Make a New Start

Today's music: Misplaced by Moshav (think Creed - only Jewish instead of Christian), particularly the song "Lift Up Your Head:"

So lift up your head child and open up your heart
Today is a new day, gonna make a new start.

That's what today's run felt like. It was my first real run in two weeks and it wasn't a good one. It took me just as long to run a 5k distance as it did to run a 10k distance before this cold felled me a couple of weeks ago. I know that I need to be patient with myself, I'm getting to an age where I don't recover like I used to and all that - but it was still frustrating to be unable to run a full mile.

I did a run/walk today - running until something cried "Uncle" and then walked to full recovery before attempting to run again. Of the whole distance, I probably ran half of it. There was a time that would have been a joyous moment but now it feels weak.

At least I made it through the distance. I know I couldn't have attempted this a week ago. I suspect that by my Monday New Year's hangove race I'll be closer to "normal"... and yes, I will take it easy and listen to my body and all that folks, I'm impatient but I'm not stupid. I know it won't be long before I'm back on track and this blip on the radar will be just that; however, it doesn't keep me from feeling frustrated in this moment now.

But as the song says: today is a new day, gonna make a new start.

TAG: Fun With Books

From L*I*S*A's blog:

1. Find the nearest book.
2. Name the book & the author.
3. Turn to page 123.
4. Go to the fifth sentence on the page. Copy out the next three sentences and post to your blog.
5. Tag three more folks

OK, the nearest book to me is:

A Great and Glorious Game by A. Bartlett Giamatti

There are only 121 pages - so I will go to page 121 instead of 123 (which is blank) and is the statement about banning Pete Rose from the Baseball Hall of Fame for life. The three sentences are:

"The matter of Mr. Rose is now closed. It will be debated and discussed. Let no one think that it did not hurt baseball."

How true is that?

OK... who's next? Nini? Pat? Denise? anyone?

Sometimes the cold catches you

I caught a cold. It's been chasing me for a while and it looked like I beat it until Sunday morning when I woke up and I felt like crap.

I knew it was coming and took four days off last week. I just didn't have the energy to go out and run. I thought that if I took a few days off then I'd be fine. But Sunday morning the stars just weren't aligned for the Old Magoun Saloon race.

First up - picking up Gazelle Boy at his father's house. Good thing I called ahead because no one was up in spite of hammering out specific times when he picked up the boys Friday afternoon. The reason for the call ahead of time - because I knew that they'd still be asleep in spite of making definitive plans.

We were almost to the race when I noticed the heat had stopped working in the van. About two blocks away, the van began to smell funny and the "check gauges" light came on as the temperature gauge rose.

Not good at all.

Then, when we lined up, I started up my Nike+ only it had a hard time finding the sensor and kept turning itself off. While I started off well keeping up with the pack, about a mile in my lungs just said, "What are you doing?" and seized up. It wasn't an asthma seize, more like a traffic stopping protest march to remind me who was in control.

Yes folks, I was tired, cranky and wasn't real fond of the government at that point.

Fortunately one of the race volunteers was right there and gave me a ride to within a couple of blocks of the start/end before going on to his next traffic direction post. I could have walked the race or even have walked back - but this just made life nicer.

Gazelle Boy came into a neck and neck race at the end, with the other guy pulling a shoulder ahead of him for the 12th & 13th spots. We went inside, had some eggs and juice and decided to see if the van could make it the 20 minute drive home.

Good thing I have AAA.

We made it to within a couple of miles of home when it was clear the van was toast. The radiator was leaking - it still had water/fluid in it, which is good, but it was clear there was a leak somewhere in the system. I called Mr. Bear who met up with us and sat there until the truck showed and then followed us to the mechanic.

By then I was toast. I got in my jammies and curled up on the couch to read the papers and have been down ever since sucking on zinc lozengers and drinking water like a camel at a desert oasis.

Today I do need to get myself in motion whether I want to or not. I'm feeling far better than I did yesterday but I'm sad that I don't have the energy to run or do yoga or anything.

Of course, for some reason, blogger flagged me as a "spam blog." WTF???? I originally thought the email they sent me was some sort of phishing expedition - you know like the fake AOL and Ebay messages that appear in my mailbox on a daily basis. But in logging on this morning, I found out it was a real message and now have to go through the "hey folks, really, I'm not a spam blog" process. So who knows when this will finally go up at the site.

