Herd of Deer? Of course I've heard of deer!

Sorry, that's an old joke. But, we did see a herd of deer this morning.

It is a nice Fall morning; the sun is shining and the wind is calm. It was a little chilly when we started out, but not bad for a mid-November day. We started down Riverside. I noticed Ares and I were both a little stiffer this morning. I think that is one advantage of the evening/nighttime runs; we aren't stiff from a night's sleep.

Anyway, it was such a nice day that we decided to do the Ginter Road route -- yes, we haven't done that one for a long time. Along the way we saw a couple of runners by Ranchland. We turned down Ginter, and just a little ways down I spotted the deer. Luckily, I saw them before Ares did. I was able to get a tighter grip on the leash. They didn't bound across the road. They just casually sauntered across into the field. They looked at us, and then continued on.

We saw one other runner on Ginter and a few dogs walking their owners, but that was it. All and all it was a good run. We are working our way towards that 6-mile mark again. Once we get there, we'll work on reducing the time again. There's hope for us yet! We ended up with 5.52 miles, and very little of it was walking.

Gotta run ...

Attitude is Everything

We managed another good evening run. Again I looked like a dork with my lighted hat and reflective straps. It was sprinkling when we started, and a little cool. In my head I was singing "running in the rain" to the tune of "Singing in the Rain" -- crazy, I know.

As we came to the end of Riverside, where it turns into Horace, we heard a commotion in the field. Ares pulled extremely hard on the leash. There in the field we could see the outline of several deer (it was pretty dark). I think we frightened them. I'm glad they didn't run out towards us.

We ran the extended Riverside loop, out to Ranchland and then took a detour down Rosewood Ave. to the new elementary school. By then the sprinkles had stopped and the air felt nice.

As far as attitude -- well, ever since I have decided I'm just going to have to live with my knee pain, it seems to be less. Maybe I'm just ignoring it more, or perhaps my brain is telling me to not feel the pain, or maybe it is better. I just hope it keeps up. I feel so much better when I run regularly.

We ended up with just over 5.25 miles.

Gotta run ...

I think I finally wore Ares out

As I have decided to ignore my aching knee (and any other aches that crop up along the way), Ares and I went for a nice run this evening. With the holidays approaching, I feel somewhat stressed, and a run is the best stress relief.

I looked like a dork -- I have a hat with lights, and I wore a reflective vest. But I want to be safe! Ares was confused by the lights in my hat at first, and he kept staring up at me with this puzzled look on his face. After a block or so, when he almost ran into a tree (it wouldn't be the first time), he decided to ignore the funny hat.

We went the usual extended Riverside loop, out Jefferson to Ranchland, and back. We were getting close to a mileage goal, so we did a loop by the video store. We saw one other person who was foolish enough to run in the dark.

Ares really does not like the dark, so he was more tense than usual. He was so happy every time we went by a street light or a car went by. He didn't pull as much as usual, but I think his tension made him wear out more. Or perhaps it is the time of day -- he usually goes to bed in about a half hour, so it was getting closer to his bedtime.

Anyway, it was a good run and I feel much better. I'll take some pain reliever before I go to bed to help alleviate any discomfort. Oh, we ended up with five miles. It's been a while since we've gone that far. And we ran quite a bit more than the last time. We only took walk breaks when absolutely necessary.

Gotta run ...

Probably not the smartest thing to do

Ever since my Wednesday evening run and almost falling, my knee has been hurting. Aching, really. But it's been a constant ache. And on Friday a few times it gave out on me while standing up.

Saturday I went shopping with my daughter and some of her friends, so that involved a lot of walking in the mall. My knee was really sore by the time I went to bed and it hurt all the say to my ankle. Sigh.

But, the Turkey Trot is in a week and a half, and I'm stubborn and want to run in it (not do the 2-mile walk, but the 4-mile run). So I figured I would test my knee today. After all, it's just an ache, right? It might be something I just have to learn to live with. I've thought about giving up running, but I just can't.

I took three Advil and then off Ares and I went for a run. At least I tried to warm up some and keep the pace relatively low with more walking than usual mixed in. My knee did not give out on me, and it actually felt OK for most of the run. We kept it short at only 3.8 miles. We were able to finish. So, that's a good thing, right?

