Rained Out. Again.

This morning, Norah and I were a little more than half mile into our run when the skies opened up and poured. It wasn't a downpour. It was a deluge. I quickly turned us around and ran as fast as I could back home, but within minutes, I was soaked, the stroller was soaked and poor Norah was soaked. But, thankfully, I didn't breed a complainer, so even though she got pretty wet, she didn't seem too upset with me about it. Her expression below seems to say, "Eh, I got wet. Good thing I'm not made of sugar." So, since this is the 2nd run in 2 weeks that's been disrupted by rain, after we got dried off and cleaned up, we went and invested in a weathershield for the BOB.

It was less than $6, and it's basically just a big plastic cover for the stroller that looks like this once it's unveiled:

Norah inspected it

and gave it her stamp of approval.

So, I folded it up and stowed it beneath the carriage, and we'll be certain to always bring it along on our runs. That way, I may still get soaked, but Norah can stay dry and comfortable and I can at least finish a run.

With the rain disruption, our run only totaled 1.4 miles, and I'm feeling a bit dissatisfied with that. So, I'm considering a hot afternoon run of 1.6 miles so that I can at least log 3 miles for the day. It's in the 90s out there, but I'm telling myself: "It'll only take about 16 minutes. I can do 16 minutes out there." I guess I'll fill ya in later on how that works out.

30 Days

With the completion of this morning's run, I have run 30 consecutive days. And at this point, you can probably guess that I don't plan on stopping now.

Officially, I want to continue the streak through the end of July, which is 12 more days.

Unofficially, I don't see an end in sight.

Foto Friday

So, Marlene had a great idea to showcase our running medals: She posted pics of where she keeps her race medals and then pointed out a few favorites and then challenged her readers to do the same. I thought it was a fun idea, so I went ahead and took some pics of the bits of bling I've earned from running. To begin with, here is where I keep them: On a hook on the office wall. Jerry and I have talked about, maybe, creating a special place for them or at least buying a shadow box for the special ones, but so far, no action has been taken to draw more attention to them or make them seem more significant.

They look shinier in a jumbled pile, anyway, don't they? There are 12 of them here.

A few favorites are from Miami and A1A. A1A is probably my favorite HM and this year's medal, which opened, was pretty dang cool. And for Miami? Well, who doesn't love the "spinning palm" design?

But, my absolute favorites are those from Disney's series of events: I have the Marathon, Princess HM, Race to the Taste 10K, and Women Run the World 15K.

I think that, ultimately, it'd be fun to earn all of the medals in Disney's endurance series, but I'm a long way from even considering Goofy (but, that does total 3 medals!).

Lastly, there is a significant medal that is missing from this pile: 2007 Chicago Marathon. Which I trained for and DNF'd. For those who recall, the 2007 Chicago Marathon was cancelled in the middle of the race because of dangerous heat and not enough liquids on the course. Afterward, the RDs offered all of us, who had failed to finish, a medal and they called it a medal for the Chicago "Fun Run." Bah. I did not take it. That race was not fun, and I didn't want a medal for something I had failed at.

Runners' race medals symbolize the hard work and dedication it takes to train for and complete a race; to have Chicago offer runners that "fake" medal was insulting. Anyway, its absence is important to me, and I think it deserves noting here since medals are a tangible representation of what we earned, and I believe it's valuable for me as a runner to think about those instances where I have not enjoyed success. In some ways, the missing medals from my wall are just as significant as these beautiful shiny ones.

If you haven't already followed along with Marlene's Medal Mania (that's my wording, not hers, but don't you think I am clever, now?), go ahead and post some pics of your race bling, give some highlights of your favorites, and tell us a little about your Precious!

Day 26

Still running.

And, that's really all there is to say about that. Hmmmm, a streak gets kinda boring to read about, huh? Thankfully, I'm not bored with the doing, so that's good.

Since I really don't have any good running stories today, I can share one brief post-running anecdote:

After a run, I need a shower. Stat. And, like many moms out there, I take my child into the bathroom with me while I shower. Typically, Norah entertains herself by playing with a few toys I bring in there with us, or by pulling underwear out of the hamper or by pounding on the shower glass and hollering for me to hurry up. But this morning, as I was shampooing, I noted that she was oddly quiet.

Not a good sign.

So, I opened the shower door a smidgen and saw her standing by the toilet having a grand time splashing in the water.

While her fascination with toilet water is charming, it's not new, and we've become accustomed as of late to make sure that toilet lids are down, but I must have forgotten earlier and there she was treating it with the same joy she would a water park.

Oh well. The toilet water was "clean" water and aside from soaking her shirt, her splashing was doing no harm, so I returned to shampooing, rinsing and repeating, but I hope that if she one day becomes a high-paid plumber who makes $300 an hour fixing a toilet in the "off hours" that she appreciates how I'm the one who nurtured her early career.

