Special places: Kansas City

D won't admit it but among his other hobbies, he loves botanical gardens, museums, long walks with the dog and so we had a few weekends full of these new enjoyments!

First, we visited the Overland Park Botanic Gardens.  For $3, you can stroll the grounds, hike wooded trails or meander well-groomed gardens, walk your dog, and enjoy a treat in the cafe.  We loved it.  Certainly not as extensive as the Denver gardens, but with great fall colors and late-summer blooms.  We plan to return in a few weeks when the mums (so many mums!) are blooming.  Imagine these colors, intensified in real life:

Not for snacking!

One of the last days of summery weather!

Ahh, now that looks like the fall!

Last weekend, after the Botanic Gardens, we crossed the wide Missouri for the Weston Applefest...a festival, which we both noted, had few apples and many many people.  Regardless, we had a great lunch at the Tin Kitchen where I ate the Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich with 24H slaw.  It's the best pulled pork I've ever had.  Afterwards we stumbled on a Polish pottery shop just around the corner from the restaurant.  I always associated that pottery style with homemakers and SAHMs and military spouses but I found for once that the pattern absolutely suited my taste.  The price tag, not so much, so we left empty handed.  D says we can buy Polish pottery once we visit Poland and not a minute sooner, but I can get Weston pottery in Weston if I want.  I see his point...sigh.

Later in the weekend, we took our first-ever trip to Ikea.  Based on the number of cars in the parking lots we both dreaded a crowded tangle of shoppers inside, but instead we moved freely from store corner to corner and floor to floor thanks to the well-planned layout.  Everything there is about efficiency, isn't it?!  I imagine we'll use an Ikea design and storage aesthetic when we build our tiny accessory dwelling unit one day. While fun to look at and imagine the possibilities (storage!  bunk beds!  everything with umlauts!) it just doesn't suit our style these days, and we aren't exactly looking to over-stuff our small home any further. 

Last night we dined with friends at Tin Kitchen (yes, again!) where I ordered the same pulled-pork sandwich.  Afterwards we sauntered around the corner to the Weston Irish Festival, held annually on the grounds of O'Malley's, a great pub, brewery and restaurant with an interesting history of bootlegging, prohibition, and architecture.  This brewery, established in 1842 by German immigrants, eventually contrived itself as an Irish-style pub and remains a Weston landmark, with several levels of underground caverns creating an intimacy in the lively and rowdy bar setting.  D and friends sipped on cream ale and an adult version of root beer, and we sat in the grass listening to some great Irish bands in the cool of an autumn evening in western Missouri.  I can't drink much alcohol these days - absolutely never during the week and maybe once a year.  I just can't seem to function the next day even with a small serving of alcohol.  A decade ago this was definitely not the case and I remember fondly that late-night liquid carb-loading rarely hampered the next day's events!  Polish pottery and now alcohol intolerance...oy my youth how it dwindles... :)

On Friday we went to Joe's Kansas City BBQ (formerly Oklahoma Joe's) because it's supposed to be the best barbecue in the region, if not the country.  The gas-station-cum-restaurant's been featured in many of those Food network show-off clip shows and I think the President (or many presidents!) have eaten there too.  I'm not much for pork ribs, but D pronounced them "amazing" and I agree, the tender meat slipped right off the bone without the usual tooth-snaggling fight.  Sadly, my pulled pork and brisket plate was barely warm to the taste, salty, and the pulled pork a tad mealy while the brisket was overly fatty.  Other disappointments include the bland "spicy slaw" and the highly-praised fries which were far too salty for my taste.  Sure, it's BBQ and not haute-cuisine, and I fully admit I prefer Carolina-style over KC-style blends, but I can't see why this place earns such high marks for other than the ribs.  

Next time I'll skip Joe's for Jack Stack (KC) or Rudy's (TX).  Still, it's a must to eat at such a renowned establishment at least once while we live here, and our friends who agree with a tepid review suggest we try Q39 or Gates next once we've lost our salty, greasy barbecue bloat.  

