Bikram running in Chile

This morning was my first run in Chile!  I googled running routes in Santiago and there were many.  I also saw lots of folks plodding around my hotel's neighborhood.  But none of them were huffing and puffing ladies on their own like I would be.  Not to mention, there are a ton of stray dogs (but strangely clean stray dogs) here in Santiago and I wasn't afraid of them...I just wanted to take all of them home.  So this morning I descended to the basement "Health Center" of the hotel.  The heater on in there read 24 degrees Celsius which translates to "Way too friggin hot degrees" in Amurican Fahrenheit.  I tried to turn the heater off but nothing would work.  So I ran in what felt like a wigwam.  I did all 30 minutes scheduled for today but it was a very sweaty ungraceful affair.  I have another run scheduled for Tuesday, I might just venture outside for that one...

A chilly run before Chile

I head out to Santiago, Chile tonight on "university business" so I had to get in a long run before I left (being that I will be too busy gorging myself on food, shopping and, er, going to meetings to do so in Chile).  It was COLD again this morning!  I have been spoiled on the other long runs with some balmy conditions.  Not so this time, it was windy and 36 when Alice and I set out.  The pup was a bit of a pill this morning.  She seems to have developed a real sense of smell once she hit about 1 and has been distracted ever since (sounds like Maddy). 

We went for 6 miles and I dropped her off and did a belt and shirt change -- it was warming up and the super heavy pseudo-vinyl shirt I use for cold weather was getting too warm.  Then I headed out for the last 3 or so miles.  I made a quick stop at the tanning place on the square to say hello to the nice proprietor who always always waves to me when I run by.  It gives me a good boost and also reminds me not to wear too much mascara.  She seemed very nice in the few second chat we had, then I was back off heading home.

Here I am after my 9.5-mile run, the pace I kept was good!  About 10:10 miles.  I like this particular photo because it looks like a tree is growing out of my head:

It reminds me of the fabulous picture my roommate took of me before college formals in which it looks like there is one of those old school halogens growing out of my head.  I kind of looked like Whoopi Goldberg from her Star Trek: The Next Generation years:

In fact, from the forehead up I looked exactly like her.  From the forehead down, well, I don't wear blue lipstick.  After Labor Day.

A dreary 3 after a dirty dozen

It's Friday so I'm working from home.  A colleague of mine who will remain unnamed told me there is nothing better about getting tenure than ceasing with the whole "working from home" charade.  So hopefully this time two years from now I will be divulging what I'm really doing at home.  But it's hush hush till then...

So, yes, it's Friday which means I go running with Alice around lunch time.  It is dreary today.  Like bleak and gray and chilly.  Take a look:

(I think that overturned drywall spackle bucket makes it look even more bleak.  But that's just me.  We keep these things around either because a) we're lazy or b) they might be useful one day...when we want to make our yard look bleak.)  

I kept waiting around for the sun to peek through and checking the Weather Channel website hourly forecast searching for that 30 minutes of uninterrupted sunlight that I was sure was there somewhere.  No dice. 

Around 11 Alice had sufficiently demolished the house that it was really time to get her out on a run.  She had a great time.  Although the slightly off guy who stands on the corner in the main square warming up for his rap/R&B career did bellow something at us as we passed.  I turned around and gave him the shhhhhh sign as we passed (mostly because I was pissed that he spooked Alice) and he seemed to simmer down.  I kind of felt like I was in Berkeley again.  Although this man did not have a drum so not quite.

On Monday I told my head cold to take a hike and did 11.5 miles!  It felt really good probably because I followed my own advice and didn't overdress.  Alice came out with me for the first 6 and then I went out for another 6 mile loop.  This was the first time I used my fancy amphipod hydration belt (i.e., it holds water bottles) and consumed a Gu (I had to walk while I was doing this because I'm not that extreme of an athlete that I can eat and run at the same time.  I mean, I can eat and run in a hork down burrito and go to class way but not in a literal way.  You get it.)  It was a "two belt" run since I used the hands free leash to start and the hydration belt to finish.  I felt very well kitted out.  And now feel the need for even more belts.  Maybe something like this to finish the half marathon with panache:

My only hesitation is that I'm shaped like a surfboard and thus have no hourglass figure to accentuate.  Then again, neither did this guy.

