Rach Runs: Running out of daylight

I can't believe that I'm already into week five of training. Time sure flies. Weeks three through five have been pretty great so far, and as of right now, I have no injuries and no pain (even after my 10-mile run this morning)!

Here's what the schedule has looked like:

Week 3:
Weekday runs: 4-miles, 5-miles, 3-miles; Long run: 5-miles

Week 4:
Weekday runs: 4-miles, 5-miles, 3-miles; Long run: 9-miles

Week 5:
Weekday runs: 4-miles, 6-miles, 3.5-miles; Long run: 10-miles

Week three was really easy. I'm starting to think I should have pushed myself on my long run to go about seven miles. Unfortunately, I was almost late for the Seahawks game, so I ran a super fast five miles and had no space for extra mileage.

Week four was fine, except the long run was the longest I've run since I injured my leg two years ago. That was nerve-racking. I finished though and after a looooonnngggg foam rolling sesh, my leg was fresh, and felt great. This was also the week where I was running in salty fog near the Puget Sound. Talk about a way to dehydrate fast!

Salt fog. Great view, right?

Week five (this past week) was also pretty smooth. I ran around Ruston Way/Puget Sound on a few runs and Point Defiance.

Fog rolling in on 4-mile run, Ruston Way.

The Mountain on a really clear day from Ruston Way.

On my moderate mid-week running day, I got done with work at 5:00-ish, got home around 5:30, quick change into run gear, get bike on car, drive to Point Defiance, start run around 6:00. We start and it's barely dark. I think I can outrun the sun and Mike agrees that we have enough daylight left. Oh my, were we wrong. Almost three miles into the run (mind you, this was a six mile run, so pretty much half way) we get to the darkest part of the trail. Tons of trees are blocking the few sun rays that are left of the day, so it was basically dark in the forest. I start getting scared and we make a plan for me to jump on the back of the bike if we need to jet. Of course I want to keep running so I can make the exact halfway point, but we turn a corner, and it was just too eerie. Being in a dark forest at night with animals moving around you, no one to be seen, and no lights with you, well...our minds got the best of us, and we decided it was time to turn around. The next 3-ish miles were the fastest I've run in a while. Mike was on the bike and was by my side the entire time. It was quiet and dark. As we're discussing how creepy this run is getting, I decide to turn my flashlight app on. Mistake. Animal eyes....everywhere. We saw deer and raccoons. At least we kept telling ourselves that's what they were.

We finally get back to the car, quickly put the bike on, fastest stretch session ever, and get out of the park. It was empty as we were driving out. Mike now understands the importance of me not running alone on my nightly runs. Especially since daylight was gone in what felt like an instant, and I'll be starting my runs after the sun has already set in the next few weeks. Lesson learned though. I'd much rather be running through dark city streets than a dark forest.

Here's a picture from the start of that run. Looks like it could get dark in maybe an hour or longer..right?! Nope, we maybe had 20 minutes of daylight left in this photo.

Point Defiance - 5 Mile Drive

We tried getting pictures at the end, but our phone cameras could not pick up enough light, and the photos were just black.

I've mentioned my IT band strength training routine that I do after every run, but I must say, there is another reason I've gone injury free so far. FOAM ROLLER!..boy is that a godsend. Even after ten miles today, my legs feel fresh and rested. All of my tight muscles get a super massage from that wonderful invention after my runs, and so far it's making the difference in my running. Highly recommend! It hurts (so bad!), but it's so worth the results. This is what I use.

I also got new shoes recently. Adidas Supernova Glide Boost. I was using the Asics Gel-Nimbus shoes for a really long time, and they were great, don't get me wrong, but it was time for a change. The Supernova's are really light and bouncy. They have these little bouncy, rubber balls that make up the midsole. They call it "Boost", and I'm not lying when I say I can actually feel the difference between my other running shoes and these. They make me feel like I'm bouncing around while I'm running, and I like to think I get a little bit of energy back with each step. The midsole material also stays flexible in cold temperatures, which is awesome. I always hated leaving my running shoes in my car in the winter, just to put my feet in hard, non-flexible shoes and start running with what felt like cement blocks. So, I'm pretty excited to see how these hold up when the temperatures drop.

Did I mention the weather has pretty much cooperated!? It's super gorgeous in this part of the world right now. Here's what this morning's ten miles looked like at Point Defiance Park: