Monday, October 14, 2013

Waterfront Run!

The PNW can be rough to live in when the weathers rainy, cold, and gray, and when most of the running blogs I follow are in CA where there is always sun, shorts, and tanks.  Ok, maybe not always, but I tell you it really sucks to be running in the middle of winter in the cold, snow, and rain and see sunny CA pics.  Not picking on CA, apparently I just don't follow blogs from anywhere else sunny.

Anyway, it's all made up for with days like today!  When it's sunny around here it is pretty amazingly beautiful!  And, the whole week is supposed to be just like today!  Mild temps with sun after the morning fog burns off.  (Although, of course the only day that has a.m. showers is stroller group day...whatever!).

Sine I was pushing Sky today I wanted to run somewhere flat, with a great view, and a playground!  My usual go to location is Chambers Bay.  I kind of wanted a break though because I walked there twice last week, and am doing so again tomorrow.  Plus, I wanted 5 miles today and the only way to do that at Chambers, without running the same out and back over and over, is to run the whole loop with the crazy hills.  That's just not something I do with the stroller.  It's too hard pushing up the hills and too easy to lose control coming down the hills.  So, we packed up and drove to the waterfront!  I try and limit the number of times I drive clear across two towns during the week, so the waterfront is a special treat!  The view was a special treat as well! 

 Totally worth the drive for this view!

  Short of the 5 miles I wanted, but we hit the playground before I hit 5 miles.  
 
I try not to brag too much around here, but can I just say I'm killing it with the pace on my stroller runs!  For the longest time 10:30 to 11:00 was fast for me when pushing the stroller, now I'm pretty consistently hitting an average of 9:45 or under with the stroller (when I run on my own, I don't push the stroller group that fast). 
 
Today I was proud of myself because I didn't look at the watch once while running; I was focused on cadence and landing mid-foot, and feel like I did a pretty darn good job; and, there were a few times it started to feel hard and I was so tempted to stop and stroll with Sky and enjoy the sun, but I kept going and stayed focused.  I was so happy to see the pace that I didn't even care that it was short of the 5 miles. 
 
Plus, the smile on Sky's face when I stopped at the playground (most of the time we don't have time to stop and play so I run right on by playgrounds) made that last .5 totally worth skipping! 
 
For some reason blogger won't let me make all the pictures large, it picks and chooses, sorry you can't see her face better.  She is smiling though! 
 
 
 
 She spent most of her time swinging and yelling "flying backwards" which comes out more like "f'ing bastards".  So, it was good we were the only ones there!
 
 

  Had to get a little climbing in!
 
I'm pretty lucky, because when it's time to leave Sky rarely fights me on it.  I tell her it's time to go, and we go with little to no fit 99% of the time!  Let me tell you though that 1% is pretty impressive when she does fight it! 
 
It helps to tell her that she can run, run back to the car.  I parked about 1.5 miles from the park and didn't think she'd make it all the way back on her own.   
 

 
 
That hat is so silly, but she picked it our herself at REI and loves it.
"I push like mommy, no mommy help you"

Look at that stride!
 
She made it all the way back to the car with one pause to watch the train that went by.  She was so excited she was jumping up and down and twirling as it went past.  Girl loves her trains! 
 
Love my little running partner so much!!!  I'm going to be really sad (probably mostly relieved though...she is getting heavy!) when the days of pushing her in the stroller are over.  We have a lot of fun together for sure! 
 
What's your favorite view while running? 
 
How do you like to start your Monday?
 
 
 


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