Just another reason to nag Mr. Bear to put blogging software up on our server.

In the meantime - Happy Christmahannukwanzica to everyone.

Running Down a Dream

Sunday I ran for 6 miles.

I didn't run/walk, I didn't walk. I ran 6 miles. I had never run a full 6 miles before that and I felt fantastic.

I also stuck to plan this week - 30 minutes of yoga on Monday (and one foot sort of off the floor in crow pose now) and a 4 mile run today.

But what happened last night was one of those odd, "I can't believe I did this" moments.

Every spring there is a 10 mile race in Washington, DC - the Cherry Blossom 10 miler. It's limited to 10,000 runners and it always fills up the first day of registration. Yesterday was the first day of registration and last night I thought I'd see what would happen if I tried.

It was as if something possessed me from the moment the thought crossed my mind until the registration confirmation email appeared in my inbox a few moments later. Think about it - 10 miles; in DC; on April 1... what was I thinking?

I obviously wasn't thinking it was the last weekend to get my home ready for Passover or traveling back and forth... you know, life details. Instead I was thinking about how beautiful it would be to run along the Potomoc with the cherry blossoms in bloom to welcome spring properly.

I never understood people who traveled far and near for certain races and now here I am doing what I didn't understand before. That race will mark the start of my 11th month of running and, right now, I can think of a better way to celebrate.

Baby it's cold outside

I have to admit that I never thought I'd be able to run in the cold - but this week has taught me differently.

Today I went out for a 5k run in balmy 38* temps. It was hard getting myself dressed and out the door. I reasoned I did a half hour of yoga and it was cold out. But it wasn't as cold as yesterday. Mr. Bear pushed a bit too reminding me it gets dark earlier these days and I needed to get out before it got dark.

I finally headed out around 2:30 and set the iPod for a 5k run and loaded up a 140 BPM podrunner mix. It's funny, in spite of one of my better 5k times, my pace wasn't as even as it normally is - today's looked a little more roller coaster like when the Nike site plotted the time and distances.

One thing I did notice was that being a shade dehydrated can make a huge difference in your run. My legs felt tighter. I was truly aware of making them work today. My mouth was dry the whole time and felt like I had cotton in the corners. Not exactly a pleasant feeling. I'm glad it was a short run today.

Wow... 5k is a short run. An easy 3 so to speak - I really have come a ways haven't I? Tomorrow is my long run day and I'm planning on a 6 mile run. I haven't decided if I'll go over to the Marsh Post and do Paulie's course but throw in an extra loop somewhere (that's what all those mapping sites are for... right?), over to Heartbreak or along the Charles someplace. I'll figure that out later tonight.

The Red Queen's Race

It is currently in the mid-20's here in the Boston area and there's a fierce wind kicking up every so often. But I was having a Red Queen's race week (you know - where you have to run hard to stay in place). Between meetings and errands and getting kids here and there and going to workshops and... well, you get the picture.

This mean Wednesday's run didn't happen. There was so much to do and at least I got my yoga in. Then Thursday was the first chance I've had to crash. So now it's Friday and I've missed two runs. It's cold and windy and I've never run in the winter before.

But I had to go. I knew if I didn't, then I'd be indoors and all the good I've done so far would start to melt. So I pulled on my running tights and compression shirt, shorts and fleece pullover and then zipped my vest over the whole thing. I had a fleece headband around my neck and over my mouth and nose, hat and gloves and set out the door for my four mile run.

A half mile in, the headband was off my nose and mouth. A couple of miles in, the vest was partially unzipped - although when the wind kicked back up, I zipped it again.

I ran and I ran, my feet moving to the steady beat as I did so until the Nike voice told me I had 400 meters to go near the path entrance. I ran past the entrance, touched a tree and ran back just as I got the "congratulations" message for running my 4 miles.

I walked in the door of my house and peeled off the vest - which was soaked with my sweat, as was my fleecy.

I realized I probably could have kept running... it was one of those kinds of runs - but I'm still in a Red Queen's race with too much to be done and no time to do it in. But I got 4 good miles in and tomorrow I'll get my 2-3 miler in that I missed as well this week. It's supposed to warm up tomorrow - it will be strange going out without the layers, but at least now I know I can do it.

