Going back to Boston

After several weeks of thought, I told my friend and one time training partner Alix, that I would go to Boston with her in 2009.  She finally qualified at Eugene this year after several attempts and is shooting for a PR at Houston 2009.  Alix and I met through Rogue in 2006 when we were both in Stephanie Terrell's beginner AT&T Marathon group.  Even though the end result was different for us and she has since graduated from UT and moved on to bigger and better things, we have remained firm friends.  We both have kind of agreed that we will be taking it sort of easy at Boston next year...but we all know how that goes.

Dragged myself out of bed at 5am today...wasn't hungry so skipped breakfast and headed off to Barton Springs.  Had a few sips of water on the way.  Didn't have a specific plan as to where I was going to run so headed off on the trail.  Ended up on Lamar headed north and then cut over to Lavaca on 12th.  Definately feeling the hills today.  Ran through campus and on my way back was feeling a little brain dead.  I ended up at 38th street and almost continued north until I realized that one block east was Duval which is where I had intended to start heading back south.  Needed a drink at that point and thankfully there was a coffee shop...JP's Java (I think)...where I drank a couple of cups of water and continued on.  Not quite as enthusiastic at San Jac this week but was doing OK.  Stopped at the first street bridge for Runtex water and tried not to drink too much...I hate sloshing!  Ran a lap around the Zilker soccer fields and ended up at Barton Springs again for exactly 12 miles.  Drank 1 liter of NUUN while I took a quick soak...nothing feels better than that cold water!  Grabbed an OJ and breakfast taco to go on my way to the Chiropractor...had a 30 min massage and adjustment.  Weekly total...34.1.  Will start doing the Saturday long runs with Rogue next weekend!  It will be great to have water provided!  Next week will be a little easier.  Plan to run the Sunstroke 5K at an easier pace than usual and add some extra miles before it.  I will do the usual easy miles on Thurs AM.  Friday will be the Freedom 5000 with some miles tacked onto the end.

Adding on to my Thursday runs

Ran just over 6 miles with Leslie and Diana this AM.  Very humid but the wind helped with temperature control.  Did the moderately hilly loop today.  Left Leslie at her place and did an additional 3 miles for a total of 9.3 miles.  We ran a comfortable pace as a group and I picked it up for the final 3.  Shooting for 12 tomorrow for my first week over 30miles in months.  I am feeling good, legs aren't hurting like they were before Boston and I am enjoying the runs.

One more week until I am off on Friday nights...can't wait to start some sort of Sat group run.

Ice Cream...the ultimate pre race snack

Tueday....ran 5.7 miles and averaged about 8:48.  Legs were a little tight but not bad.

Wednesday....easy ride on the horse in the morning (he seemed better today), then salad, 3 oz tuna, 1 litre water, grapes and some almonds for lunch.  Went to Central Market to get food for dinner.  Unfortunately they have that great Gelato stand right before checkout...so I got some.  This is after I swore off eating  after noon on Wednesdays when I have the dreaded 5K race at 7pm.

Lazed around at home for the afternoon and headed out to Brushy Creek at 5:30.  Ran my usual 2 mile warm up and felt OK...saw Nancy Dasso so gave up before I started.  She tells me she did a triathalon on Sunday so was going to take it easy...right!  We ran together for the first mile and then I had to let her go.  Ended up finishing 3rd women (1st was some 20 some chic) and didn't feel too bad at all.  Best of all was first in line for the free massages.  My legs actually feel good tonight.  No need for an ice bath.

The novelty of the Sunstroke Stampede has worn off...only 5 more to go.  However, I'm going to stick it out and go to ever race.  I'm going to do the Freedom 5000 next friday as well.  I have enjoyed meeting a new group of runners and have a new running partner for thursday mornings.

It's 10:45 pm...why am I still awake??  Got to get up at 4:45 at the latest tomorrow.

Woo,hoo...it's my days off again!!

Haven't posted since last Wed.  Here is a general summary...