Sauce-covered and sated we next visited the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, a place we've been before.  It feels like an old friend each time we return.  There were some new works of art on the lawn (which we previously skipped due to inclement weather) where we disoriented ourselves in a glass labyrinth meant to evoke man's discombobulated journey in these modern times, and enjoyed the cornucopia-like heads:

I bring horns and fruit

I bring just fruit

I would like us to sign up for art classes, but D's not so keen...he likes to paint fences and walls and our deck, and not so much the representations of them.  This visit, his favorite exhibit was the knights and armor on the far side of a cloistered abbey, and I liked the outdoor sculpture garden.  I really enjoy seeing squirrels and birds and people interact with the art in a natural, relaxed setting.

Earlier in the weekend I ran a local 10K and I placed 2nd overall for the women, but I had a mind-numbing race.  I can't get over this hamstring tendinitis so every step I take is a footfall of frustration.  My lungs and heart feel good but due to pain I can't push myself as I'd like.   I am not one who expects running to be pain-free of course but this is different, and it's been around about 18 months, and I don't like it.  Unfortunately at this time I can't stomach the idea of taking a hiatus even though rationally it's the wisest thing to do.  I think my brain would suffer such a break in routine.  

After reading this over I notice that I've eaten far too much barbecue recently and so I'm sure I'll be running again later today to sweat off the stupor.

Here's another snapshot from the Overland Park Botanic Gardens...aren't the colors really something?

WYCO Mrs Robinson Romp

Last weekend D and I ran our first trail run here in Kansas, the Mrs Robinson Romp!

He tends to have a little more fun with these things (race photography) than I do.  I was not aware of this at the time!  I have to channel all my mental energy into preventing photographic evidence of excessive thigh jiggle.  He is not concerned about such.

We ran the first 5K together and then we parted ways so I could finish the 10K loop, which, by all accounts, including my own, was steep, STEEP!!  The Trailnerds throw a lovely and low-key trail race and we will sign up for more of their events again.  I liked that pups are welcome, for a lower entry fee, and receive their own bib and race number.  Nervous Nuggie is not trail-compliant, and though the photos would have been cute, D expressed no desire to ruck a squirmy 25 pound dog for five kilometers.

Race morning was our first trip to Wyandotte County Lake Park.  We didn't have much time to explore, but we promised that after the trail race, we'd add this park to our weekend rotation.

We returned yesterday to ride road bikes around the park periphery and discover other amenities- an off-leash dog park, archery range, a many-tentacled lake stocked with trout.  The road around the reservoir (~7 miles, we guessed) suffers a lot of vehicle traffic, but if we'd cycled earlier in the day it may not have been so busy.  Still, the speed limit is 20 mph so it's far safer than some of the wider rural roads in this part of the state.

Other weekend events - spring cleaning.  Sourdough starter starting.  Raised beds for the garden, ahem, "garden."  As we approach retirement, I've become more budget-minded and earth-friendly than ever.  I decided that we could save money, reduce waste, and improve our health this spring in a few simple ways, mostly by cooking more, reducing our "wants," and growing more vegetables.

We value our time and the freedom to make life decisions unhampered by monetary compensation.  D is closer to retirement than I - but we've focused on changing our lifestyle and recognize that retirement from work can be sooner than we thought, if we can live in a decidedly less consumerist way.  Sure, maybe I just read too much Thoreau growing up, but we have a small home, shockingly small (623 sq ft!), considering we are two grown-up professionals with lots of stuff ("beware any enterprise that requires new clothes" - LOL I say, looking at the burgeoning closet D and I share).  We eat out far too often still, but due to the proximity of our home to downtown, we can walk the dog while we pick up takeout - saving gas, while reducing our stress and exercising the pupup!) and I cook more frequently.  My work hours allow me to start the slow cooker early in the morning before I leave, and by lunchtime, D can come home to a waiting hot meal instead of spending $15.  He likes to eat away from his desk as a mid-day mental health break and I'd never insist he brown-bag at work - he deserves the respite from the office and I know Nugget likes having a mid-day potty break. Though not in the trendy (or spendy) side of town, we picked a home close to work for these reasons exactly!

