Monday, July 15, 2013:

Hot and humid day on the grass trails, 6.05 miles in 1:10:24, pace 11:50.  No pains.

Shin Splints

This morning I intended to take it easy, maybe a 12-minute pace, but when I got to the park I decided to do some hill training instead.  On a 7.56-mile route I ran/walked 20/20, but ran up every significant hill and down all but the steepest ones, so the ratio was much higher than 20/20.  I finished in 1:26:18, for a pace of 11:25, almost identical to yesterday's pace, where I went faster on the flats but walked many of the hills.

Whining: The pain in the right tibia was there again for the first half mile or so.  I ran 34.2 miles this week, which is plenty for me - I'll cut it back next week.  Shin splints stay away!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013:

I ran on the park's grass trails again, doing a 30/20 run/walk.  This was a very nice, dry morning with a cool northwest breeze.  If It weren't for a few wet spots in the trail, my shoes wouldn't have gotten wet at all.  I ran 5.94 miles in 1:07:27, for a pace of 11:21.  That's good - I like to run at least my marathon pace, about 11:30.

Whining: The right tibia (shin bone) hurt just a little in the first half mile or so, on the inside edge of the bone about two inches below the knee joint.  The beginning of shin splints maybe?  I hope not.  I have felt this before, some time ago, and it resolved by itself.  Shin splints usually appear when a runner increases his/her mileage or tempo too quickly, more than 10% per week, and I have indeed been running more often and more miles per week.  Perhaps I should reel it back in a bit.  Hate to do that on these lovely summer mornings.

Mad Dogs and Englishmen

Tuesday, July 9, 2013:

... go out in the midday sun.  I’m only half English, so out I only have to go out once in a while.

Prairie restoration in the park

81 degrees today at 1:00 pm, bright sun, 4.4 miles in 54:39, for a pace of 12:25, definitely not stellar.  I felt sluggish because of a very recent lunch and I took it easy, with a 30/20 run/walk.  I stopped twice to help two women on horseback find their way back to their horse trailers.  I enjoyed the run, but was happy to get back to the car.

Whining: The right knee with PFS hurt just a little throughout.

After the run the girls and I walked a bit on the new (and old) ski trails in the park, probably another two miles or so.  Nice.

Six Days Running

I rarely run more than two days in a row, but this week I ran at least five miles for five days in a row and the Marine on St Croix downhill 4-Mile Fourth of July Race on the sixth day.  Total miles for the week: 32.3, which is about my limit.  I took the next day off.

Runners assembling for the race

Summer on our deck

I ran that 4.1 mile race in 38:05, for a pace of 9:17, about two minutes slower than I ran it two years ago.  I'm a little disappointed in the time, but had run a lot in the days before, including a pretty hard 6-mile run the previous day, so hadn't expected to do too well.  Happily no pains, no problems.

These days the trails in the park are calling me when I wake.  It's mighty easy to get out and run.

Beautiful (Noxious) Flowers

Before we were runners, we three sometimes came to the park just to see these beautiful thistles in bloom. We didn't know then that they are judged "noxious weeds" by the state of Minnesota.  But they are, and a public park is obligated to remove them, so there are not many to be found in the park any more.  The photo shows a lovely stand of them along Hwy 61 near Beam Ave in Maplewood, far from the park.

My good friend Jim and I ran (and walked) 6.33 miles on the grass trails this morning.  I tried to run without walking, but within a mile or two was breathing too hard and had to switch to a run/walk of 40/20.  Even that was hard to maintain - perhaps because this was my fourth day in a row running at least five miles.  I found myself leaning to the left, too, which sometimes happens when I'm tired.  I did that in the Honolulu Marathon, actually, except then I was leaning to the right as I recall.  Not enough core strength - I know how to fix that but just don't take the time to do the work.

6.33 miles in 1:08:46, for a pace of 10:52, which is actually great considering I stopped once for a natural break and once more to take a photo.  I always run a little faster when I'm with Jim, because he lopes along so easily, and I usually end up a little more tired, too.  Certainly I did today - that's a good thing.  The trails are mostly clear of trees now, and the wet spots are getting a little better.

Four Days Running

I don't often run two days together, let alone four days in a row, but the trails are calling my name these mornings.  I can't wait to get out there and jog up and down the grassy hills.  At the same time I can check on the progress of the park's recovery from the recent storms.

Tree across trail - typical.  But there
is a way to squeeze around this one.

Today the worst trail had been CLEARED of downed trees, a big job indeed, and I saw county employees with chain saws and a pickup truck preparing to do more.  There are still a lot of trees down, though people on foot can get by.  The worse problem now is mud, in places where there is no way around it.  My shoes went in the washer for the third day in a row. I should probably just dye them brown and glue sand to them.

I ran 5.1 miles in 59:00, approximately, doing a 30/20 run/walk, for a pace of about 11:34, good enough for the fourth day of running.  I felt some pain in the right knee again, but not even close to a limiting pain.  Great day!  Another run tomorrow.

Stunning Grass Trails

Wet, muddy, sloppy, and frequently blocked by fallen trees, the trails had not been repaired since the thunderstorms of last weekend and the rainstorms this week.  I spent a lot of time, several minutes, just climbing past the deadfalls and tiptoeing around the sloppy places.  It was worth it though: what a wonderfully cool morning, with a perfect breeze and the low humidity that will improve the trails a little every day if the weather holds.  The old shoes that I use for trails have already been through the wash and will be dry in a few hours.

Two fawns.  Mom must be close by.

5.5 miles in 1:07:44, for a pace of 12:19.  I'm surprised it was that good, considering the obstacles.  I did a 30/20 run/walk where I could.  The right knee with PFS mumbled out a couple of little warnings, but those went away.

I asked at the park office if I could be of help with my lil' ol' chainsaw, but there are liability issues and I have to talk to "Mike" on a weekday.  I could do a lot to open those trails in just a few hours of my time.  I'll call Mike tomorrow.