Start time: 2/20/10, 8:00am
Location: Hains Point, National Mall
Distance: 9 miles
Average pace: 10:49min/mile
Total Miles For February: 31 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 99 miles

Went for another run with the group this morning; the first three miles, on Hains Point, were great. They’ve plowed out the entire area now, and aside from the occasional tiny patch of ice and/or packed snow it was clear and easy, and we had a good pace going. The other six miles, though… well, Not So Good. A lot of ice-dodging and having to stop and walk over entire stretches. Most of DC’s sidewalks still aren’t ready, or at least they were once ready but then the melting-and-refreezing cycle messed them up. *sigh* Ah well. We got forced to slow down a great deal but at least we got the distance in (and the company was great).

I’m missing next week’s run, so I’m hoping in two weeks when I run with them again it will be a radically different landscape. (Please?)

Start time: 2/13/10, 9:30am
Location: Hains Point
Distance: 6 miles
Average pace: 10:00min/mile
Total Miles For February: 12 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 80 miles

Almost forgot to update with last Saturday’s run; with all of the snow and all (which also resulted in the rec center being closed), I haven’t had much to report! We did try and go for a run on Hains Point on Saturday, though. Turns out Park Services plowed about 85% of the road but didn’t make it (on either side) all the way to the point itself. So we got to run down one side… then back… then down the other side… then back… then a little bit more on the first side… then back. Bleah. All the cold air coming off of the snow actually ended up really hurting my lungs, too; even the next morning they were sore.

The only bright side is that everyone else in the group (Ben, Jim, Michael, Stephanie, Steve) had been forced to sit on their butt up through the previous week and a half as well, so at least we were all in the same boat. I think we all agreed it was one of the tougher 6-milers we’d ever done. Yeesh.

Start time: 2/4/10, 5:45pm
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 6 miles
Average pace: 10:23min/mile
Total Miles For February: 6 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 74 miles

Phew! Taking 11 days off from running always results in some ugliness when it’s time for me to start back up. In this case, it was resting one of my feet, which had been hurting on and off since the Disney races. A combination of relacing my shoes (to not have so much pressure along the top of it) and the time off did the trick, at least; not a single ache or pain. And I was doing my best to try and stay active since last running on the 23rd; a combination of rowing machine, swimming, elliptical, and spinning classes for 9 of the 11 days off. But still, oof.

Of course, it probably didn’t help matters that my run was on the slightly-snow-clogged W&OD Trail. I was hoping more of it would have freed up by now, but there was never more than a half-mile stretch before it would inevitably be full of snow for a bit. I should have just done my run in my neighborhood instead… ah well. All that slowing down to avoid face-planting and careful footwork somehow ends up being more tiring than one would think. That and just having my running muscles out of shape meant this was inevitable. Still, with more snow en route (aaarrrrggghhh), it was one of those “now or never” sort of things.

Start time: 1/23/10, 8:15am
Location: Downtown DC
Distance: 10 miles
Average pace: 10:50min/mile
Total Miles For January: 68 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 68 miles

Another run with Steve, Stephanie, and John. It was a nice day, and our climb up 31st Street ended up this being a slightly slow and meandering run, but it was fun to just take our time and chat. I need to get back to running during the week, though! (I did get some swimming and cycling in, though.)

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3429763

Start time: 1/16/10, 8:00am
Location: Downtown DC
Distance: 8 miles
Average pace: 10:28min/mile
Total Miles For January: 58 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 58 miles

First day of exercise after the Disney races last weekend. My group from last year was running an 8-miler, so I decided to go head out with them. It was nice to do so; Ben, John, Stephanie, and Steve were all there and we just headed out at an easy pace, chatting as we did so. (I’ve noticed that if Jim and Michael aren’t there, it’s slightly more laid back in terms of pace. Sometimes I want a faster pace, but today easing back in is just what the doctor ordered.) Time to start shedding my November/December pounds!

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3415259