January 2014

January 2014

January is the first month of the Quest!  It was a good month running wise.  What follows is a recap, week by week, of my runs.  I ended up running 122.25 miles for this month.

Week 1:

Activity Name	Activity	Start	Time	Distance	Elev	Avg Pace	Calories
Bluejacket	Street	Fri, Jan 3, 2014	0:35:30	3.28	89	10:50	437
WyCo	Trail	Sat, Jan 4, 2014	2:10:58	9.25	1,056	14:09	1,099
BuRP Trails	Trail	Sun, Jan 5, 2014	0:41:22	3.5	38	11:49	471
		Totals:	3:27:50	16.03	1183	12:16	2007

The run on January 4th at Wyandotte County Park was a test for the dogs, and would determine the possibility of taking Lily with me on races and group runs.  It didn't work out so great.  She just wanted to say hi to everybody by jumping on them, so I had to put her on the leash, but she just pulled because we were in the back.  It has been determined that she would not be joining me when I run with groups of people.  We ended up cutting part of the normal trail so we could get ahead of everyone else, and I could let her and Ce'Nedra just run around.  It was much better at that point.

Week 2:

Activity Name	Type	Date	Time	Distance	Elev	Avg Pace	Calories
Bluejacket	Street	Tue, Jan 7, 2014	0:40:50	4.33	176	9:26	588
SMP Rd/Tr	Street	Wed, Jan 8, 2014	1:01:12	6	491	10:10	732
Bluejacket	Street	Fri, Jan 10, 2014	0:32:23	3.41	96	9:29	464
WyCo Loop	Trail	Sun, Jan 12, 2014	2:37:01	10.11	1,262	15:31	1,140
		Totals:	4:51:26	23.85	2,025	11:09	2,924

The run on January 8th was a new one for me.  I wanted to try something different and so I went out to Shawnee Mission Park and ran a combo of road and trails.  I didn't like it.  First, I totally misjudged the temperature, and ended up being under dressed, so I froze my legs off.  They got so cold that they wouldn't run.  I had winter running tights on and a pair of shorts.  I didn't take into consideration how exposed I would be to the wind while running on the roads.  The dogs didn't care, but I sure did.  I also didn't like running on the road.  When I run by myself I don't mind running on roads, but I hate doing it with the dogs.  My "bubble" is much bigger with them, and being that they are black, it is hard for others to see them once it gets dark outside.  I need to get them the collars that light up.  I also didn't like the roads because they were super hilly.  I hate hills.  :)

On January 12th, I once again headed out to WyCo.  Met up with the fantastic Trail Nerds, and proceeded to run by myself for most of the loop.  That always happens to me.  I run at such a weird pace, switching from walking to running, that I end up in the middle between the faster and slower runners.  It just happens.  I need to learn how to pace myself better.  Aside from that, it was just a sucky run.  The trail was either ice or mud, with some of the steeper hills so slick I had to bushwhack around them.  WyCo claimed another victory over me on that day.  The high spot of that day was seeing all of the birds on the lake at the dam.  There was about a dozen bald eagles, thousands of snow geese and thousands upon thousands of Canadian geese.  See pics below.

Geese and Eagles on WyCo Lake - 1/12/14

Week 3:

Activity Name	Activity	Start	Time	Distance	Elev	Avg Pace	Calories
Bluejacket	Street	Tue, Jan 14, 2014	0:41:11	4.4	147	9:21	605
Bluejacket	Street	Wed, Jan 15, 2014	0:57:42	6.01	262	9:36	833
Bluejacket	Street	Fri, Jan 17, 2014	0:42:08	4.4	164	9:35	597
Indian Creek	Street	Sat, Jan 18, 2014	2:03:36	12.01	151	10:18	1,586
		Totals:	4:24:37	26.82	724	9:42	3621

I don't really have much to report on these runs.  I decided to do the nice and FLAT Indian Creek Trail for my long run, just because I was getting depressed about being beaten by WyCo.  I wanted to run something that I knew I could dominate and feel good about.

