I’m ready for the ZOOMA Annapolis 10K on Sunday!
Oh, who am I kidding? Ready is the last thing I’m feeling. My hip has been tight and sore, my runs have felt slow and I’m still nursing muscle aches from last weekend’s backpacking trip. Even my swim yesterday felt slow and nasty, with my timed 1,650 [...]
Entries from May 2009
May 28, 2009
Race day approaches …
May 27, 2009
One of those days
Ever just have one of those days? The weather’s perfect, you’ve had enough sleep, but you’re just slow and achy and whiny?
I had one of those last night, when my Pacers group ran along Sligo Creek Trail, one of my favorite running spots. I was still sore in funny spots from the weekend, and my [...]
May 26, 2009
Trail-running tips
Ten miles into West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest last weekend,
with everything I needed for the week strapped to my back, it occurred to me: This is me at my most essential, both materially and spiritually.
Materially, it’s liberating to know how little it takes to survive, and to consider luxury the use of a single square [...]
May 22, 2009
Now-or-never time for Bay Bridge Swim training
Though my fabulous massage earlier this week certainly helped my hip feel
better, it’s still feeling stiff and crunchy enough to take a couple off-days from running. Since my next race is the ZOOMA Annapolis 10K on May 31, and I don’t have another major running event on my calender until the Marine Corps Marathon Oct. [...]
May 21, 2009
Review: Massage at Still Point in Takoma Park
I am more than a big, walking hip flexor.
So says Fanny Mandelberger, with whom I’d booked my birthday massage yesterday. She explained this after I asked her to work solely on my hip and ankle during our one-hour session at The Still Point in Takoma Park.
As a human, I know this whole-person approach is [...]
May 20, 2009
Marking the big 2-9
I know — sort of anti-climactic. Next year’s birthday, when I turn 30, will make for a more exciting blog post.
But for now, I’m relishing this very minor milestone, and thinking about how to mark it training-wise.
I’ve heard about people commemorating big birthdays by running first marathons, or by marking every birthday by running a [...]
May 19, 2009
Mind games
I was going to title this post “the power of positive thinking.” Then, I
almost vomited, and realized it would have the same effect on you. I opted instead for the slightly less cliched and cheesy “mind games,” because that’s what I successfully played with myself pre-swim yesterday.
I was slogging through my Monday, actually dreading my [...]
May 18, 2009
Holding back, and letting go
This weekend was a study in holding back and letting go.
Joyful discipline is the heart of a runner’s life. We slip on our running shoes when we’re feeling tired, ill or sad, knowing that we rarely feel worse after a run. We choose to believe that adherence to our training plans will lead to results [...]
May 15, 2009
Another great Pacers route, a possible weekend race?
Had another great Sligo Creek Parkway Trail run with Pacers Silver Spring Fun Run group last night. It’s a mostly flat out-and-back route that travels from the store in downtown Silver Spring to Maple Avenue near Takoma Park. The only downside: My new BOSU routine meant my quads and glutes all but gave out on [...]
May 14, 2009
Running recipe: Strawberries with balsamic vinegar
Have you seen the California strawberries gracing supermarket shelves lately?
Buying fresh berries is one of my greatest indulgences. Mix some berries with some lemon juice, vanilla and Splenda, and you’ve got my favorite snack. So you can imagine my joy when my June issue of Runner’s World arrived today, with the headline “eat this now” [...]