The Road Less Traveled

Today was a big victory - I went out running even though it was below freezing.

For some folks that might not be that much, but for me it's huge. Because of my asthma, I often find myself reaching for the inhaler when temperatures hover around freezing or lower. I've been concerned... nervous and I guess a bit scared about this time of year.

Today was the first step taken to get past all that by going out for four miles.

Granted, I now have a cold weather gear wish list (winter tights & mock turtle neck; gaiter; etc.), but I went out pretty sensibly and it worked.

I also took a trail I normally don't. There are some spots where I normally run where I turn around and loop back to the start. Today, instead of turning around, I chose to cross the street and keep going up the path to see what I could see. When the voice said, "Congratulations, you're at the half way point..." I turned around and headed back.

To be honest, the view was the same no matter what side of the river you're on and whetehr your in Boston, Waltham or anywhere in between along the river.

But it was something new, something underdone for me. I strayed out of my safety zones today: running while it's cold out and a new path.

All in all, it today was a victory all the way around.

Pretzel Logic

I've been following this Baron Baptiste Yoga DVD for athletes and today is a "stretch and strengthen" day - ergo, it's a yoga day.

Yesterday I also picked up a buzzy, squishy chair cushion (read a cheap massage pad for a chair filled with those squishy foam thingies).

Between the two my hips and lower back are just saying, "Ahh!"

Tomorrow I have a 4 mile run scheduled and it looks like it might be cold. There is a piece of me saying, "but it's warm inside and maybe you can do yoga again instead of running..." But I know, in the end, I'll go out for my four and feel better for it. Who knows, maybe I'll run a little faster so I'm not out in the cold for as long as I could be.

Looking over my training calendar that has all my planned activities in it (runs, cross training, etc.) for the month is a hair intimidating. All I need to do is knock off each activity, one by one - day by day, and I know I'll be a stronger person for it. None the less, it can still feel a bit daunting even though it's mapped in virtual bits instead of stone.

An Accomplished Five

My niece, Nini, talks about the "bed magnet." Today was a day where I had a hard time escaping the bed magnet. I really meant to get up at six so I could get my run in early. Then it was 6:30. Finally, at 7 I realized if I didn't get up now, it wasn't going to happen - so I forced myself out of bed and down the stairs to get ready.

By 7:30 I was stretching and getting ready to do my planned 5 miler at Heartbreak Hill.

It was cold - the low 40's but felt colder. Such a sharp contrast from just the other day when it was just shy of 70. I started with my jacket zipped, my hat and gloves firmly in place as I sparked up DJ Steveboy's 131BPM nudge mix. By the end of the first mile, I had unzipped the jacket half way. A half mile later, the jacket was fully unzipped and by the two mile mark the gloves were in my pocket.

About a half mile in, there was a woman who was clearly struggling with her walk/runs. When I caught up to her, I asked if she needed a partner today. Smiling she said, "Thank you... that's so nice, but no - no I think I'm fine but thank you."

I was glad to offer her assistance because I thought about how lonely it can feel when you're struggling and how many times I wished someone had stopped to offer me some help. Like her, I probably would have said no thank you, but it's just when someone offers that can make a difference.

Sunday morning means the running clubs are out in force and most were friendly as they passed me going the opposite direction. Mostly it was the solo runners out today who were waving and greeting people they passed.

Instead of running back up the carriage road after turning around at BC, I opted to run up the side of Commonwealth Ave where the grade is more gradual. I wanted to see if it made a difference and to be honest, I really couldn't say. I suspect it was easier than the steep carriage road grade, but in the overall scheme of things - I honestly can't say.

In fact, in studying my run profile, I would have to say that my pace was steady throughout today's run. I'll have to try this run again and use the carriage road at the turnaround to see how they stack up.

Overall, it was a run of accomplishment. That sort of, "Hey, I got up and did five miles... I can handle the food shopping and everything else I need to do," sort of feeling. It's nice when that one big thing is out of the way and I can move on with the day.

Summer's last gasp

Today it was in the mid-60's and gray (yet again). Everything about it just felt wrong. I mean, it's DECEMBER first for crying out loud.

