SnoFlake's Blog

Hi!  I'm SnoFlake.  I'm Snoqualmie's daughter.  As you might have read on my mom's running blog, I've been running since this Sunday (Aug. 9).  On Sunday I did 2.1 miles, on Monday I did 2.09 miles, on Wednesday I did 3.13 miles, and today I did 1.3 miles.  I would have probably gone farther today, except that it was pouring outside, and both me and my mom were soaked within minutes.  

 Right now, my goal is a 5K.  I haven't signed up for anything yet, but my mom is helping me train.  I'm so excited to finally have my own blog!  I never really liked running before, but once I started doing it more, it became more fun for me.  On my first run, however, I ate a huge dinner and went running right after it, and had a horrible stitch in my side the whole time.  On Monday morning, I tried eating just a banana before mom and I went out in the morning, but I guess it didn't quite finish digesting or something because I still had a stitch in my side.  For the past few days, I've eaten nothing before a run (just water or juice), and it's gotten a lot better.

 In addition to running, I also really like horseback riding (I take lessons once a week, and this summer I've been helping out at the barn one morning a week as well) and gymnastics (I go to gymnastics class once a week too).   I'm homeschooled.

 I'll probably run again tomorrow morning.  If not, I'll definitely be back on Monday!!!! 

Great weather.  I ran with mom today (as usual) and I had a great time.  Ran a bit farther than 5K distance again -- well, at least I know that I can do it.  I'm taking a lot of walk breaks right now, so it took a long time, but it was definitely worth it.  I'm pooped now, though.  I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, so it was hard to wake up this morning.  I might even have to take a nap later, which I almost never do.

I forgot to write about something that happened to me yesterday while my mom and I were out running together.  Our neighborhood has a lot of really young trees spaced along on the strip of grass next to the sidewalk.  One of them, a few blocks from my house, has a very young branch (it wasn't there last year) that comes down towards the sidewalk, so that if you don't duck, you'll walk right into it.  I was not walking.  And I did not duck.  I was running, and I crashed right into it.  I didn't actually hurt because the branch was so young that it bent when I hit it.  I didn't really realize what had happened to me until I had emerged from the leaves, my face covered in water (the leaves were, of course, wet because of all the rain we had that day), and looked back to see the branch still swaying back and forth behind me.  No more looking down at the ground while running for me.  Well, at least I'm able to laugh about it now, right? :-)

The tree incident happened yesterday.  Today, luckily, the most that happened was running under a telephone wire with a huge flock of swallows sitting on it, and hoping nothing would fall on my head.  Luckily, nothing did.;-) 

Have a great weekend everybody! 

Boy am I pooped.  I don't think I've ever been this pooped after running 2 miles.  Anyway, it was a good run.  We went a way we don't normally go, because it's so hilly.  But I figure if I show up at a 5K and there's a ton of hills that I'm not prepared for, that's not going to be a ton of fun.  Oh, yeah, and if you count me looking at the clock, freaking out, and sprinting down the stairs just as mom came through the door, we did some speed work too.;-)  

We went out just as the sun was coming up, so that was really pretty.  I was going to go for a run yesterday morning with my dad, but when I woke up, I just didn't feel like it, so I decided to pass and wait for today.  Maybe next week.  I did go for a walk that evening with my dad.  

Gymnastics tonight -- hope I'm not too tired.  I really do not enjoy running several times around the floor with no walk breaks at top speed.  I can run fast for a very, very short time, or run slowly for a couple of miles, but I cannot combine the two to save my life.;-)   

I'm planning to run again on Wednesday.  Hopefully I will not make the same stupid mistake of not drinking any water before going out in the morning.  There's your SnoFlake-runs-into-a-tree moment for today.;-) 

Once again, we got lucky on the weather.  Really nice -- perfect for running.  I was a little bit cold at first, but once I got warmed up and started running, it was great.  Luckily, no running-into-a-tree moments today.  My legs got really tired after about one mile --they don't usually do this until 2 or 2.5 miles.

