A week in running

It's been a short week thanks to the holiday being on monday. So much going on and the arrival of fall like weather makes everything so much better.  I could seriously just curl up with a big fuzzy blanket and the windows open,  and sip pumpkin flavored coffee and or beer:)  It has made my running towards the end of the week so much better as well.  Hello fast paces, where have you been???

I decided to take a rest day on monday after our 11 miles at out at Konza sunday.  Even taking it easy, Konza whoops my butt every time we run out there.  My BRF and i decided no more long runs out there till after the race.  She is still fighting some lingering hamstring issues and I seem to be battling some sort of shin issue, so we need to heal.  We have a 13 miler on tap for tomorrow and we are running in wamego for sure.  Flat and easy is the name of the game till the race.  I am going to use my long run for my virtual half that i am doing for the Pounding for Paws virtual race.  My dog friends talked me into doing this one and it benefits cattle dog rescue which is fine by me.  I get a medal, stella gets to do 13.1 with me, and my BRF gets her long run done.

I re-arranged my running schedule and did my pace run tuesday night.  It was super hot and super humid, even at 9 pm at night, and my pace showed it.  I wanted to hold a 9:10, which is my 10 K dream pace, but it crept up to 9:30, which is what my 10 K pace has been more like in these summer races.  I was disappointed, but I just keep telling myself, fall is coming, fall is coming.  I am not sure when exactly my left leg started bothering me, but it started feeling off on thursday.  While it didn't really hurt when not running, I decided to put my compression socks on and wear them to work, which has worked for me in the past.  I noticed more when I ran a recovery 4 miler on wednesday night, as it seemed to burn and hurt for the first  half of a mile, and then all the weird feelings went away.  The problem so far has been that it only hurts for a little while as I warm up, it goes away and doesn't hurt when I just walk or work, so I forgot about it.  Thursday night was another steak night date night so rest night.  Got to get these in while my brother in law still lives with us and doesn't mind baby sitting.  He did by the way get a job and starts monday (HUGE sigh of relief).  Now to help him budget and find his own little place to rent.

I decided to do my repeats friday night, my recovery 3 saturday and my 13 sunday, when my BRF would be back in town.  Even though she hasn't been doing speed work, she was a trooper and came with me to my favorite place to do repeats.  She tried but her hammy was really bothering her, and neither of us want her to be injured so she stuck with 400s.  I had two 800s, a five minute break and then four 400s.  I really do love 400s, especially after doing 800s.  My pace plan was 2 minute 400s and 4 minute 800s, and thanks to the much cooler weather (we actually were chilly in our typical summer running gear), I was able to hit some much faster times.  My leg bothered me on and off, but not really a bad pain, just a hey, I'm here and not feeling great feeling.  I have decided no playing around, monday will be a call to doug at body first for sure. I have been trying to stay super hydrated, stretch as much as I can, and keep my leg up and compression socks on as much as possible.  I am sure it has something to do with my calf muscle, so I am hoping it is fixable, and that running 13 on it this weekend isn't stupid.  At least if we can fix me long enough to finish Conquer the Konza, then the rest of the races I have are only 13.1 or less and not near as tough terrain.

We have been putting this off for a while but today was the day:

We took andrew to tony's local barber who coincidentally was named Tony as well.  Tony the barber did an AWESOME job cutting andrew's hair.  Not a peep or a cry was heard and for the most part he sat very still and let him cut.  We didn't use clippers this time but maybe next time.  

There was some bribery as he got a little fidgety at the end.  I think what bothered him the most was the little cotton stuff that they put on his neck.  Why do they use that anyway, anyone know?

We took him to the park first to wear him out and ride the train, so maybe that helped.  I am sad to see his curls go, but I am proud that I didn't cry.  He looks like a little boy now with the curls gone:(  I did have him cut me one big curl to save, and have already put it in his baby book.  

After the barber shop, we loaded up and headed to manhattan to play at the chick fil a play place.  Am i the only mom that gets a whee bit annoyed when parents dump their much larger and much older than suppose to be playing on the equipment kids in the play place?  The place was hopping, even at 1, and even a few weeks after opening.  We also made a quick visit to the local running store to load up on fuel for the coming weeks and to see how many miles I had on my current shoes, just in case that is the cause of my leg bothering me.  After I added in when I bought them, it seems I have at least 100 more miles on them before I should really think about retiring them.  Good to know.  Glad that mapmyrun now has a shoe tracker so I don't have to guess as much either.  

