Running in the Winter is Bliss

There is just something about a cold evening, even better if it's a cold snowy evening that makes me crave a run through Lincoln Park and along Lake Michigan. Weird? Crazy? Lost my mind? Probably all of the above.

Maybe it's the feeling of adventure? Feeling really tough and hardcore? Knowing how happy my husky will be running out in the cold? The joy of the complete silence running through the park, only hearing the snow falling. Or the awesomeness that is having the lakeshore path all to yourself.  When I'm out there I feel so alive, alert, focused, my senses heightened. I'm living life! -2 with windchill won't bring me down!

Probably all of the above. Maybe the secret is coming home, drying off and showering and then snuggling up with a good book in front of the fireplace with Christmas music playing and sipping on hot apple cider tea. The epitome of koselig.

Pretty perfect if you ask me!

When it's less than 20 degrees outside I'm wearing a lot of clothing, in fact i'm toasty!

What to wear:

• 2 pairs of gloves
• 4 top layers (tank, long sleeve, puffer vest, shell)
• 2 bottom layers
• Wool socks
• Waterproof trail shoes (I have yaktrax but never use them. You don't need them for the snow and if it's that icy I don't think it's safe to run)
• Neck gaiter
• Headband
• Musher's wax for your dog's paws 

Just channel the famous Norwegian saying: "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing".

Competition makes people crazy!

I came across this article by the Telegraph, and Sebastian Coe shares what made him go the extra mile. I loved it so much and had to share. 

"It was a harsh winter (harsh enough to bring down a government) but I ran 12 miles on Christmas morning. It was a hard session and I got home, showered and felt pretty happy with what I had done.
Later that afternoon, sitting back after Christmas lunch, I began to feel uneasy but was not quite sure why. Suddenly it dawned on me. I thought: "I bet [Steve] Ovett's out there doing his second training session of the day." I put the kit back on, faced the snow and ice and did a second training session. I ran several miles, including some hill work."

I just laughed so hard, competition makes people nuts!!! In this case, in a crazy good way! 

Seb Coe beating Steve Ovett

Sculpture Run!

Running through Recoleta in the early evening is the best. Plenty of people out biking, rollerblading, running, walking. I noticed there are so many sculptures on my run that it begs to be named the "Sculpture Run". Here are just a few shots of the many sculptures. See for yourself!

A Memorial Plaque to the Disappeared Artists of the Recoleta Crafts Fair

Nice trail!

Relaxing on the lawn like all the other portenos

Runner's Logic

What is with my cameras not charging? I would have some excellent photos for today...except my camera won't charge. Booooo.

Have you ever gone on a run and literally felt like you were going to fall over because your legs felt weak and heavy? Well, that was my run today. Not fun, but slow and steady right? I made it 20 minutes before I had to walk home. Yikes! I blame it on the combo of the BA heat/humidity and starting to study for my Boards. The one-two punch.

So my days are becoming less blog worthy, as I study more, frequent the same places, and am not as touristy. BUT, I still managed to eat a delicious bife de chorizo sandwich for dinner. I'm sorry I don't have a wonderful photo.

Tomorrow brings another date with USMLE World qbank. I will become a doctor soon, just 2 more big tests and A LOT of practice questions before I get my medical license...

Update:
This is EXACTLY what went through my mind today as I geared up to go running...

T.G.I.R.

Thank God its Raining!

Lightning and thunder for most of last night. So cool and nice today. Took a run (and some photos).

Stormy clouds over Recoleta Cemetary

In motion

Graffiti art on Bridge overlooking University of Buenos Aires

The 40 Runner’s Commandments

Found this, and I had to share it, because it's right on the money!

