Tuesday, December 9, 2008

rocket fuel reserves and animals making hot totties...

Instead of going to spin class last night, Ed and I decided to go for a run. My recovery plan said to run for 25 minutes, so we didn't track mileage, just ran for time, which was a nice change. We weaved in and out of all of our neighborhood streets looking at Christmas lights. The reason we decided to go running instead of to spin class is simply, Kansas. Yesterday we headed out our door to run around 5:30p in 55 degree weather. This morning it is snowing and 30 degrees. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE me some snow. In my opinion, if it's going to be stupid cold, it may as well be snowing. But the snow combined with 30-40 mph winds is just retarded, I am a Fair Weather Runner after all. So we took advantage of the last of the nice weather for the week.

Ed is training for his first 5K (we are running a New Years Day 5K) and he is doing the stress fracture recovery training plan with me, which will build him up to run the 5K. We hooked Milo to a leash and took off in the warm evening air (it's all relative). In addition to an evening run, we are working with Milo, trying to get him off the leash while running with us. For those of you who run with your dogs, you will understand this! We had him off leash for a little less than 10 minutes total and despite a few stops to sniff the park trash cans, and occasional sprint into a yard, he was perfect. We are strict believers in the "Dog Whisperer" technique, so a little "csssssh" and Milo was back on track. Ceaser Milan is a genius!!

We held a pretty even pace around 10 minute miles, but I think Ed and I both had some rocket fuel reserves waiting to kick into gear. We had quite a few bursts of speed during our run, the kind where toward the end of the burst you start to laugh like a crazy person and the neighbors still putting out luminaries turn to look at the street scared out of their minds by the running lunatics. It always makes a run more enjoyable.

Toward the end of our run I was ahead of Ed, he let Milo off the leash again so he could catch me, I ran as fast as I could for a block and a half before Milo caught up. This is the dog who, when we first brought him home from the shelter, ran eight minute miles and I couldn't keep up. He's gotten a bit more chubby and spoiled in the past two years! In fact, today he is at home watching Animal Planet with his peanut butter filled Kong and the kitties (I'm positive they have all gotten into the liquor cabinet and are making hot totties at this instant), while I have to brave the cold wind and come to work... how is this fair?

We got home out of breath, with that clean, salty, tired feeling feeling of a good hard run. It was a rush of adrenaline as it was my first burst of speed since my injury. It was also the first run since recovery where my plan didn't have me walk. This morning, as I sit here watching the snow falling, I'm quite satisfied that we decided to run last night. Although I do love to run in the snow, it would be stupid to risk another injury today. Hopefully tomorrow, when the wind dies down, I can run to the satisfying sound of soft crunching snow under my shoes....

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