Boston Common

Decided to try running on the Common today. It was Awesome! So much to see.  I saw a fight brewing complete with cursing and a rather androgynous person grabbing their - well, not sure what they had there, but it was a pretty lude gesture. I saw some Tibetian looking Holy Women in brown robes and shaved heads giggling and having a great time. There were picnics, friends catching up, people reading, angry looking homeless people, and people out with their kids. Ducks, swans, squirrels, and no rats! Very entertaining.  Sadly, I got these horrible cramps at about minute 15 and only ran for 16 min. And I even had a break during a light! I blame the 98% humidity, I don't run we'll in it. For sure I'll have to try again on a more reasonable weather day.

Middlesex Fells

First, exciting news, I have an actual reader!  Hi Kit!!

I decided today to try real trail running and go to the Middlesex Fells to do the Reservoir loop.  It's 5 miles, so I thought it would be a good Sunday Long Run.  Well, not a total success but not a total fail.  I learned that small trails have a lot of big rocks on them and are therefore difficult to run, especially if they go up and down hills.  Which the ones in the Fells do.  I also remembered that I always get lost in the Fells and then wind up in that area with the naked men sunbathing, or coming across a man with his pants around his ankles, smoking a cigarette.  Today I got lost and just came across nice people who gave me directions.  I'm not completely sure where I ran, or how far.  I do know that I ran for about 40 minutes, but I had to walk up a couple hills that were just too steep, and that there were a few times when I gave up on the running due to many rocks.  Still, over 30 min of running, and it was really nice when I was on the bike trail.  It was def slower than road running, but we have already established that I won't be doing Boston Marathon at any time soon, so that's OK.

I think there's a trail at the end of the bike path in Bedford, so I may try that next time - it's 5K each way.

Davis Square

I hadn't run for a while (weekend migraine, totally sucked.) so I decided to try to go a little further.  It's prefect running weather, everyone on the planet was out running by the Charles.  I wished I had brought my shoes so I could run there too.  Instead I ran my usual route with an added loop to Davis Square.  It was about 3.94 miles, and I totally walked up the hill on Sycamore St.  I couldn't find my watch with the timer and didn't want to use that as an excuse, so I didn't time it.  I looked at the clock when I left, and when I returned, and it was about 45 min, which is my usual pace.

If I had run at the Charles I'm sure I would have passed someone.  As it was, a few people passed me, one wearing the exact same shoes as me.  She had a kind of funny stride, but she flew past me like I was standing still.  Apparently stride isn't everything.

All and all, a good run.  It felt like I could keep going, though of course I was happy to stop for traffic lights.  If I'm not going to get faster, then I should go for longer.

Trail Running

Went for a "long run" on the Charles again today. 4.2 miles in 47 min and 30 sec with two stops for traffic at the bridges. Totally legit stops because there was a lot of traffic, but I really enjoyed them. For part of the trail by the Charles there is a path through the woods that I ran on. I'm not sure of the wisdom of that, since there are some sketchy folks there, but I really like it. I may have to try a longer run on the weekend on a trail. It was kind of slow going, I guess partly because it was a longer run, and I like to think partly the trail. Anyway, that's an 11 min 35 sec mile.  I was pretty ready to stop running at the end.

99% humidity!

How can it not be raining?  It's like 85 out, or was when I went for a run, and really humid.  It was slow going - I did my usual 5K, and really wanted to take a short cut, but then I told myself that if I did the whole thing I could walk up the hill on my street.  Which I did.  Total run time was 33 min 47 sec, but I had to wait at two lights for a while, probably 30 sec total.  I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty psyched to see those lights turn red!

Over the weekend I went climbing at Rose Ledge, which was pretty nice.  Lots of crack climbing, and a huge bruise on my elbow from where I shoved my entire arm in the crack.  The walk from where we parked to the cliff was about 30 min up hill with a 30 pound pack.  So, though I didn't run this past weekend, I feel I exercised.  (The walk out was about 15 min, super easy.)

Yesterday I did Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga.  It was in the Swampscott Harbor.  It was so nice!  You could see the Boston skyline and the waves were relaxing.  The sun set during class, and the water looked all pink and rose, and then a full moon came up!  Amazing!!  Of course I was the only one in the class to fall in.  Figures.  Warrior 1.  Meh.

#75!

I totally forgot it was #75 until just now!  Anyhow, I didn't run this weekend because I went on this totally awesome hike.  We climbed Mt Osceloa in NH - it's a 4000 footer (though I believe the trailhead is at about foot #2000, but details...)  This weekend was the Persiod Meteor Showers, so we slept under the stars and woke up at 3 am to watch the meteors.  So cool!  It was freezing up there, but I was snug as a bug in my sleeping bag.  The only thing was I only had my nose and eyes poking out, and I didn't want to walk to a better viewing spot, so I didn't see as many meteors as I could have.

Anyway, today I decided that since it's been so long since I ran that I should do a longer run.  I went to the Charles River after work and ran from the Eliot Bridge to Becon St and back.  It's about 4.2 miles!  I forgot my watch, so I'm not sure how long it took - I texted a friend from the parking lot at work when I left and drove to the river.  When I finished my run it was 67 minutes later.  I'm guessing it was about 45 minutes.  I walked to get some water after I ran.  It wasn't super fast, that's for sure, but only two people passed me, and there were a lot of people out running (OK, I think people were mostly running counter clockwise, and I ran clockwise.)

At Least My Car Didn't Get Towed...

Run today was fine, not amazing speed, not amazing feeling, but fine.  I went my usual 5K in 33 min and 24 sec, which is about a 10 min 45 sec mile.  I was making all sorts of excuses not to run, I hurt my wrist climbing, I'm tired, I haven't sat on my couch and watched enough TV, I just ate.  But really it was so nice out and I'd been inside all day.  It was a beautiful sunset and so I forced myself to just do it.  I had eaten a salad recently before (don't worry, all this running and salad eating isn't making me loose weight!  Heaven forbid.) so I was a little burpy for the run.  And I did hurt my wrist kayaking/climbing.

Anyhow, as I was running up Highland Ave I saw this woman arguing with a tow truck driver, and he clearly wasn't about to unhook her car.  So my run > her evening.

I just realized that my next run will be #75!  Wow!