COVID Diaries - September 7

I'm going to think out loud a minute.

Yesterday my a/c was on and I had one of the migraines that just did not stop.

Today, I spent the morning with My Pooky Bear and Pooky Baby and the other grown up (sorry, I just can't call him Pooky Dad.)  We hung out at Medicine Lake where everyone was on the playground.  We also walked down to the beach.  Which we accidentally realized later was closed due to E Coli.  Could've done a better job with the signage there, three rivers parks. 

Honest to goodness I got McDonald's breakfast on the way, and then stopped at Caribou for Pooky and myself right next to the park.  That plus the tylenol I took finally started to make a dent in the migraine and later in the day I was feeling much better.

How much better?  Y'all, I vacuumed out my car.  Have I ever done that before?  No.  Not myself.  I've paid plenty of people to do it for me.  But now I've discovered how freaking easy it is.  This could be problematic.  I also stuffed dish towels down in between my seats and the consoles to prevent the crumb/mess issues that I've lived with since having a job where I eat in my car.

And then, for serious, I cleaned upstairs (which comparatively wasn't that bad), and I cleaned my kitchen.  There's supper dishes that aren't totally done, but I'm resting.

I ran today, in the rain, and practiced MAF. I very very slowly practiced MAF. I found an old program, and added it to my new watch.  So, I decided MAF goal for September should be an hour.  Or, anywhere up to an hour.  And for serious, today I went the whole hour on my first try. I'm thinking rain, cooler weather, and not having a migraine were all factors.

Thoughts for the day:
My kitchen was clean for a minute.  Proof that miracles happen and God is good.
Everyone should get to feel as good as I feel when I don't have a migraine anymore.
For serious y'all, It's Monday.  It's not Sunday even though it feels like it.

I know I'm late on a couple other COVID Diaries.  I'm cleaning/erasing the rocketbook and testing some things out. Also, I had a migraine yesterday so that diary doesn't totally need to be written.

COVID Diaries - September 1 and 2

Long Run Saturday: Baker Park Reserve

Plan: Run 7 miles easy.
Actual Mileage: 6.9 miles.

Route: The 10K loop at Baker Park Reserve.  I park in the campgrounds or down by the other lake. 

Weather: Y'all, it's soooo hot. It was over 70* when I was done. 70* is literally 70* warmer than most of what I ran in this winter so it might as well be the face of the sun! I am now a black fly and mosquito blood donor as well.  Jerks. 

Execution: I didn't look at my heart rate for this run.  I just kind of ran. I also did not lap out my warm up or cool down.  So, in total, I ran a 13:50/mile pace with an average HR of 149.  For a super hilly route on a hot day, I'll take it.

Nutrition: Well, I didn't eat anything before I headed out.  I'd packed myself a breakfast so I could sit at the lake and chill out for a while after running.  And then I left breakfast on my counter.  Sigh.

From today, I learned: Prepare for black flies.  They are the devil!  Really from a running perspective, this was a solid workout.  I had a lot of unrelated stuff going on in my head so it didn't feel like the best workout in the world.

Bonus: I got a donut for breakfast since I forgot my actual breakfast at home.

Quality Miles Thursday

Plan:
Warm up: 1 mile
Repeat 3x Tempo: 1 mile at 11:00-10:30/mile, Easy 1/2 mile
Cool down: 1 mile

Actual Mileage: 6.75 miles

Route: Well, see...I'd planned to do Rush Creek Trail.  But apparently it's underwater.  Like, even more impressive than the water on the Greenway, Under Water!  And I was not getting around that mess. So, I finally got to try the path north of the dam along the river because it was NOT under water.  I took that path north about a mile, and then ran my first tempo mile and half mile easy, then turned around, etc.

Weather: OMG Finally!  It was a gorgeous 48* and fairly windy. Wind was in my face on the northbound legs of this route.

Wardrobe: Shorts, long sleeve shirt, compression socks, Merrel shoes.  (I need to get another pair of these; they are over their mileage.)

Execution:
Warm up: 1.46 miles.  The warm up is long because of the flooding issues I discovered. Thank goodness it was like 0.2 miles into the run.
Tempo: 10:33; 10:33; 10:19
Cool down: 1.3 miles of taking pictures on the dam.

