Running journal, Saturday, 2006-04-29

Running journal, Saturday, 2006-04-29
Resting heart rate: 59 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Saturday
Date: 2006-04-29
Weather: Sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 26.67 C (80 F)
Time: 17:45-20:03
Terrain: flat
Comments: 10-mile run today. April in Sacramento -- this is the best time of year. Summer is beginning, I can feel the heat rising each day, and today I started late. I arrived at Bridge Street around 17:40, and vehicles lined the sides for two blocks. I imagine it will become more crowded as the summer advances, more reason to run earlier in the day. Many youths entertain themselves on the beach near the defunct boat landing on the south shore, and some were up on the bluffs yelling to their friends on the opposite side. I turned on my GPS unit, but the battery seems to have fully drained. It picked up a satellite signal only once, then failed completely. I have not jogged late in the day, returning at dusk yet, and I enjoyed it. On the way out the sweat glistened on my skin and ran down my arms. About an hour or two before the run I had had about two glasses of Anchor Steam beer and a number of slices of veggie pizza from Steve's Pizza on Howe Ave with friends, so I wondered how that would affect my performance. With this in mind, I started off really slow, enjoying the run as much as I could. I stopped and got a drink of water at the first wayside park, about 1/4 mile up the trail. Noticed that the fountain spigot still gets stuck in the "open" position, so I drank and ensured it was off. I really enjoyed running under the trees today after the 19-mile marker. The trees line the trail, arching and interlocking above, providing a natural canopy that shelters songbirds and vegetation below. As I ran I kept my head up and admired the sunlight shining through the canopy, illuminating the leaves, cooling me from the heat, dwarfing me with their height. It's my favorite spot on the trail. I continued to keep my head up and admire the scenery around me as I ran, and I found myself enjoying the run. The red-shifted rays of the setting sun cast everything in a warmer tone. As I ran, I saw a ground squirrel standing on it's hind-legs in the field on the other side of the chain-link fence, watching me as I passed. At the mile 16 marker, there are more tall, old trees. Most of them are oaks, although there is a lone pine tree that I enjoyed identifying. People were playing ball in the diamonds there. At mile 15, I turned around. I wish I knew more about identifying the plants that I pass, so I could write in more detail about the various things that I see. I snipped a leaf from one tree that looked interesting. If I have time I will identify it this evening. As I returned, the sun continued to set. Birds and animals were out in force, enjoying the cooling of the air and finding resting spots for the night, or feeding on the swarms of tiny insects that I ran through (ick). Someone had abandoned a plastic bag full of Nilla wafers and a plastic-wrapped sandwich on the side of the trail, so I picked it up and ran it to a trash barrel. Near the 17-mile marker, I identified a new large white bird on top of a tree. I had no idea what it was. As I continued back, the trail became more and more empty of people. Two teenage women passed me on bicycles, and when I caught up to them after I passed the 18-mile mark, they had dismounted and were holding hands and giggling at something after short intervals. No idea what they were doing. They seemed to be looking at something in their hands, perhaps some bug. As I approached the 19-mile mark, four male youths on BMX bikes passed me from behind, and one yelled to scare a passing biker about their age. They passed me without incident, but I felt nervous about being on the trail with them. In general I don't tend to fear people. At the mile 19 wayside park, I passed them again as they had stopped and dismounted to get a drink of water. The sun had set by the time I reached mile 20 again. Returning at dusk was electric. There were swarms and swarms of bugs along the beams of the pedestrian bridge. Youths were leaving the beach areas or talking with one another. The peace symbol was lit-up on the north bluff of the river. Temperature was cool and a bit humid, with the smell of vegetation. I felt tired but strong at the end, about where I wanted to be, so I consider this a positive run.
Time: 138 minutes (2:18), 13.8 minutes/mile
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 16.12 km (10 mi), http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=154178
Total Distance For Year: 455.4 km (270.1 mi)
Weight (after run): 78.6 kg (173.3 lbs), 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Left foot, right-side felt sore. Knees felt a bit sore.
Foods eaten today: pizza, Anchor Steam beer, small banana-nut muffins, paradise-blend juice, banana, vegetable lasagna, Powerbar