the treadmill diaries

Is there really a better time to get outdoors than now?  In my opinion, the answer is NO.

Fall is by far my absolute favorite time of year to be active outside – whether it’s running, hiking, walking or whatever.

In fact, it’s also the perfect season to sign yourself up for races or events that will not only make sure you take advantage of the lovely weather but will also keep you training.

Since I’m a big fan of practicing what I preach, I registered myself for a couple of events this month.

First, my husband and I will be heading out to St Louis, Missouri to take part in the Walk for Remembrance on October 15^th.  This 1- or 4- mile walking event is an opportunity for families to remember and honor babies they’ve lost way to soon in their lives.  The event will close with a balloon release ceremony in tribute to our children. (a BIG thanks to all who have generously supported us and this cause)

Next, I’ll be participating in the Annual Santa Fund Run in New Hampshire on October 30^th.  This 5 or 10 K race starts off on a high school track and then winds through the wooded trails of Mine Falls Park, which I’ve had the pleasure of running last year.  So much fun!  Plus, you have the option of wearing a lightweight Santa outfit while you’re strutting your stuff through the paths if you’re so inclined.  Should make for some interesting sights.

In addition to the above races, I’ve been on the hunt for a possible half-marathon to take part in (since I didn’t make mine last year) and am planning to get in some hiking at Acadia National Park the week of October 10^th.

October has the makings of a really good, active month. Love it.

How about you – are you planning any events or trips this season?

Now that I’ve discovered the beauty of dailymile, my workout log will be shifting from the site page to my dailymile profile. 

For a number’s gal like me, it’s extremely motivating to visually see/track my own results but it’s even more inspiring to see what others can do in a week and to use that to push myself even further than I may know I’m capable of. 

Plus, I get a burst of energy seeing the miles tally up in a week, a month, and the year.  I just wish I would have started tracking this info via the site much sooner. 

Anyway…hope to see you share your workouts through this very cool tool.  You know I will.

I’m happy to report that things settled down after my Unwanted Saturday Drama and that the rest of the day turned out to be quite pleasant.

First, my doggies came back from their salon appointment looking cuter than cute. See for yourself.

From Right Before….

             From immediately after…

Then, I turned my attention to cooking us some grub – beer marinated beef tips, mashed potatoes, bruschetta on toasted focaccia bread, grilled corn on the cob, and a huge salad (which isn’t pictured). It was all absolutely fabulous if I do say so myself (and so did my husband).

We ended the night with a short bonfire and some TV watching. Very relaxing.   End Saturday.

Enter Sunday.

When I first got up, I wasn’t feeling my usual run so I first ate some breakfast (cinnamon raisin French toast) and then got my grocery shopping done. With those things behind me, I decided I could trek out to get some miles.

Now, I’m not really sure what came over me but my interest in a short outing turned into MUCH MUCH more. It may have been that it dawned on me that today’s routine marks 50 DAYS of daily workouts. Not too shabby, right?

And, I surprised myself by feeling that in honor of these 50 days I could run 5 miles today even after yesterday’s 7.  But, that’s not the weirdest part.

I got the big bright idea to shoot a VLOG / video while running.  So, I did.

Video Disclaimer:

• No one was harmed in the making of this video including me (to Jon – aka my husband)
• I’m not the most eloquent of speakers while in motion and forced to improve. Yes, words get used more than once. Wrong words are used in places. But you’ll get the drift of what I’m trying to say (hopefully).
• Since I am exercising while filming, please forgive the sweating, the lack of make-up (again) and my stylin outfit.

And now thetreadmilldiaries presents…what Di said on her 5 miler. LOL J

5Miler VLOG

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Here are my stats for the run:

Who out there actually thinks they look or sound good in videos??

I started off this day wanting to accomplish two basic things.

#1 – My doggies are in serious need of pampering. So first thing this morning, they were whisked off to the groomers where they’re getting pedis and new summer doos. Considering they’re this cute to begin with, they’re bound to be simply irresistible after their day at the salon.

