Freezing Cold Hash Run

Sunday: Reinman Run

When I left for a run this morning, I felt a little grumpy. After completing a strong 8.74 mile run with Glenn consisting mostly of hills, I drove back singing loudly with Jason Mraz on the car stereo...
I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer
My breath fogged up the glass
And so I drew a new face and laughed
I guess what I'm a saying is there ain't no better reason
To rid yourself of vanity and just go with the season...

The grumpiness was gone. That's why I love running. It reminds me of how beautiful life is. Even when it is 8 degrees outside and I'm drinking lumps of semi-frozen gatorade while puffing up a hill.

Saturday: Freezing Cold Hash Run

As I found out, hashing is a weird sort of trail running.
Taken from the organizer's website: A typical Hash "kennel" is a loosely organized group of 20-40 men and women who meet weekly or biweekly to chase the Hare. We follow chalk, flour, or paper, and the trails are never boring. When forced to, we'll run streets or alleys, but in general we see shiggy . . . fields, forests, jungles, swamps, streams, fences, storm drains, and cliffs. And although some of today's health-conscious Hashers may shun a cold beer in favor of water or a diet soda, trail's end is still a party. Perhaps that's why they call us the "drinking club with a running problem!" No kidding...there was so much alcohol involved before, during (yes, they had 2 'drink' stops with little water and generous quantities of alcohol) and after the run, it was a miracle everyone completed without being severely dehydrated or worse. But inebriated or otherwise, we all had a ball, stomping through the woods and marsh of Edison, howling to the accompaniment of a noisy bugle, following the trail of flour and orange surveyor's tape.

We were cautioned that this is woods running- not a nice road with course marshals. Warning: You may encounter the following hazards to slow you down: Wild Dogs, Rabid Raccoons, rats, marshes, Swamp gas, Sticker bushes, potential exercise, parts of trail underwater, destruction of running shoes and clothes from dirt, loud men over 50, secret trails and more.

Before the run. More pics to follow.
DH, Glenn, Rajiv and I formed our "pack". We were one of the slowest packs, but it didn't matter the slightest bit. We were not in danger of getting lost, as the average pace of the entire group was only slightly faster than a brisk walk (though at several places, Glenn charged through the hilly and uneven wooded area like it was level ground). DH and Rajiv returned after 3 1/2 miles, but Glenn and I opted for a slightly longer trail and covered 5.4 miles in total. Though the post-run pizza and turkey sandwiches had been devoured before Glenn and I made it back, as promised there was plenty of pigeon and mystery animal at the end of the run. I was slightly disappointed that instead of a pic of a grim-looking skull and cross bones, my T-shirt announced My Attorney Fights to Win, but it's a petty thing to gripe about...a great time was had by all.

So, if you call these crazy 5.4 miles "running", I ended my week with 34 miles.

Tuesday: 6 miles (57:47 - 9:38 per mile) + spinning
Wednesday: 4 miles (37:02 - 9:16 per mile) + core work (abs, lunges, biceps, triceps)
Thursday: 10 miles (1:33:50 - 9:23 per mile)
Friday: swimming 1000 yards
Saturday: 5.4 miles 'Hashing'
Sunday: 8.74 miles (1.38:56)