I joined the local library and though I still purchase quite a few professional journals and texts, I won't purchase any pleasure reading books - not with great apps like OverDrive or the generous renewal periods for hardcopy printed material.  My library also hosts a lot of free events both on weekends and weeknights - everything from How to Grow Your Own Food to a history of the Banana Wars and possibly even Grow Your Own Bananas.  I even walk to/from the library these days because my limited carrying capacity prevents me from ambitiously checking out too many books!

Certain expenditures are unavoidable, and for years at a time, we've had to run two separate households because we were living in different places, and of course, we bought lots of plane tickets.  Those high-spending times are past (for now) but we have to prepare ourselves in case we find ourselves separated again.

I know there are super savers out there, and estimable budgeteers as well, and I am not yet one - but I'm starting now because I don't want to find myself tied to a certain minimum paycheck in order to meet my standard of living.  The freeing idea to live simply, to be happy with less, means I am free to earn less and live more.

I made this raised bed last week to provide a cozy home for radishes, jalapenos, cucumbers, red bell peppers, dill, and beans.  I love gardening and though we have half an acre, it's clay.  Solid clay.  And hilly.  I made this raised bed to fit within our chain-linked dog run.  This keeps the neighborhood critters at bay.  Close to the house, it's a little warmer than other spots in the yard, and also sheltered from the wind, but has great southern exposure.  I planned that the stair railing could be used as a trellis.

Ta-Dah! I did something and it didn't suck completely!

It's roughly 2' x 4' and about 12" high.  I cut three 1" x 6" (8') into the panels and then screwed then into the corner 2"x2", which are each 14" long.  I used some old 1 1/2" screws, and the wood came from Home Depot, for about $18.00 total.  Now I don't know much about these things, but I don't think that a 1" x 6" is actually 1" by 6", it seems a little less, but on this manner of project, it doesn't matter at all.  I stained with what we had leftover from the fence and then nestled it into the slope of the dog run.

Veggie house

It took about an hour, start to finish.  D came out to monitor my progress midway and was impressed...which surprised me...

Is this what he expected?

Happy New Year! Still here!

Well, I barely made it to posting (proof-of-living?) during January, so I declare that this counts as a New Year greeting!  May it find you well and with resolutions to which you are sticking!

I'm pleased to say that I'm fully installed in Kansas (and have been, for the last few months) and enjoying my job and this wonderful state. 

I took a nice hiatus from running this fall, and am getting back into it just now.  While overseas I was putting in some solid hot and sunny mileage, and a nice FOF half marathon, and some great hill training, but I came home burnt out and with hamstring-itis - right where the muscle starts, at the ischial tuberosity - and quite literally a pain in the rear!  I still don't trust myself enough to prevent re-injury, so I've only raced a few times since returning from overseas - a 5K Turkey Trot, a 7.2 miler Christmas race, and most recently the Groundhog 10K last weekend.  My goal? Shorter distances but faster times this year.  Broken record, much?

I don't think I'll do any marathons, but maybe a mid-summer half if I can take the time away from work.  My current schedule prevents high mileage weeks, but I accept the break willingly!  Oh, and I happen to love my job.

What a pleasure it is to live here - I've got miles and miles of rolling hills and low-traffic roads on which to re-learn some lessons, and a great community of runners to keep motivation high.  There are great parks and trails nearby.  And it's nice to be re-united with D and Nugget.  Chickens will follow soon!

Let me tell you about the Groundhog 10K!  L and V, our old friends, happen to live here too now, so we carpooled to the world's largest underground warehouse for a unique sub-terranean race!  D and I registered last minute, and really hadn't trained - what are good friends for, if not talking you into untrained 10Ks :) It was a cold, drippy rainy morning as we parked and shuttled to the start, but once we got to the cave entrance, we entered a 65F balmy, humid, runner's high-scented underground lair!  Perfect weather indoors, and perfectly miserable outside (good thing!).  And no Morlocks anywhere.