Off and On

When Norah and I headed out for our run this morning, there were dark clouds in the distance, but I was hoping we might be able to out-run them. However, less than a mile into the run, it began to sprinkle, nothing too heavy, though, so we continued on, but right at 1 mile, it began to really rain. Not a downpour, by any means, but a heavy enough rain that I turned around. I don't have a weathershield for the stroller and while the canopy does a decent job of protecting her from the elements, it doesn't completely enclose her.

So, we ran the mile back home, and by the time we got there, it had stopped raining entirely.

And that seems to be the pattern so far this morning. After the run, I showered and Norah had a snack and then we headed to a nearby park for some outdoor fun. The rain clouds were still ominous in the distance, but I figured any time at the park is good time (anyone with kids can back me up on this: any time outside playing = good napping), so we played and the rain stayed away for about 35 minutes, but then the skies opened up and we were outta there.

And, by the time we got home, again, it had stopped raining entirely.

With the rain clouds following me in this way, I'm feeling a bit like Eeyore this morning!

You Were Right

Norah does seem ready to be the pusher instead of the passenger! She just has a bit more growin' to do ;)

As Promised

This morning, I was certainly not feeling a run, and a part of me was thinking "streak-schmeak, I don't have to do what I don't wanna!" But, thankfully, such childish inner-whining was trumped by the very nature of the streak itself: Turns out, once something is habitual, it's pretty hard to deviate from routine. Huh. Who wudda thunk it?

So, I got out there and ran my 3 miles with Norah riding along in the stroller. I didn't necessarily like it, but I did it.

Anyhoo, I also promised to try and get a short video of Norah and her amazing new feat: Walking. So, here it is: It's just a few steps, so don't go thinking I'm gonna show her tightrope walking or anything.

Day...22?

Yesterday, I wrapped up my 21 day streak with a solo 6 miler (58:59 -- I was so pleased to get it done in less than 60 minutes!). And then, I got up this morning and took Norah for a 3 miler (31:13 -- I am WAY slower when I'm pushing her).

So, the streak continues!

I figure: Why not extend it another 9 days for an even 30 day streak? Might as well, right? And we'll just see where it goes from there...

...and, as for some video of Norah taking a few, initial steps? Nada so far this weekend. She has repeated her new feat by taking one or steps between Jerry and I, but she hasn't offered any walking opportunity that has easily leant itself to videotaping. No worries. I'm sure as she gains more stability and confidence, she'll do more and we'll get the chance to capture it on tape; until then, you'll just have to take my word for it.

First Steps!

Norah took her first steps about 45 minutes ago! And if you would have seen my excitement, you would've guessed that those steps were on the moon.

She was standing in the kitchen playing with some magnets on the refrigerator and she was standing there without any support, and I was sitting close by, so I just held out my arms and encouraged her to walk toward me. I've been doing this for a few weeks now, but today she actually did it! She took two steps and then collapsed into my waiting arms. It. was. awesome.

Hopefully, I get the chance to get some video of her amazing feat sometime this weekend. If I do, I'll post it here. I'm sure you've never seen a baby walk before, right? ;)

Foto Friday

This morning, Norah got up at a time that is more routine for her: 6:30 am. Here she is at breakfast with an expression that seems to suggest, "C'mon, Mom, I'm still in my PJs and haven't combed my hair yet! Give me a break -- you're like the friggin' paparrazzi!" I concede, aside from babies, only celebrities have more flashes going off in front of their faces. Sorry, Norah, but I think your bed-head is cute!

So, with the more normal wake up, Norah and I were able to get out the door for our 3 miler a bit earlier than we have managed the past 2 days.

The half hour or so doesn't really make that much of difference, temperature-wise, but getting out there and back a bit earlier just feels better. Here's Norah, post-run, hydrating:

Yes, she was still in her PJs, but that's her priviledge as the rider instead of the runner. Besides, she doesn't get sweaty and gross like I do:

So, all in all, it was one more run down in the books, which makes for 20 consecutive days of running: One more day left in this streak!

That makes Norah smile.

Day 19: Done

Again, this morning, Norah slept in a bit. Not as late as yesterday, but she still didn't get up until 7 am. As you can guess, if she sleeps in, I take full advantage and sleep in as well. So, like yesterday, the later wake up time meant it was later by the time we got around to getting ready for our run, and it was just a little after 8 when we were headed out the door.

But unlike yesterday morning, when I shaved the run down to 2 miles, this morning I told myself to just "deal with it" and we went for our standard 3 miler. What can I say about it? Nothing new, that's for sure: It was hot and sweaty. Only 2 days left in my 21 day streak. Almost there.

Better Than Nuthin

This morning, Norah slept until 7:20. It. was. awesome! Of course, the extra sleep meant that we didn't get out for our run at the normal time, and because I was afflicted with a case of slow, it was 8:30 before we were headed out for our run. Which is too late and too hot. So, I choose a two mile path that remains shady the entire way, and that's what we did: 2 miles.

