Good week

Running:
January is the beginning of the rebuilding of the base cycle for the year.  The last several years after my fall (October) marathon my running totals fall off.  I run just enough to not start completely over to give this old body a bit of a break.  Just completed the first full week in January with a total of 51 miles and 69 YTD.  This is a pretty good number to start back with.  All 69 miles have been outside this year.  Pretty good considering how cold it has been. 

Thursday was a lunch time run at work.  This was in the middle of the 8 inch snowfall we received that day.  It was a little slower going, but not bad.  The Arctics worked great on the 7.5 mile run that I completed in 1:04:21.  Friday was another lunch time run.  The roads were a little more sloppy so I opted for several loops through the plowed subdivisions to get to the total of 7.5 miles again.  A little faster run because there were no hills involved and I ran on clean pavement for the most part.  This run took 1:01:44.  Saturday morning I got out early for an 11 mile run.  I did this run in 1:29:41.  This run was interesting in that I only passed five cars on the entire run, but three times had to jump/step into the snow bank on the side of the road to keep from being hit.  Two times cars passed me going both directions at the same time.  With the narrowly plowed roads and the drivers on my side either not seeing me or refusing to yield it made it feel too close.  The third time a truck came around the biggest corner hugging tight to the right and seemed to have no clue I was there.  It wasn't dark and I was wearing a neon yellow vest.  Just crazy.  Sunday morning I got out for another 10 miles.  I ran this one in 1:21:57.  No mishaps or close calls this time.  With the wind chills this run felt colder than Saturday's.  I had sweat icicles hanging down from where my glasses met my face mask.  I'll have to get a picture of this on the next cold day. 


Hunting:
Kind of a bummer hunting season is over already.  I could go out after squirrel or rabbits through the end of this month if I wanted to.  No one would eat them anyway except for me so probably not.   I will likely get out over the next few weeks ice fishing or hunting for fish I guess you could say.  I have seen lots of deer tracks and trails on my runs through the neighborhood.  This is a good sign for next year in that plenty of deer made it through the hunting season.  


Gardening:
Not much going on in this category.  I continue to monitor and nurse my pond through the cold weather to keep it running.  I have a drawer filling up with garden catalogues to go through one of these weekends.

 

Hill Repeats

Running:
I started off the week with an off day.  I think for now I'll continue to take Monday's off if I can run both weekend days.  I'll try to use it as a cross training day with some extra weight lifting and maybe some biking or elliptical.  Tuesday I got out during my lunch break for the usual 7.5 mile run.  The worst part of this run is along Greenfield avenue for about a mile.  In warm weather there is a sidewalk to run on.  When we have snow I have to run on the road shoulder.  There are two lanes of traffic and most people move over a bit, but sometimes it feels pretty close.  I did this run in 1:02:52.  Wednesday I decided to add some hill repeats to the training.  I think as long as I can get out I'll continue to do this on Wednesday's.  I run about a two mile warm up to the bottom of the hill, run 8 repeats (.40 miles each) for 3.2 miles, then about 2.5 miles back to work.  This gives me a total of 7.5 miles similar to my other runs in distance.  I ran the entire workout in 1:06:15. 


Hunting:

I found this picture of a Christmas tree made of old deer antlers.  Pretty cool idea, but I don't think it would fly at my house next year.  I could probably scrape up enough horns to make a version of this, but likely won't happen.   

Gardening:
For sure the slowest time of the year for anything garden related.  It is interesting all the snow/snow cover we've had this season.  More is coming today maybe up to 6 inches.  This is the most for the longest time since we've been in this house I think.  It will be interesting to see what difference this will make next spring/summer growing seasons.  Still have some of the lower evergreen branches bending over quite a bit from the early heavy wet snow we got.

1st post of 2010

Happy New Year 

Running:
I started off the New Year with a rest day.  I was hitting it pretty hard at the end of December to make my goal miles for the year.  It was a travel day anyway as I was heading back home from up in Bayfield.  This is the first time in 6 years I didn't have a New Years run.  On Saturday 1/2 I got back into it.  It was a very cold morning with temps somewhere around -5 and wind chills -20 or better.  I geared up in my warmest stuff and the Asics Arctics and went out for a 10 mile run.  I can always shorten if I need to, but everything was fine.  I managed the 10 miles in 1:20:49.  Sunday morning was very cold also.  Not quite what Saturday was, but still in the negative range, but with less wind.  The road conditions were fine, so I just used a regular pair of trail shoes with no spikes.  I only ran 8 miles and ran it in 1:08:35.  

I'm still trying to figure my schedule for 2010, but have my eye on running the Trailbreaker marathon or half in March, Ice Age 50K in May, Green Bay marathon or half in May, Grandmas marathon in June, Paavo Nurmi marathon or half in August, and undecided about Fall. 


Hunting:
Deer season is now over.  I managed to get out Saturday evening in the bitter cold.  I only went out in the back yard for the last hour of the day and saw nothing.  Last night I choose to watch the Packer game instead of getting out for the last time this season.  It was fun for Sandy and I to go to a friends house to watch the game and have dinner with them.  I think I had enough deer anyway.  Now to get ready for next year. 

Gardening:
I'm managing to keep the pond and waterfall going so far.  I need to keep my eye on things closely to keep it from freezing completely.  There is a layer of ice covering everything, which somewhat helps to keep things insulated to some degree.  The water then runs under this sheet of ice.  So far so good, but the forecast looks like things will remain below freezing for two more straight weeks at least.