  

Have a happy rest of your saturday!  Hope your long runs are great and the weather is fall like, like it is here in north west kansas:)

Dog running accessories

At the latest dog race that I did with miss stella, I got lots of questions about what I gear I use when we run together.  I thought it might be appropriate to do a dog blog of sorts on accessories.  I know there are lots of choices out there but here are my favorites:

Hands Free running leash and waist belt:  Before I knew better, I would tie a longish leash around my waist and go.  I don't like having things in my hands while I run and i really hated having a leash in my hands.  If I can't swing my arms correctly when I run, I feel like I can't run.  I would often come home with massive bruises on my waist and back from stella pulling, as there is always a learning curve when dogs are learning to run with you.  There are tons of options out there for running hands free, but the leash and waist belt combo from Stunt Puppy are my favorite.  Plus, bonus, they are MADE IN THE USA!  Here is a link to their website if you want to read up on their story.  I am very lucky that our local running store carried their products and were very knowledgeable about them.  What I love about their hand's free leash is that the material slides so the waist belt slides and the swivels on the attachments swivel, so stella can comfortably switch from side to side without me having to re arrange everything.  I also like that the leash portion attaches to her harness but also has a hook attachment that I can take off from my waist if I want to hold on to her better.  When we are out on the back roads and I know we are safe, I will unhook her from her harness and just wrap the leash around my waist and hook it to the D ring on the waist belt.  Nothing left to dangle or get tangled or to hang on to and since it is light weight, I don't even notice it on my waist.  I have also on occasion y y yoked both dogs via their harness to the waist belt and have had no issues with both dogs on the same belt.  The leash portion is nice too because it is a stretch bungee like material that is short but can be longer if pulled on.  There is also a handle on the leash portion if you need to reel your dog in closer that i really like.  Sometimes stella is a road or sidewalk hog so I have to gently remind her to stay close.  I noticed that now they even have a reflective waist and leash belt combo that looks really cool and very reflective, something miss stella and I need while we run since we got out a lot at night.  I have even gotten to where this is my everyday leash for her as it is so easy and comfortable to use.

Harness:  Since all of my dogs start out pulling when we start running, I prefer to start them out in a harness, specifically a Y harness.  My last two running dogs, stella and deuce have stayed in harnesses even after they learned not to pull.  The harness I prefer is the Hurrta padded Y harness.  I have let them run in comfort flex harnesses before hut I really like the way the Y harness gives them freedom of extension in their shoulders.  Plus the padded Y harnesses have reflectiveness on them already.  The only problem is that my dogs have a ton of hair so you may or may not be able to see the harness or the reflectiveness.  I have not noticed any rubbing or hair loss with the padded versions.  I like the bright colors though and miss stella does look pretty in pink.  They are very easy to get on and off with one very sturdy snap on the side/back and one D ring on the back where I attach the running leash.  Note to those who use harnesses, this harness does not have any other rings on it, just in the back so you cannot attach your leash to the front to use as a no pull type of harness.  This harness has been through mud, snow, sleet, hail and rain and still is very bright and pretty.  I was lucky and found a local dealer that I bought my harness from but if you don't have anyone local, you can order from amazon for very reasonable prices.   

Cooling coats:  I started using Cool Coats  carried by clean run many many years ago when outdoor agility trials were popular.  

This one has been handed down from miller, to deuce to stella and is still in perfect condition.  I love the fit and I love the belly band plus the purple trim is perfect for at KSU fan like me.  You simply dip the coat in cold water (i have a specific thermos cooler for cool coat water LOL), wring it out and then put the coat on the dog.  I love the fact that when you put your hand under the coat after they have had it on, that they feel cool and comfortable.  This coat has been all over the country with miller and I, and now it travels to all of the runs stella and I do, and the agility camps that deuce and I do.  There a more options out there than ever for cooling coats, but this one is so simple and affordable and carried on the clean run site.  Just make sure you measure according to their instructions to get proper fit.  I am sure you can get them on Amazon and they are made by Saratoga Horseworks and are carried on the Clean run website.  I have not tried running her with this on so I use it post run and am currently on the hunt for something we can use mid run.  Will get back to you on what I find.

