9 Miles on the Lake Minnetonka LRT Trail

In the past I've made it clear that I prefer running on not-pavement surfaces when I can.  In the cities and suburbs, not-paved trails are hard to come by.  Local favorites include the River Bluffs Trail and that thing from Buffalo to Montrose. I'd always heard that Lake Minnetonka LRT trail is also crushed limestone but it seemed too good to be real.  I found out today: true.

Plan:  I'd wanted to do 8-10 miles.  Before the start of the run, I knew it was a bit too hot for 10. I decided on 9 miles with the mental agreement that I could shorten it to 8 if I wanted to.  Because it's always good to have a backup plan.

Route: I knew I was going to finish the work day very close to the Lake Minnetonka LRT trail, and that it'd be a new trail for me to run.  I like to run out and backs when I'm on new trails.  LRT trails lend themselves to out and backs anyways, because where else was I going to go? When I run at the end of the work day the biggest challenges I face are parking, a place to change my clothes, a place to fill up my water bottle, and a place to go to the bathroom.  So I started the run at a point the trail ran through Excelsior, an adorable little town that took good care of me. From Excelsior I headed southwest for 4.5 miles, then turned around and came back.

Weather: It was kind of warm.  I mean, we've had our moments of fall like weather and there was one day when I saw frost on an early morning run.  But today is was 75* and sunny in the afternoon with an occasional breeze. 

Execution: I'm beginning to understand ultra distance runners who say it takes them 20 miles to warm up.  It took me a solid 6 miles to feel warmed up and loose.  The final 3 miles were really fun.  After the run, I did a 'finisher' of standing bicycles, standing leg lifts, and calf raises, counting down from 10 reps to 1 rep of each.  Then I did some dynamic stretching and then static stretching.

Nutrition:  I'd like to thank my body for getting sick before I even started the run.  By the time I headed out, things had settled a bit. I had 2 little bottles of water and a pack of chews with me.  I ate two chews at mile 4 and two more at mile 5.  Even though my stomach was more stable, it was still in 'don't touch me' mode so I didn't want to put too much in it.  I felt stronger as I kept going anyways.  I had one bottle of water on the run, and finished the other off at the end of the run, then refilled both bottles and drank those too.

Pictures: I mean, seriously.  I could not get enough of this trail.

6 Miles of Blergh

The run today can best be described as 'blergh' with a dose of 'grateful I can run and grateful for the chance'.

Blergh 1 - My alarm when off around 5:20am.  It was dark.
Blergh 2 - The sidewalk I was running on left something to be desired for all of Minnehaha Parkway.  I remember now why I don't normally come this way.
Blergh 3 - I'm tired.  Did I tell you what time my alarm went off?
Blergh 4 - That weird girl who was all 'hey!'  'ay!' at me when I was running and I totally ignored.  Because it was weird. 
Blergh 5 - Actual blergh.  Thank goodness for the nearby facilities.

I'm mostly impressed with myself for actually getting out of bed and doing this.  So that's in the 'way to go' column.

Elevation Profile

Elevation profile of a long run today.  That bit between mile 5 and 6 was every bit as fun as it looks. 

All of the Running

I started counting my calories again a week or two ago.  Since then, my sleeping has been all messed up and I've had some serious problems waking up in the morning.  Perhaps because I'm hungry?  I'd been doing all of my running in the afternoon and evening which was fine until Labor Day weekend.  Also known as the weekend of beautiful messes.  And me getting up early.

Friday: I woke up before 7am, which doesn't sound early but I was happy for myself.
Run: 4 miles
Stretch: I foam rolled a few minutes in the morning after running.  I did this stretching video before bed.
Other: Rehearsal, then rehearsal dinner.

Saturday: I woke up at 5:15am.  Or more correctly my body got out of bed at that time.  The actual waking process took much longer I'm sure.  It was worth it because sunrise over the lake was really special.
Run: 9 miles, no heart rate monitor
Finisher: 11 minutes
Stretch: 6 minutes, this video.  It was just enough to get me ready for the day.
Other: Salon, lots of pictures, ceremony and a big party because Qat Lady got married!!!