From today, I learned: I told my coach this workout was harder in my mind that it was in my body.  Dreading the workout took a lot more energy than running it. I did feel lousy on Monday and not doing it then was the right decision.

Bonus: I mean, did I tell you about the sunshine.  I'm starting to get a tan on my face and neck from being outside.  In Minnesota.  In March!

Flat Long Run, Fast Finish

Plan: Run 15 miles.  Spend lots of time on the Rush Creek Trail becuase that's been in the best condition of anything all year.  Try to head north from the dam along River Rd because that would be new.  And head south from the dam along River Rd because you'll need the distance.  And maybe stay off the Anoka Co side because that was bad last time.
Actual Mileage: 15.29

Route: Part of what happened in my "Plan" is that I didn't know how far out I could get on Rush Creek Trail. I know it goes into Elm Creek and those paths are for sure not plowed, but I didn't know the exact mileage, that's why I had all of these other "go north a ways, go south a ways" spurs planned in my head.
"Out" 5.5 miles along Rush Creek Trail. I never got lost but at mile 5.5 I had to cross one of two major roads, and I was just out of my reckoning at that intersection, so that's where I turned around and headed 'back' to the dam.  Once I got back to the starting point,
"Out" 2 miles south along River Rd.  Then 'back' 2 miles to the starting point for a total of roughly 15 miles.
Weather: Here's why I was running today: It was 34* and sunny.  Like, I had to wear sunglasses it was so bright.  There were some winds but nothing ridiculous.  Between tomorrow and Sunday we're supposed to get 8-12" of snow.

Wardrobe:
Bottom: Pink pants.  I love these pants but something weird (bad) is happening with one of the seams.  I need my Pooky Bear to look at it and make sure they're not going to fall apart.
Top: Long sleeve shirt; grey sweat shirt (the purple one was dirty)
Feet: Wool compression socks; Altra Superior Trail Shoes
Other: Sunglasses! Hat to start with, then downgraded to an ear band; I had gloves and a gaiter in case but I didn't use them.  I had my Nathan hydration vest as well.

Execution:
Warm up: Roughly 0.3 miles Walking
Miles 0.3-13 - easy running, just loping along.  My knee kept getting stiff (it is so not happy this winter) so I'd pick up my cadence whenever that happened.
Mile 14 - I ran this mile kind of hard.  Because I felt bad there weren't really any hills on this route, so I needed to make it harder in some way.
Mile 15 and up - I did a run walk followed by a walk to finish.  I felt okay but was glad to be done!

Nutrition: This was not a fasted run.  I had actually a big meal a few hours before I ran because this was later in the day.  During the run I had water basically whenever I wanted it. I had 1 chew at mile 3, and then 2 chews at miles 6, 9, and 12.
From today, I learned: I am strongly considering racing in this vest because "water whenever I wanted it" is a nice perk, and it's really nice around mile 23 as I recall.
Bonus: I had supper with Olive.  I am currently doing laundry so this is also a bit of a productivity bonus.

Long Run: I have fallen in love with this trail

Plan: Run out and backs north, west, south, and east from the starting point.  Get to 12 miles.  (I needed to go in 'spokes' so I was never too far from my car, just in case, for logistical reasons.)
Actual Mileage: 12.05 miles

Route:
Park at Coon Rapids Dam, Hennepin Co side.
Run north along the river: this didn't last long.  The plow threw a lot of snow from the road onto the trail and it wasn't great.  Headed 'back'
Run west along Rush Creek Trail: Y'all, I am in love with this trail.  It's been a pleasure all winter.  The trail has really been in good shape every day I've come here except one day I arrived and they were actively "maintaining" the trail.  (Then run 'back' to the park entrance.)
Run south from the park entrance: this trail looked really bad, but it kept getting better, and then it'd have a moment of bad but would get better again.  Coming 'back' the bad part was up a little hill so that was kind of brutal.  (Then run 'back' to the park entrance.)
Run east, across the dam and into Anoka Co.  This trail was frustratingly maintained and completely NOT maintained.  It did much better once I got to the road on this side of the river.  And then run 'back' to my car.

