There's Hills in Texas?

Tuesday night brought another successful TEAM training session. And by successful, I mean leg-squashingly intense. It didn't help that the temperatures had dropped and the wind was howling. We did about a mile warm-up before coming upon a small but long hill. It didn't look too daunting at the time, but after sprinting up it and jogging down it several times, I was beginning to think I was in the Rocky Mountains. According to a teammates handy Garmin, we did close to four miles overall, including the jog back to our meeting spot at Marketstreet.

And, in keeping with tradition, a handful of us followed training with some liquid carb-loading at the pub next door. I think I sucked down more water than ... ugh ... carbs ... but it was nice to actually see my teammates' faces rather than the back of their heads as they pass me on the trail.

In other ramblings, I'm thinking of adding the Fort Worth Cowtown Half Marathon to my schedule. Several of my teammates are doing it, so it might be fun. And definitely good practice!

New Year, New Runs

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Years! Hard to believe it's already 2009. Even harder to believe that I only have three months left to train until Big D. Yowzers! At this point, my longest run has been five miles. I can see that jumping considerably this month. Thanks for the advice from several of you about the Garmin -- I read that Target carries a couple of the models, so maybe I can put my Christmas gift card to good use (thanks Mom & Dad!).

I was in for a real treat (slight sarcasm implied) at our Team run on Tuesday night. We jogged a mile and a half to the unlighted track and did 100-yard sprints around the football field, recovering around the end zones. After 6 laps, my legs were jello. I'm embarrassed to post my 100-yard time, but will so I am forced to improve: 29 seconds. I won't hold my breath waiting for a phone call from the Olympic committee, but at least the speed work will hopefully pay off down the road. Jello turned to mush as we jogged the mile and a half back, where we rewarded our efforts with some liquid carb-loading at Delaney's.

I got in my first run of the New Year yesterday. The weather was beautiful as I meandered down another farm road near my house. The sun was on it's way down, creating a halo of pink and gold on everything beneath it. All was quiet, the only sound the soft crunch of gravel beneath my shoes and the occasional call from a nearby cow. I didn't want to get caught on the one-lane road in the dark, so I turned back earlier than I had wanted. I think I put in about three miles, a mile shy of what I had hoped to do.

Perhaps I can steal away from work this afternoon and head back out there ...

Sunny Skies & Giant Flies

Well, I didn't quite make it up early yesterday, but I did take advantage of the beautiful weather during lunch. Since I've been feeling a bit of pain in my right knee, I decided to run on a dirt road that cuts through farmland near my house.

It was a nice change of scenery from the neighborhoods I usually run through. Nothing but blue skies, a few trees and open pastures. But I swear I attracted every flying insect within a 10-mile radius. Those suckers were relentless! I'm surprised the freeze last week didn't wipe them out. They became my little cheering section, though, threatening a full-on attack if I stopped.

I think I put in about four miles -- can't quite be sure as my pedometer gave out two miles in. I need to map out a few courses, I guess, so I don't have to rely on one. I just get tired of running the same loop, and it seems I'm able to go farther when I don't know exactly where I'm going.

Tuesday nights we have optional Team runs. I haven't been going, but I'm starting tonight. I think we're doing track work -- not really sure what that entails, but I'm pretty sure I'll be sore after!