My Run In Pictures

My dear husband is guest blogging about his upcoming half marathon.  I’m super proud of his efforts this year!  Follow him on Twitter at @rupertmike

Last May, I borrowed my wife’s Garmin and ran around the block. A whopping 0.8 miles in 12 minutes 32 seconds. It was a triumph. I was smiling ear to ear. For someone who, for 35 years, refused to do anything athletic that didn’t involve runs, points, or penalty minutes this was a real accomplishment.

Looking back, it was pretty sad. It’s really embarrassing actually.

Now, let’s jump – or rather sprint – forward 528.3 miles, 86,579 calories and 150 runs later. After less than a year, I’ve managed to convince myself that running a half-marathon is a good idea.

So, on Saturday, I’ll run my first half-marathon – more than 16 times around that same block – and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve dropped 20 pounds, joined a Pacers long-run training group, bought a lot of fluorescent technical shirts and worn out four pairs of shoes.

Running is fun. Running is cathartic. Running is seriously, seriously addictive.

I want to thank Kate, my gorgeous wife and moderator of this blog,  for asking me to guest blog about the Rock and Roll Half Marathon this weekend. I hope I can offer some insight into the course, add some commentary about the format and hopefully report back Saturday that I beat my goal of 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Kate will be joining me for the last few miles. I have become such a run nerd that I made her a map with estimated times so she can find me and run me into the finish line.

I took the day off of running to hike Calvert Cliffs State Park with my kids and sister.  While we’ve spent lots of time in North Beach, Chesapeake Beach, and Deale, I’d never visited this amazing Maryland State Park.  The motivation for today’s trip was fossil hunting.  Calvert Cliffs is a major source of Miocene-period fossils, and the constant cliff erosion means “fresh” fossils are always washing up on shore. 

The park is a little over an hour drive from Washington, D.C.  We took the scenic route through North Beach, but taking the Solomons Island Highway is the most direct route…just use google maps to see options from your address.

At the trail head

Calvert Cliffs has amazing curb appeal, with a massive repurposed tire playground and a fully stocked fish pond visible from the street.  Parking is no problem either, with a suggested donation of $5 per car. 

Kids on the trail through the wetlands portion of the park

We took the “Red Trail” to the Chesapeake Bay beach.  It’s a 1.8 mile hike (each way) on hard-packed sand/soil…very easy on the feet (we even saw a couple brave parents with strollers) and incredibly scenic.   We saw lizards, turtles, and countless birds….we even found evidence of an elusive beaver. 

We pet this lethargic lizard!

Beavers at work

The beach (even at high tide) was fantastic; we brought a large picnic blanket and easily found a nice private spot.   Even though the water was frigid, we took off our shoes and waded in looking for fossils. 

It took some time, but we finally found the fossils we were hunting for.  My son was the most dedicated…he kept running into the surf for handfuls of sand until he finally got a 8 million year old shark tooth.  So proud!

Amazing trip, and I’m already looking forward to going back to run the trails.

Great run this morning, despite the cold weather and insane winds.  My running partner and I did nearly 10 miles, following this route from the Iwo Jima Memorial, across the 14th Street Bridge, around Hains Point, and back over the Memorial Bridge.

Although it’s one of my best-loved runs, this morning’s winds were relentless.  Much of the route is unsheltered (i.e., across the bridges, along the Mt. Vernon Trail, and around Hains Point), and the wind seemed to kick up…in the wrong direction, unfortunately…whenever we hit open ground. 

I could have used more lip balm (this Kiehl’s is my favorite) and thick moisturizing sunscreen…my face and lips are completely chapped.  Regardless it felt good getting back out there for a long run. 

Getting back into longer jogs also gives me the opportunity to review a fabulous product, courtesy Medi-Dyne.  This awesome RangeRoller ( I LOVE the play on words) lets me give myself deep tissues massages…a must after a hard workout.  Keep that blood flowing!  Mine comes in this fun pink and red combo!  Thanks, Medi-Dyne…it’s a great tool!

I ran last week’s Love the Run You’re With 5k in my new Patagonia Micro Puff Jacket.  While not a “running jacket” per se, I was pleased with the performance and would definitely recommend…especially since Patagonia is now running a 50% off sale on all Fall 2011 gear.

I’ll start by saying that the morning was quite cold: about 25 degrees with gusty winds.  Patagonia bills the Micro Puff Jacket as a “water-resistant, windproof polyester shell with super warm, highly compressible PrimaLoft® One polyester insulation”, but I have to admit I was skeptical.   The jacket is incredibly lightweight and super packable, so it was hard to imagine that it would offer the warmth and wind protection I needed. 

I was pleasantly surprised.  The Micro Puff was warm and provided more than adequate protection against the wind.  Though highly breathable, I was most comfortable during the first 2 miles of the race (I unzipped the collar slightly as I was sprinting to the finish line).  The jacket includes 2 outer pockets and an inner compartment perfect for an iPhone or credit card/ID.     