Groundhuggin'

  Some facts - the race benefits Children's Therapeutic Learning Center of KC.  The race is crowded because you run the narrow catacombs (2 laps) of this high-ceilinged, dim and twisty underground warehouse but this adds to the fun.  The 5K starts an hour ahead of the 10K.  It was extremely well organized (thank you, volunteers) and with great post-race snacks.  I love the gear check.  Oh, and the shirt.  D states it is 'too cute' so now I have two.  There are timed waves but if you want a PR, start up front of your wave or face traffic jams for the first half mile.  I started behind my wave and got stuck for a bit, but hey, who cares.  I always appreciate frequent aid stations and there were plenty - all with water and potties and cheer.  A+ race, not because of my time, but for the whole event.  I don't know that I'd pony up the big bucks ($50, if you register late like I always do) every year, but I enjoyed the novelty of the race.

Blessings run deep here, but I am old enough to know that the good times are not an entitlement or ever permanent.  Here's to appreciating the good with the bad and the ability to know the difference.  May you all be so wonderfully blessed and, if not, know that it won't be forever.

Race report: Boerne Turkey Trot 10K

Turkey Trot success!  Let me tell you some tales of this chilly and fantastic event.
 
Imagine first a grassy, pre-dawn town square, with a costumed turkey and a group of runners doing YMCA instructor-led aerobics to warm up before a race, unfettered by the mist and wind and cold.  It was silly and fun and reminds me that the YMCA has a wonderful approach to community health.  

stepping it wide

 Is this what Japanese company workers feel like every morning?  If so, they are a lucky bunch!  Army PT could take a lesson! 

A gazebo shelters the coffee service, the race registration table and swag bags.  Actual restrooms (and port-a-potties) sit at the far end of the square, right by the start/finish line (how convenient!).  The course immediately turns out of the city and right into neighborhoods and the "Greenway No. 9" paths. 

it just looks cold

I love a small autumn race in a tight-knit Texas town where JROTC presents the colors, local students sing the National Anthem, high school cross-country runners show up with their non-running parents to sweep the 5K, and begins with a heartfelt prayer by the aforementioned aerobics instructor.

Fall racing reminds me of my high school cross-country meets in northeastern Ohio--early Saturday mornings, icicles in my hair, and all extremities freezing in those wee shorts and jerseys.  And the fallen damp leaves on the muddy grass and paths.  I definitely miss these signals of fall!

I miss them so much that I've forgotten how to dress for running in cold, wet weather.
Friday night I bought running tights- so far so good.  Since moving from Alaska, I've lived in Georgia, various place in the Middle East, Miami, San Antonio and El Paso.  These are not places where you ever need running tights nor do you see them very often, so I was glad to find any pair at all on such short notice.  I am not a fan of tight pants or skinny jeans but for the sake of my core temperature, I wore the tights in their full thigh-highlighting glory.

ugh tights.  no reason to smile.

 Combined with 3 x long-sleeve shirts and an earwarmer/headband (which nicely tamed the Seagulls as well), I was ok.  Not comfortable.  Not cozy warm, even by the end of the race, but good enough to survive.  And pretty good for someone who's been living out of a suitcase since July!

Y'all I was disheartened!
I couldn't hold an 8:00 pace yesterday.
This does not bode well for my 1:45 half marathon goal in TWO WEEKS!!
Yes, I intentionally dressed as much like a snowman as possible.  And I forgot to eat my morning snack or have my morning coffee.

And I'd stood shivering in the misty, blustery 36F for an hour before running
But it took me 4 miles to feel at all warm, and to even get a sub-8:00 pace going.  
Now I know how it feels to be that turtle in a peanut butter pond.

I can see myself shivering in this pic!

 Yes, I did see one guy in shorts and short sleeves at the race start.  I think he won the 10K, and I think it's because he was running as quickly as possible to get back to warm clothes.

I was on my own at the race, imagine that, I couldn't convince anyone to stand around the cold with me at 0600.  I had to leave my warmups in the car and then I took the YMCA-provided shuttle to the race start.  If anything, I would re-do this process.  I was shivering for about 45 minutes until the race started.  I don't like that.  Next time I'll park at the City Square instead, so I can leave my warm clothes on longer as well as retrieve them right away.

Lies!!  There was no "45F" on Saturday!  The race ended with 36F!