With these small 1 and 2 milers this week, I am really racking up the single digit mileage. 4 days worth of runs so far this week and my mileage has totaled 8 miles. Pitiful. However, I figure that even those these short runs don't add up to much, they still add up to SOMEthing. If I weren't pursuing this streak, I would have simply skipped running on a day like today.

It's All Relative

Humidity, that is.

And, actually, relative humidity is not a great indicator of how much moisture is in the air -- a better indicator of that is dew point (which I have discussed extensively in the past, but I probably am most concise about it in this post) -- but the title is more fitting to my general theme here today.

As most of you know, or are experiencing, it's friggin' hot out there right now for most of the country -- particularly the northeast, which is getting blanketed in sweltering temps. Since I live in FL and run in hot, humid weather on a regular basis, I can't help but compare heats. It's kind of a sadistic thing to do, but ever since I became a runner 5 years ago, I am an enthusiastic meterology student and I often compare the weather here in FL to weather elsewhere. You know. Just to see.

So, reading blogs this morning, I saw that many of you in the northeast are sweating like you're on the threshold of hell, so I figured I'd take a look at your weather. Washington, DC makes a good comparison because even though temps are varied on the NE seaboard, DC's current weather is an average of the temps. Anyhoo...in DC today, it is an awful 100 degrees. Yuck. Here in South Florida, it is 94. A little cooler. But...when we examine the two locale's differences in humidity, and particularly dew point, we see how these two heats are different kinds of hot.

In DC, the current (it's 1:30 pm as I type this) humidity is 30%. In South Florida, it is 61%. And dew point? In DC, it is 62 degrees; in FL, 72 degrees. 10 degrees doesn't seem like a whole lot, but when it is in regards to dew point, it is a HUGE difference because of how humans perceive comfort within such humidity.

Now, for other comparisons: Atlanta is a gawd awfully humid place, right? Yes, it is. Their current temp is 87, with 44% humidity. But the dew point? Same as DC's. And that's pretty consistent throughout the southeast. We all know Phoenix is hot, but it's a "dry heat" right? Yes, very, very dry: Only 14% humidity with a dew point of 39! (I think my hair would be very static-y in AZ!)

So, who has just as wet, if not sometimes wetter, heat than what we have here in the good ole swamp? Texas! My friends in Houston are swimming (I mean "running") in the same humid conditions as we are here in FL: They are currently experiencing the delightful humidity of 58% and a dewpoint of 73.

What's the point of all this comparison? Nothing, really. And I'm certainly not trying to belittle anyone's complaints about the heat because once the mercury hits triple digits, it's H-O-T no matter what, but if there's a HOT contest, and Satan is judging, I think it'd be a tie between TX and FL. Which I suppose makes all of us who run in such weather a bit C-R-A-Z-Y!

Minimum Mileage

My only "rule" for this current streak has been that I must run at least 1 mile a day in order to maintain the streak. Thus far, I hadn't had to reduce my mileage down to that bare minimum, but today, it has been raining pretty much all day long. It has vollied back and forth between downpour and drizzle, but for most of the day, it has rained, rained, rained.

Around 4:30 pm, I was looking out the window, and I asked Jerry for his thoughts: "Should I wait and see if it clears and I can go for a 'real' run; or, should I just go out there and do the bare minimum?"

He replied with: "I'd go and get it over with if I were you."

That had pretty much been my thinking but I had just needed him to verbalize it. So, I laced up and hit the streets in a rain that was somewhere between downpour and drizzle -- let's call it a "dozzle" -- and I was surprised that the Garmin was still able to quickly pick up a signal. I had a specific destination in mind: Some tennis courts that are just a bit more than half a mile away. So, I ran around and over puddles, and while I kinda liked running through the rain, I was drenched by the time I reached said tennis courts, so I turned around as I planned, and got home in 11 minutes and 11 seconds: Shortest. run. ever. And while this picture doesn't do the soaking much justice, I did get pretty dang wet in those 11 minutes. Although, I don't think I was any more drenched than when I sweat through a normal run!

So, it sucks that I timed the day's run so poorly that I was left with the minimum mileage option, but at least I still got that done and thus managed to keep the streak going.

And, btw, it's still raining out there. But now it's more of a light drizzle, which we will label a "lizzle" :)

Another 3 Miler and Reflections

Last night, we got some impressive thunderstorms and torrential rains (it was awesome -- I LOVE a stormy night!) -- so that meant that this morning's run was like running in a steam room at the gym. The temps were cooler, but the humidity was in the 90th percentile, so the air was practically drinkable.

But while the humidity definitely made it tough, the morning's overcast sky actually felt like a reprieve. It's amazing how much difference small details like that can make, so really, the 3 miler wasn't that bad.

Anyhoo, this afternoon, we're off to our friend's annual 4th of July Party (on the 3rd this year) where we will engage in all the fun B's of the holiday: BBQ, drinking Beer, and Blowing shit up! This year, actually, will be much more tame than years past since our friends who host have moved to a different neighborhood and their new home is not as conducive to TNT. Probably just as well: It was likely that sooner or later Jerry was gonna lose a thumb in a fireworks' explosion.