My verdict: the Micro Puff is an excellent 3-season jacket. It’s light enough for moderate activity on cool spring/fall mornings, but offers enough warmth and wind protection to withstand tough winter runs.  Plus at $89.50 (that’s 50% off the normal price), it’s a super deal!   Happy Running!

Once again, Pacers Running shows why it is the local force in race planning and management.  Despite a touch of inclement weather and freezing cold temperatures, today’s race went off without a hitch!  The course was cleared of snow and ice, and was well salted before the gun (which, other race organizers should note: went off on time!). 

Lining up for the Start!

This is my second year racing this “down and back” course, so I knew what to expect:  a downhill sloping first half, followed by a pretty tedious uphill second half…with a fast flat sprint to the finish.  I noticed a number of runners who didn’t anticipate the challenge of the long hill between miles 2-3, and ended up walking or stopping briefly to catch a breath.  This course was definitely no joke! 

If you’re looking for results, click here.  I’ve also heard that my favorite local race photographer, SWIM/BIKE/RUN Photography was out snapping shots.  Can’t wait to see them!

I think that’s a “Yes”

Love the Run You’re With is a Valentine’s Day-themed race, so it was no surprise that there was not one, but TWO engagements at the finish line.   Runners getting hitched!  How adorable!

Speaking of relationships, my husband and I celebrated 10 years of being together with this fun 5k.  A super way to commemorate the beginning of a great team!

And one more thing:  I have a ton of race shirts, so it was kinda nice to get something new in the race swag bag:  comfy, embroidered, fleece blankies.  My own little twin monkies got a kick out of race mascots!

First things first:  I haven’t posted in a while, and there’s a reason.  Don’t want to bore you with the details, so here’s the short version:  During a routine physical a couple weeks ago, my doctor discovered a tumor in my abdomen (fruit size equivalent = large plum).  I hadn’t been feeling like myself over the past 6 months (take-away lesson: listen to your body!!), so I’m relieved to finally understand my symptoms.

The good new is, the doctor feels strongly that the tumor is benign.  The reality is (I refuse to use  the term “bad news“ in light of my overall positive prognosis), surgery to remove the sucker is going to put me out of commission for a while.    This means I’ll be a spectator for the Rock n’ Roll Half, GW Parkway Classic 10 Miler, and Love the Run You’re With 5k. 

I’m still processing a lot of information related to this diagnosis, but I feel amazingly blessed to have options and am very encouraged by my doctor’s confidence in a successful outcome.  So, even though I’ve been told to “take it easy” in the weeks leading up to surgery (“easy” is a relative term, right?), I’ve been managing to get good, mentally therapeutic, runs in. 

Today I did just over 5 miles, starting from the Iwo Jima Memorial, down Mt. Vernon Trail, across the 14th Street Bridge, down by the Tidal Basin, and back over Memorial Bridge.  Easy, flat, and very scenic.  If you’re looking for a great run, click here for my exact route.

It was an absolutely beautiful day and I was so excited to see this huge red-tail hawk on the trail near Arlington Cemetery.  I’m usually not quick enough to snap these birds (still kicking myself for not being able to photograph that bald eagle a few weeks ago near Mt. Vernon), but this one was very cooperative.  Just wish I was a better photographer…

Gorgeous day for a run!  To commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I decided to run to the new memorial honoring him, located just off the National Mall on Independence Ave., in Washington, D.C.   

My photo of the Dr. King statue at the MLK Memorial

I mapped out a nearly 7 mile course, starting/ending at the Marine Corps War Memorial (aka Iwo Jima Memorial) in the Rosslyn section of Arlington, VA.   The run took me down the Mt. Vernon Trail, over the 14th Street Bridge, and around the Tidal Basin.   The view from the FDR Memorial shows the crowds.

Parking looked like it was nearly impossible around site, so if you’re not up to running my course, I’d suggest metro-ing to the Arlington Cemetery Metro Station and walking across Memorial Bridge. 

If you can’t make it in to Washington, D.C. for a run, but would like to learn more about the memorial,  you can find the official webpage here.

A word of caution for runners:  The trail around the Tidal Basin was very icy this morning, so if you do head out to visit the MLK Memorial, take care as you run near the  water. 

Sunday is normally my long run day, but between church, Sunday school, cooking (homemade HOT salsa and feta spread) and major house cleaning, I just couldn’t find the hours needed to do a high-mileage jaunt.   Thankfully, I’ve become an expert at fitting in exercise whenever possible (you may have seen my multiple posts about running to and from dinner/lunch).  

Today I completed two short (2-mile) runs.   Winnie, my standby running partner,  joined me on my first jog. 

Winnie, chilling out after her run.

For the second run a couple hours later, I donned a cute Lucy running skirt and sped off to join my family at church.   Thank goodness for “dressy” running gear and casual afternoon Mass.   I fit right in. 

Awesome Lucy running skirt!