 I think the sudden cold front is a Turkey Trot tradition in Boerne.  Some participants commented that last year, the inaugural TT, was sunny but 29F at the start.  Sheesh, Hill Country, I almost miss your 106F, 70% humidity summers!

I hate to be the sort of person I was at the awards presentation yesterday.
Usually, if able, I like to stick around for the awards, especially if I know I'm getting one.  In my mind it's bad form to be too cool to pick up your age-group medal.  C'mon now, it's only a few minutes extra at the end of a small race and it's nice to applaud everyone as well as be appreciative of any recognition.  This might be someone's first award and it's nice to support their hard work, even if you scoff at their pace.  It's just that, it's their pace.  I'm 100% not a scoffer, but I digress...

Ahh, back in the warmth of my car!!

Yesterday the 10K awards were at the very end-- even after the 5K.  Now that I'm in the 30-39 age group, I was announced near the end, but even so I just waited for my name, accepted the medal, and I ran.  

Yes, I ran away.  Didn't wait for the last few age categories.  Didn't wait for the shuttle.  I had to keep moving to prevent the now air-chilled sweat on my skin cooling me further with every slight breeze.  

In my defense, most people had re-obtained their warm clothes at this point, but I was still an unwarmed sweaty mess, so I ran the extra mile or two to my car and I'm glad I did, for more than just avoiding hypothermia.   I saw more of the absolute adorable-ness that is Boerne.  I ran past families brunching in tiny cafes.  I ran past dogs and their mindful owners, enjoying the cool air.  I ran over the Guadalupe River and saw some funny-looking mutt swans (or geese?) oblivious to the freezing temperatures as they paddled under the bridge on Main.  

There are parks and restaurants and antique shops and a Sotheby's Realty and lots of Lexi and Porsches, so you know what sort of people are moving into the area.   A Walmart and a strip mall and some fast-food places (and yes, of course, a YMCA hosting Turkey Trots too) all are part of Main Street now.  I would love for such a picturesque town to maintain its baby-sized quaintness, but there's no future in that, how many antiques and slices of pie can a city sell among its own residents?  So as in many places, the very survival of the town is also what's destroying some of its charm.  I just hope the happy balance continues in Boerne. 

4.9 miles until I meet my goal of 100 miles in November!

Today, I'm going to the gym.  To run in shorts.  My thighs refused two days of tights in a row.

Half Marathon Training: break 1:45?

I'm almost embarrassed to re-announce my goal to break 1:45 in my half-marathon since I don't have a wide margin of comfort that I'll make it.  And nothing is more embarrassing than failed anonymous internet middling-pace running goals...oh wait...

I've been training according to this:

Runner's World 1:45 Half Marathon Plan.

 which I found by googling, for free, although it seems Runner's World wants to charge me $24.99 from other googlings?  IDK...I didn't obtain this illegally, it's just a pdf in my search results...maybe the joke's on me and this is a 2:00 plan...ackk!  I haven't read any reviews of the plan, so I guess I'll critique it myself after the race in 2 weeks.

I've been sticking to it at an overall B+ level.  I took a few days off last week when I was ill and BFFs with the toilet but I hopped back on the training train right after.  

My overall impression of the RW plan?  It seems like it's LESS running than I normally do, but with more speedwork and slower, longer runs than I would normally tolerate.  So, fewer garbage miles traded for some higher-quality workouts?  I hope so.  I incorporated some of my races into the training schedule, and I hope that won't degrade my 13.1 performance.

I've run much of this on a treadmill, and wonder...how does that compare to running outside?  Yes, it feels easier.  So I add 1% incline and I run 0.2 to 0.3 mph faster than the prescribed pace.  I don't know if that's an adequate adjustment.  Someone commented previously that the mental rigor that running for an hour+ on a treadmill requires is all part of the game.  A really boring game at times, but necessary for achieving one's goals (I hope!) all the same.

