Running journal, Monday, 2006-03-06

Running journal, Monday, 2006-03-06
Resting heart rate: n/a
Day: Monday
Date: 2006-03-06
Weather: Overcast, rainy, 8 m/s wind
Temp: 15.56 C (60 F)
Time: 15:30-16:15
Terrain: flat
Comments: Excited to get out today and practice improving my running form after reflecting on the disappointing performance on Saturday. The rain was thick and heavy today, and within 30 seconds I was soaked. It took about 20 minutes for my shoes and socks to get soaked, running through puddles. The air was a bit chilly, so I wore my white gloves for the first time today, completing the unintended patriotic display of red shorts and blue top. The rain eventually soaked my gloves, and I found that I could not make a fist and squeeze the water out. I resorted to making fists and pounding the meaty part of my hands together to squeeze the water out. :) This met with moderate success, releasing large drops of water from the material. I found it refreshing to run in the heavy rain. The chill I felt initially went away as I ran, and the trail was mine except for the rare biker and the even rarer pedestrian. The rain soaked my 80/20 polyester/cotton blend shirt, and it became a wet clinging sheet, which was an interesting experience. The majority of the animals seemed to have taken cover from the rain, although I did see a trio of black-tailed deer feeding just off the trail at the 19.5 mile mark. They stood and watched me curiously as I stopped and stared at them. On the way out, I passed a man with a large green and white umbrella walking his large dog. As I passed, I greeted him, and he asked how I was doing, to which I replied, "I am feeling wet today." :) We laughed, and he shared that his dog did not seem to like the bursts of heavy rain. Cute. :) The man seemed to shared my positive mood, and we wished each other well. On the return, I passed a girl who entered the bike trail at Ambassador Drive. She had long brown hair, with a scrunchy, and as she ran it bobbed back and forth behind her. :) I smiled and waved as we passed and she smiled in return, with a slightly embarrassed look at being out in such weather. :) As I approached the 19 mile mark, an older biker approaching me said "Brrrrr" as he passed. I laughed -- I wasn't cold, just soaked. :) After I completed my run, but before I reached the pedestrian bridge, I took off my shirt and gloves to wring them out, placing the gloves back into my center-rear pocket. Walking shirtless in the rain for a few meters felt refreshing. I put my shirt back on and crossed the bridge. As I did, a man on a bicycle passed me from behind, and I heard him talking to himself, saying in a monotone-voice, "Rain down, rain down on me," perhaps from the Phil Collins song, and then, in a slightly agitated voice, "I wish they'd turn off the fucking rain." He wore a new, thick, synthetic purple winter coat, and carried some possessions on his bike rack wrapped in transparent-blue bubble-wrap. He stored a bottle filled with an orange liquid in his bottle-holder. He had an unkept white beard, and looked to be in his fifties. He had pulled his tube-socks up tight over the outside of his pants, to his upper calves. Slowly, deliberately, he and his bike continued up Bridge Street. I returned to my car and caught up to him at the top of the hill and we waited together at the Sunrise/Fair Oaks stoplight. Then I passed him and he was gone. In terms of form, I ran much taller today. I combined this with striding, which seemed to scrunch me over a bit. So I alternated between remembering to straighten myself up taller, to scrunching a bit for striding. :) Striding feels interesting. I thought about my muscles as I ran, and when striding I felt like I used the top leg muscles, the quadriceps, as well as the bottom leg muscles, the hamstrings. I kept my feet so low to the ground that I often scuffed them, then realizing this was inefficient, I raised them up a bit to where I was just skimming over the ground. What I would like to see is a video of what recommended running form looks like. It is hard for me when I am running to know if my tall, striding form is efficient. I can feel the difference when I do not raise my knees, it does seem to be more efficient. I think I ran too fast today because I was feeling tired of being soaked. x_x I hydrated myself a bit more when I ate my Peanut Butter Powerbar before running (and during the rain, ha ha), but this resulted in the urge to relieve myself twice during my run. :P Wondering about how frequent marathoners deal with this. I imagine some just let it go while running to save time. x_x Seems a bit too gross for me.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 6.76 km (4.19 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=52024
Total Distance For Year: 210.0 km (130.2 mi)
Weight (after run): 79.2 kg (174.63 lbs), 21% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Felt a bit stiff from Saturday, but no problems while running.
Foods eaten today: maple nut cluster cereal, soy milk, cinnamon-rasin bagel, pad thai noodles, Peanut Butter Powerbar, olives