The 40 Runner’s Commandments
by Joe Kelly
1. Don’t be a whiner. Nobody likes a whiner, not even other whiners.
2. Walking out the door is often the toughest part of a run.
3. Don’t make running your life. Make it part of your life.
4. Keep promises, especially ones made to yourself.
5. The faster you are the less you should talk about your times.
6. Keep a quarter in your pocket. One day you’ll need to call for a ride.
7. Don’t compare yourself to other runners.
8. All runners are equal, some are just faster than others.
9. Keep in mind that the later in the day it gets, the more likely it is that you won’t run.
10. For a change of pace, get driven out and then run back.
11. If it was easy, everybody would be a runner.
12. When standing in starting lines, remind yourself how fortunate you are to be there.
13. Getting out of shape is much easier than getting into shape.
14. A bad day of running still beats a good day at work.
15. Don’t talk about your running injuries. People don’t want to hear about your sore knee or black toe.
16. Don’t always run alone.
17. Don’t always run with people.
18. Approach running as if the quality of your life depended on it.
19. No matter how slow, your run is still faster than someone sitting on a couch.
20. Keep in mind that the harder you run during training, the luckier you’ll get during racing.
21. Races aren’t just for those who can run fast.
22. There are no shortcuts to running excellence.
23. The best runs sometimes come on days when you didn’t feel like running.
24. There is nothing boring about running. There are, however, boring people who run.
25. Distance running is like cod liver oil. At first it makes you feel awful, then it makes you feel better.
26. Never throw away the instructions to your running watch.
27. Don’t try to outrun dogs.
28. Don’t wait for perfect weather. If you do, you won’t run very often.
29. When tempted to stop being a runner, make a list of the reasons you started.
30. Without goals, training has no purpose.
31. Go for broke, but be prepared to be broken.
32. Spend more time running on the roads than sitting on the couch.
33. Make progress in your training, but progress at your own rate.
34. “Winning” means different things to different people.
35. Unless you make your living as a runner, don’t take running too seriously.
36. Never tell a runner that he or she doesn’t look good in tights.
37. Never confuse the Ben-Gay tube with the toothpaste tube.
38. Preventing running injuries is easier than curing them.
39. Running is simple. Don’t make it complicated.
40. Running is always enjoyable. Sometimes, though, the joy doesn’t come until the end of the run.

Quote of the Day: Believe

"Believe that you can run farther or faster. Believe that you're young enough, old enough, strong enough, and so on to accomplish everything you want to do. Don't let worn-out beliefs stop you from moving beyond yourself." 

John Bingham

Tweet Tweet!

Resolved to use Twitter more, and have had a blast doing so this last week! Updated a link to my twitter feed on this blog (look right), my twitter handle is @juliapederson

Wonderful 5 mile run today. Every day I'm thankful that it stays light past 8pm.

Coyote sighting!

Awesome 3 mile trail run at Arastradero this evening. 7 deer and a coyote = one happy Julia! Terrific way to start the weekend. If only my iphone hadn't died this week, I would have a nice photo to post. My coyote wasn't as cute as this little guy:

Happy New Year!

Finished reading 50/50 by Dean Karnazes, I liked this quote he found by Darwin: " It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change"

Something to keep in mind as we make our resolutions for 2012!

Hayward Field

Found on my very rainy run, thus the blurry photo!

The Four-Minute Mile

Yesterday I finished reading Roger Bannister's The Four-Minute Mile. It's his personal account of his life and years leading up to breaking the 4-minute mile barrier. A really terrific read if you love running and history! Might be a bit slow for non-runners, but I bet still fascinating to learn about the intricacies of this subculture of competitive track and field you might never venture into yourself. He makes a lot of poignant statements about his concerns about running transforming into a profession verse the amateur status he enjoyed while running. Roger Bannister viewed running as just a part of his life, and committed just 30 minutes a day to his training while in medical school.

Read more if you like!

Born to Run

Last month I finally read Born to Run, a NY Times bestseller written by Christopher McDougall that ignited the barefoot running craze. No I'm not running barefoot or wearing vibrams, but I did love the book. Born to Run is so well written, and most of all such a great story! I loved the combination of history, anthropology, data on the running industry, and the compelling characters. I was so sad when I finished reading it, I would consider reading it again, it was that good.

So if you have a chance, whether you love or hate running,  think vibrams are monkey feet or an amazing invention, I definitely suggest reading Born to Run!

Welcome to Telluride!

I'm in Telluride, CO for the next week for the 7th Annual Patient Safety Roundtable. All of the Patient Safety Scholars arrived last night and we had a group BBQ. This is a snapshot from our Gondola ride that we will be taking everyday to the to Telluride at the bottom! Had a great 2 mile run this morning- I definitely felt the 10,000 feet elevation!

Quote of the Day

"You've got some wheels!"

-Random dude at the track yesterday as I was running my 200m intervals. 