The weather and my late start on the training are working against me, but I've been close to a 1:45 in half marathons before so I feel like I can gut it out in Las Cruces with enough internal fortitude.  The altitude is tricky as well, but I'll spend a few days running at 7000' elevation in Taos the week beforehand, maybe that'll help as long as I don't end up with pulmonary edema.  In general, I am never fully prepared for races.  I take a lot of strange pride in knocking out fairly decent times without the most rigorous preparation.  I'm working on changing that just so I can see what some "focused" training will do.  The hardest part has been relegating my pace to the 9:12 prescribed in the long runs.  9:12?  Why in the world would I do that, when I spent so much time digging my pace out of the 8s and 9s and edging slowly towards the 7s?  I cheat and use 8:49 to 8:41.  For pride's sake.  Which I may come to regret 1:45 after I start my halfsie and have yet to finish...

In other news, San Antonio has taken a turn towards winter.  My 10K tomorrow morning is sure to be character-building...I didn't bring my winter running clothes with me (uh, when I got here in July, because I am a normal person and did not plan on being here after Labor Day).  Yesterday, 82F all day.  Today and for the rest of the week?  Wind, rain, highs in the 40s, yeah, these are the whines of a Texas winter.  I went to survival school in Washington state in February one year, and that is the yardstick by which I measure my tolerance for miserable weather and tomorrow could come close.  D says "people love to read about self-induced misery!" and he eagerly anticipates my cyanotic and goose-bumpy race report tomorrow.  As I hope you do too.

My big challenge for tomorrow's race...restraining my new haircut, or as I like to call it, the Flock of Seagulls.  Serves me right for going to Great Clips.  Cheep, cheep, did my hens have chicks this winter or is that just me?  I don't like hair in my face when I run.  I don't like it swinging against my neck and shoulders.  Love a ponytail, when it's not too long, because I am a sweaty sweaty girl and my hair becomes a mop of head sweat, sprinkling to and fro as I run, a censer of perspiration.  That particular avenue of simplicity is now gone, thanks to my [new] complicated bangs arrangement.  Seriously, Teri from Great Clips, I've had the same haircut since I was 5.  I know what I like and what I don't like is having to think about how I'll configure the Seagulls tomorrow.  I'll otherwise be mistaken for Mike Score!

Who can tell me, how do you accommodate for treadmill vs outdoor running?  What sort of conversion factor do you use?  I base mine on perceived exertion...not sciency indeed.

11.1 miles to go before I reach 100 miles in November.  Not as difficult as I thought!  I'll try for 125 in December.

Mizuno Wave Ascend 7 trail shoes and why I love them

I am normally a devotee of the Mizuno Wave Rider, but I saw these on sale from Running Warehouse, and with an upcoming trail race (Desert Dash 10K) I thought a trail shoe would be a nice addition to my collection.

Fresh out of the box!

I was right-- these trail shoes saved my cankles from certain destruction during the rocky race.

These have a fit true to the rest of the Mizuno family.  The fit, of course, being the reason I buy them.

Sure, they are a little heavier than the Wave Riders, but that's to be expected.

I wore them for the very first time, no break-in, during my 10K and I had no problems with them.  No blisters, no hotspots, and I couldn't even identify any areas where the shoe was causing any irritation to my feet whatsoever.  To me, that's the start of a meaningful shoe relationship! 

And now, with a light dusting of "trail" on 'em

 On my trail run I felt like I had a good stable grip on the trail without the feeling of lugging gravel and mud with me.

These were also sturdy enough that my nail-less index toe felt protected from rocks and roots and gullies, which is not as true for my Wave Rider 16s what with their meshie-mesh construction.

My favorite feature?

The lack of dog-doo-doo crevice in the sole:

No free rides here!

In my Wave Riders, I seem to attract dog poop to hide out in there.  Gravitationally.  Yuck.

That's gravel, not a tooth, I promise!

 It's nice to have a diverse pair of shoes for trail runs.  Yes, the stability and larger base makes a difference.  I was never really a believer until I tried this trail-specific shoe.

Color scheme?  Very much to my liking.  Better, in fact, than the color choices available for the Wave Rider 16.  But that's just me, and I eschew light colors whenever possible.

