My penance for missing ECHO this morning
I had to skip my regular meetup with the ECHO Running Club this morning because of daughter-sitting duties at home. But I was thrilled to see the sunshine and excited to get out and run when I was free to leave the house. The plan this morning was to run 6 miles at 6am, and 6 more with the ECHO group at 7am, but that didn't work out. So I concentrated my efforts on a 10-mile run and made up the missing 2 miles with the toughest hills on my side of Anderson. Today's run featured a climb of Birney Lane and Eversole Road (http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/oh/cincinnati-/-anderson-township/717126607239389008), both with significant hills. The MapMyRun link here shows an elevation chart that captures the Birney climb in miles 3 and 4 (200-300 feet?). But the chart misses the challenges of climbing Eversole Rd in mile 6. Eversole's got a steeper hill and 2 easier hills after, but there all short climbs. The Birney climb is a series of 5 or 6 climbs over the space of a mile and a half -- it's like a 15-round boxing match for a sophomore runner like me. Temp was about 25 degrees, with ample sunlight and NO wind. The gloves came off during the Birney climb, and my hoodie-tube came off in mile 7. It got pretty warm as the run went on. As attested by the photos, today was a perfect winter day to run.
To run or not to run ... In the snow
That was my choice this morning. A balmy 25 degrees made for a perfect morning. But there was still fresh snow on the ground, and even where the sidewalks had been cleared, it was only a small path.
I could have stayed in and run the treadmill. But that's not the same as outside in the fresh air. So I ran, and ran outdoors.3rd Street and the rest of downtown (2 photos) wasn't so bad, but anywhere near the stadiums and over the river was a mess - unshoveled, unplowed. The Purple People Bridge (photo) - 6 inches. The levee in Newport (photo) - 3 inches.Running 3 miles in 3-6 inches of snow is like running 5 miles on dry pavement, I'm convinced. Your legs work harder to get good traction, and your ankles and knees have to work harder to get balance on every step.Glad I did it.A gym workout tomorrow (4 degrees is the forecast low), followed by a 12-mile run Saturday morning with the ECHO group.
Snow dazed
Even though I've now got bona fide snow legs, I have no interest in running outdoors when the sidewalks and streets are icy and slushy, at best.
7 inches of snow on the ground meant an off-day yesterday (save for 3 moderate-level shoveling workouts) and a 3-1/2 mile treadmill run today. Hoping at least the sidewalks are clear by tomorrow morning. I'm eager to get back on the streets, even if the temp is in the teens, as forecast. Be safe out there, Cincinnati!A Super Sunday 4-miler, and another little notch
Just an hour before kickoff of what would later turn out to be one of the most satisfying Super Bowls ever, I took a stroll on Anderson Township's 5 Mile Trail.
I don't often do Sunday runs, but given the pleasant weather today (30 degrees, no wind) and the impending snow threat for Tuesday and Wednesday, I figured today was my pick-day for at least the next few. The 5 Mile Trail parallels and then extends beyond the end of 5 Mile Road - hence its name. In truth, the Trail is only 4 miles long, but the hills (between 100 and 200 ft in elevation) add significantly to the challenge. I hadn't run the nicely-paved Trail since last summer, and then I could not run the length of the Trail back and forth without pulling up for a walk. Now I can. Today I beat the Trail. 4 miles in under 36 minutes, non-stop. Another small victory.4 inches of snow, uphill both ways!
If last Saturday's 15-mile run was like getting punched in the face with the 20-degree weather and a bitter wind chill, then today's run in 30-degree weather and 4-inches-of-fresh-and-falling snow was merely like trying to run while dragging a 20-pound weight on a greasy surface. Easy, right?! Not so much. Today's 6-miler wasn't as mentally-challenging as last week's run against the wind, but it was step-for-step more work for the legs. I'm very thankful for the ECHO Running Club, 3 of whose members are pictured in the photos here. Not pictured is ECHO leader and spiritual guru Brian Nash, who's always an inspiration to me. He told me today's run won't do much extra for my legs, but it will do something for my mind and my will. He said runs like today's might give me a bit of inspiration during my first marathon attempt. Hope so! 16 more weeks til the Flying Pig!
Beautiful morning to run
As good as it gets in winter here in Cincinnati: upper 20's with no wind. I took this picture at 7:10am outside my building at 3rd and Walnut. The building you see in the photo is the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and the small speck of light at the top right is the moon, peeking through a layer of thin clouds that are preceding a winter blast of rain, ice and snow that's supposed to start here late tonight. Might make a mess of weekend running plans. Nice to get 4 miles in this morning and still be at work by 8:15am.
Another week's adventures in running
The Flying Pig Marathon is now just 90 days away, and the good news is, I'm still on target for getting to the start line with a reasonable chance of finishing all 26 miles. But the training is turning into a journey of its own. Here are 3 updates from the past 7 days, modified from my diary posts via MapMyRun.com.
Saturday January 30 - my first 15-miler
Yeah, I realize these long runs aren't designed to be easy. I didn't think running 15 miles would be this hard on the body and the mind. I knew I'd join the ECHO group at 7am for what would be my final 6 miles, I needed to get 9 miles in before. That meant getting up at 5am, eating a quick sandwich (PB on Toast), and getting to the ECHO meeting place at 5:30am. I ran a 4.5 mile route through Mt Washington, twice - once by myself and once with a new running buddy Jason.
When the ECHO group convened at 7, I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with their normal running pace (about 8:30 to 9:00 per minute), so I comfortably lagged behind, and I even reverted to a walk on a couple of occasions. That helps me a lot more than slowing down my pace. I don't slow down very well.
Oh, I forgot about the weather, the other main obstacle besides the distance. 20 degrees with a 10-15 mph wind. It was very very cold.
Lessons learned: Don't eat Skyline Chili the night before a long run. Don't leave your water bottle on the kitchen table. Thanks Jason for letting me borrow your spare.
I only wish I had a picture of the Saturday run to commemorate my first time at this distance.
Monday February 1 - an easy and slow 3+ miler
Nothing eventful here. Just a nice run past Paul Brown Stadium, across the river into Kentucky, then back into Ohio near the Reds Stadium.
Tuesday February 2 - all the way up Mt Adams
Climbing hills is actually fun, when you learn how to do it. Today was my first climb up to the top of Mt Adams, which for non-Cincinnatians is a sizable hill just east of downtown. It's actually about 300-400 feet taller than the Ohio River nearby, and you get great views of downtown and the river and beyond into Kentucky.
Check out some photos of the Bengals Stadium and the views from Mt Adams.