Sunday: I woke at 6am, not on purpose, but couldn't really get up.  I fell back asleep and eventually pulled myself out of bed around 9:30am. 
Run: 4 miles, no heart rate monitor
Stretch: 15 minute foam rolling with this video.  I skip the first 5 minutes where she talks about different foam rollers after I heard it the first time. 
Other: Opening gifts brunch for Qat Lady and Mr Qat Lady

Top Selfie Moments

A friend posted on his blog 'top 5 moments' he's captured in photographs.  Many of my favorite times involve nature, which is why there's so many photos of lakes on this blog.  But many of my moments also involve friends and family.  Here's a top 10 in the past year.  In reviewing these I learned that Mom is really a good sport, and I don't have very many pics of Qat Lady nor My Pooky Bear. 

Just felt the need to re-live this moment

A PSA to my future self - weather in September

I did actually workout today.  Even though I haven't been able to get up in the morning to run since starting counting calories.  Tomorrow is moving day though; I have to get up because I won't have any other time all day to run.

Run: I had a plan to do 3 miles on the track before Zumba.  I got started early and felt good, so decided to go for 4 miles instead.  I felt pretty good the entire time and was able to keep my heart rate nice and even.

Walk: I had a cool down walk after the run, plus a couple bonus laps with Lucinda.

Zumba: We had a sub tonight.  I generally like this sub.  Mostly.  Her dance style is different and it's a really good workout for my hips.  I was mostly ignoring all the jumping and all the things she wanted me to do with my arms.  Whatever.

Foam Rolling: I've been using this video for foam rolling.  I like the multiple calf and quad exercises.  I ignore the part where he wants me to roll my lats, triceps or pecs.  No woman wants to foam roll anything near her chest.  Ever.

Weather: Just a PSA to my future self here.  Early September still has more light than dark, and it's still hot.  Calm down.

7 Miles - Lake Nokomis

I'm not going to lie; I'm actually pretty proud of myself for running today.  I do long runs on Sundays about never anymore.  It's dawning on me that I need to practice running longish on both Saturdays and Sundays, at least for the next few weeks, so I'm ready for The Loony Challenge. 

Yesterday I did 8 miles on the Greenway, using a run/walk interval to keep my heart rate low.  Today I used a similar interval, but did 7 miles including Lake Nokomis which was packed.  It was hotter than blue blazes today so my pace was frustratingly slow.  Whatever.  I did a finisher of backwards pivots, side twists, walking bicycles and walking leg raises. 

August 2014 Monthly Totals

What Worked Well: Exploring while running.  I'm still finding some new places to run including Buffalo, Orrock (which was a fail, but I think I could find a way to make it work sometime), Elk River, and new paths to Downtown Minneapolis.  I found two new running routes in Cincinnati as well.

What Worked Well Part Two: This foam rolling instruction video is responsible for over half of those 'stretching' minutes.  I skip the first five minutes where she talks about the different foam rollers.  The only thing that would make it better is if she did the 'back release' exercises again at the end of the video. 

What Could Go Better: Finishers.  I know I said that last month too, and I tried to do more this month.  It worked for about a week before I fell out again.  I will just have to be more purposeful about when I do them.

What Could Go Better Part Two: I've had several longer runs go super slow, trying to keep a low heart rate.  Why are they so slow?  Because I'm running in the evening and it's hot.  This is a double edge sword of course, because all of my 'exploration runs' are in the afternoon and evening, and I'd have to get my ass out of bed in the morning and run to avoid this.  Sigh. 

Biggest Surprise: Zero elliptical miles.  I'm not a huge fan of the elliptical like I used to be.  I do find it's great for long workouts with an even heart rate. I guess I'm having an 'it's summer and I refuse to be inside' part of my training.

Plan for next month: Continue to stretch.  Continue to explore while running.  Finishers after all long runs, at at least one other day a week.

What Music Lately?