I head to Chile at the end of this week and am bringing my running shoes!  I don't think I'll be pounding the streets of Santiago but at least I can chug along on the treadmill in the hotel.  Thankfully the elevation is not as crazy as when I was living in Mexico City.  Running at over 7000 feet is tough!  Especially when the treadmill is a manual one.  Yes, you read that right, a MANUAL one.  They also had belly jigglers in the gym I went to.  This photo looks like it is from the 1930s, but it is actually from my Mexican gym:

I don't know what that guy on the right is mixing up but I can imagine this machine being much more enjoyable with a cocktail.

Beautiful morning

When I got up this morning it was in the high 50s!  So, in keeping with my Don't Overdress Dictum, I just wore shorts and a t-shirt for our 30 minutes today -- it was great!  The sun was shining, there was a breeze, Alice pooped.  Twice.  A great start to the day.  Maddy decided to join us for our post-run picture.  She looks distracted because she is obsessing over whether I will remember to feed her breakfast.  (I did.)

Overdressed as usual

Today I did 10 miles and, while the last 2 were kind of sucky, I still landed up with a 10:24 mile pace!  Reminder to self though:  don't overdress.  When it's 45 degrees out wear just a t-shirt.  Not a hat.  Not a virtually vinyl weight fancy running zip up.  Just a t-shirt.  And, when it seems like a good idea to wear a magenta sweatshirt dress, a red beret and mint green sunglasses, don't do that either.

I look like a cross between Andrew McCarthy and James Spader here.  Really, I have the A.M. hair:

I may have been wearing pink, but this, this was not pretty.  Not even in an 80s way.

Two-Love

It's foggy and drizzly today here in B'ton.  I feel like I'm back in San Francisco again.  With some notable differences that I won't mention so I don't sound too bitter about not being able to find any g*dd**n good sourdough bread around here.

Since it has been rainy the past few days, the dogs have been cooped up or, when they're outside, trying to perform their bodily functions as quickly as possible so as to be able to bolt back inside and shiver.  Or jump all over the couch before politely wiping their paws.  Today Alice needed to run with me.  Or we would all have a not so good very bad Saturday.  So off we went...a full 5 feet before I went shoe-deep in a puddle.  Maybe this is what they call "technical" trail running.  My right foot was technically soaked.  But I persevered!  Mostly because I had only gone 5 feet and the embarrassment (in front of the neighbors who don't care) would have been too much.

Alice was a bit of a maniac on our run but that wasn't unexpected.  She is cozied up next to me now sleeping so I'm convinced the run was good for her, even though while on the run I was quite sure her head was going to explode she was so glad to be outside and moving.  At the end of the jaunt she found tennis ball #2 of her running career:  a very nice bright Dunlop Grand.  Like before she carried it all the ways home, ability to breath be damned.  I present to you the storied romance of a puppy and her beloved felt orb:

"How I love you tennis ball, let us spoon together."

"Oh no!  Tennis ball!  Why have you left me bereft?"

"Let me massage you gently with my jaws..."

 

"And let us frolic on this luxurious Tuesday Morning area rug!  Yes!  You on top!"

The End.

Puppy pedi

I took Alice to the vet today for a running check up -- he took a look at her paws and said it looks like she is doing great keeping me company on jaunts!  I've been using some pet salve on her paw pads to keep them nice and supple.  The stuff smells great so I don't even mind when she jumps up on the bed after we smear it on her. 

The vet told me 3-5 miles is a drop in the bucket for Alice (wish it was the same for me...) so I am thinking of taking her along for some 6-8-mile runs to see how she does.  After the checkup I took her up to the dikes to get our 30 minutes for the day in.  She had a great time!  It was muddy so we both finished the run looking good and grimy.