Happy birthday, Fred!

KS, nice 18 + 4.

As I needed to test a "windproof" fabric, I did go out for a breezy run yesterday afternoon.  After about 30 minutes I decided there was no truth in advertising.  75 minutes of pool running followed by another 30 minute run this morning, 17 degrees.

Enjoy your weekends!  We're out with some fun runners and cyclists this evening. 

Fred - Happy Birthday!

KS - This yankee can't wait til Spring!  Cabin fever bigtime!

Ribs, sounds like you had a good 10 mile run at the end of January.

KS, seeing the boats docked at dawn while on your run is a nice image.

Happy birthday, Fred.

Congratulations runnininDC for your good January running month.

I ended up doing 4 miles in the desert on Saturday--we were in a hilly spot and I didn't want to venture too far from our vehicle (I was minding the camp while my husband took our dog for an all day hike), so it was a slow run, stop, slow run again, stop, up and down the same few roads. It was great to have a Garmin watch out there; I've always had to guess (mostly inaccurately, I think) when I run in the desert. I walked another mile and a half after that. December rains had brought out a carpet of tiny pink flowers and a green mat. We were in the El Paso Mountains on the Burro Schmidt Mine Road, camped on a ridgetop with beautiful hills all around; I'm glad I ran Saturday, as Sunday a gale blew up in the morning. So, it was 33 running miles for the week. No run Sunday. Not sure what I'm going to do today.

Have a good start to your running week everyone.

Fred - did you survive turning 61?   Hope you had a good day.

Ribs - congrats on the first double digit run.  Sorry you and the saint won't get to meet dw at Ft. Worth.

6 mile progression run this morning.  1st mile as warmup 8:56 and last mile 6:04 ish.    57 degrees and 21 mph winds.   Was 78 and hot Sunday but suppose to cool off again tonight.

Good game last night.   Could have gone either way.

Sorry I missed your b'day yesterday Fred, and hope that it was a good day for you.  This is also a good time to thank you for the great contributions you make here in the form of advice and interesting articles.  This is the only site of its kind.  There is an interesting balance here between simply posting a workout, asking a question or volunteering an opinion, and finally, getting to know a bit about other people without it being a big gabfest.

After yesterday's effort, of course today was just a short, slow recovery run.  I did 3.3 on the dirt in 10:15's and felt fine.  Afterwards I went to the Y and did a full stretch and core workout.  Euphie, I have not had a bit of pain from my butt injury, but of course I can feel it there when I sit or stand up in a certain way but it is clearly healing.

In all of my core workout exercises, I have found one that has been particularly helpful because the repetition of it causes the glute muscle to actually fail, after about 30 repetitions.  I have never seen anyone else use this and suggest it here for anyone having any butt pain at all.  The reason I am positioning it in this way is that generally speaking, when the PT works with you to heal an injury, he or she will focus on muscles that surround the injured muscle to strengthen them.  Try this one:

Stand 26" away from a wall on your left foot.  Now reach with your right hand to a spot on the wall that is 26" high from the floor.  Of couse you will have to dip the left leg to do this.  Repeat this 20 times or so, touching the wall with the hand opposite the dipping leg.  Then repeat with the other leg.  I do this now about 30 times, after I am done with a bunch of exercises and I can feel the "burn" in the glute of the dipping leg.  It seems so easy, but at some point the leg quivers and you are tempted to cave the knee inward to support yourself.  When this happens you have lost form and must quit.  Each week, aim for a spot on the wall one inch lower, maintaining the same distance away from the wall.  I attribute this one exercise to helping to strengthen the butt muscles and help me heal.   Spareribs

All the threads recently have been addressing the fact that we need to have slow recovery run days.  hmmm.   So I call my training partner last night and tell him nothing over 8:30 miles.   He complains but agrees.  So we start out in 37 degree sunrise weather and slightest of  breeze.   Look down at the Garmin after 1st .25 and am running about 8:45; perfect.  At the mile it clocks 8:15.  Carp.   So the balance of the run I'm looking down and seeing 7:30's  7:15 etc.  I keep readjusting the pace down.   Still end up with a 7:59 pace for 8 miles.     Ribz you beat on me all you want; it's hard to run 8:30's and 9 min miles.  

Anyway; it's going to be a picture perfect day in CC.   wind is suppose to come in this weekend and high morning temps which will affect my 10k race.   Still going to go for it.

Have good one all.