo! This meant that I could finally go buy myself some running clothes for outside.  As modeled in the pictures above... Now I have no excuse... I can go to the gym and NOW run around Patterson Park when I am too lazy to go to the gym... wooo hooo!

Two reasons I may not be running tomorrow

REASON #1:

 In her excitement to get in the back door after our last run Alice yanked me up the back stairs, I tripped and fell and busted my knee on our not-at-all-springy concrete steps.  As of day 2, the knee is turning all sorts of holiday yellow and green.

REASON #2:

We have SNOW!  On Christmas!  The weather folks on tv were salivating over this possibility for no less than a week straight (we just witnessed the last 3 days of coverage because we were hanging out with folks who watch the weather).  We learned that a "White Christmas" occurs only when there is more than 1 inch of snow.  Who came up with this arbitrary rule, we don't know.  But if there is 7/8 inch of snow I suppose it is a Soggy Christmas or Wintery Mix Christmas.  This is why I'm not the one dancing in front of the green screen talking about fronts and low pressure systems...

It truly sucks that my knee is a bit busted up.  I am hoping to run on it tomorrow or the day after.  Remember when we used to bust our knees all the time and get up and keep playing?  Wow that feels like it was so long ago.  Oh wait, it was.

One-Love

On our run on Tuesday, Alice found this outside the B'ton Tennis Association.  She carried it all the way home (over 1/2 mile!).  And when we got home she showed this tennis ball who was boss.  By promptly eating a hole in it.  I did 5 miles on Sunday and this upcoming weekend is a much shorter run of half that distance, it'll be a nice Xmas break!