Thursday - got up at 4:30am and put in a solid 60min recovery run with Leslie.  Took a slightly hillier route than usual and it felt pretty good.  Then we did 4 strides which felt really good.  Legs a little tight so did a cool bath with what little ice I had in the freezer and epsom salts.  Went to my favorite Mexican place in Manor and had some chicken tortilla soup.   Otherwise a generally unpproductive day except for the nap I took in the afternoon.

Friday - got up at 5:30 and got to Barton Springs at 6:30.  Ran 10 miles (1/2 on the trail, 1/2 downtown) and felt great.  Nothing for the record books - solid 9 min/mile pace.  Sometimes I think I am too slow but when I look at y'alls posts, I think I'm doing OK.  I'm still focusing on a gradual build up so I still feel fresh come fall.  Had a wonderful 30 min soak in Barton Springs.  We are so lucky to have such a great post run in Austin!  Treated my self to breakfast at Magnolia Cafe, blew off my errands and went home and took a nap.  Two unproductive days in a row!  Oh well.

Sat through Monday - no running just rode my horse a couple of times.

Read everyone's posts.  Interesting stuff about the diets.  I think my biggest problem is that I don't eat enough at my main meals so an hour or so later I'm hungry and the snacking begins.  If I'm at home I snack on fruit and other good things.  If I'm at work...well let's just say I don't make the best choices.  So I need to come up with something to eat at around 1 -2 am that will fill me up and be satisfied.  Has to be fast because often I eat between inmates.  Also, my only means of cooking is a microwave and half ass toaster.  Any suggestions out there??

My horse seemed a little unenthusiastic when I rode today so I cut the ride short.  Hard to tell if he has a sore hind leg, feels bad from a weeks worth of antibiotics or the usual...needs to poop but won't go while I ride him.  I can usually identify what my problem is when I am dragging...hard to tell with the horse since he can't talk and isn't limping!

Looking at doing my fartlek run again tonight, not going to kill myself at the Wednesday night race, easy run on Thurs and plan for 12 on Friday AM.

Anyone notice it's HOT?

After not running since last Thursday, I went out on Tuesday night.  Did a one mile warm up and then did 4 minutes slightly slower than MGP, 4 min recovery, 4 min at MGP, 4 min recovery, 4 min between 1/2MGP and MGP, 4 min recovery and then 4 min at about 10K pace.  Then I jogged home for a cool down.  I was a little stiff at the start but loosened up pretty quickly.  I knew that run would ruin any chance of a decent effort at the Wed. night 5k but too bad.

I had taken the horse to the vet in the morning and everything checked out.  Allergies with a minor secondary infection.  So he is on some breathing meds and antibiotics.  Rode him Tues night and Wed AM and he showed no ill effects of the allergy problem.

I have given up on the 2 a day work outs.  It was just to hard and I was too tired.  I might throw one in here and there but not many.  It is strange how I can ride my horse one evening and then hop on and ride the next morning and he isn't tired at all.  I will say though that he doesn't work as hard as we do running!!  And he has all day and night to sleep if he wants to.

Crappy run on Wed night...I went out slow for about 1/4 mile and then slowly accelerated.  Felt pretty strong until about mile 21/2 and then my head kept saying   "it's too hot!".  And it was - my car said 102F.  Soaked in a cold tub with Epsom salts and ice.

Off to bed so I can get up at 4:45am!  Weight this AM...all time low since high school...137.5lb...woo,hoo!  I have been pretty good about my diet...the bad choices are few and far between and less bad than before.

Arrrggg.....

