Weather is huge but I'm still lazy

I'm really fascinated by the impact weather has on performance. This morning it was a balmy 30 and I ran 9 miles with an average HR of 124 and an average pace of 9:15. Last week when the weather was around zero, I ran 10 miles with an average heart rate of 125 and an average pace of 10:40. The other factors at play, of course, include the fact that last week was week 3 of a higher mileage buildup while this week is a cut-back week. But that shouldn't make too much difference considering the cut-back thus far only amounts to 10 total miles. Surely I'm not suddenly that rested. Also, I doubt I'm suddenly a lot faster.

One thing that really stands out is that I'm pretty sure that I should be running at at least 135 for general aerobic/recovery pace. Although it's hard to run in the cold, I don't put in a better effort when it's warm. I'm thinking I should try to start including tempo/LT runs to make up for the fact that I do all my runs so easy. Alternatively, I'm thinking I should really try to nail down my max HR to confirm that I'm lazy. When Cheryl was helping me I think I figured it was around 184, which is still quite low for my age. I doubt it's lower than that.

Lastly, on an unrelated note, I'm reading Dean K.'s book, Ultramarathon Man, and I sincerely hope running 100 miles isn't as painful as reading about Dean's taut and cut bod and what an elite he is. He is clearly a total narcissist and doesn't have any concept of what an elite runner really is. Running far does not an elite make -- at least not that fact alone. Does anyone know whether he has ever actually been a top ultra runner? I know he has been relatively fast, but has he ever won a race? I'm willing to bet Kendra could kick his butt any day of the week. Why isn't she sponsored by North Face?

Sometimes Life Throws you a Curve Ball

As many of you know, from reading this blog, Sonja chewed one of my beloved Dansko clogs. It was felt and therefore vegan and less guilt inducing -- not to mention more casual looking and appropriate with fleece, my clothing of choice. (Black fleece is dressy enough for work, no?) Anyhow, there are no more felt clogs. Not only that, I found it really hard to find any Dansko shoes that I wanted. I finally ordered THESE, though not without first having to cancel and re-order them due to total unavailability web-wide. Finally, I was able to get them from a shoe place I'd never heard of and I got them today! And guess what -- they are not Dansko but "Sanita." Turns out, Sanita distributed in the US all along, making shoes for Dansko, but ended its contract but will now distribute the shoes under its own name: SANITA The craziness. And I didn't even know.

My new shoes are very cute and much dressier -- so more appropriate for court, where I do not wear fleece, except for when I forget I have to go to court (ooops). I do not have these, but I think these could go with my fleecewear (!!!):

ICE VILLAGE

It's a little tough to tell but that's Flathead Lake and all those specks are ice fisherman. As Leanne and I were finishing up our 20 miler on Saturday men (they seemed to all be men) were hauling their giant ice crew thingies out in droves and covering the lake. Looks like a giant ice party. In Wisconsin everyone had ice shanties -- here people just sit and fish right out in the open.

I wrapped up my first 3 week block of training -- ran 60 miles this week. Sonja ran 40 miles this week, which hardly tires her unfortunately. I need some miles without her -- she does pull me which makes running a little easier. Since she won't be able to pull me through WS I need to learn to run without her too ;)

Next week will be a slacker week running-wise. I am relieved by that.

For anyone who is curious -- Chris, of the Chicago Runner guys whose link is over -----> on that side somewhere, found out that there is indeed a physiological reason why it's harder to get your heart rate up in extremely cold weather. During the really cold days this week my average HR would be like 123, despite a decent effort. Very interesting. Today it was above freezing, and although we were running through puddles and it was icky my pace was so much faster and it felt so much easier. I'm so fussy about weather I guess. I prefer 34-45 thank you. ;)

SMOKIN' DRINKIN' SOLDIER BEAR -- Ted sent me this story with the subject line: "He drank a bottle of beer like any man"

Law firms are getting cuddly according to the NYT. I think it would be great if clients were always charged a flat rate and I could just come to work 8-5, get my work done and go home. Of course, compared to what is considered cuddly in this article, my job is downright socialist. God I love my new job. YAY! (I still feel gleeful when I think about the job I left behind. I still feel like I escaped. I feel so liberated. I *have* been liberated. I'm so glad I have free will).

Cold

Leanne and I ran this morning -- my thermometer said -3 when I got home. But the sky was clear, the moon was bright, and for a couple minutes we thought we might be seeing the northern lights. We were really just seeing lights. But it was still awfully neat.

HAPPY (BELATED) BIRTHDAY DAVID!

