Run log

November was a month of running.  Lots and lots of running...and only one race.  Coach Mike decided that we need to build our base miles while the weather is good & hopefully keep that solid base through the winter and spring, so we're ready for marathon training come June.  We've had 'run club' a few times...once just me and Dodd.  Once me & Kelly & Mike {first time at run club}  My IT band & right knee are so stressed from Saturday's run, that I don't want to run with faster people this week...so I'm not even offering up a day.  Hoping to get in 4 tomorrow between the rain drops.  NERC standings have me a solid overall third.  I will stay there unless one of two things happen.  1.  Crystal runs the Run Santa Run.  2. Leslie runs the Run Santa Run & beats me.  {I should just say, Leslie runs the Run Santa Run, because I have yet to beat her in a 5k.}  Worst case, I slip to Masters 2.  I think at that point I'd rather be #1 in my age group.

Mike & I are lifting on Saturday mornings.  I can bench half my body weight & am deep swimmer pressing 15 pounds for three reps.  I'm also taking HITT class on Wednesdays.

November Totals:

126.47 miles for the month ~ makes up for the two months I was under 100!
1292.16 miles for the year 

199.13 miles in my Gortex Ghosts ~ one wear on a wet Sunday morning!

289.79 miles in my Nike Vomero ~ My go-to shorter run shoes

264.62 miles in my light blue Brooks Glycerin 11 ~ that look much dirtier than they should for that mileage.

Training for:   a fall marathon!  Base Building

Podcasts I'm listening to: Marathon Training Academy, Lore, Stuff You Missed in History Class, Dear Sugar, Stuff You Should Know, & This American Life, Love & Radio, RadioLab & Stuff to Blow Your Mind.  New one: Neighbors

My WEIGHT: After gorging myself these last five days...I was 135 this morning.  Very thankful for that.

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month:  13.57 ~ UP the hill to THOMPSON.  Oh my aching IT band & my AWESOMENESS all in one.

Highest  weekly mileage this month: 43.61 miles ~ Nov 8 to Nov 15

Favorite place to run this month: 528 to Thompson {can't say it was my fav ~ but it's the one I'm most proud of}

# of bags of Candy Cane Kisses left in my cabinet:  Haven't bought one...but sure would like someone to give me a bag.
# of books I read this month: three
Monthly mileage record: 156.69 ~ March 2015 {purposely ran 8 (on a treadmill) on March 30 to beat the August 2013 record}
Highest mileage ever-at-one-time:  26.36 ~ May 17, 2015 The Cleveland Marathon

PR's:
5K: 22:30 (Run For the Grapes 9/28/14}
10K: 50:13 {Run for the Hills 6/22/14 & TIED the time Run for the Hills 6/21/15)
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)
half-marathon: 1:44:42 (Northern Ohio Half Marathon 10/4/15)
marathon: 3:57:31 (The Cleveland Marathon 5/17/15)

#23 The Siren

#23 is The Siren by Tiffany Reisz.  This was the Harlequin book I read this year ~ and for a Harlequin book it was very well written.  Interesting that the main character is a Dominatrix/writer who is working with a new editor.  The book starts with the new editor & ends when she finishes the book...and all the dirty details happen in between.  This is the first in a very long series...but I don't really like the main character...nor to I really relate to her...so I probably won't read any more in the series.  But it was a quick read and a good break from the serious books I usually read {and if you look at the list of what I read...you'll realize the sarcasm in that statement}

fl:There was no such think as London fog --never had been. ll: The most familiar darkness...her darkness..she was home.

Turkey Day

For the fifth year, the Barton clan has run the Turkey Day 5k.  A great event...in the snow & in the ice  {previous years} & today...45 degrees & windy.  I'll take today over all those other years.  Love how this event has grown & become part of our tradition.

Patrick came home LATE last night...and I was sound asleep.  So he was still in bed {and I think Jacob wished he were too}  Marge RAN her first 5k & had a great race.  

