Runner Insight

Well it finally came…Yes that dreaded snow storm. But it really didn’t feel like a storm. It was just a light snow falling for 3 days straight! Very fine and steady snow with no let up, until we ended up with over 16” of the white stuff.

Up until the 17th of January, I had been averaging almost 10 miles a day this year. I just joined Run Wild Missoula again, our local running club. They have a 1200/2000 Mile Club. All you have to do is log your miles on the website, and if you run 1200 or 2000 miles in the calendar year, you get a fabulous prize!

Last year they got running jackets. A fellow runner who I was talking to in my favorite coffee shop, Starbucks told me all about it because I had told her I had logged over 75 miles for the week.

When she told me that Run Wild Missoula had the 1200 Mile Club, I thought, “Heck, I’m on track to run a lot more than 1200 miles this year.” So I’m shooting for 2000 or more.

But as I said the snow came, and then it just kept coming like the clouds had finally been given permission from Mother Nature to let go.

When I woke up on Wednesday morning, T looked out the window and said “There is about 3” of snow out there.”

I said, “Is it runnable?”

She just laughed and said, “NO!”

That is when my life as a runner came to an end for 5 days!

Oh my! What is this world coming to?! Well can you say “snow shovel?”

We picked up our snow shovels and hardly put them down for 3 days. There was a run on shovels, and Ace Hardware ran out of them and had to ship them in from some of their stores across the state.

The only good thing that came from all that shoveling was a good workout!

One thing I did notice was although my back was aching from all the shoveling, but it was my middle and upper back that was sore, not my lower. So I know all my sessions at the chiropractor’s is working. This was just soreness from all the strenuous use of previously hibernating muscles.

I had every intention of going to work on Thursday, and had done all the shoveling and clearing I needed to do for T to drive me to work. But as we backed out of our driveway into the alley, we promptly got stuck…oops, there was over a foot of snow in the alleyway.

So I called work and left a message that I would not be in that day. Luckily one of our neighbors had a 4 wheel drive, and he hooked up chains to us and pulled us out.

Before he did that, we first shoveled most of the alley to the street so we would have a place to land when he pulled us out of the hole/drift.

T then backed our van into our driveway and there it stayed! We decided it was a good day to stay home!

On the news that night, we heard of numerous reports of vehicles getting stuck, and how treacherous the roads were. When it was all said and done I took Friday off as well, as the roads were still being cleared and I knew even if I took the bus, I would still have to navigate by myself downtown from the bus stop to work, not something I was willing to do with the conditions.

So on Friday morning T and I went out again and shoveled (again – so by now we were on about our 10^th shoveling event), and as T came from the front of our house down the alleyway, she said, “You know what makes me really happy?”

“This time when I’m done shoveling, the snow isn’t covering over where I just shoveled! Yes that makes me very happy indeed!”

We found out later that it was 5th biggest snow event since they have been keeping records in 1893! I think that it ended up being 16.7 inches! No wonder my back hurt!

Saturday morning I tried to walk to my mom’s place – just a few blocks away – but it might as well been 100 miles away. It was way too hard to navigate through the unplowed sidewalks, and then . . . it started to rain!

So before I could even get to my Starbucks a block and a half from my house, I had to turn around. And if you know me at all, it really does take a force of nature to turn me back from a Starbucks mission!

Okay by now it’s Sunday, and I am officially going stir crazy! T and I went grocery shopping and then drove down to see if the bike path where I run was clear. It was!

Right then and there I made a plan to have T drop me off where it was cleared, and I could run until the path was covered over.

It ended up being clear for about 2 miles. So I ran back and forth on the same stretch of dry path. Hey it was great to be running, and not on a treadmill!  It was sunny and in the low 30’s and felt great! I got in a total of 8 miles.

We have a city ordinance that your sidewalks have to be shoveled by 9 a.m. and by Monday I was tired of all these places where I travel being unpassable by a blind woman with her cane.

So I got on the city website and submitted several complaint forms about sidewalks that had not been cleared. I’m hoping to have a clear path to my running route and work by the end of the week!

Until then, T will drop me off after work where it’s cleared on my running path so I can get a few miles in each day. As Anne Burrell would say, “That makes me a HAPPY, HAPPY Girl!”

How ‘bout it?

- Vision Runner

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Happy High Five

Since the start of the New Year, in order to more fully absorb our gratitude, in the evenings T and I have been asking each other what  was your Happy High Five for the day.

What is a Happy High Five? It is anything that makes you happy. It is a fun thing to do with your partner, friend, or family member.

You will be surprised at what makes them happy.

For example, I told T my new red puffy calendar book made me oh so very happy.