Funny side note, I was scrolling through pics on my laptop's hard drive, and I was looking at our pics from last year's Independence Day celebration when I was about 8 and 1/2 months preggo:

Hard to believe that a year ago, this little ankle biter hadn't even been born yet!

Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend! Be safe -- don't blow your own thumbs off -- but have fun (i.e., get plenty of those other two B's in!)!

Welcoming the Long Weekend

Beginning today, Jerry and I both have the next 4 days off. Suh-weet! So, this morning it was great to have him home with Norah while I went for a solo run. I thought that since I was by myself, I'd do 4 miles, instead of the standard 3, but part way through the run, my stomach conspired against me.

I don't know what was wrong -- I'd had the same breakfast I always do and, sure, it was hot but no hotter than usual -- but I felt so nauseous that I had to walk for a bit. And for just a few seconds, I actually thought I might upchuck. Thankfully, the walking helped, my tummy righted itself and I resumed running, but I decided to just stick with 3 miles instead of adding the extra mile.

I ran the rest of the way just fine, no stomach retaliation, so I don't know what the dealio was.

On the plus side, when I got home, Jerry had made muffins with fresh strawberries! He's an excellent house husband.

Still Streakin

Yesterday morning, when I got up, it was drizzling out. By the time I had finished my coffee, it was a downpour. It stormed until about 8:30 am, and then not only was it stiffling hot, but Norah and I had plans and places to be.

So that's how I ended doing my run at 9 pm last night -- after I got home from my night class. Normally, that's not a time I like to run, but I was determined to keep the streak alive, and that ended up being the only available time, and it turned out to be a good run. It was nice running without the running stroller, and while I still wasn't Lightning McQueen out there, I was a bit faster (average pace was 9:58/mile).

This morning's run, however, was a different story. Probably because my legs had had less than 12 hours of turn around time, and just the toll the heat and, perhaps, the streak are taking on me, I was wiped out. And while I still managed to eek out a full 3 miler, it was extremely slow and tough.

But as has been the theme as of late: Even a slow, hard run is better than no run at all. So, another run down in the books. 12 days done. 9 to go.

Pre and Post Run

Originally, I'd planned to get up at 5 am and run early...but, that didn't happen. Shocker, I know. Instead, I hit the road at what has become Norah and I's regular run time (about 7:45 am). Here I am pre-run: All fresh and ready to go! Temps here at that hour were in the low 90s, so when I finished my 3 miles, I looked a little something like this: Meet Sweaty McSweaterson.

While I am still not fast out there at that time of day, especially pushing the jogging stroller (I have been averaging a 10:20/mile pace with the stroller lately), I think, strangely, I am getting used to the heat and the effort. I'm sure some of you will leave encouraging remarks, like: "The heat/stroller pushing is making you stronger!" And that may very well be, but right now, I have no way to prove that theory. So, for now, I just have to live with the fact that I may be getting "stronger" but the fact is that I'm slower. Can such a paradox exist? I believe so. Oh well, we'll have to wait until January rolls around to see if I can pick up the pace; until then, slow it is!

On a non-running related note, I thought the following pic of Scooter was just too cute to not share. Last night, I go into the bedroom and there's someone who wasn't waiting around for us to be ready for bed:
What? Your dogs don't tuck themselves in at night?

Monday Morning

If ever there were a morning when I was tempted to skip a run or cut it down to the streak's bare minimum requirement of 1 mile, this morning was the morning. I had one of those night's of sleep where I just slept "hard," so even though I got plenty of hours of sleep, when I got up this morning, I felt groggy and disoriented.

So it took us a little longer to get out on the road, but once we finally did, I woke up some and did a full 3 miles, but I swear, it's taken me half the morning, multiple cups of coffee, the run and a shower to begin to feel awake.

Did Jerry slip me a roofie last night?

Foto Friday

Earlier this week, Norah was playing with my running shoes, and I thought it would make a cute picture for the blog, so I grabbed the camera and tried to snap a shot of her with my shoes. Instead, of cuteness, I got this: Which, I guess it takes a baby to make my size 5 shoes look big :) Anyway, once she realized I had the camera out, she ditched the shoes and came barreling at me:

I had to give up on trying to get her picture at that point since all she could focus on was grabbing the camera out of my hands. But later, she returned to the shoes, and I thought, "Aha! I'll get a cute picture this time!" However, she spotted me again and dropped the shoes, and by the time my slow-ass camera took the pic, you can see that she's shoving the shoes aside in favor of coming at me to tackle the camera:

And by the time she got to me, she had this devilish grin in her eye:

Later, when Jerry got home from work, I was telling him about how every time I tried to take a picture of her, she dropped whatever cute thing she was doing so that she could crawl over and nab the camera. "Really?" he asked, "So if I go get the camera, she'll come at me to get it?" "Yup, I guarantee it," I told him. So, this is what he captured:

Granted, she's not smiling, but note how she's just sitting there, not lunging at him with arms extended and the look of mischief in her eyes. Huh. Guess I should never utter the phrase "I guarantee it" when referring to a child; they will always make you look like an ass.