Well, as I sit here writing this my knee is starting to really ache. I'd like to ice it and keep off of it all day, but life calls. There is laundry to be done, grocery shopping, etc. I'll put it up for a bit while I drink some tea, and then I'll keep it up later.

The good news is, though, it's not really any worse (well, it isn't yet). And it's not a sharp pain. I am beginning to think that maybe, after all the times I have injured or strained my knee during my life (pre-running too), I may have developed arthritis or some other chronic condition. And it may be something I just have to learn to live with. I'm willing to do that, since I know how running makes me feel.

Gotta run ...

Wednesday Evening Run

It isn't working out too well running in the morning. I wake up early to feed the animals, but on these cool Fall mornings I crawl back into bed for another hour of sleep. So, after I got home from work I decided Ares and I needed to go for a run. We started off about 5:45. It was just starting to get dark.

We started out the Riverside loop and went out Jefferson almost to the high school. By that time, however, it was becoming quite dark. And I forgot my hat with lights. Rather than continue on further, we turned around and headed back towards town. Once Ares stopped and I tripped, but luckily I was able to regain my balance without falling down!

We then went back by Riverside Park and sprinted up the hill by the house. Instead of coming right back home, we extended our run and continued on to the video store and then back home. There were street lights so it was a decent route.

All and all it was a good run. We ended up with 4.6 miles. It is certainly a different feeling than a morning run. I feel stronger in the evening, but yet somehow not as energetic, if that makes any sense. We may start doing a few more of these. I imagine we will both sleep better. With this cooler weather, Ares has so much more energy. Hopefully an evening run will calm him down.

Gotta run ...

Another weekend

It's another gorgeous Fall day. I have dishes, laundry, etc. to do, but I knew if I didn't go this morning I wouldn't get a run in today. Ares and I started out and it was a little chilly, with the wind blowing in our faces. As we progressed it warmed up, the sun was shining; it was a great day to be out and about. And, Ares didn't start out with a sprint like he did last Saturday so it was a little more enjoyable.

I felt pretty stiff for some reason. I am not able to motivate myself during the week to run, but I do take some brisk walks with Ares every day, so I don't know why I woke up feeling stiff. But off we went anyway, and by the time we got a mile into the run I felt pretty good. At about two miles my knee started hurting, and I realized I had neglected to wear my knee brace. So we backed off a bit and did slower running and some walking. We ended up with 4.3 miles. The Turkey Trot is in a few weeks, and it is 4 miles, so I figure as long as I can keep it up I'll be OK. I won't have my fastest Turkey Trot, but as long as I can finish I'll be satisfied.

I need to find a better way to motivate myself during the week. I get my running clothes out the night before. The cats have me up early to feed them, but then I go back to bed. Also, it seems like there is so much to do in the morning to get myself and everyone else off for the day. Maybe if I start considering it a chore or an obligation (but not in a bad way) I will start getting that morning run it. I walk Ares every morning, but usually that's after my shower and I let my hair dry naturally. If I convince myself that he really needs to run, maybe I'll get by with one less hour of sleep (although if I cut out too much more sleep I might as well stay awake all night).

Gotta run ...

Slower, shorter run

Ares slept in this morning, so it was a little later when I got up. I don't know if he was tired from yesterday's walk, or it was all the excitement of Christopher's party last night that wore him out.

It was such a beautiful day when we finally got up that Ares and I couldn't resist. I don't want to risk re-injuring myself, but Ares wasn't content with a walk. So, off we went on a run. We went about the same route as yesterday, but not quite as far. And, he was not as energetic, so we didn't start out at a sprint.

We saw several squirrels on our journey. We also saw two other canines out exercising their owners. We kept it at a slower pace and he did let me walk some. We still ended up with a decent distance -- just over 4.1 miles. And I feel a little stiff, but so far no pain (well, a little mild discomfort, but I can live with that). Hopefully all will work out.

Now it's off to make some muffins, go grocery shopping, and enjoy the rest of this day.

Gotta run ...