This picture is from when David visited. Your birthday was Sunday, right? I've never been good at remembering these things.

It's Turning into Winter

We got a healthy dump of snow last night but that didn't stop us from running. Leanne, Tom and I did 11 miles which brought my weekly total to 56ish. Sonja ran 40 miles this week. I left her home this morning thinking she ought to recover from the 15 she did (I did 20) yesterday. Well, she thanked me by taking my Dansko clogs into the yard and destroying one of them. They were only my favorite shoes that I wear every day. But I will just buy new ones and remember to keep shoes put away. When does the puppy stuff end?

roly poly danni

This is the picture on the front page of today's Daily Inter Lake.



The bighorn sheeps are being relocated to a new home. What a bad day for those sheeps.

ETA -- I can't believe *I* didn't think of baaaaaaad day. That's good stuff.

HELENA LIME KILNS

You can click on the picture to see it bigger if you want to read the marker

PLAGUE!

It's probably a little dull for me to just post news articles but for some reason I'm totally incapable of articulating, this article interests me and freaks me out. I guess I grew up assuming bubonic plague was purely historical and one of those terrifying things that modern people would never need to worry about. Guess I was wrong. Although I don't think I'm in danger of getting plague. Is that what you would say? "I have the plague" or "I have plague." Anyhow, some news to brighten your day.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Plague a growing but overlooked threat: study

By Michael Kahn1 hour, 25 minutes ago (Reuters)

Plague, the disease that devastated medieval Europe, is re-emerging worldwide and poses a growing but overlooked threat, researchers warned on Tuesday.

While it has only killed some 100 to 200 people annually over the past 20 years, plague has appeared in new countries in recent decades and is now shifting into Africa, Michael Begon, an ecologist at the University of Liverpool and colleagues said.

A bacterium known as Yersinia pestis causes bubonic plague, known in medieval times as the Black Death when it was spread by infected fleas, and the more dangerous pneumonic plague, spread from one person to another through coughing or sneezing.

"Although the number of human cases of plague is relatively low, it would be a mistake to overlook its threat to humanity, because of the disease's inherent communicability, rapid spread, rapid clinical course, and high mortality if left untreated," they wrote in the journal Public Library of Science journal PloS Medicine.

Rodents carry plague, which is virtually impossible to wipe out and moves through the animal world as a constant threat to humans, Begon said. Both forms can kill within days if not treated with antibiotics.

"You can't realistically get rid of all the rodents in the world," he said in a telephone interview. "Plague appears to be on the increase, and for the first time there have been major outbreaks in Africa."

Globally the World Health Organization reports about 1,000 to 3,000 plague cases each year, with most in the last five years occurring in Madagascar, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The United States sees about 10 to 20 cases each year.

More worrying are outbreaks seem on the rise after years of relative inactivity in the 20th century, Begon said. The most recent large pneumonic outbreak comprised hundreds of suspected cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2006.

Bubonic plague, called the Black Death because of black bumps that sometimes develop on victims' bodies, causes severe vomiting and high fever. Victims of pneumonic plague have similar symptoms but not the black bumps.

Begon and his colleagues called for more research into better ways to prevent plague from striking areas where people lack access to life-saving drugs and to defend against the disease if used as a weapon.

"We should not overlook the fact that plague has been weaponized throughout history, from catapulting corpses over city walls, to dropping infected fleas from airplanes, to refined modern aerosol formulation," the researchers wrote. (Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Maggie Fox and Ibon Villelabeitia)

H.U.R.L. FAT ASS 50k

Friday night I drove to Helena so that Saturday morning Rebecca and I could do the Helena Ultrarunners League (HURL) Fat Ass 50k. From what I understand, calling your race a "Fat Ass" means that there is no aid, no entry fee, no recorded times. This event was pretty organized and there was actually a lot of aid on the course. And, they kept track of our times (I will only say I have the 3rd fastest female time on the course ever, ha) (ETA, that's wrong I think it's fourth!). I was uber impressed and had a great day. Although the drive to Helena was a little dicey due to snow and such (why is it that Flathead and Missoula counties are able to make roads driveable but Lake county leaves all the scary slush?) the weather on Saturday was perfect. It was about 40 degrees.

The course is a loop from Helena, to Montana City, to somewhere else, up a hill that is literally 6 or more miles and then down a hill that is literally 6 or more miles. It reminded me of the first leg of Hood to Coast coming down. Anyhow, Rebecca and I were practically giddy for the first 10 miles or so, enjoying the weather and scenery and enjoying being alive and running. Rebecca just lost a close friend to cancer and she carried a picture of her friend during the run. I couldn't help but be reminded of how precious health is. Anyhow, we kept the pace slow and steady and kept on keeping on.