*And speaking of that little love nugget, she just bit me on the toe! Ouch. Did not see that one coming!

Of Taco Gas and Other Miscellany

Glad you guys were so captivated by the taco-eating challenge and were so impressed by my taco-eating skillz. Of course, a girl can't eat 9 tacos and not pay a price: I had such bad gas last night that I nearly drove Jerry to sleep in another room. He kept complaining that it "stung his nostrils." I just kept telling him to "quit complaining and go to sleep." I was dismissive, but I admit: It was toxic.

I don't think I need to even look at another taco for awhile.

Thankfully, the 9 taco spree didn't give me the Running Runs this morning when I went out for a 3 miler with Norah. But the run was awful in other ways -- I seriously don't know if there is a limit to my complaining about the heat and humidity -- and I was slow and sweaty. But, as is the simple goal right now, I got it done and that's what counts in my streak. 5 days down. 16 to go.

Again, it's good I got it done this morning because tonight I again have plans, but this time it's not the fun eat-9-tacos-and-swill-a-few-beers kind of plans; instead it's the first-night-of-night-class kind of plans. Yup, starting this evening, I have 7 weeks of night class to teach. I took the first half of summer completely off, but decided I couldn't pass up the chance to teach a few classes in the second half of the term (extra income? yes, please, I have a taco habit to feed). Don't get me started on how stupid it is to start a term on a Thursday, but that's how it is, yo.

So, the next 7 weeks are gonna be kinda tough since I'll be home all day with Norah and then as soon as Jerry gets home at 4:30, I'll be heading off to campus and I won't get home until about 10 pm. They're gonna be long days, but like I said, the extra income will be nice, especially since I can still stay home with Norah during the day so we don't have to shell out any dough for daycare. And, thankfully, the classes are literature classes, which I enjoy teaching and night class students tend to be good students, especially those who take summer night classes: they are the devoted ones and I tend to get some really good classes, so in my own weird, nerdy way, I'm looking forward to teaching. Still, I can't believe that my 7 week hiatus is up, though. It went so fast!

Taco Challenge Throwdown

Here's Jerry, Norah and I bellied up to the bar, ready for some tacos. Norah's expression seems to say, "My mom is gonna eat how many tacos?!"Below is my competition: Jon. He may look like he's from south of the border, but he's about as authentically Mexican as these tacos (which, I would rate about one notch above Taco Bell tacos -- they're not great, but when you're going for quantity, you sacrifice a little quality).

Here I am, ready to rumble, with a Dos Equis in hand. Jon's one condition was that I had to match him in beers, so we each had two.

And, lastly, here I am -- taco in hand!

In the end, I only managed to eek out 9 tacos, and Jon beat me with 11 tacos consumed. But it was a reach for the both of us (we swear they filled those tacos WAY fuller than last week), and ultimately, it was our other friend, Pete, who was Taco Champion with a record breaking 14 tacos!

While I did lose, I still achieved a PR in taco-eating, and we had a lot of fun. Best lines of the night were as follows:

Jon, after 9 tacos, "I have a burp in me and if I can get that out, I can put down 2 more. No problem."

Pete, after his 14 taco annihilation, said: "I could eat another 3, but why bother?"

And, my favorite was Jerry's comment: "No taco is 12 tacos good."

Oh, and the last bit of funny was when the bartender brought out 3 soft shell tacos when Jon had ordered hard shell, and she sent them back and yelled at the kitchen: "These are soft; they're supposed to be HARD!" My comment? "That's what she said." That slayed Jerry.

So, now I am in stretchy pajama pants, feeling much better with an elastic waistline, and I'm gonna go lay on the couch until Top Chef comes on at 9. I also think I may have another beer. I don't think we have any Dos Equis in the house, but we do have some Stella! :)

Early Am 3 Miler

This morning, I had to get up early in order to get my required run in -- Norah has a doctor appointment at 8 am and I have a taco eating challenge tonight (more on that in a minute), so o'dark thirty was the only time available. Thus, I got up at the ungodly hour of 5 am, but temps were already in the mid-80s and humidity? Let's just say that a typical summer morning here in South Florida is like being inside a terrarium, so yeah, it was humid.

I just ran 3 miles (30:26), but it was good to get it done so early. On this 21 day streak, I am not seeking speed or distance, just consistency, so the pressure is off in terms of trying to battle the heat to go further or faster. So a short, slow 3 miler? Perfect for me right now.

Now, with the run done and out of the way for the day, I can concentrate my energies on preparing for my taco challenge this evening. But first, some back story: Remember last Wednesday when I mentioned going out to eat and you guys all assumed Jerry and I were going out to enjoy a "date night" (how cute of you; note how I didn't correct you)? Well, the truth was that we were meeting some friends at a local Mexican restaurant/bar for their happy hour special: $.25 tacos. So, yes, we brought Norah and she too bellied up to the bar (they actually have specially modified high chairs for this, I kid you not), and I had a beer and ate 8 tacos.

