Sore Feet

I took today off to rest my sore feet but plan to run the 16 miles on Saturday morning.

8 Miles in Interlaken

I started out this morning for my 8-mile run at 5:30am. I changed my routine--by using new headphones and also carrying a small, 12 oz. bottle of Gatorade (so that I could have a fluid stop without actually having to put something out ahead of time on my route)--so, of course, I forgot to start my watch. I remembered about 10 minutes into the run, I think, so I started it then but my finish time of 1:41 minutes is approximate. In any event, I was slow.

Since it's enjoyable and scenic, Braman mapped out a route for me to maximize my time running along the lake. This also means, however, that I have to run downhill for about 3 miles and then uphill, mostly gradually, for about the same. It was refreshing to see new sights and to experience roads, that I had previously only driven on, in a new way.

Most of the houses that I run by along the lake are fancy and old or fancy and new with manicured lawns and matching boathouses. There is one older house set back from the road with a small, attractive sign hanging on a post by the driveway that reads "Avalon Farm, Chester White and Yorkshire Swine". Since the front is planted with a privacy hedge, I could only see a glimpse of the place but, if they really are raising pigs there, they have done a fantastic job of eliminating all pig odors. I couldn't find anything online about them but maybe I'll see if I can get some more information from my friends at the post office. Lake frontage used for pig breeding is definitely unusual.

The 4-mile mark was exactly at the point where I had to leave the lake road and turn left back up towards home. I stopped at this corner for a minute or two, opened my Gatorade bottle and drank a little. I probably should have practiced walking while drinking since I think that's what I'm going to do at marathon water stops but I didn't. I'll have to do that next week.

Partially because I could actually see something (the first 45 minutes of my run were in pitch blackness or just-dawning light) and probably because I hadn't run most of this way before, I found the uphill return more interesting than the way down.

What did I see?

• A few wild apple trees, growing close together and close to the road with the weedy wildflowers, just outside a wire farm fence.
  
  
• A barn-like building tucked into the woods the roof of which was covered in solar panels. There were four vans parked around it (only one with license plates and one which was very tiny, old and European looking) so I spent some time wondering if people live there and what it was like inside.
  
  
• A pond with honking geese. The pond had a few regular ducks, some white geese and then some unusual black geese and some white and brown geese. The brown and white geese looked like English setters (like the male Orange Belton English Setters on this page) and I actually stopped and then backed up to get a better look at them. I haven't had any luck identifying them. The black ones looked to me like Pacific Brant geese per the picture on this page but they'd be pretty far from home if they were. Maybe I'll have to look for a goose identification book...
  
  
• A deep gorge that I crossed over on the road. I could hear the water traveling in it but couldn't see it very well and, when I went to take a closer look, found that there were some portions of the road with no protective barrier. The idea of slipping and falling made me decidedly uneasy since it looked like a very long way down. But it WAS interesting.
  
  
• Lots of agricultural sites--fields of corn, soybeans, animals in fields--but only a few that were proud enough to post signs with names, including George Farm and Persoon Dairy (both New York State Dairies of Distinction), and two separate tracts of grapevines for Lucas Vineyards and Cayuga Creek Vineyards, respectively.
  
  
• A wild pear tree hanging over the road. I was tempted to pick a pear even though they were too small and I don't even like pears.
  

As I felt my skin being rubbed raw under the neckline of my sports bra, I remembered that I forgot to put Body Glide on this morning. And my feet, though padded in brand-new Thorlo running socks, felt a little sore when I was running and then very sore afterwards. My left foot, particularly, has bothered me throughout the day today so I think I might need to do something about it.

So, another 8 miles down. I might take tomorrow off depending on how my foot feels.

Pud's Run 5K

This morning I ran Pud's Run, a 5K race in memory of Michael Padula, an Ithaca police officer who was killed in the line of duty. This was the 10th anniversary of the race and there was an article about it in the Ithaca Journal last week.

It was a fast and flat course and I was, almost, fast. I finished in 32 minutes even, my fastest time running a 5K since I started marathon training. Braman was trying to manage the kids and then I surprised him with my speedy finish so here's a slightly out of focus picture of me whizzing by to the finish line:


Unfortunately, it was another rainy Saturday. I didn't mind so much myself during the race but Braman and the kids got very wet waiting for me to finish and then we all stayed wet and started to get cold waiting for the start of the Kid's Run at 11am.