Running and Jill Biden

While running along the Capital Crescent Trail, I see a fit, blonde woman in a black running outfit speeding along towards my way. Low and behold, it is none other than JILL BIDEN! Wife of Vice President, with two secret services agents huffing and puffing about 10 meters in her dust. How cool is that? Jill Biden rocks. Another great example of why I love running! The run was beautiful, trail goes from Maryland to DC, tree-covered, scenic, perfectly picturesque. AWESOME DAY!

I ran a 10k

Last Friday night, the Palo Alto Weekly held the annual Moonlight Run around the Baylands Preserve. What fun! It was my first time running a 10k, under a clear sky, beautiful moon and on a nice trail. I averaged under 8 minute pace for the run, so I was happy! A bunch of friends from med school also ran, and Abs finished her first ever 5k, such a blast!

The amazing world you discover...

Rough test today, followed by a rougher 5 hours of continuous class, and it was rainy and cold... I was ready to be released from the cage...counting down the minutes to 5pm. And I'm out, quickly change and get moving. I start my usually route, around Lake Lagunita. I get somewhat annoyed by all the moths that seem to be around the ground, then as I look closer...and realize, that they aren't little moths, they are FROGS. BABY FROGS EVERYWHERE! I'm talking about hundreds and hundreds of baby frogs on the trail and in the surrounding meadow. So, of course I stop running, stoop down and enjoy the gleefully hopping frogs for a while, They hopped around so much, all my iphone photos are blurry. I walk lightly amongst the beautifully simple baby frogs for about a 1/4 mile...Amazing right? Where did they all come from? Why today? How wonderful, mysterious and beautiful. Nature always having a way of giving me a wake up call at the right moment...

Not all in life is perfect and beautiful though...As I continued to walk along the trail full of hopping froggies, I began seeing squashed frogs. My elation dampened. More dead frogs, all over the trail...People had been running them over all day.  People had been enjoying their run, unaware of the world around them, ignorant of the small beautiful creatures beneath their feet...It made me really sad. It was so terrible to see all of the tiny little lives, squished into oblivion.

After thinking about it, I think this occurrence represents something bigger for me. If you aren't cognizant and alert of your surroundings, you really won't be able to fathom the potential impact you and others may be having. I think this example shows what can negative results can occur because of this lack of perspective, but I think the flip side is also true, you can do a lot of good if you pay close enough attention. In my case, I managed to avoid stepping on frogs, and warned a few runners about them and they stopped their run and started walking too. Sometimes you don't even know what you're looking for, but keeping your eyes out, and your mind clear, you just might come across something amazing. In my case today, hundreds of tiny, hopping froggies.

This is why I run

To decompress after my Lung Block Exam, I went on a great run in Arastradero Preserve this evening. About a mile into my run, I took a break to look around, and realized I was a step away from landing on a small 12 inch snake, it was slender with reddish-brown and yellow stripes. Continuing along, after a big climb, my efforts were rewarded with a gorgeous view of the surrounding landscape, extending all the way to the Bay.

The best part about a big ascent is the winding downhill run that follows, I was practically sprinting for almost a mile, all the while keeping my eyes peeled for other cool animal sightings. About a 100m before finishing, I slam on the breaks. There is a HUGE rattle snake in the middle of the trail!  I'm talking 4 feet long, big rattler, smack in the middle of the trail, with a dead mouse in its dust. So, fortunately I stop. Spend about 10 minutes in awe of this creature as it meanders off the trail into some gofer hole. Then I sprint to my car, slightly terrified of every sound along the trail, but joyous of my chance encounter with two beautiful snakes just minding their business on a sunny Monday evening.  This is why I run.

My Evolution into an AM Runner

It's come to this. I have finally given in to the pervasive idea that only by running in the morning can you ensure you will get a run in. For the mini-quarter I attempted to run after class, to workout at the gym at night, to run once I got home. Fail. Fail. Fail. If it ain't working, change it. So this morning I woke up, went for a light run, and voila, I fit my run into my day, before my 6 hours of class, before the evening OB/GYN interest meeting, before the interventional cardiology lunch time talk. I ran, I feel great, and I'm happy.

I also realized that it's not so much that I don't like running in the morning, it was pleasant today. I just HATE getting out of bed in the morning. There is nothing more satisfying then hitting the snooze alarm 10 times to me. This too can change, and today I only hit it twice and was out the door by 7:30. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I will only do well in medical school if I run regularly, thus my entry into the world as a newly minted AM runner.