But I couldn't resist one last run in short sleeves and shorts before winter finally comes to town and hunkers in. So off I went with the thought of covering 3 miles.

Just before heading out, the cat suddenly looked up and starting meowing at me. "Meow, meow, meow," she cried out in staccato bursts, "Meow, meow!" It was kind of wierd, but I knew how she felt, the day had one of those horror movie "don't go in the house you moron" feels to it.

I suited up and headed out any way. Along the path there were squirrels. Not the usual one or two playful guys that run and jump along watching my progress. There were lots of squirrels everywhere. They were skittish and confused. In fact, instead of staring you down like normal, if you glanced their way they turned tail and ran! They were in bunches and solo - no matter where you looked, there they were.

The path was practically empty today too. I had the place to myself and again I was wondering if this was the horror movie set up - the cat, the squirrels, the odd weather and gray day. I could almost hear the cello strains in the distance, so I was on high alert around me as I turned DJ Steveboy's mix down a notch.

Every so often a fellow jogger would come the other way and I'd breathe a little sigh of relief. Then there was the guy riding his bike like a bat out of hell - his navy blue rain coat flapping behind him like a Scottish Superman cape in his wake. I finished the first loop and went back for the second.

Again I had one of those "screw it" runs where my body just decided it was walking. So I walked for a while and then it decided "screw it" again and began running. It was odd. On the last leg of the trail towards the entrance, I was again alone - no one in sight when I suddenly heard fast, heavy footfalls behind me. It came from no where and I jumped with a bit of an "eek!" only to see the captains of the high school track team blow past.

"Sorry..." they called out.

By the time the rest of the team came along, I wasn't surprised but I was glad to be done with my run for the day.

When I walked in the door, the cat looked at me with one of those smug cat looks. I'm not sure what got her meow going earlier, but whatever it was it was over.

Now the rain's here and the temperature is beginning to drop. Time to put away the shorts until the spring. Summer's over... it's about freakin' time.

Bodies in Motion

Because it's an odd week. Normally my schedule would be: Sunday - 5 miles; Tuesday - 3 miles; Wednesday 1-2 miles; Thursday 3 miles and cross training and rest days on the other days. But things conspired ... as will happen and I found myself doing my long run on Tuesday instead of Sunday.

This lead to the problem: what to do about the other runs before next Sunday's long run?

After kicking the idea around for a bit it hit me: why not turn the 2 three milers into four milers and I'm all square.

So I went out for four today and the first two miles were fine but then something odd happened. At the 2 mile point I just didn't feel like running, but I didn't want to stop moving forward. I wasn't out of breath or sore or anything like that, I just didn't want to run.

I asked myself, "Self, is this a bad thing?"

Then I answered myself, "Silly Pika, this isn't a bad thing. It's in the mid-60's in Boston and tomorrow is the first of December. The sun is shining, the world smells fresh and clean and maybe it's just a day to slow down and enjoy all that."

"Good point Self," I said and then walked the last two miles. Of course, I now walk much faster than I did last spring. Nonetheless, I enjoyed moving along the paths - a body in motion reluctant to come to a stop or resting point.

An easy five

It's an odd week. Normally I do my long run on Sunday - but that didn't happen for a multitude of reasons this week. So I was doing a quick rearrange of the schedule and I got my five miles in today.

It really was a pleasant five along the river.

The temps were in the upper 40's and the sky was gray... heavy with rain that wants to fall but isn't quite ready yet to come down - but you know when it does it will be in heavy, flooding sheets.

I mapped out a 5 mile route before heading out and I have to admit, I was a little afraid of the distance. I think it was such a significant goal last summer when I was training for the Tufts 10k, that the thought of running 5 miles was a bit frightening. But I loaded up a 152 beat DJ Steveboy mix and was off.

There was never a point where I felt strained - it was just nice and comfortable the entire run. I love it when a run feels like that, like it could just keep going like the Energizer Bunny. A couple of times I could feel my feet starting to drag so I'd lift my heels a little and I'd be back on track. Then there are those spots on the route where I'd normally slow down and start to feel the run, but instead my feet just kept moving.

I realize that every time I go out for a run, I get a little closer to the goal of "going out for an easy 5" on a regular basis. Today was one of those days and I couldn't be happier.