Here's a picture of me with the wet kids right after the race. Cayuga Lake is in the background.


Larsson enjoyed stepping in a deep puddle with his boots on:


While Nora had a good time riding the horses at the playground:


Larsson and Nora both made funny faces while we waited under the tent for the Kid's Race to start:


All the kids are getting ready at the starting line. Nora decided she wanted to do the race, too (her first one!), so she and Braman teamed up. Larsson was brave and felt he could run the race by himself as long as I was cheering him on. Here Larsson is looking at the camera while Braman and Nora are off to the side getting prepared.


Then they're off! Larsson runs...


...and runs.


Here are the two very wet, cold and tired race finishers:


Once we finally got back to the van (we had to park very far away) and the kids changed into dry clothes, they were proud to show off their finisher medals.


We were wet and cold but overall had a good time. I felt good running the race and immediately afterwards but later, when I changed out of my sneakers, the soles of my feet felt very sore. I hope they improve with two days rest.

I'm on break until Wednesday when I'll be running 8 miles here in Interlaken.

15 Miles!

I got up at 4:30 this morning so that I could drive down to Ithaca and run 15 miles. No one else in the group wanted to get up this early but I needed to start by 5:30 since I knew it would take me around 3 hours to finish and I needed to meet Braman at the violin school and take Nora before Larsson's group lesson at 9am. Monica, one of the coaches, graciously agreed to meet me so we started off together.

She needed to get back to meet the rest of the group at 7am so, since she didn't want to go too far from where we started and she didn't want me to run alone for too long, she decided that I would run a 7.5 mile route two times. We ran out 3.75 miles from our starting point and then turned back. When we were almost back it was clear that, if we stayed together, she wouldn't make it in time, so she took a shorter way and I finished the first 7.5 miles by myself.

Liz in the group recently injured her leg and has been receiving physical therapy. After taking a week's break from training, she was back at it this morning but only wanted to do half the distance instead of the full 15 miles. And, since she needed to go slow, we ran the second 7.5 miles together. She's also going to be running the San Francisco marathon so it was good to have a chance to talk.

Including several water breaks and some walking, I finished the 15 miles in 3 hours and 5 minutes. It seemed like a very long way and my legs were already dead-tired by 12 miles. I felt really sore for about an hour afterwards but now, several hours later, my legs feel much better but the bottoms of my feet are still really sore. I guess this is one of the joys of marathon training. My toenails still look pretty nasty but at least they aren't sore. I will spare you a picture.

Saw many deer this morning: in people's yards, on the road, on the bike path, including several babies with their mamas. And was happy to be able to provide Larsson with a handful of acorns from an oak tree on the bike path. Where are all the oak trees these days? This is the first one I've seen since we started looking for them last week.

Pud's Run is tomorrow at 10am. It's only a 5K but maybe I should have looked at our training schedule before signing up for it. Hope I'm not too tired. I'll take Tuesday off to compensate so the next training day will be Wednesday for 8 miles. Since this is the first time I've run that distance at home, I'll have to find a new route.

Should I Be Embarrassed?

This morning I ran the same 4 miles that I ran with the kids last Thursday except I ran it 2 seconds slower than I did with them for a time of 44:53. I think that maybe I should be embarrassed that I ran slower by myself than when pushing 70+ pounds of kids and stroller.

Oh well. At least I did it.

7 miles, Deer, Gunshots and Spider

I ran my 7 mile lake route this morning in 1 hour and 16 minutes. It was very dark when I started out at 5:30, the sun was rising at 6:30 and I was glad the sun was to my back as I finished my run because it was very powerfully orange and bright this morning.

I saw four nervous deer in yards down near the lake, heard five shots fired in the vineyard just outside the village, and then, as I was walking home, saw a HUGE brown spider on the sidewalk a few houses down from ours.

I don't know much about spiders but I didn't want to get to close to it so I can't say much else except that the body was big and the abdomen looked like it had spots on it. I've never seen such a big spider outside of a cage, especially on a sidewalk, and hope not to see it again anytime soon.

4 miles tomorrow and then 15 on Saturday.

32:12!

This is not my fastest time running the 3-mile course (actually it's my third-fastest) but it is the best I've done since July 6th and I am excited to feel less sluggish and more speedy.

