Charlie Horse

Managed to hurt myself in a totally new way today!  After 2 1/2 years I thought I had hit all the running injuries I was going to, but nope.  I was out running by the Charles today and got the most vile Charlie Horse ever.  It was a real bummer, too, because it was at the point when my lungs and heart had finally hit their stride and were like, "running, oh yeah, we do this."  The pain was in a totally new place on my leg, and I thought I was just full of it, but eventually I had to stop and once I massaged it a little I realized it was actually hurting!  I had gone from the new place I found to park by MIT to the Museum of Science bridge, but I decided I better not go over and back and just make it a little shorter run.  I massaged it out for a few, ran in a loop around the water at the Cambridgeside Galleria, and then went back.  I had to stop again, though maybe that was just being a wimp?

I thought it was the shortest and slowest run ever, but when I mapped it out it was actually about 2.7 miles in 29 minute, so about a 10 min 40 sec mile.  Of course everyone in the world was running past me, some of them were running past me in pairs, chatting!  Whatever.  Not my finest run, but I tried.

Last weekend I went with my friend Kerry for training hike #5 (I think).  It was raining out, so we just went to Mt Wachusett, in case we had to cut it short.  It was supposed to be a 7.5 mile hike, but on the way down the mountain, at about mile 2, Kerry slipped on some mud and sprained her ankle.  Scared the crap out of us (or, at least me)!  Because we were on the side of a mountain, in the drizzly rain, and she couldn't really walk.  Fortunately there was a road pretty close by and she was able to make it there, and then I went back and got the car.  So, total hike was more like 4 miles, but we did climb the mountain at least.  It's supposed to be nice out Sunday.  I'm going to look for a nice 10 miler or so, with some elevation gain :)

Davis Square Run

Today I worked from my Friday office, also known as Diesel Cafe. I love summer Fridays!  After work I decided that I would go for a run on the bike path to Alewife, then around to the Cemetery on Broadway, and back down College Ave.  Of course I took a wrong turn and wound up in Arlington, but in the end it was still about the same distance as I was planning, 3.6 miles, which I did in 38 min and 32 sec, for a 10 min 38 sec mile.  There was a certain amount of hill, so I felt OK about my pace.

Only 4 runs this month is a little lame.  But I did do another big hike last weekend, 10.3 miles, with 2700 feet of elevation gain.  No black flies, which made it way more pleasant.  The one thing that wasn't so nice is that there were 4, that's right, FOUR false peaks.  Which is just mean.  The hike was by Diana's Baths in North Conway, the North Moat Hike.  After I stayed at my friends Greta and Eric's, and then Sunday we went climbing.  We did this 3.5 pitch climb in Whitehorse called Hotter than Hell.  It was 5.7-5.9, but there was a huge crack at the top.  An easy crack, but waaaay the fuck up, when I was totally terrified.  And I don't climb crack.  Only, now I do because I really wanted to get off that cliff :)  I was so scared.  Meh.

Memorial Day

It's not Memorial Day yet, but they have this display of flags up on the Boston Common, apparently one for every American killed in battle since the Revolutionary War.  It's a lot of flags.  Someone had put a pic up on FB, which reminded me that it's not just a long weekend.  So, I thought it would be nice to run by and see it.

I got caught in some really bad traffic and was sitting there thinking that I should just park and run to the Common, since I was close enough, if I could find a space.  Then I looked next to me and was like, "wait, that's a space right next to me."  Of course I almost didn't believe it, because there were actually two spots there, and what were the odds?  But really it was parking!  It actually turned out to be kind of a good thing that I parked at a meter because I can't find my watch again, so I had to go by the meter time.  I was gone from the car for about 26 min, but there were a lot of lights, and I did stop for about 30 sec at the flags, so I guessed I was running for about 22 min.  Total run was about 2.09 miles, which is kind of short, but I was really hungry.

The flags were sad.  Why can't we just stop killing each other?

Passed Someone!

I thought I was the slowest on the Esplanade today, but then it turned out I was the second slowest, I passed the slowest :)  It was a beautiful day so I went for an after work run on the Charles.  I thought I had found a spot in the same area on Mass Ave, but this woman in the car was sitting there texting, and there was a cop right in front who was knocking on people's windows and pulling them over, so I figured that I better not lurk and block traffic.  I went around the block, though, and found another awesome parking place that was in MIT, about a block from Mass Ave, pretty close to where I got lost the time I got lost trying to take a short cut.

I decided to go towards the Longfellow instead of over Mass Ave first, to go in the loop in the opposite direction, and it turned out to be an awesome idea!  As I was coming to the Longfellow I realized what a pain it would be to get to it, with the construction, and then I thought, "I can just go one more bridge, to the Museum of Science."  Turns out it's a lot easier to decide that in minute 8 or so of the run than in minute 20 or so.  So, that's what I did!  I did the MOS/Mass Ave loop, which wound up being 4.1 miles.  I ran the entire way (slowly), no stopping.  It took me pretty much exactly 45 minutes, which was about an 11 min mile.

