Christmas Running

In the city. Nothing but fun!!!

No kids home this year. Just us and the fluffies. So we decided to try something new… We ran away. Packed our bags and headed south to San Antonio.

Phil wanted to watch the Spurs. I wanted to run the Riverwalk. It was a wonderful plan.

We ended up not running till Boxing Day, but that’s no big deal. Got up to a balmy 72 degrees so we dressed and headed out.

We spent a couple of hours running and playing and taking pix.

Perfect morning.

Just us and the birds out enjoying the trail.

Belated Merry Christmas from San Antonio, pals.

And just as a bonus, I discovered the best graffiti ever as we were trotting along.

Don’t be coconuts. Get out there and enjoy another run.

Run in Peace

It’s been a hard year for runners in the old U S of A. Seems that every time I turn on the news another one of us has been shot or run down or abducted.

And since I know that you already are doing everything you can to stay safe without giving up your favorite healthy activity, today’s post is just a memorial for those runners we will miss in 2015.

Brent Morrison, 44, Fort Smith, AR.

Marcus Bunce, 26, Riverton, KS.

David Stevens, 53, White Rock Lake, TX.

James Caffrey, 51, Shaker Heights, OH.

Cameron Bean, 28, Chattanooga, TN.

Cathy Chatfield, 57, Cincinnati, TN.

The sad fact is that there are many more than I can list here. Run safely out there, pals.

The Longest Night

Welcome winter solstice. For anyone who lives in the northern hemisphere, this is a big deal. Ok, not for everyone, maybe. But for those of us who live or have lived in the cold, dark, snowy, wintery part of the hemisphere? Definitely.

Sunrise today was at 7:24 a.m.

Sunset will be at 5 p.m.

That gives us 9 hours and 36 minutes of daylight.

Traditional winter solstice celebrations generally include bonfires and feasts.

So the question is…how can I celebrate the winter solstice with running?

Run for all 9 hours and 36 minutes? That would be fun but not reasonable. I do have to go to work after all.

Run 9 miles and 36 feet? That’s worth considering. I might have to get up a little earlier than usual, but that’s not unmanageable.

Run the sun up. That’s what I’ll do. That’s what I did. Whatever.

I spent a little time with my friend Mr. Google and learned that “civil twilight” begins at 6:55 a.m. Civil twilight is the period before and after sunrise and sunset when you don’t need artificial light, there should be sufficient natural light to see where you’re going.

So, although it might make my getting ready for work time a little limited, I’ll leave the house at 6:55 to make the most of the light on this shortest day of the year. I’ll head east, to enjoy the sunrise, and run a simple out and back.

The flaw with this plan? It gives me just under half an hour to run. While I’m fine with running for time not distance, that’s not very long.

Change in plans. I’ll go out earlier, with my knuckle lights like usual, but make sure I’m heading east at 7:24 when the sun officially rises.

There was a star in the sky when I began. And as I trotted along the sky gradually grew brighter.

Until… ta dah…. The sun made its appearance.

Tomorrow the days officially begin to get a little bit longer. Not any warmer, maybe, but longer. And more sunshine is a good thing.

Enjoy the day, pals.

Tradition Tradition

We all have traditions associated with this time of the year. Sometimes old traditions fade away and sometimes new traditions come along. It’s all good.

We open our gifts Christmas Eve… We feast on bagels and lox Christmas morning… And our newest addition… We enjoy our annual Christmas light run.

Fabulous.

Last night Phil and I drove out to Carthage to enjoy their annual Run Through the Lights. We didn’t get to run through just the ordinary lights you see around town, we ran through the Way of Salvation lights put up every year by the Congregation of the Mother Co-Redemptrix. Beautiful!!!

And not only was it a lovely night run:

Hard to take good pictures when you’re running.

I had one of my best runs of the year. Just over four miles at a faster pace than I’ve run in ages. 8:45. Not fast if you’re a speedy Gonzales. But for an old broad? I’m happy with those numbers.

We started here:

Then ran through the lights, up a couple of hills, around the town square and back again.

A few snow flakes splatted against my face about half way through the course. Maybe six. grin.

When we were done, hot chocolate and cookies were waiting to be enjoyed.

Merry Christmas, pals.

 

 

 

Learning to Run in the Dark

Sunday night. 5 p.m. Football on tv. To-do list done. Except one last item.

Go for a run.

Any problems? Not really. Except that sunset was at 5:02 p.m. Not a lot of time to get out there before dark.

You all know that I often run in the dark. I’m out there early in the morning before the sun comes up. But I learned something interesting. It’s different running in the evening.

In the morning, I start in the dark and the day brightens around me while I’m out. In the evening, I start in the twilight and the day darkens around me while I’m out. And it feels very different.