Other gear:  I am still on the hunt for some good boots for snow running. Last year was our first full year to train in the winter, as we usually hibernate and go into strength training mode.  I had too many spring halfs to do that, so we braved the winter weather and ran in all sorts of winter conditions.  I did notice that after 4 or so miles in snow, the snow would start to ball up on stella's feet and cause her some discomfort.  This winter, we are going to try some different options and report back on what we liked.  I never felt like she needed a coat for warmth as she has a nice moderate under coat already in place.  

So those are my favorite products for running with your dogs!  Feel free to leave a comment on what your favorites are and why. 

 

Photo dumpage

So here are some random photos I have accumulated over the past few days that I need to dump.  Like this one.

Love great free pictures from races. Wish I was looking up but oh well.  Body First, here is a good advertisement for you.  I think you should sponsor me and give me free massages for advertising for you at all of my races:)  What can I say, I love my running hat.

The local paper did a little pic from this weekend's 5 K, the Purple Paws Trails for Tails.  This is stella and I getting our medal.  

This was the new field for disc dog practice.  I guess I failed to mention we had disc dog practice right after our 5 K.  Miss stella was hot and tired so it wasn't our best but it still was fun.  We are learning so much about this great sport and can't wait to learn more.  We officially have our practice discs and have been practicing.  

She was very interested in what Nadja was doing with that big camera.

Love this one!  Thanks Nadja for shooting these.

A funny outtake from picture taking at the 5 K.  

Not really sure what I am pointing at.  A little down time with my aussie posse before awards.

And finally this!  My first 100 mile month!  I know that isn't a biggie for most runners but it was HUGE for me.  For some reason, it didn't count my 5 K i did saturday so I was actually at 103 but who cares.  Can't wait to keep logging big numbers like this.  

And finally, a few words about something that I have been thinking about a lot lately.  If your read my other blog at all, I whined about debated this a lot.  This weekend I missed one of our local dog shows.  I really thought it would kill me to see everyone's updates and pictures.  Instead, I thoroughly enjoyed all the updates but did not feel one bit of sadness for missing.  This is a show that I have gone to for years, no matter what, and this year, I just didn't enter.  Partially because we are supporting a fourth member of the family for now and I just couldn't justify spending a hotel/food costs on me and put the family in a financial hard spot.  Partially because I just haven't had the time and or desire to drive out to the practice fields and practice.  I have learned at the beginning of this year, when I put the time in to work on issues and practice, they get marginally better in the show ring, but when I use agility shows as practice, I walk away very disappointed.  So, to combat these issues, I am  not entering anymore shows till we are back down to a family of three, AND I have put in good solid work on deuce.  Right now, I am still battling allergy issues with him and the affects of yet another round of steroids.  I am sure that having this aggravations will not help his success in  agility.  Agility is just going to go on the down low for now and I am at peace with that decision.  I do miss my friends very very much and may have to plan a KC day trip just to see all of them.  

Rainbows and bunnies

I could see the storm clouds building as we drove into Konza this morning, even before the sun rose.  They were big and fluffy and white.

They seem to be far south of us, so we headed out for two loops, one the 6 point something loop, and then the four point something loop to hopefully get us the 11 we needed.  Yes, we did run around the parking lot like idiots when we didn't quite hit 11 at the end of the loops.  Yes, I totally need to charge my watch before we head out as it died.  My phone is always a little conservative on mileage, so walked extra at the end just in case.  

As we climbed hill after hill, we could see the rain and the numerous rainbows.  The wind was blowing from the east, north east, so we thought the storms would stay south of us.  We saw some amazing rainbows form, due to the sun being out to the east and the storms being south.

We saw vertical rainbows and double rainbows and single rainbows that you felt like you could reach out and touch.  

It was truly beautiful.  It rained on us, first a slight drizzle, then a steady downpour, but nothing too bad.  After the last, very hot and very painful run out there, the rain was welcomed, along with the breeze that it brought.  By the end of the 11, the rain had stopped, and we finished on a good note.  Both of us had run races the day before, so our legs were not the freshest.  We took walk breaks, took lots of pictures, marveled at the wildlife, and got in our therapy sessions that once a week keep us sane.  I felt a lot better about racing out there after this run and confident that even if we have to walk and or take short breaks, that we should be able to finish this race in under 3 hours (although we still don't have a time goal really).  Tomorrow is a holiday and we are going to take a nice long walk in the morning to stretch out our very tired legs.  So far I have been able to keep the tiny tot busy with either puzzles, toys, videos and or food, so that i can just keep rest and my legs up.  

