Training Log Archive: maprunner

Mike and I drove up to Clyde MO to visit my aunt (who is a nun in a monastery there). She had fallen and broken her hip while we were in ID. We wanted to see how she was recovering. She was doing very well, PT is working, she is already tired of using the walker.

Nice dinner at Malay Cafe on the way home.

Ad Astra Moonlight Track Meet
100m = 16.74 (hand timed)

A local running shop held a track meet at Free State High tonight (under the full moon). This was a fun event for me, since most of the participants were young, fit athletes. Maybe 75 participants in total? They had 100, 200, 400 and mile races. Plus 4X800 relay and long jump.

Saw Gene, chatted a bit and then started my warm up. I imagined a tweak or two in my calf, so I decided to put on my compression sock, if only to make me forget about my calf (that worked).

Only three women running the 100: me, a twenty-something and a 3-year-old girl (really!). I think they recruited the last two just so I wouldn't be the only one. The 3-year old and her dad were in the lane next to me and I was nervous about what she might do, wander into my lane or something. (In the end, her dad held her back until we started).

I felt like I got a good start, and then when I looked up, the 20-something was moving into my lane! I was only a step or so behind her, so this threw me a bit. But then she took off and I was left to run my own race. Felt OK but not as strong as would like. Pushed a bit at the end and leaned into the finish.

Stayed to watch Gene run his 100 race next, then chatted with some others until they announced the results. My time was 16.74 (hand timed).

Decided to stay and watch the mile races and I'm glad I did. It was fun to watch the other athletes, from super fast, to amazing kids (an 8 yo boy ran 7:15) to an older woman who was thrilled to break 10 minutes. It was a fun event. I'm glad they did it.

Mike and I drove down to Fort Scott to check out Gunn Park. The original plan was to bike and run, but we ditched the bike idea and just ran. I drew a short course to make it more interesting for me. It was a nice area, on the flood plain, with lots of bends in the trail. Also very humid with flies and spider webs. My legs were tired from yesterday so I did a lot of walking. I tried to keep up the concentration by turning the map with each bend in the trail.

The trails were a little wonky around 4 and 5. New trails added, and some trails blocked off with tape (they have a race next weekend). Saw a few deer (including a fawn) and heard a very strange animal, swear it sounded like a snoring pig...) Ran into one person, on a bike, who stopped me to ask about trail conditions.

When I was approaching 5, they had a trail map posted. First, it wasn't oriented, which was annoying. Second, it said "I was here" on the trail leading to 6. That seemed wrong to me, but I was confused already and didn't want to be late, so I turned around. Went through the open areas around 7-9 but seemed to have missed 9. This was a fun day, glad we went.

http://sprintseries.org/doma/show_map.php?user=map...

Nice picnic dinner at Mom and Ron's tonight with MeanGene, Dee, Damon, Sandy, and others.

It was not too hot and not too windy today, so I decided to try the Lawrence Loop again. Started from Burroughs Trail, so I could cross the traffic areas during a quiet Sunday morning. Also, the hills would come sooner, rather than later, which killed my last attempt. I went counter-clockwise (seems like most other cyclists were going clockwise?)

Got a little mixed up on 3rd/2nd Street around the hospital, and took an inexplicable detour on Kasold for a few blocks. The junction by Haskell and 31st (which I missed last time) is now marked with a nice sign. So, I eventually completed the whole official loop! This is a PR for me in terms of distance and time on the bike.

This was a nice tour of Lawrence. I saw lovely remodeled old homes, derelict homes, very modern new homes, trailer parks and a few million dollar homes (rare in Lawrence). I passed industrial buildings, highways, birding wetlands, and cornfields. I rode on country roads and bike paths. I saw one deer and no cows. I saw Haskell Univ but not KU.

I stopped at the ball diamonds for a rest break, and at Walmart for a food break. Actually, I wasn't really hungry, this was more an excuse to move my legs in a different way and give my butt a break. Legs are really tired and heavy now, but I'm so glad I did this!