In the Dark

It was one of those days where I needed to crash, but I also needed to run.

At 5 pm it was already dark, but I figured I had to run, mapped out a 3 mile and a 5 mile route along main roads, suited up and headed out the door. It was a good run tonight, comfortable in spite of the temps hovering around 40* and not too weird for the most part. Running at night's not as friendly as during the day. People don't greet you or nod in acknowledgement - they pull the darkness around them and scurry on past.

I was coming to the end of 3 miles and feeling pretty good. I was breathing well, the body was feeling great and I decided to add the two mile loop on when I missed a curb cut and went down on my knee.

The brand new running tights I was wearing for the first time - history. Even in the dark I could tell I did a pretty good job scraping my knee. I stood up and ended my workout on the iPod and took a few steps. Everything felt pretty good, so I guess I'm pretty lucky.

Just before I fell, I was noticing things like how weird it was to be sweating while watching my breath make little puff clouds in the cooling air of the night. I was thinking about how empty the streets were for a Saturday night, guessing most people are still either sleeping off the turkey and pumpkin pie or out of town. No dogs out being walked, no couple strolling around the block.

It was actually kind of lonely.

I don't think I'll be running at night again anytime soon. If I do, it will be on the treadmill in a gym - especially since the holiday offers are coming in the mail. Maybe having a backup plan for days like today would be better than taking my chances on dark streets, uncertain surfaces and curb cuts hiding in the night.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today's lesson: I eat 150 BPM podcasts like desert after a full Thanksgiving meal - with steady gusto and determination.

Race Report: Gazelle Boy, my niece, Nini, and I all ran this morning in the 8th annual Hingham Thanksgiving 5K through Wompatuck State Forest.

This was an early race - 7:30 am - and crowded. There were about 600 runners. This was a fundraiser for the Hingham xcountry and track booster club - so even though they are a rival team, I feel good about supporting a sport that isn't just basketball or football. (Where most athletic money goes.) I checked the weather on line before leaving - 40* and overcast with showers predicted.

I hoped the weather gods would smile on us and hold off on the rain (they did) and Gazelle Boy and I headed out to meet up with Nini. Sorta SIL came to watch us finish and was our "support crew" - holding things like my glasses, keys, wallet, etc.

When they said "7:30 start," they meant it. I had barely pinned on my number and set up my podcast to play on the Nike+ when the gun sounded at exactly 7:30 and the 600 or so runners were off.

This is a pretty flat course - some rises and dips - but nothing major. Today I selected the 150 BPM DJ Steveboy mix. I figured I had a comfortable 4 miler at 142 BPM, why not kick it up a notch for a shorter distance?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, best laid plans and all that...

The run started at the high school and entered the state forest. We ran along the auto road through the woods - which was a really relaxing and pleasant run.

The first mile was good. Someone was there to call times and I was surprised to hear 11:44. I'm usually around the 12:00 to 12:30 point in a race. Overall my pace tends to hover around the 12:30 - 13:00 minute mark. But I also knew I wouldn't be slowing down because the beat was really driving me.

Around me were accomplished triathletes and runners who were coaching their kids. We passed back and forth throughout the race. Whenever the younger kids (probably in the 7-9 year old range) would start to get discouraged, I'd say something like, "C'mon, you know you're gonna beat the socks off me," or "You gonna let an old lady beat you?" They'd scamper off and I'd pass them later when they were walking and then they'd scamper past me after they recovered.

Just as the voice in my ear said 2.5 kilometers to go, I got a stitch in my side.

OWWWWW!

So I slowed to a walk and kept driving my elbows and heels until it finally subsided. I came up on the water station just before the 2 mile point and gratefully drank a cup as I was getting that cotton mouth feel on the edges of my lips and started running again.

The person was still there calling splits - this time for the 2 mile and he yelled out "24:16"

"Hmm... not bad," I thought. I realized, in spite of the walking, I was still making good time. About a half mile down the road, after we came out of the woods to see the high school, I could feel the stitch returning.

I took it down a little bit and started counting the phone poles - just make it to the next pole - and then counting off a 4 beat as I ran. The race finished by running through the parking lot and onto the track to run the last 300 meters.