I did get to wear my hydration vest today, and other than a couple of odd places of chaffing, which I attribute to my tank top, not the vest, I LOVED wearing it.  Still getting use to the sloshing of the water bottles, but if it is going to be hot, I am going to need them.  I did tighten the vest down some and that helped but it doesn't eliminate it all together.  I did empty one of the 10 oz bottles on my run, but still had the other one full, so i should be fine and not need to fill up at all the whole race.  I didn't listen to music at all today while running, but did get my phone to fit as well as my gels in the various pockets.  I am wondering though, after several very sweaty runs, if it will start stinking at all.  I was drenched from the rain and the sweat after this run for sure.  I try and make sure to hang it up when I get home so it gets plenty of air dry time.  I really think it was a wise purchase for this race and will enjoy having it as I do more trail races.

Okay, off to go play with the red heads.  Have a great rest of your sunday!

Purple Paws Trails for Tails 5 K

Today was the first trail race of the year with stella.  We now have two trail races that benefit dogs, one here locally and one in Topeka that we will be running in November.  This was the first year for this particular race, and unfortunately, the numbers were pretty low.  It is also labor day weekend and the first football game of the year at KSU, so lots of reasons why numbers were down.  It was a very fun race and I will do it again next year for sure!  I hope it grows by leaps and bounds and gets more sponsors and more participants and dogs.  Let's start at the beginning shall we?

I asked when I picked up my packet how technical the trail was.  I am not a trail runner, although I enjoy a good trail run now and then.  I was told that the trail was mainly a six foot wide grass mowed trail with a couple of hills, one which was a little rocky.  Well, they didn't lie, I think it was just a matter of perspective.  The trail was very technical to a road runner like me, with several monster hills and two tiny bridges that sent my fear of heights and tiny bridges that look they are going to fall apart into over drive.  Good thing stella was pulling like a sled dog with her ass on fire, because I probably would have walked them.  I wish i could take pictures during trail runs because they looked like sticks held together with twine.  Anyway, it was very beautiful when I wasn't looked at my feet,  with the sunflowers in full bloom and the grass was well mowed, although wet with dew.   My shoes and socks were soaked within five minutes of starting and I am very glad I brought my flips as andrew calls them for afterwards.  My strategy was to push as hard as i could during the easier parts to make up for my slowness in climbing hills and going down hills (and bridges that i didn't know were there).  I did pass a few people and was passed several times as well.  Stella pulled the entire time, which is not like her, but I guess we don't run many runs with that many hyped up dogs.

We ended up 15th of 49 overall, 3rd in my age division of 9, and 8th female out of 32.  We had fun and got a really cute medal.

We even met some other aussie lovers, although they were moving to Mississippi:(

This was Blaze and she was a super cool aussie girlie.  We talked to her mom about running gear and cooling coats.  I should have gotten some money for all the referrals i got to the running company for running leashes.  Maybe I see a sponsorship in my future LOL!  Overall, great race.  Tough trail, good views and nice medals.  I don't medal very often so it was fun to get one.  Can't wait till next year.  Not sure how my legs are going to feel out at konza tomorrow for 11 miles but if I have to have walk breaks and run like a turtle in peanut butter, so be it!

Another race weekend?

Yep, lost my mind.  After suffering through the heat at last weekend's race, I will be doing it again this weekend.  At least this is only a 5 K, and it will be over quickly, as I am gunning for a PR.  I am really hoping it won't be too hot, since this is a dog/human race that supports the local animal shelter.  I will have to take it easy for miss stella if it does get hot.  She really isn't a fan of the heat (who really is anyway?), and I have been leaving her home some this week due to the temps.    Right now, they are predicting cooler temps with a high in the upper 80s, which should be perfect at race time, if the humidity stays at  bay.  I wish the race was starting at 7, but it seems 8 is the common starting time, even in the throes of summer.  I would gladly be up early to avoid heat.  I also have an 11 miler on tap for sunday.  I try to not ever have speed and long runs bumped together, but that is how the cookie is going to crumble this week.

