Sizzling August Runs

[katluvr]

I'm very excited to start the August running thread! Did my usual 3.4 mile loop at a pace I can tolerate given the conditions (and my condition). Still glad I'm back in my running shoes!

K

[skhill]

Took an unscheduled rest day on Aug 1; my poor dog had tummy issues and I thought it prudent to spend that time outside with her, waiting for everything to pass. It did.

Today I woke up short of sleep-- there was a fire overnight at a house across the street, everyone got out OK pets included but there was too much noise and excitement to sleep well. But I ran anyway. 7 miles at a good 8:40 clip, and I saw what I think was a pedestrian equivalent of a ghost bike; it was a walker, painted white and chained to a utility pole.

When I started out on the run, there was a smell of smoke in the air. I thought it was just lingering from overnight, but no. When I got home, there was a robust fire department presence again; evidently the fire wasn't all the way out and had flared back up. My neighbor saw smoke when she stepped outside to get her newspaper right around dawn, and called it in. From what I hear they're still on site...

[katluvr]

skhill, nice run. Glad you doggie is better and hope that fire gets put out for good!

Just another little slow 3 miler, then about 3 mile bike ride to bike shop and then back again. Busy (but good) start to a busy day.

K

[yellow]

skhill, nice pace! And kat, happy to have you running with us again!

I've decided it's kind of nice to have no races planned for the rest of the year. Now I can just run if I want to or go for a bike ride or a hike instead. Normally I need a goal but after doing substantial events in March, April, May, June, and July, I think I am ready for a break from the spreadsheet. This morning I went on one of my favorite runs up a mountain, just for fun, not "training"!

I am so lucky I have places like this to run. I saw tons and tons and tons of flowers, a badger, some mountain goats, the requisite squirrels, and lots of busy pikas. It was a gorgeous morning. Here are a couple of pictures. I continue to be mesmerized by the 2nd one.

[OakLeaf]

Wow, yellow. That's incredible.

I saw a weasel crossing the road into a cornfield today, does that count?

[rocknrollgirl]

Hi all,
we are on vaca in Maine. We got in a couple good trail runs this week, a decent road ride and some amazing paddling. That makes up for the butter, butter, butter and lobster. At least that is the story I am sticking to

Long drive home tomorrow, and then back to the regular running schedule. I still have a bit of work to do before my race in Sept.

Yellow, thanks for the pics....amazing. My hubby and I are heading west next summer, I cannot wait to be above treeline!!!!!!

Oh and I saw a lobster...not while I was running, but right by my feet while pulling up my kayak. That has to count for something.

[skhill]

I saw a groundhog while I was running, does that count? After what one did to my garden last year I hate those things...

I didn't set out to run an alcohol route today, but at 4 miles I realized I had passed 4 active breweries and one scheduled to open this fall, plus 2 distilleries, only one of which has released any bourbon yet. It takes a while to mature, of course. It's a part of town that had a lot of old unused warehouse and light industrial space. 7 miles again, but the weather was more typical for this time of year so it felt like more. And now it looks like it's about to start raining so there goes the planned bike ride...

[OakLeaf]

I got two of my wishes this morning: race in the rain, and practice running hard downhill. It was just a little 5K in the arboretum down the road, 274 feet of climbing by my watch, and most of it pretty steep. Won my AG ... I'm starting to feel a little guilty, like I'm cherry picking races or something , but I'm just staying local right now. On the one hand, there's only so far I'm willing to drive for a non-goal race, and on the other hand, doing these short races is the best way I know to get some tempo runs in and stay sharp before I start training in earnest. So it is what it is. I thought about doing a 10-miler in the "big city" tomorrow, but between the fact that it would've been another 35 miles each way, AND being a point-to-point race where the last bus from the start leaves at 6:15 a.m., it just wasn't happening.

It really poured down rain today. I had some errands to run afterwards and I was REALLY glad I brought a dry bra.

[katluvr]

Yellow, I'm jealous, of course the climbing and altitude would kill me!
Glad everyone is seeing some nature!
Skhill, I afraid I would have to stop and try out those breweries!
Work this AM so no running for me....maybe tomorrow.

K

[yellow]

Nice job, Oak! If I am going to travel very far for a race, it better be special for some reason. But then I don't really do many races near me because I think I'd rather take myself for a ramble and not pay $$. I know so many great routes; I just need to find the time and motivation to get out there.

RnR, I have never seen a live lobster outside of a tank at a restaurant (I have seen a crawdad--mini lobster?!). Oak,I love seeing weasels and minks when I do, mostly in the winter here. skhill, I think our groundhog equivalent is the marmot. I saw some baby marmots on the run as well (to me, they fall into the "squirrel" category). They don't do much harm in the mountains but I'm sure the ones down in the lowlands give the farmers headaches.

skhill, are you going to invite us for a beer and whiskey trot??

I ran with hubby this AM, just an easy ramble before it got hot. We had our hottest July on record, and August doesn't seem to be letting up.

[Catrin]

I saw a little snake crossing the trail today, does that count?

[rocknrollgirl]

Snakes..YIKES...that counts....

So a non running story. We are driving home from Maine to NJ today. It is traditionally a hellish ride becuse of the traffic. Today is no different. About 7 hours in we are sitting in bumper to bumper traffic trying to cross the Tappen Zee bridge, and I went into the cooler for a peach, but the first thing I encountered was the rest of the strawberry rubarb pie from last night's dinner.
I looked at the traffic, looked at my hubs, pulled out a fork and the two of us polished it off with no guilt at all. Take that Tappen Zee bridge.

[yellow]

I looked at the traffic, looked at my hubs, pulled out a fork and the two of us polished it off with no guilt at all. Take that Tappen Zee bridge.

I would soooo have done that. Guilt? What guilt? I am impressed that you had a fork nearby!

[rocknrollgirl]

Tempo Tuesday

Just got in from a tempo session with my hubby. It is nice and cool out this morning, so it was not too bad in that department. I did not see any critters because we were right here on my street, but we did see some very weird piles of scat. Fox or maybe coyote...not sure. If we were further north, I would say bear. Odd plies of poo.... ( so says the biologist)

And Yellow...I always have a fork nearby

[skhill]

Tempo Wednesday doesn't have as much of a ring to it... It was not cool here this morning, a very humid 75F. Yuck. Roughly 4 miles at tempo, then some intervals on the track, and a slow jog on home. I was drenched in sweat, but I've done my speed work for this week.