One of the kids I had been encouraging along the way was starting to slow. I caught up and said, "C'mon buddy, you made it this far now finish strong." He put the pedal to the metal and cruised across the line while I was coming up on the home stretch.

As I came up on the finish, I couldn't fully read the display as I run without my glasses on. It looked like 39:12 as I approached. Not my best, not my worst as I headed into the chute.

When I got home, I sat down to see if the times were up yet - they were (that was fast especially since there were no chips in this race). Turns out my final time ws 36:19!!! That's an 11:41 pace and moving towards my goal of a 10 minute mile.

This is a PR for me totally shattering my last PR of 38:36 back on Labor Day.

Woo Hoo!

Gazelle Boy did his usual finish at the front of the pack thing and Nini ran sub 10 miles. All in all a good outing for all of us.

Now it's time to go assist Mr. Pi in cooking today's meal.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

Four Good Miles

Now that the bulk of the HTML issues are out of the way, I can go back to recording what's going on run wise.... especially since said issues lost one of my dailies.

The other day I ran a crappy 3 miles. The Nike+ turned itself off a mile into the run and didn't record 2 of the miles - but it didn't matter, they just weren't happy miles. Between the rain and the humidity and everything else, it was just not an enjoyable run and I literally slogged through it.

Today was a different story. I decided to go and run the BA Event 4 mile course. It's fairly flat and it doesn't have too many places where you can ditch - so it was a good one for me to do after a putrid run the other day.

I loaded up the recent DJ Steveboy mix - which is a 140 BPM mix - and started running. I'm really liking running to a steady beat and it shows when I sync up the Nike+ because the line is pretty even instead of up and down like a roller coaster.

Running along different parts of the Charles River, you see different folks. This morning I passed one of the Harvard Women's teams out doing their road work (and thanks for the "looking good" shout out you gave me - I was at 3.5 miles at that point). I passed people out doing their dailies or weeklies, older people walking, and (of course) lots of folks like me.

In the end, I averaged a 12:30 pace for 4 miles and it felt good.

under construction

OK... did something truly stupid here, Blogger pushed me to beta and I hit the wrong button on a template shift and... well, let's just say I'm sitting here with my trusty, rusty HTML quick guide and books trying to figure out how to fix things.

*sigh*

Sorry if the link to your blog disappeared. I'm trying to restore everything. Hopefully this will all be fixed by the end of the weekend.

170 BPM

I downloaded a podcast from DJ Steveboy that was 170 Beats Per Minute - what a rush!

Outside of Lance Armstrong coming on at the end to congratulate me for running my fastest mile so far, I have to credit the podcast with getting me through the last half of my run today.

The day started off gray and rainy. BLEH! I knew I had an appointment to get my teeth cleaned and figured, since I didn't get to do my stretching yesterday, I'd pop on the yoga DVD today. I spent a half hour doing the pretzel thing and then headed to the dentsist. (Look Ma! No cavaties!)

On the way home, the sun broke through for a little bit befor the clouds began to edge in. I figured I'd try getting my 3 mile run in before it started raining again. The first half went well - I was grooving along to the techno dance mix when I felt my chest tighten up. There was a blanket of humidity just pressing down on me and I realized too late that I left my inhaler at home.

D'oh!

So I started walking to catch my breath. (Of course this lead to a series of random thoughts about how do you catch your breath if running takes your breath away - but I won't go there now because I'm embarassed to admit to a series of bad puns that resulted from that thought.)

Have you ever tried to walk to 170 bpm? It's not easy becuase your feet keep trying to move with the music. As a result I found myself power walking, using my arms to help propel me forward. Even though my breathing was a bit shallow for a mile, it still felt good to be moving. Once my breathing was even and deeper, I did break into a jog with the music. A couple of times my breath would catch and I'd slow it down to a walk again and then pick back up when I could.

In the end, I did a 5k loop in 40 minutes today - a good mile of that walking. That's not bad at all.

I'm excited about trying this again when I'm not so debilitated and I'll be sure to remember my inhaler next time out.

Rock and Roll Girl

After a couple of lean running days, I went out to calibrate the Nike+ and put ina total of 4 miles.