Weather: 25-30*, very little wind.  Sometimes sun and sometimes clouds.  It's supposed to snow/ice/rain all weekend and this was going to be a super great day for running so I jumped on it.

Wardrobe:
Top: Wool base layer; purple sweat shirt
Bottom: Grey pants
Feet: Wool compression socks, sock liners (which were a surprisingly good idea given the snow); Altra shoes
Other: I had a hat, gloves, and gaiter but didn't use them.  I wore my running vest and had some water bottles in it as well

Execution: I started running out a little harder than I meant to, but I just kept going because it felt good.  Things got harder/slower towards the end of the run.  But also, the paths were crap towards the end of the run.  So, it's all good.

Nutrition: This was a lunch time run so it was not fasted.  I had coffee, eggs, and a bar for breakfast.  I ran with water and a Larabar.  I had just a bit of the bar while I was running.  Bonus for this run that my water bottles did not freeze.

From today, I learned: I should've run longer on Rush Creek because it was in the best condition.  Though the conditions were starting to get not as good about where I turned, so maybe I did fine?
I am looking forward to the north/south trails in the summer.  Or really in any time that's not covered in snow.  Those things looked great too!

Bonus: I told my coach that if she'd told me when we started, "in February, you'll be all 'hang on, I'm just going to bust out a long run but it's only 12 miles, it's okay'" I would've laughed at her.  And yet, I'm all "hold my beer, I'm gonna run 12 miles now".

Bonus Long Run

Plan: This run is not about pace.  This run is about listening to my body.  This run is about understanding what my body does on hills. And have fun!

Route: Baker Park Reserve - I'll ask Strava in a minute how long it is since I've been here, but for sure over a year.  I've missed this place so hard. 

Weather: Started in the 50s and some wind.  It was a bit chilly at the start.  Super sunny and gorgeous day.

Wardrobe: Shorts, tank, road/trail shoes.  I wore my bearcat colors today.
Execution: I had a blast.   I ran hard, but not so hard I was miserable.  I am purposefully not looking at my splits yet, because today was not about pace.
Nutrition: Half a salted avocado before the run, then hard boiled eggs wrapped in prosciutto afterwards and two cans of La Croix.

From today, I learned:
I need to have Saturday races in my head in addition to the 10-miler, which has been my biggest focus.
I can run well when I listen to my body.
My mantra for the hills was 'fly' or 'pick up my knees and fly away' and my mantra for all the other times was 'flow'
I can run well on some hills, and looking at the ground about 6 feet in front of me was really helfpul
I need to have a Saturday nutrition plan, because I ran hard and now I do not want anything to eat.  That will not go well on race weekend.

Bonus: I absolutely froze to death on the way home.  It was in the 60s and I had the heat and my seat heater on.  That's another thing to remember for race day.

Long Run Monday - Elm Creek Park

Plan: Keep my heart rate low, but don't use the program/alarm on my watch.  Because if my heart rate does go too high, I will be miserable.  The plan was amended to run a fast final mile.  This run was on a paved trail and it also counts as my hill day this week. Because hills!

Route: The Elm Creek Outdoor Adventure Loop, which is apparently my name for it now.  It's a lollipop route.  The out is 4 miles, the candy section is just over 4 miles, and the back is 4 miles again. 

Weather: In the high 40s, super humid and light wind.  This is my most favorite running weather ever.  Though the pictures look a little dreary.

Wardrobe: Shorts, a shirt, visor, and Green Silence on my feet. 

Execution: This run went really well.  My heart rate stayed low.  Some of the hills were hard, but not as brutal as I expected.  Towards the end, I really wanted to be done, so I decided I'd do a fast final mile.  I wanted it in the 12s, and got it down to 12:04.  This goes down as a win.

Nutrition: This was another big win compared to my last long run. I had 2 hard boiled eggs about 45 minutes before the run.  Once I got going, I took a bite of my Larabar every mile.  In the first couple miles I was a little 'bleh!' to eat food, but by the end I was really glad I'd fueled consistently.  I had two bottles of water but only drank one during the run.  You know I downed the other one the second I got done.

Bonus: My post-run nutrition was on point too.  I had a roll up of turkey and prosciutto and then some apples.

