TandemHearts

January 30 and I needed 9.33 more miles to make my running goal for the month and it was windy and raining.  I headed out to try a new a new longer loop which I estimated to be somewhere between 8 and 9 miles;  knowing that whatever mileage I don’t get today, I’ll get tomorrow.  This new loop goes through a housing area where all the streets have been laid out, but the houses are on hold.  It seemed like a good place to run with no traffic.    Well… it did not go as planned.  The trail that I thought connected with another trail didn’t.  Many of the streets were blocked off with large fences.    While I could see where I wanted to be, the only way to get to it was across a muddy  field.  I hoofed across it as the skies really opened up and I was deluged with a cold, driving rain in the face.    At this point I was so demoralized that I decided to just head for home – only to be balked by yet another fence across the road.   I considered calling Thom to come get me, but I knew that would take him at least 15 minutes and I could home be by then.   I was cold, wet, and muddy; and I had only run two miles.   Well, I reasoned, to get home would be at least one more mile and there’s always tomorrow.  I exited the housing area and got back on a road I knew, which did wonders for my mood.  Maybe having the wind at my back and no more rain in the face helped too.  As I warmed up I decided instead of heading straight for home,  I could put in two more miles.  When I got to that turn off,  I was still feeling good and continued on a route that would add another 1.5 miles to my total.   I finished up with 6.35 miles for the day.  Not bad given the conditions.  I can put in an easy three miles tomorrow and have my goal for the month.

February’s goal is to be more disciplined about doing my work day runs.   Darn job gets in the way.    All the weekend runs got done, but those work day ones are hard.   Now if I were to  count my hiking miles. ..  I’d be right on track.  Thom and I  did a hard 8+ mile hike up Diablo to Eagle’s Peak two weekends ago.   It was beautiful and got us out of the drizmal fog we have for days on end here in the Delta.    BUT they don’t count.

I got in all my spinning for the month. Woohoo for me!    The first few rides I was really feeling the lack of time in the saddle.  I think it’s probably time for some new bike shorts too since I have not  bought bike shorts in three or four years.  Some of the pairs I have are now downright baggy – for lycra.

My February running mileage goal and spinning time goal are the same as January’s.  However,  I want to focus on getting out consistently three times a week to run.  I’ve also come to the conclusion that I have to get leaner if I want my running pace to improve substantially.  I am really close to a ten minute average pace now, but I want more.    To that end I’m working on eliminating more of the sugar in my diet.  Two years ago I switched out my dessert cookie at lunch for a flavored  yogurt.  Now I’ve given up the yogurt too.  Shawna would like me to cut out the tablespoon of maple syrup from my breakfast oatmeal, but that’s a harder sell.  Oatmeal needs something on it.   I’ve tried peanut butter and I’ve tried it plain… it’s hard to choke down that way.  I may end up giving up on oatmeal and making my breakfast something with Greek yogurt, which is like the perfect food.  It’s creamy, but has very little taste which means you can add interesting things to it.  A 1 cup serving size has 150 calories , 4.5 grams of fat, almost no sodium, 9 grams of sugar and 19 grams of protein.  I still believe food should taste good and be enjoyable, so I’ll continue experimenting until I find something with less sugar that I like.