The schedule is changing, though, so this is the last three miles I'll run for a while. For the rest of August and all of September, Tuesdays and Thursdays will be 4 miles and then go up to 5 miles. Wednesdays miles continue to go up gradually every two weeks. So this week will be 7 miles, but the next two Wednesdays will be 8 miles, then 9, etc. The longest mileage week will be the week of September 25th when we'll run 5 miles on Tuesday, 10 miles on Wednesday, 5 miles on Thursday and 20 miles on Saturday. That should be exciting.

There was a chill in the air this morning (56 degrees) and I noticed a lot of birds flying south. I wish I could tell you what kind of birds they were but they were high up. The best I can say is that there were a lot of them, they were decent-size birds, they seemed to be all the same kind and I don't think they were Canada Geese.

10 Miles and Doomed Pheasants

I ran 10 miles this morning and it actually seemed like an almost normal thing to do.

Today was a group run so I got up at 5:00, got ready, and drove down to Ithaca for the 6:15 start. Since not everyone likes to start early, there were two groups this week, a 6:15 one and one at 7:00. Only the coach and one other person, Amy, were there at 6:15 so we headed out. And, since the coach wanted to meet the other group before they started running, he turned back after we'd run the first three miles and Amy and I ran by ourselves for the rest of the route.

Amy told me that she recently ran a half-marathon in 2 hours even so I know I was holding her back but it was good to have company on the long run and made the time go faster. A Great Blue Heron flew overhead at about mile six and I recognized a few patches of Queen of the Prairie (from my own failed attempts to grow it in my own garden) flourishing along the road. I forgot to stop my watch right away when we got back to the parking lot but we finished in about 1 hour and 52 minutes.

Whenever we do group runs of 7 miles or more, we pass by a game farm on the aptly-named Game Farm Road. There are three large fenced enclosures with netting over the top. Two of the enclosures are empty and the third enclosure is filled with pheasants as well as grain bins and water stations for the birds. The enclosures are somewhat overgrown with weeds and grasses so it's almost like the birds are in their own mini-jungle.

Every time we've run by there I've wondered about the pheasants, why they're there and what happens to them so today I googled the game farm. It is called the Richard E. Reynolds Game Farm and is part of a ring-necked pheasant propagation program operated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

According to the Ring-necked Pheasants in New York pamphlet published in January 2002 by the NY DEC, Reynolds Game Farm has been hatching and distributing pheasants since 1927 and is the only pheasant propagation facility in New York. The farm provides pheasants for three programs: the Day-old Pheasant Chick Program, the Young Pheasant Release Program and the Adult Pheasant Release Program.

If you want to read more specifics about the individual programs, you can take a look at the pamphlet but the last paragraph pretty much sums it up:
"The primary purpose of the pheasant propagation program is to provide pheasant hunting opportunity, not to restore wild pheasant populations. The Department releases thousands of pheasants annually. Very few survive until spring to reproduce. Therefore, hunters are encouraged to harvest released pheasants. All three programs require that the birds are released on land open to public hunting."

Poor pheasants. I feel sad for them.

Running 4 Miles with the Kids

It was another morning where I wanted to stay in bed. And I did. At least until 7:00am, at which point I decided that I would still run in the morning, although now I would have to push the kids in the double stroller.

The kids had both had a late night last night (I'd gone out to the movies by myself and Braman had put the kids to bed and things had not gone so smoothly since Nora is used to nursing to sleep) and they were both still very tired. Nora was already awake but I had to wake Larsson up (not generally a good idea) since he had a violin lesson in Ithaca later in the morning and we needed to hurry. You can see how excited they look:


I didn't get to listen to my audiobook but Larsson provided decent entertainment for the run.

As I struggled to push them up the mile-long hill:
"Brrr, I'm cold."
"Maybe we'll see something interesting like a REAL mouse."

As we traversed a horse-poop strewn road in front of a farm:
"Eeeeew! Did you walk in any of that, Mom?"

As we ran by a field of corn:
"I'm thinking about what I would like for Christmas."
ME: What would that be?
"I would like some corn seeds."
ME: Do you want to grow corn next year?
"Yes. I think Santa would give me corn seeds."

Serving as interpreter for fussy Nora:
ME: Give Nora a Cheerio, please.
He offers but she turns away.
"She doesn't want one"
She points at the bag.
"Nora says she wants one now."
Nora dangles her cup over the side of the stroller and makes some noises.
"Mom, Nora wants you to take her cup."

As we passed another farm:
"Oh, I do hate farms!"
ME: Why?
"Because there is poop EVERYWHERE and they STINK!"