Well, my friend Jon also ate 8 tacos. No big deal, it was no competition or anything, but apparently, since then, the guys have been giving him unholy loads of crap about only being able to match me in taco consumption. So, in order to earn his man-card back, he has officially challenged me to a "taco-off" to see who can eat more tacos tonight. Thus, why I wanted to get my run done this morning -- because after I kick his ass in taco eating tonight, I know I won't want to move, much less run.

5 Year Blogoversary

5 years ago, I decided to try and make running a habit and I figured I'd chronicle the experiment here on this blog. I figured I'd give it 21 days, since I'd read that it takes that long to form a habit, and see what happened.

Now, 1,825 days later, and 1,685 posts later, here I am. A runner. (And a blogger.) Guess it's a habit now.

So, to commemorate my initial 21 Day endeavor, I am going to run for the next 21 consecutive days. That's right...A streak!

Here are the rules:

1. The first rule of Jess' 21 Days of Running is that you do not talk about Jess' 21 Days of Running.

2. The second rule of Jess' 21 days of Running is that YOU DO NOT talk...

...oh, sorry, got distracted.

Really, there's only one rule, so it hardly needs numbering: I will run every day for the next 21 consecutive days. And, I have to run at least 1 mile in order for it to count.

So, on to the running!

Oh, and happy anniversary blog! You're older than my marriage, my child, and my dog. Congrats.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day, Dad! We love you! Love, Norah and Scooter

Laughing Matter

This morning, we were out the door for our 3 miler (30:57 -- about 20 seconds faster than yesterday) by 7:45, but it was no small feat considering that by 7:15, Norah was already in her 2nd outfit of the day.

See, just after breakfast, I got her dressed and I was cleaning up a few things in the kitchen when I heard a crash in the dining room and discovered that Norah had managed to pull a few dishes -- including a half full cup of coffee -- off the table and onto the floor! Thankfully, because it takes me forever to finish a cup of coffee with all the distractions, the coffee was only lukewarm, so she wasn't scalded and most of it missed her anyway and went all over the floor.

It scared the poop out of Scooter though. He was looking at me like, "Why Mom, why?"

As I'm mopping up that mess, I hear the distinct clang of Scooter's dishes behind me in the kitchen -- ah, hell, a rookie mistake forgetting Scooter's dishes on the floor! I turn around, and Norah is sitting in a lake of Scooter's drinking water. Laughing.

Good thing she's cute because she had worn me out before I even went out for that run!

Timing It Right

This morning, Norah and I got out for a 3 miler at 7:40 am, instead of 8 am. 20 minutes doesn't make a huge difference in temp, but it makes a slight difference, and sometimes, just a slight difference is enough to make it feel a little easier. Still, I was s-l-o-w and finished the miles in 31:18. Heat, combined with pushing the stroller, makes for a slow Jess. Eh, does it matter?

Anyhoo, some of you may be wondering why I can't get myself and Norah out the door any earlier; I know what you're probably thinking -- is it this: "She has a 10 month old baby, isn't she up at, like, the ass-crack of dawn?" Why, yes, yes I am. In fact, Norah was up at 6:10 this morning. So, why does it take me 90 minutes to get us out for a run?

Let me break it down for you:

For one, I am not, and have never been, the sort of person to get up, get my running clothes on and directly head out for a run. I need to wake up. And it takes at least 30 minutes for me to fully wake up -- and I prefer that no one talk to me during that 30 minute buffer either. In a perfect world, I would get to drink a few cups of coffee and just stare out into space during those 30 minutes. That's what I used to do pre-Norah, and even what I managed to do when she was a wee-babe. But now? Uh-huh.

As soon as she's up, she's up. And she's ready to explore the entire house. So, I'm just pouring my coffee and she's already checking out the bathroom: Like her dad, she prefers to browse magazines about cigars and fantasy football while in the john.

And if I even turn around for a second, before I know it, she's across the house and in the office:

So, during my initial 30-minute wake up time, I am slurping down caffeine and trying to keep track of this little love nugget.

After that, we have breakfast, then take Scooter for a walk -- which takes for.ev.er. because that dog can't walk 5 feet without having to stop, sniff, and pee on something -- then, Scooter needs a solid 10 minutes of "toy time" and then we're finally ready to get going.

I can't compress that routine to anything less than about 90 minutes -- and sometimes it takes longer. In fact, I was pretty impressed with our 7:40 exodus this morning!

Trying to Beat the Heat

Yesterday, I post-poned my run until evening hoping for slightly cooler temps (it got up to 104 yesterday afternoon!). And the one thing I dislike about running in the evening is figuring out the timing of dinner. It's a dilemma: Either eat way early and feel as though you should be taking advantage of early bird specials, or eat way late. Neither is appealing timing, but generally, I go with the earlier option.