This was my hill for hill work this week.  It doesn't look it by the picture, but it was a tough one.  My quads and even my groin was screaming after I was done.  It was hot, but the clouds came out and at least blocked the sun while i was on this newly paved hill.  I will definitely be visiting this hill more often.  I feel like I pick tough hills for hill work, but I am going to be visiting some that seem even tougher.  I am still not happy with my hill performances in shorter races so that is my goal for this fall, kill the hills!

My red crew, minus two for National Dog day pictures.  Funny story.  Old man miller is pretty a stand offish kind of guy.  He has been really snugly and in your face this last week and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why.  Then the other day, I caught him, em, well, humping my brother in law's female dog.  Yep, she is in heat and i guess in the standing portion of her heat cycle.  For whatever reason, even though deuce probably had his hormones the longest, she has picked miller as her suitor.  Thank God all of our boys are neutered now, as it would be a huge mess if they weren't.  Anyway, nothing has happened, he hasn't tied up with her (thank god because that would be fun to explain to a 2 year old), but they are inseparable now and he just sits there with a big goofy grin 24/7.  Whatever makes you happy old man, you deserve a little excitement in your golden years.  

And, last but not least, I signed up for this.  This is the same group that put on the Running With the Cows Half marathon (recap here), which was the third in the Heartland Series.  This was my most favorite half marathon that i have ever run.  I will admit, I am a big chicken when it comes to obstacle course races, but this one sounds like fun, and I love their races and of course their super cute merch.  We are doing this as a team, code name Udder Mothers.  I am looking forward to having a fun, hopefully not to cold group run, that involves some obstacles and mud.   

Have a great weekend!  I will have a recap of my race (hopefully some pictures this time) and probably my 11 miler this weekend, along with our disc dog playdate cook out.  

Sunday funday

Going to try and fit a quick blog in while Andrew is down for his nap.  Such a hard choice always, deciding whether or not to go down with him.  He slept late today, while I was out running, and he is taking a late nap so I may regret not sleeping with him when he is up later tonight.  Bleh.  I still need to run at least three to make up for the intervals I skipped thursday night.  With the heat index at 101 and no sight of it coming down, that may not happen.  Plus, tonight is the final episode of True Blood, one my most favorite TV shows of all time.  I am a sucker for HBO shows and cried like a baby when The Sopranos and Six Feet Under ended, as well as Sex in the City, so tonight may be a sad night in our house.  I may just have to drink a pumpkin flavored beer to drown my sorrows.

It's been a day of recovery, a day of a nice short easy run to help my BRF finish her long run and a to try out my new hydration vest for Konza.  A day of ice cream and nakedness (my son, not me).  BTW, any moms out there that read my blog, can you tell me how you keep clothes on a child?  He would rather be naked than anything.  I don't know how they keep his clothes on him at preschool.  As soon as he gets home many days, they are off in a flash. Maybe I just have an exhibitionist?

While andrew and I tried to stay cool at the house, the hubby and brother went to the movies.  They deserved it after standing in the heat cheering me on yesterday and then chasing andrew around all morning.  Hope they are having fun!  Brother in law had his first interview on friday, but not good news, so hoping this coming week is better for him.  We have given him a month to find a job, and we really hope he can find something soon so he can get out on his own. I am sure living in a house with four very active dogs and a two year old is oh so much fun for him.  Hoping it is the motivation he needs to pick up the search and find something good.

On another topic, I just don't know what to do about my baby D (that is what we call Deuce if you are new to my blog).  He is five this year and is having a hell of a time with allergies.  We have tried just about every antihistamine out there, including some pretty expensive prescription ones, and nothing is working.  We are on our fourth round of steroids now to try and calm the symptoms, so we can decide what to do.  We have also tried many different food options including different protein sources and grain free, but my vet doesn't think that it is food related.  I just feel so bad for him, and I guess we are going to have to allergy testing and shots.  My biggest fear is that it is something in our home that is causing this, and nothing we do externally is going to help it.  He is my baby, and I hate seeing him suffer while we try and figure this mess out.  Most of the antihistamines have helped with the symptoms somewhat, but nothing other than high dose steroids keep the symptoms at bay.  I will keep you posted on our progress.  

Lastly I leave you a picture of my old man miller.  He is 15 and just doing great.  Still a weird dog, but still eating, sleeping and carrying on like a young dog.  He has been really snugly this past week, which if you know him is a little odd.  We were just hanging out on the deck this morning together while andrew played.  

Have a great week and I will catch up with you soon!  School starts at KSU so town and campus will be crazy!