Running the Streets

The hubbers and I decided to extend our 8-week 5K training program into 10 weeks, just to get us some extra practice at running the entire thing together and completing with a time we’d be happy with.

That 10 weeks turned into 12 weeks, which then turned into an argument about whether or not we had the $50 at the moment to sign up for a local 5K and call this program a day.

The frustration helped push me toward a goal I made last year, however: Before my next birthday (in November, this year), I will run my first trail race. So, I begin training, solo, for the 15K part of the 14th annual Rockledge Rumble here in Grapevine, Texas, put on by the North Texas Trail Runners.

After false starts with this very same race the past couple of years, I’m excited that I’m actually going to do it this time.

Two days until our one-year wedding anniversary, by the way ; )

Brian and I went camping at Caddo Lake State Park this weekend. We went on a 3/4-mile hike through East Texas piney woods (where face-met-leftover-spider-web a few too many times, eek) and managed a 15-minute run on the park’s main road back to camp. It was beautiful. Sure, we’re just in East Texas, but the varied terrain of Texas makes every road trip seem like traveling to another state.

The run included a couple of inclines, but not anything you’d consider butt-blasting. Except that it was, to our flat, North Texas heinies, which remain slightly sore to this day.

We ran our first non-stop three-miler together Sunday evening at Katy Trail. And we repeated, even better, last night. Just over an 11-minute mile, 34 minutes. We’re technically finished with our Hal Higdon 5K training, but we’re repeating the last week for another two weeks.

We’re going to run that 5K like it ain’t no thang. Now we just need to pick one.

Ok, so I’ve already found the race I want to work toward. The Rockledge Rumble in November, the 15K leg. This would mean I actually need to hit the trails more often than I do. That’s nice I have a race, but I need a training plan for it. Hmm. It’ll be my first official trail running race, so I guess I better look into that.

Gah, I wish training on trails around here wasn’t all inconvenient and stuff. In this area anyway. There’s what, Cedar Hill State Park, Cedar Ridge. There’s Grapevine Lake, but as far as it is, I might as well drive to Lake Texoma and train on Cross Timbers. What else am I missing? I guess I could just check the North Texas Trail Runners Association website. Whatever, it’s bedtime. The Rockledge is in Grapevine, so I might as well make the haul now and again to get more familiar with it. Who says gas prices are high? Nah.

I’ve been lusting for a run through the still-untamed Trinity River area of Dallas lately, though. It won’t be untamed for much longer, and I want to hit those dirt trails I see as I drive over it into downtown Dallas before it they start building cutesie boat launches and designer bridges and Segway-rental booths or whatever and it gets all Central Park-y. BUT … I’m a chick, and there are drunk homeless folk and highwaymen lurking AND MY BIG STRONG FIANCE WON’T GO WITH ME. I’m about to just take me and my pepper spray on out there and cross my fingers while I run. If you see me running out there, please don’t rape me. Plzkthanks.

I just ran into a new blog and added it to the blog roll on the right. I don’t know the dude from beans, but I found it through clicking here and there from the NTTRA website. It’s like mine, except it’s fancier and he actually runs in gigantor-distance races. I also like that he has posts that say “well, didn’t do anything this week,” like me. Yay! There’s hope for me yet!

Yes yes yes I’ve been runnin. Some. And lifting. I need an actual race to focus my efforts on. If I’m just running to run, then … well, that’s not so bad. But it’s easier to structure my running life if I have an actual, tangible reason. So, I’m working on that. I saw photos from a recent local (actually, Lake Texoma, I think) trail race. The race distances were from 5K to 50 miles — HELLO! How awesome is THAT? Some folks looked like machines, sure, but most were either older (an older machine is still a machine, but still) or had physiques that were, how do you say, not quite of the Olympian standard. Which was totally inspiring! That says to me, If regular folks are doing this, then what in the world am I doing? I just have to remember that what gave me the running itch to begin with were the crazy-distance trail runs like that one. However, got to get a few long-distance road races under my belt first.

Ok, I’ve decided that until I nail down an actual race for myself, 20 miles a week is my minimum. I could very well find a race in a couple of days, which would make my plan have to change altogether, but that’s ok. To keep me motivated, I need some structure in the meanwhile.

Tonight’s numbers: 6 miles in about 65 minutes. Treadmill. Half a powerbar gel.