Haven't run since Thursday...but I'm OK with that. It has been hot. Got some good news - starting in July I will have Friday nights off (forever I hope) so I'm hoping to meet up with ARC or who ever is running my slow speed for some longer runs on Sat AM.
Bads news...today when I went to get my horse for his acupunture treatment his nose was running like a tap. Not clear either...thin bright yellow with thicker globs (probably TMI for most of you). He had this problem a week ago but it wasn't as bad and it dried up after a day or so. I wrote it off as allergies. So I called the new barn vet to make an appointment...I assumed he would call back Monday morning. Called me while I was sleeping at 3pm. After telling him Riley's symptoms he promptly told me Riley had a sinus infection and would need a hole drilled into his sinus to drain it out. What!!!!! Thankfully he told me he couldn't see him until Wednesday so I told him I'd take him to Elgin Vet Hosp on Monday. It did look better tonight so hopefully it will again run it's course. After talking with a friend, she told me her horse had the exact same thing a week ago and she was told it was allergies by Elgin and did nothing - it went away on it's own. That's what I'm hoping for.
Same day I get home from work to hear water running...that can only be bad news. Thankfully I guess the cat had been playing in the bathtub and some how turned on the hotwater...good thing my rent includes all bills! My dog had grabbed a ziplock bag of salt off the counter and a dish of pistachio shells. The salt was in her dog bed. She had obviously thought it was sugar and eaten some. Then threw up all over the floor. When I took her outside, she drank at least a gallon of water. Yes, she was still alive in the afternoon when I let her in.
More good news...not a single ROT Rally fatality this weekend...that's a first. Only saw one ROT Rally DWI this weekend too. Big improvement.
Going to try and adjust my running scheddule again...the 2 a day schedule was making me too tired. So I am going to continue running twice on Wed only but will try and run on Tues AM instead of PM.
Hope all is going well for everyone else.

ROT Rally Weekend

OK that has nothing to do with running!  This is one of my most hated weekends of the year.  Most of the bikers are harmless but few are responsible.  I can't believe (with the extra insurance rider) it is legal to ride a motorcycle without a helmet.  Every year it seems that several bikers are killed riding their bikes around Austin on this particular weekend.  From the bikers we see in jail with casts on arms and legs and miles of road rash there is plenty of drinking and driving going on (all with no helmet).  It's kinda like driving without a seatbelt.   On the flipside, the Expo Center is an amazing sight.  Campers as far as the eye can see.  The rally also brings in millions to the Austin/Travis County economy so I guess that is good.  

I was tired this AM and my feet are sore.  No 3 mile run.  I did get out and ride my horse...so easy in comparison...he does 99% of the work.  I do have special empathy for him and the fact that he probably gets sore too, so he gets a massage once a month and the occasional chiropractic adjustment and acupuncture treatment.  They make a drastic difference to his attitude and performance.  Most people that I see riding horses act like they are machines and they can go and go and go with zero maintenance.  So, if you haven't had a massage lately, go get one.

Feeling better as the day progressed so plan on trying for a short run after work tomorrow.

Stay cool and watch out for bikers!

OK...how much longer 'til fall!

The heat is sucking the energy out of me.  I dragged myself out of bed at 4:45 this AM.  Had a good run with Leslie but man it was humid.  Kept myself on my feet afterwards so I wouldn't fall asleep and miss my massage.  My calves are a wreck and I need the use the foam roller on a regular basis.

All of you out there who are doing mega miles I have the utmost respect.  There is no way I could do it.  I am, of course, splitting my time between running and riding my horse.

I blew off the 3 mile run tonight but will get out for 3 in the morning.

Dogs and Shot Bloks!

I ran an easy 3.5 mile run this AM with my dog who always enjoys the runs when it's not too far and not too hot.  Averaged 9:40.  Had a bunch errands/chores to do so no nap.  Went to Brushy creek and ran an uninspiring 22:45 for 2nd overall, 1st masters.  I was hot and I went too fast at the start.  Felt OK until mile 2 and then my legs gave up.  Enjoyed a quick dinner with Jim Gelb and headed home.  

I dropped all my stuff on the floor (including my race shoes with an opened bag of Shot Bloks) and headed to the tub for an ice bath.  Ice bath felt great. Hopefully my legs will feel somewhat better by the morning..very stiff left achilles - nothing new but annoying.

As I leave the bathroom, I see the dog holding something under her paws.  Turned out to be the left over Shot Bloks...amazingly she hadn't eaten them yet but she sure looked guilty and didn't argue when I took them away.

Off to bed...getting up at 4:45 am to run.

Revisiting the Decker Loop

I stayed home and did 100+ crunches and 60 push ups instead of going to the gym...more time effective and I can watch the food network at the same time.

