Miles for the week: 9 (2/2/5)
5 miles LSD: 1:01:09, average HR 153
Weight: 121
Resting heart rate: 51
Fitness test: 42

A very stressful week, burning the candle at both ends & running on adrenaline fumes, so I didn't get in my intervals. One of the neat things about running (or any focused physical training, presumably) is noticing the immediate impact of amount of sleep, quality of diet, stress level, etc. Normally I run in the mornings, but by Friday afternoon I had only run 2 miles, so I did a 2-miler in the evening and had my best time for that distance (20:01). I've heard afternoon/evening is the best time to run for avoiding injuries, because you are the most loosened up. The spring peepers were in full chorus (they are asleep in the morning, I guess), and it was cool to run by the swampy areas and hear them at maximum volume. It's such a strange experience--they are so loud, the noise is everywhere, and yet there is nothing to see. There must be hundreds of them within a few square yards, but they are so small and well-camouflaged that they are effectively invisible. I wonder if the sound of chorus frogs is one of the origins of classic horror-movie music--the eerie, shrilling violins. When you know what they are, they sound like a triumphant "spring is here!," but if you were lost in the swamp at night, with this incredibly loud shrill noise coming from everywhere and nowhere, it could feel ominous. It was my first time in shorts this year (more on that later!), and I could feel the river of cold air, about knee-high, pouring down the slopes towards the lowest spot in the valley. That area is swampy but has no peepers--I wonder if it's too cold.

A perfect spring day for my 5 miles this morning--about 60, sunny but enough humidity that everything looked a little misty, perfectly still. The first mile was tough--I was hauling cartloads of manure for the garden yesterday and I think my legs got tired. It's hard to balance wanting to go slow and keep my heart rate down with eagerness to see my LSD times improve. Heard mourning doves. The coltsfoot is in full flower now, not just a few but masses of sunny yellow. The catkins have suddenly appeared on the aspens (since they're at least 3 inches long, it looks like magic--they must expand instantly when the bud opens); gardens are full of daffodils; the pussy willow buds are turning into green pincushions. Spring spring spring! But running in shorts is leading to a problem with chafing. Not a big deal over 5 miles, but could be a very big deal for the marathon. I have new shorts that I thought would be long enough to cover the problem area (thickest part of the thigh), but they ride up (I hate having to tug them down constantly). I'm going to look into tights--there must be some for warm weather as well as cold, I hope. That way I won't have to worry about sunburn either.
- posted by Hilary @ 11:33 AM