So, we had our early dinner and I went for a run around 7:30 pm. It was still an inferno out there, but the humidity was a bit more manageable, so I guess that's a point in favor of evening running. I did 3 miles in just under 30 minutes, but it was tough work eeking out 9:50 miles. The heat just zaps me!

Therefore, as I was getting ready for bed last night, I declared that I would get up at o'dark thirty this morning in order to beat the heat and get it done early in the day. Well, 5 am rolled around this morning and that plan went out the window since I opted for more sleep instead.

Not wanting to miss a run entirely today (we're going out for dinner tonight, so I don't think I would do it this evening), but not wanting to expose Norah to 95 degree temps at 8 am, I decided for some middle ground: A quick 2 miler on a path that is entirely shaded. The shade helped, but 95 degrees + pushing the stroller? That equals a sweaty, hot Jess!

Back to the Heat and a Messy Baby

Since getting home last week, I have been on a few short runs, and I can't believe how tough it has been to re-climatize to the heat and humidity. I was spoiled by the moderate temps in MN, and to return to the extreme heat has been a bit of a shocker.

Yesterday morning, I took Norah for the first Bob run in more than 3 weeks, and it was awful. Just awful. For one thing, I shouldn't have gone out so late in the morning (it was 8 am before we got out there), and I didn't check the temp before we left, but when we got back, I wasn't surprised to see that it was 86 with a "feels like" temp of 95 (71% humidity; 75 dewpoint -- it's like the threshold of hell here). I was a river of sweat and even poor little Norah was a bit sweaty from sitting in the stroller. She didn't complain, but I felt bad about having her out in that heat. I may have to either do very early mornings for awhile or evenings because I think our previous 7:30/8 am runs are just too hot this time of year. We'll see.

But, on a completely unrelated note, I just have to post these messy baby pics (sorry for the redundancy for those who may have already seen these on FB).

Here's Norah enjoying her spaghetti: And here she is doing some finger painting (I learned my lesson from the spaghetti mess and stripped her before we started our "art"): I'm not sure about her posturing here. Is she pretending that's war paint?

Garmin Forerunner 110 Review

As most of you know, I had been running with a Garmin Forerunner 205 for years, but in early April, it went caput on me. After reading about the forthcoming Forerunner 110, I had my heart set on getting the new model as a replacement Garmin; however, I had to wait nearly 2 months before I actually got my hands on it. I got it while I was on vacation (I had it shipped to MN), and after running with it for about a week and a half, here is my assessment.




Likes

• Size. As you can see, it is much smaller and sleeker than my old 205:And, thus, I think it is a better fit for a small wrist like mine, and I think for many women in general, this new size would be a better, less cumbersome fit. This is a huge plus in this device's favor.


• It's simplicity. The Garmin Forerunner 110 is only designed for running, so it's settings are simple. When running, it simply displays distance, overall time, and pace. And despite the fact that the watch face is smaller than the 205, I still find it easy to read while running.
• Garmin Connect. This is the software that comes with it; and when you upload your run history, it gives you all kinds of information, including a Google map of your run, an elevation map, as well as the basic break down of your distance, time, pace, calories, etc. I never used the software much with my 205, and I think this software is more user-friendly and really doesn't require much on the user's part.
• Quick satellite lock-in. So far, I haven't had to wait more than 30 seconds for it to locate and lock-in satellites. Sometimes, with my old 205, I would wait nearly 5 minutes for a signal.

Dislikes

• The price. I got the "unisex" model with the HR monitor and it retails for $199.99 (I got it a little cheaper because I had a discount code for the retailer I bought it from, but still, it is pricey). For the limited features, I think this is too expensive. Especially since you can find a 205 or 305 on Amazon or eBay for less than $100 and both models provide way more features. Of course, the point of this model is for its stripped down approach, and it is marketed as an "entry-level" GPS-enabled sports watch. It's features are stripped down, but because the price isn't, I feel as though it is over-priced.
• Viewing the run history. My biggest complaint about this watch is that when you finish a run, and save it, you can go back and immediately see your run's overview (distance, overall time, and average pace), but you cannot see each lap. Major fail, in my opinion. You can see each lap once you upload the info to Garmin Connect, but it cannot be viewed on the watch itself. I honestly think Garmin really missed the mark on this point. Since even beginning runners may be doing intervals, tempo runs, or other speedwork in which they will want to immediately have access to the more detailed breakdown of their run. For me, it's not a huge deal -- I'll adjust to waiting until the info is uploaded, but still, I am used to being able to scroll through each mile right after completing a run, and to not have that feature on the watch feels weird to me.
• Pace display. As you run, the pace displays your mile's average pace, not your current pace. Get that? The average pace, not the current pace. So, if you had been running a 9 min/mile, but then you speed up to a 7:30 mile, it won't tell you that you're running at a 7:30 pace; instead, it will average the two paces and that's what the pace calculator will display. Again, very bad for any kind of speedwork.