I mentioned to one of the women at the barn, who is new, that I was going running tonight and she asked if I did ride and tie races (2 people and one horse - one person rides as far as the other person can run, ties the horse and starts running.  When the other person gets to the horse they get on and ride past the runner to a predetermined spot and ties the horse and so on).  I said no but suggested she start running and since she has a suitable horse for the sport we could use it.

I had a great run tonight on the Decker course.  Ran 7.3 miles at an average pace of 8:58...felt great.  I love running in the country...it's dark and quiet so there isn't outside noise to cut in on my IPod and thoughts.  I feel right back on track and now just have to resist the temptation to do too much too soon.

Got home at 10pm and had a great meal of Orzo with a little butter and parm. and a berry smoothie.  Probably not the most nutritious but really, really good.   Maybe I'll have some pineapple for dessert.

Junk free night!

I made an entire 10hr shift with not one bit of junk food.  Unbelievable!!  Good news is that I am now on my days off and have much less tendency to eat really bad food when I'm home.  Hopefully by publishing my transgressions, there will be fewer of them!

Plan today is to go to the gym and do my own core/cross fit workout as it seems that the Tues night Rogue core classes are over...darn.  That is the only night I could get to it.  After I put the horses to bed tonight, I will go for a after sunset run with my IPod.  Shooting for 8-10 miles.

This week I'm going to start wearing my Garmin to keep up with how fast or slow I'm running.  This blog thing is fun...I have kept a running diary before but this is much more entertaining for me.  Time to get a quick cat nap in before I get on with the day.

Taking several days off in a row has it's advantages!

I haven't run since Friday and honestly I'm itching to.  Good thing is that because of my work schedule, I'll have to wait until Tuesday evening.  My legs feel fresh with no soreness which is good since they are usually trashed after my 4 days of at least 6 workouts.  I need to start doing some ice baths and watching my diet.  I am worst at work...when I am bored or stressed, I snack.

Guess I need to plan ahead with nutritious snacks to take to work.  I do take good food but sometimes I supplement my good food with very bad food!  

Time to go to sleep....I can see this blog thing taking away from things I should be doing...sleeping!

Getting Running Again

It took me 3-4 weeks after Boston to want to run again. My legs were tired as was my brain. I had planned to get on my bike but so far that hasn't happened. For motivation, I signed up for the full Sunstroke Stampede Summer Series - only 5k - but essentially a fun tempo type run. There is no way I can run full out 5k pace on the trails at Town Lake or Brushy Creek. The competition is slim - there are a few fast running women to keep me honest but the best part has been meeting new people and getting to know others better. The first 2 weeks I ran a very short warm up and struggled through the race. In between I would do one or two 3 mile runs at 5pm. After I was reduced to a walk twice because it was too hot, I knew something had to change. At the 3rd race, I ran in to Scott who suggested running twice a day (early AM and late evening) on the days I had time. It made sense so I gave it a try. First week of that I ran 23 miles, second 26 miles. Not much but much better. On my first 10 miler since Boston, I had to walk the last mile because I needed a drink and figured I'd pass out if I didn't walk. Note to self...carry water. My goal is 30 miles this week. Long term 40+ by September.

The 5k races are getting better - I am getting faster with each one. Doesn't feel like it though - I feel like I am running very slowly and it is hurting too much! I learned that eating lunch at noon and then nothing other than 3 clif bloks before the race made me feel much better while I was running.

So my general schedule is Tuesdays - core class or cross fit - in the afternoon at Rogue and then 6-10 mile run after dark. Wednesday - 3mile easy run in AM, 5k race plus 2 mile wu and 2+ mile cd in PM. Thurs. - 6+mile recovery run with Leslie Barcley and Diane Damer at 5:30 AM (I am NOT a morning person), 6 mile run in PM. Fri or Sat - AM 10+ mile long run.

I am giving myself plenty of latitude for days off if I need extras. I'm not worrying about how fast or slow I'm running...I'm just glad to be out there. I listened to The Four Minute Mile on some of these runs. Helped the time to pass.

In between all this, I try to ride my horse Riley at least 3-4 times a week plus 4 evenings a week I am responsible for doing the night time feed etc at the barn. Unfortunately I also have to go to work.

I started this blog because I was motivated by Scott's and maybe mine will motivate someone else.