As I said, it was a couple of lean days while I was in Lancaster, PA looking at schools with Gazelle Boy. A mile and a half on the hotel deadmill wasn't quite as torturous as it was in New York a couple of weeks ago, but it was still frustrating. I would have much rather of been out trying to run alongside the Amish buggies, but circumstances didn't quite allow this time through.

So I went to my regrouping spot: Heartbreak Hill.

The first mile was tough. In fact, after running it and checking my calibration (it's till off by .16 miles - which can add up), I was ready to turn around and head back. But I told myself I had to do the four miles total, so I trotted up the hill towards BC. I hit the two mile mark and thought, "Man, I'm done." Between the humidity and everything else, I was pretty sure I was done but I figured I'd give it my best and turned around to start off running.

After the voice on the iPod said "2 kilometers," (I had set it for a 5k distance since I already had the first mile done) I started walking. Inside my head the inner loser started in on me. I wasn't a 'real' runner if I had to walk and those sorts of statements. I thought, "I'm not really a runner..." and then stopped myself.

I was wearing my Tufts 10k shirt and thought, "If I'm not a runner, how did I manage to get through that race?" I began thinking about the times and miles I've logged not only here but also in San Diego, New York and Lancaster. Some of them road miles, some of the treadmills. Obviously I AM a runner because if I wasn't, why would I do those things?

I started to run again just before the iPod voice told me, "Congratulations, you are now at the halfway point." Then the song "Rock and Roll Girls" by John Fogerty came up and those immortal words that described today, "Sometime I think life is just a rodeo, the trick is to ride and make it to the bell."

That, boys and girls, is today's theme.

I ran the rest of the way down the hill, reaching my imanginary finish line shortly after I was congratulated for "reaching my goal" (told you that .16 adds up).

Tomorrow's an XT day for me, so I'll probably do some yoga or the balance ball to stretch out my muscles. Maybe I'll make some time to head over to the high school track and try calibrating things to be just a bit closer to real. If not, I'll just keep adjusting like I always do.

Press the Center Button...

...to start your workout.

At least that's what the voice in my ear told me to do this morning when I went out for my first run with the Nike+ kit. There are a couple of fumble points during the workout - like when I wanted to pause it while I waited for a traffic light and instead it gave me a distance and time.

For the most part it was kind of nice to have a voice telling me "You have gone 1 kilometer."

Unfortunately, what the iPod thought was 1 kilometer is different than what the USTFA map says is 1 kilometer. In fact, it ended my 5k workout at the 2.5 mile mark on my GIS mapping software.

So this means I'm going to have to head down to the track at some point to calibrate the running measurements because the walking is pretty close.

There is a piece of me that wants to keep the Nike measurements - it had me doing a total of 3.55 miles at a 10:53 pace instead of the 3 miles at just shy of 13 minute pace (12:54 today), but I know better.

Once it's all calibrated, I suspect that this will be an incredible tool to help me. I know there are training podcasts that you can download and such, so I'm pretty excited.

Until then, I'll remember that pressing the center button gives me current distance, time and pace while pressing the pause button is the first step to ending the workout. It won't be long before these things are automatic and I'm looking at my progress charts at the Nike site with a smile growing sense of confidence.

Calibration

Yesterday was my birthday - so Mr. Bear and the boys pitched in to get me a 2 gig nano with the Nike+ kit.

Woo Hoo!

My best friend gave me an RC Mach 5 (go Speedracer go) - which I promptly used to annoy the cat.

Today was about getting the iPod set up and calibrated. It's accurate enough for me. I went out for a walk - which the kit picked up as 2.25 miles instead of 2.23... I can live with that for now. Sure, I'll probably recalibrate at some point when I'm doing longer distances, but for now I'm OK.

The Nike+ support site has a section where you can set goals for yourself, so I decided I'd like to do at least 40 miles in the month of November. That's 10 miles a week, which I should be able to do. If nothing else it will get me off my butt on those days when I'm looking outside and thinking, "But it's cold out there...."

Because my morning is already pretty solid tomorrow (new editor, new deadline), I'm hoping to get a run in tomorrow around lunch time and see how I do with it then.

So I'm happy. I have a couple of cool new toys to play with. I think the cat likes the Nano better - at least that doesn't chase her around the kitchen and spin out doing donuts on the tiles.