Week 4:

Activity Name	Activity	Start	Time	Distance	Elev	Avg Pace	Calories
Bluejacket	Street	Tue, Jan 21, 2014	0:43:41	4.5	165	9:42	618
Bluejacket	Street	Wed, Jan 22, 2014	0:58:44	6.01	212	9:46	825
Bluejacket	Street	Sat, Jan 25, 2014	1:00:00	6.01	209	9:59	807
BuRP Trails	Trail	Sun, Jan 26, 2014	2:27:05	11	516	13:22	1,380
		Totals:	5:09:30	27.52	1102	10:42	3630

I decided to venture down to the Blue River Parkway Trails (BuRP) for my long run.  I had run some of the trails along the river, but hadn't ventured up onto the ridges before.  It was crazy up there.  The trails intersected each other constantly.  It was all good though.  I never really felt completely lost, just confused!   It was perfect weather for running.  Shorts, long sleeved show off shirt with a tech shirt over the top of it.  Didn't sweat too much, which means it didn't freeze.

Highlights:

Mile 7 - Finally put headphones on because I was losing it.

Mile 9 - Threw up in my mouth a little

Can't remember when, but shat in the woods for the first time on a run.  If ya gotta go, ya REALLY gotta go!  (You were warned in my introduction post!)

I was supposed to do 12 miles, but when I got to where my car was and I saw I had 11, I yelled like Jimmy Sommervile -  Enough is Enough!  Called it quits right there.

Week 5:

Activity Name	Activity	Start	Time	Distance	Elev	Avg Pace	Calories
Bluejacket	Street	Tue, Jan 28, 2014	0:59:04	6.01	209	9:50	799
Bluejacket	Street	Wed, Jan 29, 2014	1:19:25	8.01	349	9:55	1,066
BuRP	Trail	Fri, Jan 31, 2014	3:17:44	14	698	14:07	1,658
		Totals:	5:36:13	28.02	1256	11:17	3523

Headed back out to the BuRP trails for my long run.  This time I extended my run all the way South on the trails.  I think I hit just about every single trail out there.  The River, Highland, Ridgeline, Bo-Ho-Ca, Basement, Oxbow, and Wagon Trails.  It was cooler on this day, than last week, and was sneeting off and on.  I wore my tights, shorts and running pants, with tights, long sleeve tech shirt, and jacket on top.  I also had on my gloves and hat.  I knew that I would have issues with my sweat freezing, dropping my temperature, so I brought along a change of shirts for half way through my run in a effort to help alleviate that issue.

Highlights:

2.6 Miles - Surrounded by a huge flock of robins.  It was actually quite creepy.  I couldn't see them at first, as they were all on the ground in the leaves so all I heard was rustling.  Then they took to the trees, but rather than actually fly away from me, they would just fly from tree to tree with me.  There was probably about 100 of them around me.

3.4 Miles - Dropped the kids off at the pool, even though there was no water.  (Again, you were warned!)

7.5 Miles - Changed shirts.  This really helped ALOT!  It helped me stay warm.

9.6 Miles - I was feeling defeated (cold, and just wanted to stop), and the song The Gambler by Kenny Rogers came into my head.  "You gotta know when to fold 'em"  That was my body singing though.  My mind wouldn't let me stop.  This was actually one of the first times my mind won on a training run. I could have cut my run short, but I didn't.  I knew I needed 14 miles, and so I did them!

Overall, it was a great run.  I feel I am ready for my first race on February 8th with the Trail Nerds out at WyCo Park!

Sorry for the length of this post.  Hopefully February will see me making more frequent posts, rather than one long ass one.

I will also be posting something about BuRP with pics and stuff.  It is a fun place to run.

Take care, keep reading, and thanks for your support!

Jeffrey