#2 –I wanted to try LSD today. No, not the drug. Drugs are for losers. I’m talking about a Long Slow Distance run. And, I set my sights on 7 miles. The good news – I made it happen, felt really good during the run, and had respectable stats:

Enter the Unwanted Saturday Drama.

While on my run (at about mile 5), I decided to turn off onto a pretty quiet road to take shelter from the hot sun and to cover some flat distance.

To set the scene, imagine a road lined with woods on one side and a restaurant and a real estate office on the other. On Saturday mornings, you don’t expect to see anyone at the back of this lane.

When I was making my way through this isolated area, low and behold I spotted a guy hiding in the brush behind some trees just watching me. He looked like he was dressed in his bedtime outfit of a wife beater tank and large baggy running shorts. What was even more odd is that he seemed to be intentionally trying to keep himself hidden at the point where I was expected to exit.

I was completely freaked out. And immediately went into paranoid mode (thanks Mom & Dad for raising me to be cautious!)

I sent my husband a text letting him know about the ‘creepy guy alert’ along with my location. I then turned around and made a b-line for the restaurant parking lot where there would be people (which is in the opposite direction from the guy).

After doing a bit of off-roading, I cut behind the real estate agency, through the restaurant parking lot, and hit a highly traveled road. I’m expecting my pace at this point was pretty decent – fueled by adrenaline.

I was then surprised (and happy to see) that my husband had made it to my location where he signaled to me and then took off to check out the area where creepy guy had been hanging out.

I felt comfortable enough proceeding with the 7 miles at this point. Plus, I was safely escorted and checked on the rest of the way by my strong, protective man.

Perhaps, creepy guy was really just weirdo guy who had no plans of doing anything other than hanging out where he was – and it coincidentally happened to be where I was running. But, you can bet that I wasn’t taking any chances and I’m glad that I played it exactly like I did.

Thanks to my husband as well for being my hero, as always.

Have you ever been freaked out by something or someone while outdoors working out?

Before getting into the details of the event and how I did, I have to say that I really enjoyed taking part in the

The turnout was fabulous (about 5000 of us took part), the runners were polite and supportive of each other, and the crowd did an amazing job of gathering and cheering us on. Plus, a special shout out to the peeps who sat out with garden hoses spraying us down around mile 2. It felt great. J

Now, here’s a bit more about how things went down and my individual results.

It was a lovely day in Manchester NH. Sunny, blue skies, temp in the high 70s, and a light, cooling breeze. The perfect set-up for a run downtown. But getting downtown was a challenge because of the number of us trying to do it.

With literally minutes to spare, I made it into the city, found a parking space, and had to jog around to find / grab my race bib. Coincidence that it was in my favorite green color? I think not.

Then, it was time to hustle over to the starting line for our assigned waves: Professional runners, Casual Runners, & Walkers. I was in wave two anticipating that I would come in somewhere above 10 min miles based on my training this past month.

When the starting gun was fired, the crowd barely moved since there were so many of us. But eventually, we got on our way.

Attending a race of this size for the second time, I knew what to expect. The start would be slow. I would have to weave my way around runners in the first mile until we all set into our actual paces. And, I’d have to make up time to finish with numbers that matched up to what I’m used to seeing in training.

My splits were solid and improving with each mile:

…and as a result my finish was respectable. I was happy with it. In fact, more than happy with it since I haven’t been this fast on a 5K since before pregnancy. This tells me that I have it in me to get better – possibly back to my old numbers and beyond.

I wasn’t expecting to PR yesterday but I was expecting to prove a point to myself and I did. YES.

Which is why I was sporting a look of extreme satisfaction after the race….

…or maybe the look was saying ‘I know my husband picked up pizza and starbucks for my post-run celebration and I can’t wait to devour it’. You be the judge.

All in all..it was a fun event, a solid running performance, and a great day. I can’t complain.