Going up the aforementioned never ending (EVER!) hill (I guess it's probably technically a mountain since it was like 2000 feet up), Rebecca, who let herself get dehydrated, was puking and we kind of ambled up which made things easy for those of us not tossing cookies. (Did I mention someone baked the most delicious cookies with chocolate and coconut? Mmmmm. . . ) Anyhow, Rebecca was considering dropping at one point and urged me away from her (I seem to make people sick) so I cruised back to Helena to the finish. Although I stopped to read all the historical markers and to take pictures of the old cabins, lime kilns and other interesting sights. Sho nuff, Rebecca finished behind me -- I knew she wouldn't give up. What's a little nausea really? Pfff. Not when you're stubborn like Rebecca.

It was a really pretty course. It was also fun to run with Rebecca again (she founded our local running club but moved soon after I moved here).

Below you will see a picture of our support vehicle -- Rebecca's husband drove his Ural and carried aid in the sidecar. You can see him practicing riding on two wheels. It was nice to have him there, in addition to all the food offered by HURL.

After the event there was a potluck at Martin (a HURL guy) and Janis' house and it was really fun and nice. Soooooo much food. Which ties into the event -- I did SUCH a great job with my nutrition that I was hungry all day and ravenous when I finished. I never got dehydrated or overhydrated or ran out of energy. It was a perfect training run, I got LOTS of time on my feet ;) and practiced eating and drinking like a champ. I'm pretty sure that by the time I went to bed I'd eaten twice the calories I needed for the day. (And why do I gain weight? :p)

Helena is such a cool town. Lots of open space and easily and quickly accessible trails and very "wild west-ish" with its old historical main street (coming down Grizzly Gulch and on Park street into town). It's much drier than in the Flathead -- once you cross the Continental Divide it's a totally different landscape.

Oh, one other thing. I saw a bald eagle on my drive home -- it flew RIGHT in front of my car so it was very very close (but high enough to be out of harms way). Very cool.

PICTURES

An article for all my preggo peeps

Hysterical "internet experts" like Jenny McCarthy have decried child vaccinations as causing autism -- this has led (from what I remember reading) to a decrease in vaccinations among some groups. I think I remember reading that educated urban women were among the biggest culprits of refusing to vaccinate their children. I'm no medical professional but I do understand the importance of "herd" protection. . . anyhow, I thought this article (copied from the NYT) was interesting.

January 8, 2008

Study Finds Vaccine Preservative Is Not Linked to Risks of Autism

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Autism cases in California continued to climb even after a mercury-based vaccine preservative that some people blame for the neurological disorder was removed from routine childhood shots, a study has found.

Researchers from the State Public Health Department found that the autism rate in children rose continuously in the study period from 1995 to 2007. The preservative, thimerosal, has not been used in childhood vaccines since 2001, except for some flu shots.

Doctors said that the latest study added to the evidence against a link between thimerosal exposure and the risk of autism and that it should reassure parents that vaccinations do not cause autism. If there was a risk, the doctors said, autism rates should have dropped from 2004 to 2007.

Dr. Daniel Geschwind, a neurologist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the focus should be on exploring possible causes of autism, including genetic links.

“Something else must be at play,” said Dr. Geschwind, who had no connection with the study. “And we need to know what that is if we’re really serious about preventing autism.”
The results of the study are in the January issue of The Archives of General Psychiatry. The study did not explore why autism cases increased.

Officials say one in 150 American children have autism, higher than other estimates. Researchers say it is unclear whether the increase stems from changes in classifying autism or whether the increase is actual.

NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!

My friends, whose names I won't mention just yet because "E" hasn't told her boss yet, and what if her boss accidentally somehow mysteriously comes across this blog, you never know it could happen and boy would I be in trouble missy, are great with child -- who is presently known as "Rufus." What awesome news! Rufus is very lucky because they will be the coolest parents ever. But of course Rufus won't appreciate it until s/he's 30. This will be my first lecture to Rufus.

TAGGED AGAIN!

Kendra was tagged again and tagged me and I love these games so here I go:

1. Most memorable moment on the trails:

When I ran the Gunsight Pass trail by myself I felt totally liberated by the realization that I could run trails alone and live to tell the tale. It's not necessarily ideal safety-wise but it's so peaceful and special in a way that's different from running with good friends, which is also special. It was also overwhelmingly beautiful and inspiring.

