Top Banana

That would be me, ahem. Top female finisher in the Hospice of the Owens Valley 10k this Saturday, no less, and a lovely sparkly trophy complete with plastic Winged Victory atop to show for it. Sure, it wasn't the world's biggest race, and there were even fewer women running, but still, of all of them I was still in first place. Not bad for a little pair of babylegs... 6.2 miles in 50m:51s, average 8:09 min./mile.

Weekly Run-Down

Not such a great week this week, exercise-wise, mostly because of a bout of mid-week sickness and lethargy that demand it be treated with rest, rather than recreation. Not to mention being home along with the Real Babylegs while Mr. BL was cavorting down to the Bay Area...turns out that single parenting puts a bit of a cramp in the ol' exercise styleeee. So, Monday: Express; Thursday, about 30 minutes on the elliptical, and finally, a long run of ten (mostly arduous and plodding) miles at Casa Diablo (note, if you will, massive uphill at the beginning and 7,000 ft elevation....

For some reason I had banished the steepness of the first part of this run out of my consciousness, probably because the steepness of the out translates to a fun, speedy downhill on the way back. That is, unless you ran about 2 miles further than you should have and even the speedy downhill isn't much fun. So, a little walking on the pretext of having to adjust my ipod, but running of a sort mostly, and I made it all 10 miles at a "modest" 9:38 pace. And it was beautiful of course, especially the way back when you have a clear view to the Sierra Crest and the Minarets all the way past Mammoth.

Sunday Run

Made it out to the Casa Diablo trail on Sunday afternoon for a long run....sadly, the Forerunner ran out of juice at about 0.8 miles, whereas I continued on for quite a bit longer. In the end, I think it was about 8 miles, and a total time of 1:16:00; thus an average pace of a somewhat poky 9:30 minute/mile. Not too surprising given the couple of walk breaks on the steep uphill (bah!) part...and longish water drinking break in the middle. Oh, and the headwind. Woke up feeling a bit under the weather on Monday, but made Express at lunchtime nonetheless, although big plans to run in town at lunchtime today fell by the wayside. On a more positive note, Mr. Babylegs made a large pot of lamb and lentil curry for dinner tonight, which should scare any sickness away. When the Real Babylegs asked what he was eating, the answer was "meat" least he wonder if there was any relationship to a certain favorite stuffed animal....

Run-Down-Catch-Up

OK, a lot of catching up to do, training blog-wise. Luckily, my training has been (somewhat) inversely proportional to my blogging, so I can feel simultaneously like a slacker and an overachiever. I've been making the Monday/Wednesday lunchtime circuit-training class at the gym, and feeling a bit "wrooooooooaaaaaaaaarr" what with all the lunging and squats and pushups and stuff. And nothing like running sprint laps of the gym at 8,000 ft to make you feel like a tough little soldier.

Weekend before last was an awesome 8-miler at Pleasant Valley Reservoir, at around an 8:15 pace; no outdoor running last week because of my sad trip to Florida for the funeral, but managed a 5-mile (humid) treadmill run on Sunday at the hotel, and about 4 miles on Tuesday at the gym back home. I made it to the Friday "Yogafit" class this week which I have to say is awesome, but hard, involving lots of (of course) squats, pushups to crocodile to upward dog to downward dog and some other manoevers that I, a relative stranger to yoga and supreme inflexibility to boot, finds quite tricky.

And this morning me and Mr. Babylegs and the Real Babylegs went xc skiing up Rock Creek Road, about 6 miles round trip up to Rock Creek Lake and back. For some reason I thought it would be freezing cold, so was totally overdressed and sweaty at the beginning, but adjusted my layers to the correct level and was relatively comfy. I hadn't skiied this this route since last winter, and recalled it being a bit of a slog, but this time felt kind of easy, perhaps due to lunge-induced fitness (or else the two giant bowls of oatmeal for breakfast).

Onwards to tomorrow and hopefully a nice long run either at PV or Casa Diablo...so glad it's Spring!