Running Chick

My mileage jumped up into the teens this week. It’s been since summer that I’ve hit those miles, thanks to my ankle and foot issues.

Monday was a regular old 4-miler out to campus and back. The snow statues were looking pretty good after Winter Carnival weekend. I’m sorry to say that I didn’t get any pictures, through. I got a new phone a month or so ago and it’s a lot bigger than my iPhone and just barely fits in my waist pack. Inserting & removing it is a real pain in the rear so unless I see something that really makes me want to spend five minutes wrestling it in & out, it’s staying in. I should probably just upgrade to a bigger pack.

Wednesday was hills. Ah, hills. I used to have a love-hate relationship with them and did everything I could to avoid doing them, but now I’ve decided that I’m okay with them.  They make my legs stronger, they make my lungs stronger and they get me into shape fast.  Oh, they still suck and they hurt and sometimes most times I feel like I’m going to have an internal organ yard sale about 10 feet from the top, but the benefits far outweigh the negatives. And, as long as I toss an organ that I can live without (appendix, spleen, gall bladder, tonsil, kidney, etc.), it’s all good.

I went back and visited my same old hill-loop that I was able to do once before my legs started giving me trouble last year.  I was about 30 seconds/loop slower than I was last year, but last year I was about a month farther into training. Oh well, something to shoot for. I did the loop three times and then ran easy the bring my total to four for the day.

Saturday was my seven mile long run.  I felt really good for the majority of the run, but I did run low on energy for the last two miles. I’m experimenting with new pre-run breakfasts since my usual 1/2 bagel thin & almond butter isn’t doing anything but making me feel like I have a brick in my stomach for the first three miles. I’m trying Irish oatmeal with fruit now, and it worked so much better, but I didn’t eat enough. Next time, I’ll definitely double my amount. Also, like a big dummy, I left my gel on the counter and didn’t realize it until I reached in my pocket for it. Oops. I think I’d have been okay if I’d had that with me and taken it on schedule. Oh, and I didn’t take water with me either. Sheesh, now that I think about it, I really hosed up my fluid/nutrition. No wonder I was feeling low on energy.

Finally, to recap for this week – Monday, 4 @ 10:48; Wednesday, 4 @ 10:50; Saturday, 7 @ 10:57. I little bit slower than I’d like, but lots of room for improvement. Next week is a cut-back week. I think my total mileage will be around 10. Easy peasy.

So, have you ever had a battery explode five feet from you? That’s what happened to me on Saturday. Josh had replaced the battery in his shaver and it was charging in the kitchen on the butcher’s block I have next to the oven. I was standing a short distance away preparing chicken for dinner. Pippen was at my feet begging for food helping. All of a sudden I heard an extremely loud CRACK, debris went flying everywhere and the kitchen filled with acrid and probably toxic smoke.  The battery on the shaver, for whatever reason, exploded. My butcher block ended up with a powdery, black burn mark on it. Debris was everywhere – on the wall across the room, behind the refrigerator even farther across the room. The wall closest to the explosion even has some paint chipped off.  I didn’t get hit by anything that I know of, but my ears were ringing for quite some time that night. Poor Pippen, who was standing right next to me, took off and hid in the basement. It took me forever to find him and longer to convince him to come out. Once he did, I took him right upstairs into the bedroom and closed the door. He was shaking and so scared. It took him quite a while to calm down. Scout was better, but she was pretty upset just the same. Josh opened all the windows and doors and had fans pushing all the smoke outside and cleaned up the shrapnel. Unfortunately, because it got everywhere, today I ended up emptying the kitchen and mopping the floor and walls. Josh saved my butcher block by sanding & planing it down, so at least that looks as good as new. And I thought the most exciting thing on my schedule for this weekend was my long run.