Out of the blue:
"I see a hole and it isn't drainage and it isn't a ditch and it isn't just a hole. It's a DEN. A very small den for animals."

"Maybe the sun is made up of hot lava."


Nora started to cry between miles 3 and 4 and Larsson was telling her to stop it. But they were a lot happier once we got home since they knew Daddy had made pancakes for our breakfast.

Larsson stretched with me on the porch:


while Nora happily ate Cheerios in the stroller:


We finished our 4-mile run in 44 minutes and 51 seconds. It is a lot easier (though surprisingly not all that much faster) to run by myself.

I Love Weed Identification Sites

Maybe because it's so dark in the morning now or maybe I'm just getting tired of running but I really didn't want to get out of bed this morning. I hear that, after their first marathon training experience, some people don't even take a break but continue running and training for other marathons, while other people say that, while they're glad they did it, they will never run another marathon again. I think I will fall into the latter group. We'll see.

At least this morning wasn't rainy or too cold, although it was still dark when I started out. And I was wearing all my regular workout clothes and my new sneakers felt comfortable.

I haven't been writing about them lately but I still admire the wildflowers as I run. One of the reasons that I don't really write about them anymore is that I'm seeing the same ones over and over again. And when I do see a different one, it's usually an isolated situation of one or two plants in a particular location and I don't have my camera and can't remember enough about the flower to try to identify once I get home.

But today I noticed groups and groups of the same plant along my route which I feel the need to identify. The plants seem mostly to grow in the deep drainage ditches along the road, are maybe 3 feet tall, with blue-green leaves and orange flowers. After I'd seen so many that I decided I need to learn more about them, I stopped to try to pick a piece to bring home. But I didn't want to fall into the ditch so I had to keep going empty-handed.

Later on, at about mile 3, I found a patch of them growing near the lake and was able to pick a small piece of the plant. Upon closer examination, the flowers are kind of horn-shaped (reminding me of a smaller version of monkey flower) with an orange-yellow body, darker reddish-orange at the mouth and orange spots inside. Very pretty flowers and a very beautiful shape.

[In searching for an illustration for monkey flower, I noticed on the Connecticut Botanical Society's page a section where you could search for flowers by color. Looking at the Red and Orange section, the first flower, Jewelweed or Spotted Touch-me-not, seemed like it might be what I had seen but I wasn't sure since the plants I saw had many flowers per stem. So I did another search using the scientific name Impatiens capensis and then, on the Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide (which has been useful several times already) I found confirmation of the name. So Jewelweed it is.]

While beginning the trek uphill with a piece of at-that-point unidentified Jewelweed and two milkweed pods (treats for Larsson) in my right hand, I saw two antlered young deer grazing in a big field. They both stared at me, probably wondering if I was crazy for trudging up the hill like I was doing but then, when I said "Good Morning" to them, they bolted for the protection of the woods. Maybe I didn't quite seem human before I opened my mouth.

Nothing remarkable after that point. I made it home without walking and finished in 1 hour and 17 minutes.

The weekday mileage continues to increase which means Thursday's run is now going to be 4 miles instead of three. I'll be running the route on which I saw the great blue heron and heard the rooster crow so I'm hoping for something equally exciting tomorrow.

Skunks, Slugs and Slowing Down

When I left the house this morning, I was instantly assaulted with the odor of skunk. I kept smelling it as I walked to my starting point on Main Street, very strongly in some spots. I started running and the smell dissipated as I made my way into less densely populated areas. But as I ran back into the village, there it was again. I don't know how long skunk smell lasts but I'm glad I didn't encounter any skunks personally and only had to endure what they left behind.

And for the first time in a long time I saw slugs. Not just one or two but tens of slugs on a short stretch of paved road. Many of them were, sadly, squooshed flat but some were still sliming across the road. I wonder where they've been hiding.

I felt moderately speedy this morning and even slightly winded at the end of the 3 miles but I finished in 34 minutes even. I don't know what I used to do to occasionally finish in 32 minutes or 33 minutes plus but it seems I can't do it anymore.

On to 7 miles tomorrow.

Bridge of Flowers 10K

I've wanted to run the Bridge of Flowers 10K (6.2 miles) in Shelburne Falls, MA for a few years but I'd heard it was hilly and, by the time the race rolled around, I never felt like I was in good enough shape to do it. Since I've now been running regularly for almost 2 1/2 months and have run more than double the distance of the race at one time, I figured this year was my best bet. So off we went.