I do have a sad story though.  Yesterday, I was siting in the kitchen when I heard a big thump and looked around to see that a bird had hit out living room windows and was falling to the ground (it's a long way down).  We rushed outside, and the poor thing wasn't moving.  It was breathing though, and flapping it's wings, trying to stand up.  We have had birds get injured by our cat before now, so we keep a shoebox with holes punched in for air handy just in case.  We put the bird in the box and put the box in a dark, quiet room for a while.  Just before we put it in the room, the bird appeared to stop breathing.  When we came back into the dark room to check on it, it was definetly dead.  We wrapped it in a paper towel and buried it in the front yard.  

We're not quite sure what kind of bird she was, because she looked like a goldfinch, but was way to big to be one. We think she died of a concussion, which I've read can sometimes happen when birds hit windows very hard.  I hate seeing animals die and it was very sad.  At least she didn't die at the hands, or rather, at the paws, of our cat, who enjoys playing with his food before eating it.

Does anyone know of a type of bird who looks like a goldfinch but is bigger than one? 

Ran with dad today, that was a lot of fun.  Our average pace was 10.5 minute miles, which to me felt really fast.  We just did a short run today.  I woke up thinking, "Hey, this is great weather!  Cloudy, but it's not raining!  Well, at least I won't get hot today!"  I did not get hot.  That may have been due to the fact that the moment I stepped out the door, it started raining.  It wasn't too rainy, mostly just a mist, but there was wind which made it feel rainier and colder than it really was.

Am I destined to keep running into tree branches?  It seems like I might, so far.  I ran into two more this morning.  Both were very young, so it didn't hurt, but they were also very wet.  Luckily, the both only hit my hat.  I am so glad I wear a hat.  Unfortunately, it is now covered in brown marks, as it it smacked into a tree while it's owner was looking down.... three times.  I didn't forget my water this morning, but I may have drunk too much at a water stop because I got a stitch in my side and could hear it sloshing around in my stomach about three blocks from home.  Slosh slosh slosh.

 Have a great weekend everybody, and happy running!

Ran with dad again today.  Awesome weather.  About a third of a mile in, it started misting, and that stayed for quite a while.  Beautiful morning.

Carolyn, I don't know where you heard that thing about looking at the horizon, but it WORKS!  I didn't hit a single tree.  Yay!  I kept wanting to look down, but I forced myself to look at the horizon, allowing me to miraculously avoid two cherry trees, a ginko tree, and some kind of flowering shrub.  By allowing myself a glance down every now and then, I also avoided numerous slugs and snails.  :-D:-D

As you know, I'm doing run-walk.  This makes me extremely slow, most of the time.  But according to my dad's iPhone, when I wasn't walking, I was going 9.08 minute miles.  I'm not sure how accurate it is, but I'm pretending it's perfect (which it probably isn't). ;-)  Either way, YAY!!!!

Ran with mom today.  Lots of fun.  We ran past a fenced backyard with two very small Siamese kittens in it.  They stared at us for a second like they were terrified, then one of them trotted forward and put his nose through a gap in the fence and sniffed our hands thoroughly.  The other one, still slightly terrified, bounded off into the bushes.  And when I say bounded, I mean bounded.  He was springing along like a rabbit.  It was so funny.

Once again, I managed to avoid the trees.  No slugs or snails to avoid today, either -- hooray!  I'm always so afraid that I'll step on one.  Not for the sake of the slug or snail, though -- for the sake of my breakfast. ;-)

Have a great Thursday, everyone!

Ran with dad again today.  I was going to run yesterday but I decided to sleep in instead.  I'm very glad I did, because if I had gone running yesterday, I'd have missed today, and wouldn't have run in today's lovely fog!!!!  Like my mom, I am a total fog-lover, so today was awesome.  Temps in the mid-high 50's throughout the run.  We also did some hills today, and as I am not used to hills, I am totally wiped out.  But I figure I'll be even more wiped out if I show up a a 5K and there are a ton of hills, and I don't have any practice at running them.

I think I'll go get something to eat now.  Happy running, everybody, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!