In other news, I have been sick the past few days. I blame a bad salad I ate (even though it was delicious!).  I am so frustrated at not being able to run, nay, do anything of value other than vomit, but I'll try my legs out today.  

My personal generalized rule for sickness and running?  If it's above the neck, running = ok.  Anywhere below the neck, nah...better to take a day or three off.

Even so, today I'm sticking with a treadmill run, for safety's sake.  Also, it was 36 degrees outside last I checked, so yeah...indoors it is.

On Sunday I plan to watch the San Antonio RNR marathon.  I didn't register, but I'm going to cheer from the sidelines and support a classmate with cerebral palsy who is running the half!  I've never watched a race before and I can't wait to see how it is for the RNR series.  I have mixed feelings about a for-profit race organization but this may give me a glimpse into the hype, all the better to make my own judgment!

Who wears trail shoes and who doesn't?  It's taken me a good 10 years, but I'm sold on the idea, thanks to the Chihuahuan Desert and the Wave Ascend 7!

Desert Dash 10K: tasty coffee, a race wife and the difficulty of other people's children

I flew home for the weekend on Friday night and since D had to work Saturday, I decided to run a 10K Saturday morning.  A great idea to pass the time.  The alarm alarmed at 6, and for some reason, my first thought of the morning was a thought that should have occurred when I registered for the race a few weeks ago....how in the world to get there?!  My car, I should have remembered, sits in an airport parking lot in another city.  Luckily D rushed his morning for me and drove an hour out of his way, to drop me off before heading to work.  I was on my own for a ride home though...

The Desert Dash 10K starts at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park, just a few miles outside Las Cruces, New Mexico.  It's near the Bataan Memorial March is held, if you've ever been out that-a-ways.  The scenery's a little greener than El Paso but with the same rugged hills and today, nothing but cloudless blue skies with chilly fall sunshine.  We could not have asked for better weather!

This is the course!

 And even more fortuitous, Leah and her two little daughters were at the race! 

I like a break on the way to the starting line, too

 The course path is the winding and hilly jeep and mountain bike trails of the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park.  The race supports the Asombro Institute for Science Education, which hosts school  programs within this unique desert environment.  I think it's a great cause as I grew up going to science programs in nature parks and that's why I enjoy the outdoors still.  I would hope that all kids get to see their world through such a place and that's what this Institute hopes too. 

I felt like a little tank of lactic acid from the very start of the race.  I put in a few more miles last week than planned, too.  The trails are sandy, and rocky, with gullies and shrubbery and so trail shoes are a must.   I run at my utmost the entire course and though it wasn't a fast time, I could not have done better.  I felt the sting of the altitude, too.  At over 3000 feet in elevation, my sea-level acclimated body was gasping for air early on.  I finished in 50:55 putting me 5th female, 2nd in my age group, 19th overall.  I'll take it!  The race is mostly uphill, be forewarned!!

10K starts at the white gate.  THIS white gate.

I am so glad I decided to wear my brand new Mizuno Wave Ascend 7s for the race.  My ankles would be toast if I'd worn the less substantial Wave Riders, my go-to.  More on those new shoes later!

The prize for second and third place finishers?  Whole bean coffee from local roasters Picacho Coffee.  I love that their entire operation is solar-powered.  D and I ground up some of my winnings this morning and enjoyed a lovely cup of their Full City San Francisco Roast.  

Solar power is tasty, thank you for my morning boost, Rancho San Francisco

 First place finishers received lovely flowerpots with a desert plant growing in them.  I wish I knew more about that, and I sure wish I'd run a little faster :)  Maybe next time?

The 10K started at 0900, the 5K 15 minutes after, and a Kid's 1K at 0930.  All races are mostly out-and-backs.  Same day registration available, with shirts, goodie bags, raffle prizes.  I even won a "registration prize" of a free pontoon boat rental at Elephant Butte.  So crazy!

Leah walked the 1K with her kids. I am so proud they made it the whole way, actually, I was pretty confident Leah could make it, but her littlest one is new to this walking thing.  Her 2-and-a-half year old won a prize, a collection of cute animal stickers and fun kid activities.  I thought it was really nice for the kids to get a finisher's medal.  

