My next race is coming up in just 2 weeks.  Honestly, I thought it was farther away!  Yes, I do miss the small details sometimes 🙂  So it was time to get out there and run some hills because this race, the Churchill’s half marathon, has a hilly course.  I usually run on pretty flat terrain, especially since the High Hamstring Tendinopathy happened.  I avoid hills!

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My morning views.  I LOVE catching the sunrise!

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I planned a long run route which took my out and back over the hilly part of the course.  Lucky for me the course is just a few miles from my house!  I started out when it was just a little bit dark out, but I wore my headlamp and a blinkie light so cars would see me when I got to the main roads.  I figured they would see my headlamp and notice me more.  My neon yellow shirt also helped!

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Up the hill on the Churchill’s course!

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I was planning on running 5 miles out and turning around, but a bit after 4 miles I realized I had dropped my gloves somewhere. Oh no, $20 gloves missing??  Time to turn around.  I think the glove chase actually made me pick up my pace a little.  I was pretty happy to see them laying on the ground.

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The hill running went pretty well, but I sure didn’t power up them or anything.  I did go on a steep section back and forth a few times to get some more mileage in, and hoping that more hills would be a good thing.

By the time I reached my car at 10 miles I thought I would never survive 13.1 miles and was pretty tired.  But wait, now I couldn’t find my blinkie light!!  I remember adjusting my water belt a few times and it must have fallen off in the last 3 miles.  So I had to retrace my path around the park, and hopefully it was there.  I thought I would walk at first, but then figured it would take too long to walk, so I just ran it slowly.  Hooray, there was my blinky light at the farthest point away from my car on the loop!  Of course.  But yeah I found it, because it actually belongs to Alan 🙂  (and an extra 1.5 miles for the day!)

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The park was beautiful, but it hasn’t hit it’s full color change yet.  I’ll be sure to give you a picture when it does.  It’s pretty breath taking out there in full fall color.

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Hope your runs went well this week, and that you didn’t lose anything!!   I’m a big fan of out and back courses, and this is just another example why they are so great.  ha!

Here’s a fun thing:  Alan joined ultra runner Sandy Villines on Thursday.  She is running across America and passed through our area.  Oh, and did I mention she won Badwater this year (womens)??  She is a beast.  Alan joined her for 5 miles of her run and learned lots of interesting things about her journey.  She plans on ending in New York and is on track to crush the previous record.  Good luck Sandy!!!  You can read about her journey here.  She is trying to beat the record of crossing the US on foot, which currently stands at 68 days.  Go Sandy!!!

sandyv

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Q:  Do you like out and back courses when you run?

Q:  Have you ever lost anything on a run?  Did you find it??

Q:  Are the leaves turning color in your area?

10 thoughts on “Dude, where’s my stuff? and running with Sandy”
  1. I run both out-and-back and loop courses during the week. I don’t really have a preference. I can’t stand running laps so I avoid speed work like the plague. I went for a run last week on an overcast rainy day and when I got back to my car, I was missing my car key! I was wet and cold and just wanted to get into some dry clothes. I started running back the way I came and, fortunately, found the key fob less than a mile away. I run in the Morton Arboretum at least 3 times a week and the leaves there are about half and half.

    1. That was lucky that you found the fob so soon. I would have been freaking!! I had considered just leaving the blinky light, since I thought it was a lost cause. But since it was technically Alan’s, I figured I had to find it!

  2. It looks like a beautiful fall run! That is very cool Alan got to run with Sandy. I don’t do out and backs a lot unless I am on a trail. Reading this made me excited to RUN today. I’m going up to my parent’s house in Millersburg so I will get some new scenery!

  3. I can’t believe you almost lost my blinking light! Or wait, is it yours now since you borrow it all the time? 🙂

    1. For some reason runs that aren’t out and back seem like the loooooongest runs to me. I guess it’s the anticipation of knowing where everything is and how long it will take to finish!

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