My parents and my sister Elin got up super early and drove from the other end of the state to meet us in Shelburne Falls before the race started at 9:00am. They hadn't seen us all since Memorial Day so it was good to spend a little time together.

Here's a picture of Larsson and me before the race started. He insisted on being in the picture and is clutching a bouquet of white clover that he picked for my mom. Only Larsson knows why he is making that face.


We were all talking and I didn't realize the race was coming up so quickly. With only a few minutes to spare I ran down to the starting line.

The race starts on a bridge (although not the Bridge of Flowers) and it was crowded with runners. Since I was approaching from the start of the race, I had to fight my way through the pack of runners so that I wouldn't be in the initial group. As it was I still ended up in the first third of the group.

Braman was ready to take my picture at the beginning of the race but my early position so surprised him he could only get me as I passed by.


Due to my spot up front, I was initially almost trampled by all the speedy runners but eventually things settled down and I was surrounded by people running at my own pace.

According to the course description, the first two miles are relatively flat, which seemed mostly true. At several points I paused my audiobook to listen to the musicians who'd set up along different points. The bagpiper was my particular favorite. The course snaked through the village then back to the bridge we'd started on. We crossed the bridge and began the ascent.

I thought that the course was supposed to be hilly but it turns out that there is just one big, massive hill. I've been training on hills around here and thought that I would at least be able to downshift and shuffle up it at my slowest snail pace. But as I approached curve after curve in the steep road, hoping after each one that I'd see a leveling off or maybe even the beginning of the downhill but instead saw that the hill appeared to be neverending, I had to give up on that plan. I ended up running about halfway up the hill and walking quickly up the rest. So many other people were walking (and walking very slowly) that I passed more people when I was walking than when I was running.

I read later in the race program that this hill is "one kilometer in length and sports a daunting 10.5 percent grade of incline, making it one of the most difficult slopes to traverse in all of road racing."

After struggling up the hill, things were literally almost all downhill after that. (And I'm happy to say that my new shoes seem to be doing their job because my toes felt fine!) I enjoyed the cool morning and listening to my book. Here I am crossing the finish line.


I came in 502 out of 540 overall and 101 out of 107 in my age group. My official time was 1:08:13 but I clocked myself on my own watch at 1:08:06. They didn't have Champion Chip timing at this race so they start your time when the first person crosses the starting line instead of when you actually cross it and, since it took me 7 seconds to get to the starting line once the race began I am happy to deduct these from my posted time.

This is called the Bridge of Flowers 10K, so here's a picture of me after the race standing on the actual Bridge of Flowers. The bridge that we started on is in the background.

The whole time was so much fun I may even consider doing it again next year.

New Sneakers, Skunk and Road Races

I think I need to start eating some brain food.

Yesterday I put a straw in Larsson's drink with part of the wrapper on, put Nora in a swimming pool with her shoes still on, and found--and then lost--a ten dollar bill in a few short minutes. (We were at the elevator at the Syracuse mall. I thought I had left the bill in the car but then was pleasantly surprised to find I had it with me. I put it in my pocket, we got on the elevator. We got off the elevator and walked the short distance to the food court. I went to take the money out and it was already gone.)

Today I woke up and realized that my usual workout clothes were all wet in the washer. So I had to wear different shorts (too big), a different shirt (OK) and a different sports bra (a little too big). I couldn't find my hat so I had to wear one of Braman's and I couldn't find my watch so I had to go without. Plus, I was wearing my new sneakers purchased yesterday in Syracuse.

Thank goodness I could find my mp3 player and at least listen to my audiobook because all the other unusual things were a little too much for me.

The run itself was OK. I kept thinking about how my new sneakers, a full size bigger than my last ones and with more arch support, felt and if they were hurting my feet or if my feet were still just sore from my last pair. I didn't like that I couldn't check my time on my watch. And I discovered that I am perhaps more afraid of indecisive skunks than of snarling dogs.

I was starting out on mile 1 downhill and could see a small black animal in the distance attempting to cross the street. It would start out but then, when it was almost to the other side, it would turn back again. It did this several times. I thought at first it was a cat but it seemed too low to the ground and then as I got closer I realized it was skunk. I stopped running and started walking slowly hoping that the animal would just make up its mind. But it couldn't. So I started scuffing my feet loudly on the street to let it know I was near. This seemed to help it decide as it then crossed the street and kept on going. Whew. The fear of being sprayed by a skunk, no matter how small or scatterbrained, is powerful.

