Running Journal, Saturday, 2010-12-25: Hidden Path

Running Journal, Saturday, 2010-12-25

Resting heart rate: 54 bpm (60 second test, nine hours after exercise)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 22.38 (kilograms/(meters^2))
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1,821 calories
Weather: overcast with pre-downpour sprinkles; 8 km/h (5 m/h) winds
Temp: 12 C (50 F)
Time: 11:00-12:50 p.m., (1:50), ~11:00/miles

Terrain: mostly flat; +/- 27 m (88 ft)

Comments: Today's subtitle is adapted from the second of three films in Director Yoji Yamada's award winning trilogy, "The Hidden Blade". An excellent film and you should see it. The hidden path I walked for the first time today exists as a private road between Cuevas Court and Hillcrest Way, near Mira Loma high school. I had no idea it existed until my next-door neighbor shared it's existence earlier this week. As I exited onto Cuevas Court, I saw hundreds of birds flocking together in a tall deciduous tree; a beautiful sight and a pleasure to hear. I think they realized something was happening, weather-wise, for about 45 minutes later a heavy downpour began. Happily, I was safely home by this time. Rewinding to the beginning of my run, I ran north of Harry Renfree Field, past the horse farms of Park Road, which is nestled just south of the Business-80 off ramp to Auburn Boulevard. At the end of Park Road lies a home with a magnificent pond and a collection of geese and three peacocks. Two of the peacocks were calling from their perch on the fence, while another sat nestled in the branches of a nearby tree. I turned north onto Auburn Boulevard, passing a string of decaying strip malls and crumbling surface streets. At Myrtle I swung east, passing American River College to the north, continuing onto Hemlock. At this point I realized I must have dropped my sheet of directions, or left it at home. I had a pretty good idea of where I was going, and managed to wind my way around the Arcade Creek Nature Area to Winding Way. The upper-right button on my watch stopped working after last Saturday's rain. I can time my interval run/walks, but only in increments of six minutes. So, I ran five minutes, reset the timer to six minutes, walked for one minute, and repeated. Not perfect, but it sufficed. I felt the most anxiety running east on Winding Way: was I supposed to cut down to Lincoln at Manzanita, or keep going? I knew I was supposed to spend two miles on Winding Way, so I kept going, not sure what street to choose, but hoping I would recognize it when I saw it. It began to lightly sprinkle. Jan Drive? Did not seem right. Barrett Road? Yes, that sounds about right--and it was. Barrett Road turned out to be somewhat hilly, which was a nice break. And at the end--Lincoln Avenue; I was home free. I used two Hammer Nutrition Gels this week, spaced about 45 minutes apart. They helped a lot--I slept in later than I expected and ate only two bananas and a brownie before departing, so I felt a bit tired by mile seven on Barrett Road. Just magical stuff--changes the run from dreary soreness to refreshed optimism. At Gibbons Park, I plucked what I thought was an orange from a tree overhanging a property fence. It turned out to be an under-ripe grapefruit, so I discarded it. Roads were nearly empty today; I had no problem crossing four lane streets as I needed to. A number of people were out on walks or walking their dogs. Some home-owners were wandering around their properties in various stages of undress. At a few places, I heard happy children playing with (presumably) new toys. At the corner of Alexon Way and Adelaide Way, I heard the strangest squawking--it sounded vaguely chicken-like, but it was a bit creepy. Found a few more yards with every square inch covered in holiday cheer. Found a home for sale on Lincoln Avenue with an asking price of $525,000--and not even that great, in my opinion. Felt a bit warm early on; unzipping my top layer kept me cool. Later, after my run ended, as the cold front from the approaching storm picked up, I appreciated the ability to zip-up and conserve heat. It is a bit hard to predict the weather in the winter. I would take it over the summer heat any day, though. Overall, a pretty easy run--the Hammer Nutrition gels probably saved my butt, again, though. I used only one 12-ounce bottle of water and electrolytes for the ten mile run. Exploring the local community is becoming a great source of variety for me--better even than the Parkway, I think, because it is a loop, not an out-and-back, so I only see things once. This run also marks the end of five consecutive weeks of running (!). I am really looking forward to using the "Seinfeld Method" to track my progress on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet every time I complete a run or a walk during the week. The unbroken chain idea really works.

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): ~17.75 km (~10.0 miles); http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4204032 ~1,424 calories burned

Weight (after run): 76.6 kg (168.87 lbs), ?% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: bananas (three), Hammer Nutrition Gel (Apple Cinnamon, Vanilla), nuun U Natural Hydration - Tangerine Ginger, homemade chocolate-pumpkin brownie, Barefoot Cabernet wine, Buca di Beppo's: Mediterranean panzanella salad + Mozzarella garlic bread + spaghetti with meatballs + penne san remo, Dreyer's chocolate chip ice cream + Smucker's Chocolate Fudge magic shell