Running!!!!!

Well, it didn't work to go out for a run Wed am because it was pouring rain. So, in the evening after dinner and running a couple of errands, I brought my gym clothes with and stopped at Court House. I was shooting for a thirty-five minute run with five-minute cooldown, hoping to add five minutes to my time on Sunday. But unfortunately by minute twenty I really had to go to the bathroom, so I ended up doing a two-minute cooldown after minute thirty. But at least I was able to sustain a thirty minute run on the treadmill again. This time I did 3.1 miles in thirty, as after a five-minute warmup at about 5.5 mph, I tried to keep my speed above 6.0, varying it between 6.0 and a max of 6.6 throughout the random course setting, which had me running inclines up to 4.3. So I feel good that I have two 3 mile runs in, halfway through this week. I plan on spinning class again tomorrow, possibly a bike ride or run outside Sat, and then more weights and a treadmill run Sun.

Also, I hope to get out sat with my brother Dave, to canoe on the Hockanum River, as I got two river races coming up the next two weekends. The Scantic Spring Splash is a week from saturday and a lot of fun. It's approximately five miles long, with a portage around a dam halfway through. There are three sets of rapids that you have to cross. Last year we tipped over in both the first two sets. The frigid water (about 34 degrees F), just about took my breath away. Then the portage got me warmed back up, as you pull your canoe to the side and have to climb up about a 100 feet of elevation hill to a level spot and then drop back down that 100 feet plus another 50 or so of the height of the dam, on path in the woods. It was crazy, as there were several teams of canoes doing it at the same time, and both the uphill and downhill were muddy, no traction, especially with wet water shoes. I remember my uncle telling me that him and my cousin, in their single kayaks, carried their boats together, my uncle holding the front of both boats and Nate holding the rears. When the got to the downhill he was running and couldn't stop, so Nate let go, and Eric just slid out of control down the hill and plowed into another guy and his boat!!
Anyway it was definitely an adrenaline rush to say the least and got us warmed back up for the last set of rapids, the hardest yet, with successive series of drops from about 3 to 6 feet high. Thankfully my brother and I had started to get the hang of the boat, after our first two wet experiences and were able to keep ourselves straight over the drops and keep our weight back enough to not take on water. We scooted right through in front of crowd of a couple hundred spectators, as this set was right at the finish of the race.