Aside from the skunk incident and the fact that it was a very cool 56 degrees this morning, there is not much to report.

We're leaving this afternoon for Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts where I will run the Bridge of Flowers 10K tomorrow morning. The course is supposed to be hilly but scenic and I'm looking forward to it. I don't think I'll post while we're away but will write about it on Monday when we get home.

The Bridge of Flowers race is the first in a series of races I'm going to be running in the coming weeks. Others include:
Pud's Run 5K in Ithaca, NY
Skaneateles Labor Day Road Race in Skaneateles, NY
and the Ithaca 5 & 10 in Ithaca, NY (I'm doing the 10 miles)

What a Difference a Week Makes

Well, last week on this day I ran 12 miles in sweltering heat and humidity. This morning I met a small group to run 13 miles in weather so cold (50 degrees) I could see my breath as I ran. Unbelievable.

(We're going away again this weekend so I needed to get my long run in earlier and one of the coaches, Monica, kindly agreed to run the 13 miles with me. A few other people joined us for part of the run but only we two ran the whole distance.)

It was a good run. By the end my legs were very tired and my feet were sore but I never had to walk and I didn't feel winded. Including the few water breaks, we finished in about 2 hours and 35 minutes. Monica and I actually ran 13.1 miles (she has a watch with GPS so we know the exact distance) so I can now say that I have run a half-marathon. I don't feel like I could run double that distance...yet. But I never thought I could run 13 miles and feel relatively OK so I know that day is coming.

Most of the route is along the East Ithaca Recreational Way or on country roads in the Ellis Hollow neighborhood of Ithaca. These roads are usually flanked by fields of corn or soybeans or acres of woods with a few houses here and there.

Peering into a wooded section this morning, I saw a large male deer with big antlers. I thought he'd run away when we made eye contact but we kept staring at each other as I ran past. A sighting like this, especially on such a personal level, is the real reward of these early morning runs.

At mile 9, I tried another packet of GU (Tri Berry flavor) and, while it was marginally better than the Lemon one from last week, it was still pretty disgusting so I am going to try Sport Beans to provide the extra energy I'll need to finish these long runs. I'll let you know how it goes.

Since I could really feel the big toe on my right foot jamming into my shoe on the downhills today, we are officially going to Fleet Feet in Syracuse tomorrow afternoon to buy a new pair of shoes. And since my hands were numb and I had goosebumps on my arms for most of the run this morning, I think I'll look for a jacket, too.

3 More Miles

Got up 15 minutes late.
Got dressed.
Spent 15 minutes looking for my watch.
Finally found it.
Left the house.
Started my book on tape from the beginning again since I couldn't remember some details of the plot.
Walked to my starting point.
Started running.
Ran, ran, ran.
Realized I forgot to set my watch.
Started my watch.
Realized that was now pointless.
Stopped my watch.
Saw a skunk scurry across the road in front of me.
Was glad I had not scared it.
Ran up the big hill and across to the end of the route.
Started walking home.
Passed a trumpet creeper (which I think may also be called a hummingbird vine) in front of the Farmers' Museum.
Picked up three fallen trumpet flowers for Larsson.
Arrived home and really started my day.

Downhill Bad. Uphill Good.

I ended up not running yesterday since my toes were a little sore and I didn't want to have to rush too much in the morning before leaving for our trip. So I got up early this morning to run 6 miles.

After a few misfires [ 1) Braman had set up my new audio book the night before but the beginning wasn't on my mp3 player so he graciously got out of bed at 5:30 to fix it for me and 2) I wasn't sure which 6-mile route to take so B took a few minutes to map one out for me at that same time. What a good guy!] I left the house about 6 o'clock.

By cutting out some of the village running parts, I was able to use the same route I ran for my seven miles last week. So out, then down to the lake, across and back up I went. Very quiet and scenic. I enjoyed hearing the small lake waves lapping against the shore and was surprised to be dive-bombed by some small pointy-winged birds. Saw some more flowers I don't know the name of as well as some wild black-eyed susans that I think just recently bloomed since I don't remember them being there before. I finished in 1 hour and 10 minutes.

The one problem with this route is that about two miles of it is straight down hill and puts a lot of pressure on my toes, particularly the big toe on my right foot. One of the team coaches suggested that I try running with shoes that are a half-size larger so I may get a new pair of sneakers this week. I don't think I can run this course again in these shoes.