Leah's husband is deployed right now and I guess because I know her kiddos so well that when we go places as a quartet, people sometime assume *we* are the parents (not that there's anything wrong with that!); a constant source of amusement for me.  I can't just say, "oh, no, no, please, these are NOT my kids," because to divest yourself of your friend's children is a hurtful thing to do, and I of course love those little gals as if they were my own.  My not-a-parent-much-less-married-to-a-woman status is evident as I am clueless about some unspoken set of child rearing rules that I violate continually.  I am never sure that kiddos shouldn't play with bird poop or eat hard candy or drink coffee or whatever.  I know running into roads is bad, but that's unwise for all people and animals.  I really had no idea that it's bad form to let a 1 year old feed herself yogurt without a spoon while she blissfully navigates a rocky dirt path all on her own on shaky baby legs.  Of course no yogurt ended up anywhere except on her person, the other indication that I'm no parent, uh, hey, I think YOUR kid needs YOU to clean 'em up :).  I catch myself attempting to reason with 2-year olds as well, and that's nothing if not a dead giveaway of childlessness.

Yogurt junkie

 Anyway, my race wife Leah rescued me from the desert and took me home since my husband was at work.  It's a bit confusing at first but we've figured it all out now :)

Fall racing is here, with cooler temps reviving me.  I signed up for a halfsie in December and am training to break 1:45 if I can crack the altitude...what's your next big race or goal?  I already have this Desert Dash 10K on my "to do every year until forever" calendar, but up next is my first Turkey Trot of the season!

Notes on real life

Today: 4 miles/some number of minutes

Speed training!  I forgot what running hard (for me, laugh at my pace if you will) is all about.

Good thing I chose to do this at the gym on the treadmill under the watchful eyes of the passively pressuring treadmill hawks.  I eat your aggression, treadwalkers, it keeps me going during a tough run!

I decided entirely randomly that this was a good workout for me today:

1 mi warm up

4 x (.5 mi at 6:50 or faster, .25 mi at 8:49)

And then the plan was for a 1 mile cool down but I had to run to the potty instead - what a speedy 0.05 mile!  For sure, the swampy sweat-humid gym treadmill’s most redeeming quality is potty proximity.

I’d forgotten what it was like to breathe hard and really exert during a running workout.  I hate it and yet I’m hooked.  I ordinarily roll along (yes, merrily) at my comfy pace with the occasional minor pick-up and I want to break myself of this nonsense habit.  Running around a happy carefree bunny is a good hobby for stress release and aerobic fitness maintenance but I want 2014 to bring some needed speed gains even if I spend the year-or most of it-in other parts of the world

Lately I’ve been feeling bum-da-bum-bum-bummed that I just can’t ever plan out future long races.  One of my current pastimes includes registering for races and then not being able to show up.  Yeah, I can gut out an ok-for-me 10K with a week’s notice but my schedule precludes me from registering early- and thus training properly-for longer races.  It’s part of the whole job thing, which I chose and love.  I worked hard to get here so ja of course I knew that the schedule was going to be crazy/full of surprises/uncertain.  So I blame me.  But still, whine I will.   

One year, I would just like to pick some races for the year, not pay exxxtreme late-reg prices, and train wisely.  I suppose that’s what retirement is for.  But as I get older the likelihood that my RUN ALL THE TIME WITHOUT ANY REAL THOUGHT philosophy will enable me to run fast and injury-free is increasingly remote.

My “speedwork” (would you like a snack with that hyperbole?) today is my first stab.  If only I had a coach and no job and sat at home all day hyperfocused on workouts, salad calories and feelings....oh wait no, then I’d be easily confused with the one million other small-time runningchroniclesbloggers…except they’re all a lot faster than I am :)

The uncertainty of 2014 sat on the far horizon for so long and now, well, whatever the encroaching future brings I want to be running faster in it.

I race this coming weekend in Las Cruces, NM.  Then 2 x Turkey Trots back in TX- races to commemorate that my months away from home draw to a close. 

 

Whaddya say about some weekend races with little training and new shoes?!  Why not??

***76 MIN to go.***