Weekend wrap-up

My long run on Saturday required a bit of strategic planning because of the ice/snow/slush left from Wednesday's storm.  I know it doesn't compare at all to what runners in a lot of other places have been facing for a while, but it still caused a few problems - and detours.  I had hoped to run along the Mount Vernon trail, but I came upon this and decided 12 miles on an ice sheet would not be the best idea.

I am much happier running when it looks like this:

So I decided to head over Memorial Bridge to run loops around Haines Point instead.  And, really, it can hardly be considered a poor backup plan (and I think most DC runners would agree with me).  As you can see from the picture, the road hadn't been cleared completely, but there was plenty of room to run down the center.  It was also relatively smooth sailing getting there from Memorial Bridge (thanks National Park Service for clearing the sidewalks!).

This is totally blurry, but see the fox in the back?  He ran away before I could get a better shot.

All in all, it ended up being a good run.  I was able to hit my target pace (goal half marathon pace + 30 seconds) despite the fact that miles 2 & 11 were on a sheet of ice, as were a good portion of miles 1 & 12.  Just a little extra strength training for my ankles and a good reminder that I probably should get to know the wobble board that I purchased last year and have barely used.

On Sunday I hit the gym for a fun 10 mile ride on the stationary bike.  My gym has those bikes that allow you to ride on various courses and compare your results to other riders.  It was a real blow to my self esteem to realize that my time halfway through was only a few minutes slower than the total course record...guess I have a long way to go on the bike.  On a more positive note, I think this was the first time that I have ever finished ahead of the pacer!   Yay!  I have no idea how the speed of the pacer is set, but it feels good to see "You are xx seconds ahead of the pacer" instead of my usual "The pacer is xx seconds ahead."

Speaking of bikes, I was planning to drop my "new" bike off for a tune-up on Sunday afternoon, but got a flat tire on the drive there.  So the bike work will have to wait, but at least I learned how to change a flat!  And will finally be getting those new tires for my car that I've been meaning to get for a while...