I may be pushing the boundaries of good taste, but here are two new pictures of my even-purpler toenails:





Running uphill is actually a lot more comfortable so I may look for a mostly uphill or level route for next time.

Tomorrow's a rest day and then back to 3 miles on Tuesday.

Purple Toenails

My toenails are still sore and purple but I was able to put on my shoes so I decided to give three miles a try this morning.

It felt refreshingly chilly when I left the house at 5:20 with a temperature of 68 degress and 88% humidity. And since it was completely dark out when I started, I wore my new reflective vest which I purchased immediately after last week's pre-sunrise morning run.

I ran slowly (pretty much my only speed) and, though my toes felt better as I went on, the tongue of my right shoe is now rubbing against my lower leg and giving me a small cut. I'll have to remember to put a bandaid on it tomorrow.

It was raining again and I was certain I'd see frogs hopping or slugs or snakes slithering but I didn't see anything. When I first began training in May and June I'd see slugs all over the roads in the morning but now I hardly see them at all. There must be a season for slugs.

The run was fine, though not as enjoyable now that I'm listening to David Rakoff read his Don't Get Too Comfortable instead of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I may have to look for a different audiobook. Right now I'm leaning toward The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr (read by Simon Prebble!) or The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

Tomorrow's plan is to run 6 miles before we leave in the morning for Cooperstown.

12 Miles in Heat and Humidity

After this morning, I am now officially one of those crazy people that my father shakes his head at. Yes, I got up at 4:30 to drive down to Ithaca and run 12 miles in high heat and humidity.

(We're leaving early Saturday morning to go to Cooperstown, NY to see the Pirates of Penzance at the Glimmerglass Opera so I won't have enough time to run with the group that day. Several other people also had weekend commitments so we decided to meet on Wednesday and do the long run together.)

When I left the house it was 80 degrees in Interlaken. According to this weather station located in Ithaca, it was 75.8 degrees with 88% humidity when we started running a little after 5:30. When we finished, 2 hours and 31 minutes later, the temperature was about 81.8 with 79% humidity.

We ran one 6-mile loop two times and had four water stops. After the first loop, I ingested my first ever packet of GU (lemon sublime flavor) which is supposed to give me more energy for the rest of my workout. I couldn't tell if it worked and the stuff is thick and gross so I'm not anxious to try it again. Despite being very tired in the legs, I did finish the second loop, although I walked up two hills and a few other short sections. 12 miles is a long way, particularly in 80% humidity. (This is the first time I have been able to wring my shorts out from sweat, not rain.)

In the true spirit of marathon training, I have been experiencing some minor aches and pains, chafing and abrasions on my chest from the neckline of my sports bra (because I keep forgetting to slather myself with Body Glide) and now, after today's run, three bruised, purple toenails.

The rest of my body feels surprisingly OK after these 12 miles but my toes are SORE so I am walking gingerly and trying not to have them stepped on by the kids (no easy feat--pardon the pun.) The toes in question are the second toes on both feet and the big toe on my right foot. The left toe is the most sore and purple:


while the others are more mildly bruised:



I may take tomorrow off and rest my poor feet.

And thanks to some very generous recent donations by friends and family, I'm now 99% of the way to my fundraising goal of $4,000! Anyone want to give $37 to make it 100%?

Sweaty Mama

If Larsson is awake when I come home from my run, "Sweaty Mama" is how he greets me. Today, which is supposed to be the hottest day of the year in our area, this endearing name was truer than ever.

I guess I was out of routine, not having run for three days in a row, but I forgot to set the alarm. So I woke up naturally at 6:15 instead of 5:00 which is when the alarm usually goes off. Since today's run was only three miles, I still had time so I put on my running clothes and left the house by a little after 6:30.

I've said before that 6:00am can be too late for running. Well, 6:30 on the hottest and most humid day of the year is definitely too late. But there was still a breeze so I took it very slowly and just concentrated on completing the run without feeling uncomfortable.

One dead frog, two dead snakes, three rabbits, one woodchuck, the end of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and 36 minutes and 29 seconds later, I finished. And the first thing Larsson said when I came through the door was "Sweaty Mama!"

(You can check our current weather conditions here which shows data collected by Braman's weather station at our house. Right now at 8:44am, the temperature is 82.9 with 70% humidity. Supposed to near 100 degrees today!)