Yes, I wore my neon yellow jacket and carried my knuckle lights. Safety first, after all.

See? It practically glows.

But there was one lesson I learned last night…

Don’t try a new route if you can’t really see where you’re going. I set off heading west on 10th. Fine. My plan was to do a simple out and back. Over to 10th and then west for 30 minutes. Then turn around and head home.

Good plan, right?

Except that 10th dwindled down from a paved street to a muddy gravel road to a path along the railroad tracks. Then it ended altogether.

Fine. I turned right and headed over to 12th. No big deal.

Then 12th ended at a T intersection.

I turned right again and took the path along Murphy. The problem? Murphy runs diagonally and it always screws me up. I ended up at Joplin’s version of the Bermuda triangle where Murphy meets 15th. Twice.

All’s well that ends well. Of course you know that I made it home. But I’m not saying how long I stood and debated my options. Right on 15th? Left on 15th? Which would take me home and which would give me an unintentional extension?

A little extra exercise would be fine, but really, it was almost time for Bob’s Burgers and I really wanted to be home in time for THAT.

 

Merry Merry

Apparently Christmas is coming. I know this because I keep seeing lists of gifts for the runners in my life.

Know what your runner wants for Christmas? Click here to find out.

Ha.

(Don’t click. It’s an ad.)

In the name of blog research, I clicked for you. I really wanted to see what I want for Christmas. Especially since my list so far includes…a book? Maybe?

But I digress. I clicked. (You’re welcome.) And I learned. Running is expensive. Runners have expensive tastes. And runners like shiny, new, glow-in-the-dark gear and accessories.

Seriously.

Don’t click.

I’ve been a runner for…a lot of years. And somehow I’ve managed all this time without a reflective headband. Or glow in the dark socks. Or a light to clip onto Ax’s collar. Weird, I know.

So…Christmas gifts for the runner in your life?

Run with her. This absolutely tops this runner’s list. Promise a run with your mum during your next trip home. And please, please, please keep that promise.

Cheer for her. If you can’t imagine running even a block with the runner in your life, make a sign and hang out at her next race. It may well be the high point in her run.

Or if you absolutely have to spend money on her…

Enter her in a race close to you. That way she can see you AND run. Score. This looks like fun. Or this.

But remember… She’s not just a runner. She’s also your mum or your wife or your sister or something… Maybe she’d just like some nice lotion.

Merry Christmas pals.

Run Fail

So if we’re going to talk about the fabulous runs, it’s only fair to talk about the crappy runs too, right? Because I know I’m not the only one out here who occasionally has a really sucky run. Like Saturday’s.

It should have been GREAT. It was a beautiful running day. Warm and sunny. No wind. Almost nobody on our closest little trail. Perfect. But the run? Spectacular fail.

For the first time EVER, we bailed. Ran the loop once (we were planning on at least twice), then walked to the car and drove home. Seriously.

So what went wrong? Well, as in most of life, operator error caused my problems.

I knew I shouldn’t have enjoyed that second glass (maybe bottle) of wine Friday night. And I should have gone to bed and to sleep several hours earlier.

I dressed much too warmly. Apparently the temperature changed between the time I dressed and the 30 minutes later when I was actual hit the trail.

And maybe I should have just persevered, but there was just nothing there.

Of course there’s always an up side…I had plenty of time to prepare for the birthday celebrations we had planned for later in the day 🙂

And Sunday’s “recovery” run was much, much better. So good, in fact, that I’m finally going to share one of my favorite Sunday run pix with you.

Luau cat. Just coming home from a night on the town when I was heading out for my run. Hope he makes you as happy as he makes me.

 

December for Runners

Ok… I know you’re all busy getting ready for Christmas. Some of you still have children at home. And all of us have extra commitments. The question that raises is… When do you run?

How, during this busy season, do you get your runs in?

Of course you know my answer…except that it’s pretty darned dark at 5 a.m. Yikes.

So let’s consider other options.

After work? Dark.

Treadmill? Boring.

But…how about Christmas runs?

Last week we missed the annual Turkey Trot, but there are many more to choose from.

On Saturday there’s a trail run not too far from home. You Don’t Know Jack. And if that’s not enough notice for you….

There are Ugly Sweater and Christmas Light runs everywhere. And of course there will New Year’s runs at the end of the month.

If I can find runs on the 19th and the 26th, that would take care of my Saturday runs all month. It’s easy to do a daylight run on Sunday, obviously. So I’ll only have to squeeze one or two runs into the dark hours of the work week. Not a problem.

Remember last year? And my DIY Christmas light run?

Maybe I’ll go that route. Either early or late, the lights are shining on Main Street.