Since it was so nice out, the whole world was on the Esplanade, it was so nice being out there!  There were people flying a kite (it kept getting caught in a tree), runners, walkers, bikers, dog walkers, kids, skateboarders, sailboats.... The trees are all green, and there are flowers everywhere, there were like 5 different blues, the water, sky, Prudential.  Since I was running a little slow, I felt awesome, breathing was good, no cramps.  Yeah, good day.

I did training hike #3 last weekend, 10.3 miles, all covered in black flies.  Not the most fun hike I've ever done, though it would be nice if it were less buggy.  Pawtuckaway was the area, there was climbing and camping there too, good place.

I notice that I'm coming up towards my 200th run-a-versary.  9 more runs.  I don't even know if there's anything that I need.  I'm sure I'll find something at Athleta for a celebration :)

Spring is here

Did my second Machu Picchu training hike last weekend. The Meetup posting said it was 6 miles, but my fitbit said I had walked 9.  We were walking for about 5 hours with a few breaks, so I'm guessing maybe 8?  It wasn't the fastest hike ever, more downhill than up (big group so we were able to park cars at the end), and one of the hikers got sick mid-route and vomited (not me, thank heaven, that would suck).  It was in western-isn Mass, really nice trail with waterfalls!  I'm doing another hike tomorrow with the same group at Pawtuckaway in NH that also looks pretty nice.  It looks hillier, and maybe 10 miles?

Even though I'm hiking tomorrow, I still had to go for a run today.  It's the 8th and I hadn't been yet this month. Lame! I did my little loop at home, which it's been forever since I've done. It's much hillier than what I've been running, which I guess is good for me to do.  I was puffing away, though, that's for sure.  In the end I did 3.1 miles in 32 min 37 sec, with a couple pauses for traffic (which of course I enjoyed) which is like a 10 and a half minute mile.  It felt like I was running really slow, so I was glad to map it out and see that it wasn't that bad.  Of course, I walked up my hill in the end.

It was graduation today at work. Sadly, no LL Cool J this year, but we had David Muir.  He's some news dude who I'd never actually heard of before.  He was good, though.  Then I came home and took a nap :)

Officially Training

I went for my first Machu Picchu training hike on Sunday, 6 (and maybe a quarter) miles in the Blue Hills, but not in a hilly part.  Which was a good thing, because it was a pretty fast pace for me.  We did the hike in 2 hours, with a couple of stops (just water stops, and a quick port-a-potty break.  I can never resist a good port-a-potty.)  I'm going on another this Saturday that's about the same distance, six miles, but I think a little hillier.  It has waterfalls, so I guess we will stop some?  Both are meet-ups, which are great because you don't have to plan, just show up an follow like a pack mule :)

Today after work it was so nice out!  A little windy, but sunny and warmish, the trees are all flowering, the sky was blue, everyone was out running on the Charles.  I did the Mass Ave to Longfellow loop.  I got almost the exact same parking spot as I got last time I did that loop, which was exciting.  I had to parallel park in some kind of crazy traffic, and this pizza delivery guy in the car next to me was directing me a little, it totally cracked me up!

Anyhow, I was thinking I would make my loop longer, and go to the Museum of Science, but I think I jinxed myself, because then I got all crampy again.  Boo.  I did the same thing as last time, stopped running, and walked a little before I wanted to curl up in a ball and die.  And then I started running again at the Longfellow bridge.  It was so nice out, and everyone was so happy to be outdoors, it was actually pretty nice to be walking for a bit and enjoying the day.

Total distance 3.52 miles, total run distance, 3.07 miles.  Running time 33 min and 07 sec which is a 10 min 47 sec mile.  Certainly slowed down by impending cramps :)  (Not really, with all the millions of people out running, I didn't pass a single one.  At least no walkers passed me.)

Brrrrrr...

Cold and windy today, I so didn't want to go for a run.  I put on my running clothes at work and walked out to the parking garage and was so cold, I thought it would be miserable to go for a run.  I decided I could wait until tomorrow, but then I was all dressed for it, and told myself that I could just do a short run.  I parked over by MIT.  My parking karma was in overdrive and I got a spot on Mass Ave, not too far from the bridge, so I did the loop from MIT, over the Mass Ave bridge, up to the Longfellow and back.  It was freezing on the bridges!  There was a pretty good wind, which was awesome as I was running east, because it was at my back helping me out.

Sadly, just as I was at the furthest point (of course) I started getting cramps.  This time I actually decided to stop and walk before I got to the point where I wanted to curl up in a ball on the sidewalk. Novel!  I walked for about a third of a mile, on the Longfellow Bridge (yes, the uphill part) until I felt better, and then ran again.  Total running was just under 5 K in 33 min and 4 sec which is about a 10 min 40 sec mile.  Other than the cramps it was fine.  The sun was setting and the city looked amazing!  So glad for spring.

I dropped the one class today.  It will take me an extra year, but whatever.  I couldn't deal with the awful group that I was assigned, and the professor sucked.  Plus, I want to be able to enjoy life, and this was getting in the way.  I think this will be a good way to learn new things and expand my horizons without over stressing myself.