Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Some random thoughts while finishing my race report

I am almost done with my CIM race recap, but it appears that race photos will be posted tomorrow, so I'm waiting to publish in case there are some pictures to add.

In the meantime. Yesterday we flew home from Sacramento, and I didn't work out at all. It was my recovery day. My full body achiness from Sunday, and my leg achiness from Sunday night, had pretty much fully dissipated by Monday. My quads were still quite sore though, as they often are after running a lot of hills, especially at race pace. This was especially apparent once I got home and was walking up and, oh my, down the stairs in my house! Today I can still feel it in my legs, but otherwise I feel completely physically recovered from the race. I went to the Y this morning and spent 70-or-so minutes on the elliptical.

I am intending to run tomorrow but I don't want to go out in the morning (at 6 a.m.) because we are experiencing a bitter cold wave here in the Northwest. Night and early morning temps have been in the teens, and daytime has barely risen above freezing. In fact it hasn't—today the current temperature at 7 p.m. is 20, and the high was 30. It was cold and clear and sunny, and the same is promised for tomorrow, although the highs and lows are supposed to be a few degrees "warmer."

So my plan, if my work day allows for it, is to bring (warm) running clothes to work, and go for an easy run in mid-afternoon, when the sun is out, the temperature is at its peak, and before the sun sinks back behind the mountains, leaving us in chilly twilight. So about 2:00 sounds ideal (I know I have court at 1:00, so lunchtime is not an option). I'll just go to the Y in the morning for some elliptical time, in case the running thing doesn't work out (I am completely resisting the idea of running on the treadmill).

I don't think it's too soon to run. I feel fine, and I'm expecting to be slow.

I have decided not to get on the scale at all for a week. This is my opportunity to get back on track from the last few days of conspicuous consumption. (In my case, "taper madness" meant Eating. Everything. In. Sight.) Of course, this is also the week for Jennifer's birthday lunch, the Public Defender's Christmas party, and my Book Club meeting, which is always a feast of food and drink. Especially since our book is one in which the characters regularly gorge themselves on honey and rich Southern food. And we like to emulate the book in our menus. And we're also doing a cookie exchange. Which, by the way, means I will be baking cookies sometime this week.

Today I got a box from Road Runner Sports containing not running gear, but several pairs of shoes I ordered from their "casual" collection. My feet have been begging for comfy and warm, something which 90% of my shoe collection is not. I got two pairs like this (brown and green), and two pairs like this (black and tan). I am wearing the green pair right now (to try them out) and my feet are being caressed by fleecy sheepskin. Oh yes, yes, baby....

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