Dec 21 2008

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Workout

Tags: , , — podrey @ 8:02 pm

Saturday i was a machine. The number of things i accomplished was pretty impressive. I slept in, cleaned the kitchen, made breakfast, did several loads of laundry, went to the library and the grocery store, and started dinner (chili) simmering on the stove. And all that was before 2 pm.

Next on my agenda was to walk the dog and then do a run. I figured the .75 miles or so around the neighborhood with the dog would be a good warm-up for a nice jog. However, my plans changed when i found it was raining when Nugent and i stepped outside. It wasn’t too bad, though. More than a sprinkle, but not completely raining either. I’ll say it was dripping.

So i figured i could run in the dripping. And since i didn’t want to waste time in case it turned into a full miserable rain, i decided Nugent could run with me.

Nugent did pretty well. He was excited by the fast pace at first, and tried to run even faster than i could. He occassionally wanted to stop and sniff things, but for the most part he was content to trot along side me. At the half mile mark, it was still just dripping, so i decided to go a longer route, which continues through more of the neighborhood.

By the time we got back to the house, we had gone somewhere between 1.5 and 2 miles. I dropped Nugent off at the house, and went back out. After all, it was still only dripping. And every time i had a choice to make about which way to go, i found myself choosing to go a longer route. Talking myself into not walking up this hill. I felt GREAT. At one point i realized i was running, not just jogging. It was a great feeling. And i thought to myself This is why people love running.

It dripped through my whole workout, and when i was finished i was quite damp. But i still felt great. And my problem foot is only slightly sore. My distance was approximately four miles. It makes me want to train for a race in the spring. I’ll have to think about it. 8-)

Sep 22 2008

Raleigh Adventure Walks

Tags: — podrey @ 3:55 pm

There is a large web of greenways and trails in Raleigh and Cary.  These trails are very popular with runners, walkers and bikers.  The most i have used it is to occasionally walk the dog over at Shelley Lake.  It’s two miles around, and is part of the greenway system, but we’ve done that walk a dozen times.  I have wondered about the paths that branch away from the Shelley Lake trail, but never explored them.

Well, now we will!  On our Raleigh Adventure Walks.  The plan is to explore as much of the system as possible, in bits and pieces.  For example, over the weekend, we started at Shelley Lake and took The Other Path, down under the Millbrook bridge, south.  25 min of walking got us to North Hills Dr, where we turned and walked back.  The next day, we drove to spot we turned around the day before, where the greenway intersects North Hills.  There, we continued walking, and got to Crabtree Mall before turning back.  Next, of course, we’ll start at the mall and keep going.

We’ll keep this up as long as it holds our interest or doesn’t get too inconvenient.  When it does, there’s always another trail to explore, and there are lots of parks in the Raleigh area as well.

OK so it’s a bit tame to be labeled as an “adventure” i guess, but i’m excited about it.  The dog certainly likes it.  And walking is pretty good exercise.