Miles for the week: 12 (2/3/2/5) PRE-TRAINING WEEK 2
5 miles LSD: 55:29, average heart rate 151
Weight: 119
didn't do resting HR or fitness test

Wow--by far my fastest 5 miler, more than a minute less than last week. I flipped through ChiRunning at a bookstore, which reminded me of the idea that you should lean forward and let gravity move your legs instead of keeping your torso vertical. It makes me go faster no matter how short I keep my stride (my feet are overlapping!), so it's slightly more effort than running as slowly as possible, but it's clearly much more biomechanically efficient. Still feels a little unnatural but it's getting easier. I'm thrilled to be seeing improvements, although I need to be prepared to get slower again as I start real training and my long runs get longer. I got new gear from National Running Center--lighter-weight tights, and non-cotton T-shirts. It definitely helps that they don't get clammy and heavy, but they are loose-fitting enough that they ride up, which is very annoying.

New wildflowers this week: field hawkweed, devil's paintbrush, pinapple weed, elder. Mountain laurels are budding. There was a great blue heron dropping down into the little pond off Canada Road where it hangs out sometimes. They are such spectacular birds--majestic and elegant whether flying or standing. First red eft of the season, then another one. A woodpecker--not sure what kind. A road-killed mole--I knew they were theoretically around here but I've never seen one.

On Friday there was a Canada gosling lying in the middle of Canada road that looked healthy but couldn't walk. I drove back and it was still there, so I brought it home to warm up in hopes it was just chilled from being separated from its parents and siblings. But it didn't get any better, so I dropped it off at Wildlife Rescue on my way to work. I heard later that it didn't survive. :*( There are too many Canada geese anyway, but I couldn't leave it there to be run over or attacked by dogs. Today there were 2 goose families by Stanley Lake that looked just the right ages to be the same ones I've normally seen at the pond. I guess they could have walked all the way, and maybe that's when my lost gosling got left behind...

Today also I saw an aluminum stepladder with a FREE sign on Stanley Lake road. I've been thinking of getting one so I drove back for it. It's a good run when you save $30+!
- posted by Hilary @ 12:57 PM