Since I changed vehicles, my radio listening has deceased to zero because this radio is so complicated I don't even have it programmed.  Yes.  After 6000 miles.  Shut up.  I tend to find music from blogs, The Voice, or, more likely, from Pandora. 

• Meghan Trainor - All About that Bass.  This will obviously be a running song for the winter.  Because every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top.  Found on a blog somewhere.
• Vance Joy - Riptide.  I do not understand this video.  Probably also found on a blog but I can't remember.
• Macy Gray - Love is Gonna Get You has become my theme song since My Pooky Bear has started to plan my wedding.  I've decided its for the best and Mr Right will just appear because now the plans are made.  Definitely found on my Macy Gray station on Pandora.
• Florence and the Machine - Bedroom Hymns, audio only video.  This song is clearly made for running.
• Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting on You).  Talk about 'video is unrelated'.  Who expects cowboys with this kind of music.  No idea where I found this song.
• Ariana Grande - Problem.  Because I have one less problem now...  Found this in Spin Class with the Dungeon Master.
• Allie X - Catch.  This is will be a better running song that it seems like it should be.  But don't watch the video.  It's not good.
• Ed Sheeran - Sing.  Ed Sheeran is suddenly hot right?  Found from watching The Voice.
• Justin Timberlake - Not a Bad Thing.  There's something about saying 'it's not a bad thing to fall in love' that's really powerful.  But he shouldn't be playing the guitar.  Just sing and dance man.  It's what you do.
• OneRepublic - Love Runs Out.  Because I cannot get enough of OneRepublic.  Found on The Voice.
• Ed Sheeran - All of the Stars.  I have not seen this movie.  I found the song from watching The Voice.
• Lord Huron - She Lit a Fire.  The whole Lord Huron album sounds like this song to me.  That's not a dig.  Directly.  But this is the song I started with so it becomes my favorite.

6 miles of... um... well

Run: I ran inside on the track today.  I used the Wahoo Fitness App on treadmill mode so it would talk to my heart rate monitor and keep track for me.  Or at least I thought I had it on treadmill mode...  I also used the Nike+ app because it tracks distance indoors for me.  I don't know why it wont speak to my heart rate monitor, but those are the breaks.  As it turns out, I left the GPS on for the wahoo trackr, and the results are pretty hilarious.

The information from my heart rate monitor is correct.  The spike at the end had to do with Lucinda.  The splits from the Nike+ app are probably not 100% correct (because running in circles seems to confuse it somewhat) but they are close.

Zumba: Kicked my ass tonight.  Mainly because I'd just run six miles.  I think I appeared half dead for most of the class.  I jumped very little and was fairly uncomfortable most of the class.  I have displeased my hip flexors in some way (shocker, I know).  After Zumba, many tacos were consumed.

Running Fail - being lost doesn't usually make me this grumpy!

I did run my mile today, but I kept thinking it would never get done.

Sand Dunes: Not for Runners.  And not for the reasons you'd think.  It's a long story why I tried to run here.  The major selling point was a parking lot and a place to change into my running gear.  The major drawback turned out to be the burrs and hitchikers.  I mean the crazy painful type.  Apparently these trails really aren't groomed?  I went about 0.2 miles before turning around and going back to the car.  I surrender.

Next: I started heading back towards the cities with a plan to stop and run along the Rum River Trail.  I was in Elk River when, lo and behold, I saw a runner.  I was all 'I'll go where he's going'.

Woodland Trails Park.  This seemed like a good idea and it even had grass trails.  Wrong!  I got so lost and turned around.  Something with so few acres really shouldn't have that many trails.  I did fit my mile in here, running between .82 miles and 1.86 miles on my app without stopping.  But it was slow and frustrating.  Where the hell am I!?!  I found a Rail-Trail as part of the park and decided that if I ever come back, I'm going to stay on the asphalt trails and learn my way around the park before off-roading again.  It looks like some of the trails are groomed or managed in some way for winter hiking, so I'll have to give it another chance when I'm not in a pissy mood about not knowing where I am.  Shout out here to Endomondo, Google Maps and the Compass app on my phone for keeping me out of any real trouble.