Today's 11 miler took me back to Hains Point, since it has been a few weeks since I've crossed the bridge into DC. I ran strong the entire time - and since this was a stepback week, I decided to speed up the long run to 30 seconds faster per mile than my typical long run.
As in other runs this past week, I paid special attention to my breathing. I counted and noted that my default rate is 3 steps for an inhale, 3 steps for an exhale. Since I was running strong this week, I didn't change it up much (such as 2 steps for an inhale, 3 for an exhale) - but I think I will in runs this upcoming week.
Nature greeted me with a couple of surprises during the run. As I crested the footpath near Reagan National Airport that allows you to get a view of DC, I saw the brightest red-orange sun in the sky. It was a bit hazy this morning, with the sky a little grayer than normal, which really made the ball of fire stand out. There weren't any rays of sunshine that stemmed out from the sun, which made me think it might have been a huge, red moon. As I progressed in my run, I saw the sun continue to rise and get yellower in color, which made me realize that it was, in fact, the sun. Moments like this make me wish I bring a camera with me on my runs.
The other surprise that nature gave me was a flock of geese - two parent geese and countless teenager geese. Strangely, I haven't seen too many baby animals this year - ducklings, bunnies, cygnets, etc. This made the sight of these geese a truly pleasant site. Yes, I know that it was just teenager geese - not even baby geese - but they were so cute!
As I progressed in my run, I noticed that very few people were out compared to normal. Was the heat too hot for them? Were they on vacation? Had they discovered a new trail? I saw my "regular" people that I've seen week after week, but a lot of the big groups were missing. Then, as I rounded the corner on Gravelly Point going south, BAM - I saw a huge group of runners. I counted, and there were 33 in all. There was even a runner with a jogging stroller. (I didn't count the baby in the stroller because s/he wasn't running.) A couple of runners in this group wore Pacers t-shirts, so my guess is that they were with a running group organized by the Pacers Running Stores.
One final surprise in my run occurred at the Crystal City waterpark, where I had about a mile to go before completing the distance. I noticed a girl doing the downward dog yoga pose and thought she was standing a little close to a Crystal City directional sign. She stood in that pose for a few seconds, and then out of nowhere she flipped up her legs and did a full out handstand against the sign. I was quite impressed. I have been told that I have the body of a gymnast, but I can't even do a cartwheel - so I admire people with those skills.
Next week I am continuing the progression... sort of. As you may remember, I have to add in some filler weeks to complete 40 weeks of training successfully. I am going to repeat the past four weeks and see if I can improve on them. There are two reasons for this. First, I got very nervous after the tendon in my left inner ankle hurt so badly before my run; this pain actually continued in some form for four days after the fact. Thankfully, I did not feel any pain today, but it's better to play this safe and take all possible measures to avoid injury. Second, my body feels as though it is plateauing. I feel like my runs aren't having the same effect on me. I am going to, essentially, redo the past four weeks and add in measures that I think will help me undo that plateau - a greater variety in weight training, faster speeds, and more yoga, to add a few. I believe I will get positive results!
One of the really cool things, and a true joy about running at daybreak is discovering all the nocturnal animals who have yet to return to the thicket, in the case of the deer. To their den, in the case of the foxes. And to their burrow, in the case of the bunnies and chipmunks. Although I'm walking Moxie at dawn, there are animals galore --- a regular nature preserve, with song birds, crows, and an occasional dog peeking out of its owners' window, barking like crazy and up the neighbors. Sorry neighbors --- time to delight in natures beauty with the runners and other creatures. Last week I a red fox was in our yard, not more than a foul shot away from Moxie and me..., a large doe was feed on our bushes by the mail box, a chipmunk scurried around the corner, and a bunny rabbit sat up, and appeared nervous by our approach. Nothing like an early morning jog, or walk in my case, to commune with nature. Have yet to see a bear, but there have been 22 sightings so far this year.
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