Hills Monday - Baker Park Reserve

Plan: Wake up early.  (That was really the harder part of the plan.) Run around the loop. Finish down by the lake to stretch out and take pretty pictures.

Route: I've done this route once before.  Starts in the Baker camp grounds, and runs around the main 6.2 mile loop of the park. 

Weather: It was slightly cooler than the past few days.  I started around 68* and ended around 75*.  So much better than starting at 75*.  It was sunny and slightly humid but nowhere near as bad as it has been.  I got up early enough that a significant part of the course was in the shade. 

Execution: This run started out a bit rough because I was hungry.  Once I got my rhythm things went really well and I felt great. I kept my heart rate pretty low for the first part of the run, thanks to significant downhill portions.  Later in the run, I did let my heart rate creep up, especially on the hills.  I didn't walk the hills at all this time, though I did slow down a bit on some of the bigger ones.

Nutrition: I did not eat breakfast before this run.  I woke up around 6:30 and was running by 7:15. I didn't carry anything with me.  I wished I'd had a cup of yogurt.

Bonus: I finished down by the lake (better cell signal down there) and did 8 minute Abs and stretched out a bit.  Turns out I was in some freaky vulture flight line so I caught some cool pictures too.

Long Run Thursday: Hot as he!!

Plan: Wake up at 5am, run 14 miles.  Don't be late to work.
I did in fact wake up at 5am.  To a thunder storm.  I had no backup indoor workout planned.  This is what doom looks like.

Plan B: Run after work.  14 miles would be good but whatever.  It will be over 80* so be careful out there.
Updated plan B: It's really hot.  Intervals will be a good idea. 
Update to the update: This is nuts.

Route: I used my outdoor adventure route at Elm Creek.  This is all paved bike trail.

Weather: Hotter than fire.  It was around 84* and about 80% humidity (or it felt like it was that humid)  Winds were out of the south, and they were a pleasure.

Execution:
Miles 0-4: I did a warm up and then ran over a mile (gotta get that in first) and then I went into 5:00 run, 2:00 walk intervals.  I was surprised that my heart rate stayed as low as it did in the beginning.
Miles 4-8 (the circle at the bottom): I was starting to walk up more of the hills, and starting to get a bit impatient with the pace.  My heart rate was creeping into the higher 140s but still very manageable
Miles 9-12: I stopped looking at heart rate.  I just wanted to be done.  I did go much faster for the intervals at the end.  My heart rate shot up like a champ and I was spent by the end.

Nutrition:  I carried 2 bottles of water, 8oz each and took at least 1 small sip every mile.  I had a couple of gummy chews but my stomach was seriously not into the food.

Bonus: Today was all about temperature management.  Bad decision today was to run outside.  Good decisions following the bad decision were to run intervals, run slower than typical most of the run, drink water regularly and watch my heart rate most of the time.  This run was hard, but not nearly as awful as I'd thought it would be before I started.

Trail Monday - Sort of

I'm trying to get back to Trail Mondays, but I'm also trying to avoid peak tick season.  So today I was all, "I'll go to Baker, but I'll stay on the paved trail"  Because that way I will get the nature and the hills, but far fewer ticks.

Trail: I parked in the camp grounds today, and took the long Baker trail from there. The loop itself is 6.2 miles, plus a bit added on to get from the parking lot to the loop itself.  (The other place where I could park is just a lot, no facilities.)

Hills: True story.  I picked this route because I want to start running hills now in practice for 2017 Lola's. Not sure if this will hold 'till next year.  For now, I want revenge.

Ease of Running: It's a paved trail, so yeah.  I did look over at the horse trail from time to time and was all "man, that looks like it would be no fun to run on".  

Nature: There were swans on Lake Katrina, but way too far for a picture.  I startled a Blue Heron which startled me right back as I ran by it.  That was pretty cool.

Heart rate: I was surprised that my heart rate stayed as low as it did.  It was hot and sunny at the beginning of the run, and the hills are for real. 

Will I come back: For sure.  Baker has a special place in my heart.  I much prefer the paved trails at Baker to the grass/horse trails.  I found this particular route challenging without being totally frustrating. 

Bonus: The campground where I parked has showers with hot water.