And the little bitlets that fall off my bagel make me happy when I eat them off my plate.

T then said that one of her Happy High Fives was that the puffy book and the bitlets made me happy! It just makes me smile to think about it.

So as you can see, it can be anything that makes your heart swell and your lips turn up in a smile.

It’s a good way to end the day and drift off to sleep thinking about what made you happy that day. It’s all about underscoring the gratitude we feel.

Give it a try, I bet you end up with more than 5!

How ‘bout it?

Vision Runner

Popularity: 1% [?]

A few months ago I listened to Jim Fixx’s book “The Complete Book of Running”
And even though it was written over 30 years ago and it was dated, I still enjoyed it quite a bit.

One thing that really struck a chord with me was when he was discussing the concept that if you’re passionate about running, you will find ways to do it.

Well that got me thinking. . .

Ever since I started working the day shift at the hospital, my running has been limited to the weekends and the occasional day off. I didn’t necessarily appreciate that fact. 

Thinking about it though, I realized that I was doing a lot of walking to and from work: about 6 miles round trip. So I thought, “Why not run?”

Okay, well I could run to work but I knew I would not be satisfied with a measly little ol’ 3 mile run. That was almost not worth getting dressed for – although notice I said “almost.” Of course if that’s all I could run, I’d take it. J

But I thought if I got up a wee bit early, I could run a few more miles before the 3 miles to work.

When I was processing all of this, it was already November. So when I decided to try this, the days were getting shorter and shorter all the time!

So how early could I get up and run safely? It’s a tricky thing with my eyesight (or lack thereof.) Too dark and I can’t see a thing!

But morning twilight was just before 7:30 a.m.  I knew if I could see well enough, I could get in 5 extra miles before running the 3 miles to work, giving me a total of 8 miles, and then 3 miles back home after work. Now that’s what I’m talking about!  Yea, this could work!

Now I had to find a way to shower all the running off me before mixing in with the general population.  If I listened to Jim Fixx, well, he didn’t think it was a problem to smell a little sweaty. But sorry Jim, I just can’t do it! I have to face patients and their families and co-workers and of course, myself all day long. I much prefer smelling sweet as a tropical fruit salad to sweaty as an 8 mile runner.

Fortunately I work at a hospital that has a Fitness Center. For $20 a month, I could use the showers as well as the Fitness Center itself.

I really didn’t need to use the fitness equipment, just the showers. And score, the Fitness Center provided clean towels as well!

So I put my plan into action, and joined the Fitness Center, and the next day I got up before 7 a.m.

I had my pre-run meal of yogurt, and then proceeded to put all my blinking lights on – a total of 4, in red, green, blue and white. Yes I was a flashing fool, but thought it better to be seen as a flasher, then a fool!

I made out quite nicely on my run, as I could see fairly well. I was even able to time it so I could still stop and get my beloved lunch bagel at my favorite bagel place, “Bagels on Broadway.”

I had put a package of instant oatmeal in my running pack, so I could replenish my glycogen stores when I got to work.

As I write this, it’s been almost 2 months since I started running to and from work, and I feel great! I love the fact that I get to run almost every day.

I have run in temperatures as low as 9 degrees F, and my water had ice cubes in it when I got to work! But since I know how to dress for the cold weather, I stayed pretty toasty.

The only part of me that gets really cold is my hands. I was thinking I never had this problem in the past, but then I realized I didn’t have to run in such cold temps before, as my work schedule didn’t limit when I could run.

But not to worry about my fingers, as T’s mom and dad made me some really awesome hand warmers. They are filled with seed corn, and when you place them in the microwave oven for a couple of minutes they come out oh so nice and warm. I hold one in my left hand, and the other wraps around my right hand (that’s the one that I use my white cane with) custom made for me!

These corn bags have been a lifesaver, as I don’t think I could have run in such cold temps without them!

I really like it when it snows about an inch or two. The path I run on is asphalt and therefore the snow melts off pretty fast, leaving white edges in the grass and on the side of the trail. This gives me a great visual field: a black path with white borders! I wish it was like that all the time, then I could run faster and without the need of my cane so much.

Because of the angle of light and the frequency of having my black on white path, winter running can be some of the best and fastest runs I have.

All this running has made it possible for me to have the highest weekly mileage since I have been a runner. The last part of December I had 70 miles total for the week! Some might think it’s crazy to run that much, but I love, love , LOVE It!

So what is your passion? What is keeping you from doing everything possible to make sure you are able to enjoy and do what you love to do?

Make 2012 a “NO Excuses” year!

How ‘bout it?

-Vision Runner

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