Overall Assessment

For me, I feel as though the pluses and minuses pretty much even out, and I especially like the new size of the 110, so on the whole, I am happy with it; however, I don't think I would recommend it. Especially not to any of you, most of whom are experienced runners who are used to the features of GPS-enabled sports watches. In theory, I would recommend it to a newbie runner or a runner who is just testing out running with a GPS-enabled watch, but, honestly, unless the price drops significantly, I wouldn't recommend it to a new runner.

New runners should learn to invest money in good shoes and appropriate clothing. Gagedtry is really secondary, in my opinion. If this watch cost $60, yeah, I would be telling all runners (especially women who would appreciate its size, I think) to go out and get it. But for $200? It should do more.

More on MN Running

Running in a different location always offers some variety for a runner; some aspects of a new location are advantages, and of course, some aspects are disadvantages. For me, runing while on vacation in Minnesota offered a lot of new terrain, routes, and conditions. Some of this I loved; some of it, I did not. Here's my final breakdown:

Loved It

• The Temps. While there, I don't think it got any warmer than the mid-80s, and most mornings and evenings were somewhere between 50-70 degrees, which are prime running temps, in my opinion. And because the temps were so moderate, and the humidity was non-existent, I could run at virtually any time of day, which made the running so much more versatile and easy to fit in.
• The Scenery. Yesterday's post featured the most scenic locale for running while I was there, but every place we stayed offered plenty of rural scenery since our families both live outside of small towns. So, I saw deer, little baby bunnies, ducks, and plenty of farm animals.
• The Variation. At home, I have memorized nearly all my routes because I run them again, and again, and again. But being someplace different offered new places to run, and the change of pace was refreshing.
• The People. Granted, you might get some weird, sidelong glances from drivers cruising past you on those two-lane country roads, but at least they slow down and give you plenty of room as they go by, which is in direct contrast to drivers in South Florida, who are likely to honk and drive so close you nearly poop yourself. Plus, most people in Minnesota will either give you a friendly wave or a smile. People in FL will likely give you the finger.

Didn't Love It

• Running on the Shoulder. Few of those country roads offer much by way of a sidewalk or pathway, so I mostly ran on the gravel shoulder of the road. This unnerves me, especially going over hills or around bends. I ran during the day, so I was clearly visible, but without a clear, distinctive pedestrian path, I felt exposed on the road, and that seemed a bit treacherous.
• Running on Gravel Roads. I'm used to running on pavement or asphalt, and for some runs I did run on these surfaces, but about half my runs were on dirt roads for at least some portion of the run. I discovered this is slower and harder running. Especially after a rain. Let's just say, I did a little "mud running."
• Hills. I know I said it before, but I gotta bring it up again, I never previously thought of MN as hilly, but it turns out that compared to FL, it's like the Rockies. This was made very apparent to me once I got my Garmin and was able to compare elevation maps: My MN runs showed all kinds of up and down; in contrast, my FL runs show absolutely zero elevation gain. Here, the line is literally flat as a pancake.
• The Bugs. Here in FL, the city must lay down a thick smog of pesticide to keep the insects at bay, because despite living within spitting distance of swampland, I hardly ever get a bug bite. But in MN, especially "Up North," the mosquitoes are the size of small birds and the ticks will leap out at you from the side of the road. Thankfully, it was too early for deer flies and horse flies, and I'm glad I didn't have to swat at those!

All in all, it was good running, and I enjoyed the change of pace, and now that I'm home, I am loving the familiarity of home turf, as well as the flat terrain, but I am hating the heat, humidity, and concrete scenery.

MN Running

As I mentioned yesterday, I kept up with the running while on vacation, but I kept most runs short and didn't run anything longer than 6 miles. In general, the running there was great: Temps were perfect, scenery was beautiful, and the change of environment and routes was refreshing. But, by far, my favorite runs were the ones I did at the Cowling Arboretum, which is on Carleton College's campus in Northfield, MN where Jerry's family lives. After first entering the "arb," the trail crossed over a scenic little creek, and on one run, there were even a few ducks splashing around there as I ran by!

For the most part, the trail was wide and flat as seen here:

So it was easy to run on; although, parts were more narrow and hillier, but for a trail-rookie like myself, this was perfect. An additional benefit to the trail running is that it was mainly solitary, so when I had to pee, I just dropped trou and peed along the trail. The downside to that was when I stopped running, the mosquitoes caught up to me.

But don't let the mental image of me squatting by the trailside surrounded by mosquitoes ruin the picturesque description I am attempting to demonstrate about these runs. Here, to make up for it, is a picture of some of the wild flowers that sprinkled the forest along the trail.

All in all, I thought my runs in the "arb," were some of the best runs I've ever had. Period. I wish I had scenery like this near me, but sadly, here in South Florida, I mainly get to look at traffic lights and cement. Oh well, at least I now know where I want to go run when we go back for future visits.

I have one more post about MN running that I'll post tomorrow, and then...drumroll please...I will have a review of my new Garmin Forerunner 110 for you! Yes, hold onto your pants, I know you're eager, but be patient.