First (real) spring hike

So after washing some windows this morning, running the vacuum, and making a surprise lunch for hubby (meatloaf sandwich with fries and gravy, he was pleased), the baby and I decided to go for a hike.

We went over to the Erie National Wildlife Refuge to hike the Deer Run Trail, which is about 3 miles round trip.  I like this trail because it meanders over varied terrain, there are fields and woods and water, and it loops back around, which is always better than doubling back.  The baby walked for about 10 feet before he cried "Uppies Uppies!"  So I resorted to the baby backpack.

 He was very excited about a pine cone that I picked up for him.  He later will gift it to Daddy, he told me.  The wildlife was limited... it's still pretty early, but we did see a chickadee which even volunteered to get close enough to see what we were up to, and several woolie-bears crossed our path on the trail.

The baby was a trooper the entire time, very excited, talking about the sky ("Sky Blue), the trees ("Beeeeggg Tree!), and the state of the ground (Beeeegg Hole!).  Having the hike narrated the entire time wasn't a bad thing.  We talked about what color everything was, I showed him thorns and pine cones and let him touch bark and pine trees.  Pointed out geese and a butterfly...  I know it's never too early to start, and he enjoyed the entire hike. So did the dog, though i think she may have been more happy if she had caught a chipmunk.

 I think tomorrow, (or soon) I will work in the yard.  My crocuses are in full bloom, and I want to work on the yard while it's still mooshy.

Happy that spring is almost here but...

Part of me will miss the snowy days.  Not the hard, crusty, hard to walk through snow, or even the really wet snow man-snow.  But the fluffy, bright, just after a snow-storm snow.  The stuff you want to cross country ski through.  The stuff like this.

And days that look like this. 

And all you want to do is keep following that road... I'll miss you winter, and though I'm happy that it is warming up, there is a part of me that's looking forward to you returning next year...

The Day After.

So this morning I was sore.  Walking around wasn't a problem.  Going up and down the stairs was.  I also felt very tired and kinda sick, but I think the sick was caused by gorging myself on Panera after the race then eating nothing for dinner.

Anyway - I've loosened up through the day and feel mostly better.  Except my feet.  Which hurt.

My Vibrams rubbed my poor inner feet raw.  Just the red marks you see here are hurty.  My little toes were awful last night, but are fine today.  Just the scrapes are irritating.  I didn't feel these at all while i was running, perhaps because I froze the first 3 layers of skin before the race and they didn't thaw until we were in the car on the way home.  I'm a little disappointed but I'm hoping that the combination of the wet and cold and mud and dirt and things were what caused this to happen. I've never blistered and been scraped to this extent, and I've ran at least 5 miles before.  So I'll switch to more traditional running shoes until these scrapes heal, then try the 5's again.

My "official time" was 1:04 something somthing, and I was 217th to finish.  I'm overall happy.  Probably will try to do a 5k in April.

  Now to go see if I can coerce the husband to make me brownies.  MMmmmm chocolate victory brownies.

St. Patrick's Day 10k

Here I am.  Pre-race.  Jittery, excited, and COLD.  It was 40 degrees, windy and sprinkly off and on.  My poor toes in the vibrams were soooo cold just standing around and walking around.  We got there too early, because I was nervous and didn't know what parking or crowdedness level or where things would be.  But Everything was set up really well, and I got my number and my shirt (see below) and I was off.

It was a little disheartening to be passed up right away by so many people, but i think that's what happens when you position yourself at the front of the pack when you know you're going to be more near the end.  I was at the end of the middle, I like to think.  I started probably a little faster than normal due to adrenaline and the flow of people around me, but then I settled into an even pace, running on the shoulder in the mud at times, then running on the edge of the road, then back.  I ran the entire race, not pausing to walk, and I was happy to have my water bottle because when I grabbed a cup of water at one of the water break stations, the wind blew the water all over me and out of the cup anyway.

I finished well, at about 1:05 (I'm not sure what the official time was... will have to see if they post it).  My feet are pretty sore and the vibrams did give me some little slices on a few parts of the side and top of my foot.  I may have to look at going back and forth between the vibrams and my other shoes until I develop some better callouses or something.

Anyway, I got a nice long sleeved t-shirt, and I get to say that I've run a 10k.  I'm pretty happy.  I think I may try to continue to run 5-10ks this summer and work up to that half-marathon on September 26.  I really want to increase my pace.  So I need to work on those tempo run thingies.  Now to go put my feet up and probably fall asleep in front of the TV.

GARARHARHARHARHARH!!

*pant, wheeze, gasp*

I'm getting nervous about the 10k race tomorrow.  Not really about the race itself.  I know I can run 6 miles.  I know i can run it in under and hour and a half.  I'm nervous about finding the place to pick up the papers and how cold and icky it will be running in the rain and the wind and the smoosh.  I'm nervous about people commenting about my toe shoes, and I'm nervous about the crowds.

But adrenaline is good, and hubby is making me a yummy protein and carb filled dinner tonight, and I got myself new running pants with a pocket to put my energy boosting jelly-beans.  I also got a waterproof jacket that I'm not sure about wearing due to breathe-ability.  We'll see.  I'll make sure I make a nice long post after I recover tomorrow.

Anyway, I don't really have any pictures to post, so i will leave you with this:

Zoe dog on her favorite place on the couch.

Spring, maybe? Almost?

My first crocuses (croci? - that sounds too reptilian) have bloomed.  The rest of my landscape is still brown with many patches of snow, but I did manage to get the christmas lights down, and peek around at daffodils and crocuses and other small green shoots that are brave enough, and believe, unlike me, that maybe there won't be anymore snow.  Ha ha, I say.

I also had help on my endeavor.  But he was too busy climbing up and down out of the front garden to really let me take a good picture of him.

I also have opened up all the windows in the house to let some fresh air in.  I know it might snow again tomorrow or next week, but I'll enjoy the warmth and fresh air today.

Toe Shoes.

So today I went running.  I have a 10k on Saturday that I'm at the moment torn between working hard towards, or hardly working towards.  Part of me says, "Feh.  I can do this.  I should rest so I'm ready to go."  The other part says, "ARRRRGHHHH  I must train harder!!!!!  I must make sure my feet are up to the challenge."

  Most of you may think making sure my feet are good isn't that big of a deal, but I have gone away from wearing traditional running shoes to run.  I now wear the below.

Yes.  These are my feet in the snow, wearing Vibram Five Fingers.  They are shoes that make you feel like you're going barefoot, without destroying your feet on particles of glass or roots or sharp stones or... anything you might otherwise wince at stepping on.  And they do a good job.  I've been running in them for... a few months now, on and off.  And the most important thing I learned was to start slow.  I'm pretty sure I can run 10k in them at this point.  Being cold isn't a problem, as long as you're not standing in snow for more than a few minutes. (This picture was actually post-run, I was doing a brief cleaning off of my 5's before heading into my mom's house)

Today I ran on asphalt roads, which is a bit hard on my feet, my feet got a bit tired, but then i moved onto dirt roads and, wow,  it is AWESOME to squish through mud in these things.  And the shoes don't throw mud up onto the back of your clothes like regular sneakers did when you were a kid.  (or still a kid at heart).

So I ran 4 miles on back roads today, some paved, some not, and though my feet are a bit achy, I'm pretty sure I'll be set to go on Saturday.  Depending on how much it rains.