Runner's Community

I ran outside.

It's 36 feels like 31 degrees and aside from regretting lacking gloves I was perfectly comfortable. I got to use my Vibrams outside for the first time which was exciting. It's very pleasant to run through a wet slab on the sidewalk and see your footprint--toes and all--on the next dry slab.

Here's the best part though:

On my way out, while I was still deciding my route, I hesitated at a corner and ended up nearly running into another (much more serious) runner. He smiled and said, "Hey! Good! You're doing great! Keep going!" How completely wonderful.

I ran my 1.3 miles in between 11-12 minutes. It's always better running outside. I wasn't focused on how fast or far I was going, I was just happy to be making progress. I crossed the river and streets, passed light posts and dodged lunch-crowd walkers.

And on my way back, I opted to walk the last 3 blocks before I wrapped up my break. The man I had seen when I first set out was just crossing the street approaching me. We made eye contact and I said hello, albeit somewhat sheepishly since he has seen me just a few short minutes ago running and I was clearly already finished. Nonetheless, he said, "S'Alright!" as he stuck out his hand and gave me a high five as we passed one another.

My experience skepticism both tell me that this man is the exception, but I'm well on my way to tricking myself into thinking that maybe the running community really is this encouraging. Maybe they all say hello to one another on the street and bestow little morsels of encouragement to their fellow runners at every literal turn. Maybe they understand that somedays you go on a short run, and it's alright, you're still trying, and that's the important bit.

For those of you who are runners, if this isn't the case, please don't tell me. I like my way better.

lauren: week two round up

This week was almost a total disaster, in terms of keeping up with my workout schedule. It took a lot of effort to pull through this weekend and keep things going.

This is a hard thing for me. I get super pumped about a project and then burn out on it if I don't plan out every little thing and make myself do it in steps. If I start to miss workouts or change my schedule too much, I know I will start to fade in enthusiasm. So, when a busy week strikes and a busier weekend caps it off, I have to start making decisions that aren't super popular.

In order to shake a headache and what I thought was a super bad cold coming on, on Friday I called in sick to one of my lessons and took a nap instead. I had a gig that night and work at 8 am the next morning, and it felt right. That meant that on Saturday I had to make a choice: a rehearsal I really didn't need to go to, or my week-end run.

I made the choice to run and I don't regret it. I'd been feeling so sluggish and gross by the end of the week that sweating out some of that crap and getting blood flowing again was exactly what I needed. I meant to swim too, but as usual, the HIlton pool on a Saturday afternoon was full of little kids and sulky teenagers. No dice.

This means I only missed one workout this week, and swimming at that, which I find easy to make up since I always love getting in a pool. I'm not worried.

Meanwhile, though, the spring that Kate spoke of has ended prematurely with 10+ inches of fresh, drifting snow, and so biking and outdoor running are now again distant dreams.

Le sigh.

Spring sprung!

Oh sure, it only sprang for about 3 days, but it still counts! I dug out my spring coat and relished in the triumph of changing seasons as I prepared to go outside wearing only one layer of pants and socks.

With the beginnings of the thaw comes the beginnings of training outdoors. I biked to work on Wednesday (35 degrees and sunny), getting the first real ride of the season under my belt. The upsides far outweighed the downsides, but there were a handful of each.

First, the downsides:

-35 degrees, while 30 degrees warmer than 5 degrees, is still 30 degrees colder than 65 degrees, which is perhaps the most comfortable biking temperature

-Sloppy roads made my ride a little more adventurous than I anticipated, with more than one instance of my front and back tires going in different directions

-After almost 4 months of not biking the same route to work, it turns out I forgot a few key directions along the way

Now, the upsides:

-Chilly temperatures afford me badass status (not according to Minnesotans, but according the rest of the world)

-I didn't wipe out! Not even once.

-It took just over an hour, despite wrong turns, questionable terrain and lapsed time since I last got on a bike

It felt great to get out again, though my next trip may not be too soon...forecast predicts snow and temperatures in the 20s. I return begrudgingly to wearing my winter coat on my way to the gym for workouts.

Boo, pout, grumble.

lauren: week one roundup

Phew.

This week, all told, I swam 3000 yards, biked 16.4 miles, and ran 3.5 miles (this is according to my training schedule, and does not include warmup/warmdown times). The highlight of the week was the 2 mile run, which was in fact legitimately a two mile run, for possibly the first time in my life. It wasn't easy...but it wasn't hard, either. The best advice I've ever gotten on running is, 'start slowly,' and that's exactly what I've been doing. I made it and could have gone farther, and I think that is a good prospect for the 3.3 miles I'll have to complete.

Swimming was a bit tough this week as the Hilton gym, where I work out for free thanks to a sweet deal through my place of employment, has the tiniest lap pool. The gentleman at the front desk was unable to tell me its official length, although he did give me a very incredulous look. My best guess is that it's about 15 yards as opposed to the standard 25, which completely throws off my lap counting. Let me just say that it's easier to count to large numbers like 1750 and 1250 by increments of 50 than it is by 30s.

And biking. Dang. I finally figured out how to make the stationary bike tell me how fast I go, but I wasn't pleased. I'm already aware that I bike at a snail's pace, but even as I tried to speed everything up, I still only managed an average of 14.3 miles/hour.

Inspired by Kate and by a busy schedule this week, tomorrow I'm going to knock out three of my workouts in one spell and see if I can make it. It'll be a 900 yard swim, 4.5 mile bike, and 1 mile run. This is essentially a full swim and one third both the bike and running distance. Rest assured, you will be updated of my successes and failures in this endeavor.

In other news, look at our forecast for the week:



You know what this means? It means, things will probably get shitty, one more time, but in the meantime, all that snow, all that muck, will just melt away this week, revealing bike lanes and sidewalks and park paths. Outdoor adventures, here I come.