Training Partner?

BB is just about done with school for this semester. Because of this, she was able to relax at my brother’s graduation and then bike along with me on most of my run tonight. It was a lot of fun.

My brother’s grad ceremony was kinda boring, as I’ve found most of them are. But I had to go to watch the kid finally get his college diploma. The party/gathering afterwards was kinda odd for a bit. Rightfully so, my step-dad doesn’t like my bio-dad, and this makes gatherings with both families uncomfortable. But step-dad did pretty well today, and at the end of the day, got me thinking about another half-marathon. At least I’ve got more time to decide with this one.

I wanted to get up and run early this morning, but couldn’t drag my sorry behind out of our comfy bed. This meant I had to fit my run in this evening. After I took the dogs on their normal loop, pregnant BB, cautiously as possible, rode her bike the next seven miles with me. About five miles in, she asked if she was a distraction, and that couldn’t have been further from the truth. It was very enjoyable to have someone to chit chat with (I think I’ve asked for this in a previous post) on my weekly long run. It turned out to be my longest and fastest “long run” ever. Besides a full stomach, I felt good, and wasn’t trying to go so fast, and fast is a relative term. It also sounds like BB is feeling good from the ride, minus a little heartburn which is a normal everyday occurance now. We both hope she’ll continue to come along once in a while from now on, while she can.

Now I need to get used to the fact that most of my long runs from now on will be longer than the last. And to remember to never run on a full stomach again.

Would've preferred snow

About two weeks ago we got spoiled and the temps hit the upper 30’s, a rare treat for late February in Minnesota. Then last week we got about two feet of snow, and the temps went back to normal (mid teens). Now, we’re in the upper 20’s for highs and low teens at night. And this time of year the sun is at the right angle to melt everything, so long as the sun is shinning and the shadows aren’t there.

This means that within a few hundred feet of running on sidewalks, you will encounter the following: dry concrete, wet concrete, packed snow, ice, unshoveled snow (it stopped snowing five days ago), slush, snirt (snow and dirt mix), puddles, and puddles that look like ice.

I never saw the first deep puddle I hit. A car was waiving me through an intersection, so I jumped over the wall of snow separating the sidewalk from the street. I didn’t realize that this particular wall was not protruding into the street as much as I thought, and I landed right next to a sewer drain, ankle deep in water. I managed to miss most of the puddles the rest of my run. But this first incident happened about a mile into a five mile run, so the damage was done.

At least when you run in a snowstorm, you shoes aren’t ice when you get home.

Why I started

We are 22 weeks pregnant today. Which means that 18 weeks ago, I had a very good reason to want to quit smoking. So I did, and gained about 10 pounds in two weeks. We were at some friends house and they had a scale sitting on the floor in their dinning room. So I stepped on it and my number came to a stop, and my friend made a comment about this number being small, but it was the highest number I'd ever seen on a scale while I was standing on it.

So I started running parts of my walks with the dogs.

Today, the dogs and I had my wife join us on the beginning of our run. She did very well, even if she disagreed. The four of us did almost mile, then I did two more. Felt great. And I think I'm finding a rhythm that allows me to play hockey well enough for me. 3 miles is by no means a good long run for a Saturday, but I'm not getting OCD about it and hurting myself. It helps to reassure myself that I've only considered myself a runner for two months now.

Back to my point. Just before my post run shower today, I stepped on our scale. And the number was below the weight I've gained since I quit smoking. It was in fact, within the 5 pounds that I find ideal to fluctuate within. Hooray!