2. Best new trail I discovered in 2007

This was my first summer here so all the trails were new. I would say the Herron Park trail to Blacktail was the "best" given its close proximity to home.

3. My best performance of the year was…

I guess my best performance was Boston. Despite feeling totally unable to run 7 miles in January after a terrible Ironman performance (due to lack of training) and a few months off (so basically after a year of minimal running) I was able to run 3:57 -- not my best time but definitely my best executed race. It was the first time I ever ran even-ish splits throughout an entire marathon. And it was like my 12th marathon or something -- it took me that long to learn that it's true about time in the bank being repaid double. Who knew? ;)

4. I do not know how I previously survived without…

Headlamps! Oh how I love my (two) headlamps. I think I am going to use my amazon certificate my mother and father-in-law gave me (thanks guys!!!) to add a cool flashlight to the collection. I guess I never used to run where it was truly dark. Chicago's path is well lit and there's always a pink hue to the sky in the city.

5. The person I would most like to meet on a trail in 2008...

Cheryl. If I make it to the second dawn at WS I will see her and run with her on the trail (I should put "run" in quotes) and that will be a very good thing.

I hereby tag Leanne and Iris. (If Leanne wants to talk running on her dogblog).

AND IN OTHER NEWS

We had an awesome time over the New Year holiday visiting family -- it was so good to see everyone. I'm waiting for our niece to send the pictures she took and with her permission I will post one or more of them. It was balmy in New Jersey which made for good running, what little of it I did, and I slept a ridiculous amount. It was good to see 512 Hudson, where my father grew up, and think about the Starbucks on the corner and how much he would have loved to have Starbucks on the corner growing up. I think my dad was born with a cup of coffee in his hand.

I'm lucky to have cool in-laws whose company I enjoy tremendously. People usually say "in law" with a grumpy face but not me. And evidently they even read this blog. That's devotion! I love you guys very much. Ted does too and would say so if he took his job as co-blogger seriously.

Sonja's Video Debut (with annoying squeaky voiced narration)

OK so this isn't the most fascinating video ever, but I'm learning!!! It's amazing how clearly Sonja is a working dog. She's very serious during our runs, at least the ones on trail in the snow, and seems annoyed by walking and falling. She must think both those things demonstrate a weak character.

Christmas Eve! Happy happy joy joy happy happy joy joy!!!

Celebrity Sighting at Grocery Store

Ted and I saw John Lithgow and a friend (wife?) at the grocery store. I was trying so hard not to stare and be obnoxious but he was totally in the way of all the produce I needed. It's funny because although he was casually wearing a plaid shirt he was wearing a beret tilted to the side. I don't know why that struck me as so funny. Who would have thought when Ted and I saw him in the pre-Broadway showing of Sweet Smell of Success in Chicago that we'd bump into him at the grocery store in Kalispell, Montana. This isn't really that remarkable since he lives here at least part of the year, but it's not every day in Montana that this type of thing happens.

In running news I managed 20 miles today. I was supposed to do this run yesterday but skipped it because I had so much fun Friday night I was tired on Saturday. Thus, I was 10 miles short this week and ended up with 41 miles total.

M = R

T = 8

W = 5

R = 8

F = R

S = R (and sleep until 10)

S = 20

(total 41)

Sonja ran the last 5 miles with me

cool little trail half a mile from the house

Hostess with the Mostess

Tonight Ruth and Jerry had a party and I'm always impressed by people like them -- everything is so perfect and you just feel so comfortable and happy. The food was incredible -- salmon that they caught in Alaska, caviar, pheasant, elk marsala, delicious desserts (multiple), good wine and good conversation. I need to take lessons on making the perfect little appetizers and such. They have such a nice house too -- I kind of want to just move in. It's tempting to just stay. But we want to be invited back.

Random Update

This weekend Ted and I went to Billings for my work Christmas party. My employer generously brings us all together for lobster tail and wine each Christmas. We went Friday night to celebrate our dear friend and colleague being made partner. Saturday Ted and I drove to Red Lodge which is a cute ski town an hour from Billings. I took a great picture with my cell phone of this funny giant man with a gun (statue not real) but I can't figure out how to get it from phone to computer. Our flight home this morning was EARLY and we're both pretty tired. But it was a really nice weekend and I appreciate the opportunity to get together with everyone.

In running news, I did 45 miles this week.
M = rest
T = 10
W = 9
R = rest
F = 16
S = 3 dreadmill at the hotel
S = 7

These were all slow miles. I am going to do what Jack Daniels says to do and increase about 10 miles every three weeks. And lots of whiskey. (har har har).