Pre-race Selfie  ~ Jacob, Becky & Mike

The race started at 8:30...and I managed to NOT have to wait in line EVER for a bathroom.  Seems everyone waited inside...so I used the port-o-pots outside, since it was rather warm...and NO LINE.  {1,300 people & NO LINE?  That is something to be thankful for!}  So the start did not, as Mike pointed out, have AC/DC playing.  Nor did it have fireworks.  Nor did it have stands of fans the first quarter mile.  It did have LOTS of little kids.  Three of which sprinted out & about a tenth of a mile in I hear, "Ok guys, it's time to walk."  So they just stop...as 1,250 people are still running at a pretty fast clip right behind them.  Mike had a rough time with on particular little dude who made it his mission to cut right in front of him for the first mile and a half...until Mike finally passed him (and me).  I liked how I got to Lake Erie College before the leaders made the turn and ran back toward me.  I like how that makes me feel like one of the 'leaders'.  

Overall, I'm happy with my time.  Didn't turn on my watch (battery was low & I wanted to get in two more miles after the race & needed to use the GPS on the watch for that) so I wasn't sure of my pace...just ran by feel & while I was pushing, I wasn't hurting ~ so 23:09 is a great time for me.  But not good enough for first place {and a pie}.  

HOLY COW ~ a 49 year old woman ran 20:14?!?!  Enjoy your pie fast old lady!  That's something!  I'm amazed and impressed.  And I still won gloves.  What a great prize!

Once again I was last for the family & the only one to place.  Jacob finished just behind Kelly {22:36} and Mike was 22:54.  VERY close to his PR.  {22:51}

And had to include selfies with two of my favorite running friends!  Can't wait for Brenda's knee to heal so we can run her Birthday Ice Cream Run!  & Kelly has talked me into co-race directing the Red Bird Run with her.  Thankful for the people & opportunities running has brought me.  This year's race shirt says it all:

And cleaning out my Fall Decor...Time to get rid of this AMAZING coaching gift.  How adorable is this pumpkin?  Wish I could save it forever, but that little spot on the bottom is telling me I better not.

#22 look me in the eye

This is something I've never really done before.  I read the beginning of this book & then the end.  But I'm counting it as #22 ~ look me in the eye, my life with asperger's by John Elder Robison.  Very interesting story of a life with Asperger's.  John Elder is a fifty year old man recalling his life as a child and young man with undiagnosed Asperger's.  He had a honorific childhood with an abusive alcoholic father and a mentally unstable mother.  I quit reading when, as a teenager, he set up a cult-like scene of a hanging (mannequin) and hid in the woods to watch the response.  I skipped through the book to see his rise of a career and marriage and birth of a son.  Then I read the epilogue where he recorded the death of his dad and the way they were able to fashion a good relationship out of the mess of their past.

Word (from the Author's Notes) ~  neurotypical {the opposite of Aspergian}

fl: "Look me in the eye, young man.!" ll: It will take a few more years (I hope!), but I'm looking forward to the day when I can watch Cubby take his own son to the train yard to watch the locomotives.

#21 ~ X

I finally finished #21 ~ X (Kinsey Millhone Book 24) by Sue Grafton.  I read about 75% of it a month ago...but not in time to actually finish it ~ and it disappeared off my Kindle.  I had fallen asleep so many times while reading it, I wasn't too sure of the people & events when I finally got it back...so I read the whole thing again.  Glad I did, because I missed so many of the details the first time through.  Another great Kinsey Mystery.  {Can't believe there are only two more to come}  In this story Kinsey is once again accidentally figuring out the mystery.  She doesn't really know who she's investigating until a little on in the story.  Another detective has died & Kinsey finds herself following his vague case notes to figure out what he was trying to solve.  It's always an adventure to follow her twists and turns & to see her thought process.  Great character.  I am envious of those who can start at A now and follow her through without the YEARS in between books.

Quote:

p320 ~ Her lipstick was bright red and looked like it wouldn't come off on the lip of her coffee cup the first time she took as ip.  I report this in detail because she's the sort of woman I want to be when I grow up.  No chance of it at this late date, but all the same...

fl: Teddy Xanakis would have to steal the painting.  ll: As for Pete Wolinsky, I acknowledge that I misjudged him and I hope he may rest in peace, wherever he may be.