THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

7:28 AP.  Got up and ran 16 on the river to start the year and finish off the week.  It was 7 degrees when I started and I'm glad the skin on my face is still intact.  I felt super sluggish and tight at first but things loosened up after, oh, 10 miles and then I picked it up to get my average down.  Splits 7:53, 7:52, 7:45, 7:33, 7:36, 7:36, 7:28, 7:35, 7:36, 7:10, 7:16, 7:13, 7:09, 7:11, 7:14, 7:12.   Watched the frosty 5k today and got to see some tribe members I haven't seen in a while--Carlos(wassup my brother?!), Tex, Stephanie(nice talking to her Dad), and Eddy.  Got pics of everyone finishing and Lacy won with a new PR.  Now that I was thoroughly frozen I went home to defrost my hands and eat.

am.  8 at 8:32 AP.  Dirt roads.  Calves are hammered from the 16 in racing flats Saturday. I'm still out on the fence about wearing them for the marathon.   Decisions decisions.

pm.  4.6 at 10:39 pace with my husband. I  never thought I would see this day!

8:20 AP.  4am.  Still feeling my calves and just wasn't in a hurry this morning.  It was a very clear night and I could see lots of stars and then started seeing a bunch of shooting stars!  It was very cool and I really enjoyed the sights.  I don't know how cold it was but it must have been really cold because my skin was red and angry afterward pretty much all over.

7:07 AP.  workout was 3x3 at MP.  

1 mlile warm up 8:32

3 MP 7:02, 7:01, 6:51

,5 at 7:38 pace

3 MP 6:51, 6:55, 6:53

.5 at 7:37 pace

3 MP 6:50, 6:59, 6:40

I don't know that it is really accurate MP but once I set the cruise control the pace is quite  manageable.  I never checked my watch.  I plan on checking it only at the halfway point in Houston and then towards the end if I need motivation. 

8:27 AP. treadmill.  Nice and easy since I plan on 22 in the morning.  The last really big monster run before the big one in 24 days.  I have an 18 miler next weeekend, and then kick off my taper. Training for this has gone really fast.

7:29 AP.  Did this without fuel or water, but was definitely feeling in need of something around mile 17.  There was a 17mph North wind but I didn't notice it until I had to go straight into in mile 21, and then I noticed it a lot as is reflected by my lousy split.  Started off very slow to see if my left calf and weird knee feeling would pass when I warmed up and it did by about mile 2.  I think my shin muscle and calf are still just a little sore over there.  Racing flats are unlikely, I may just run in the old trustworthy's I ran in today.  Splits 7:59, 7:59, 7:43, 7:37, 7:23, 7:23, 7:20, 7:27, 7:18, 7:22, 7:16, 7:30, 7:19, 7:19, 7:28, 7:30, 7:20, 7:21, 7:25, 7:27, 7:52, 7:09

7:46 AP.  Can't even feel yesterday's 22 in my legs at all.  I didn't feel last night's tequila and dancing either--I did exercise some restraint and didn't have a whole lot to drink.  It was Eddy's send-off party for Phoenix next week where he wills surely break 3 hours.  Had a nice late morning run and with Eddy on the old HS course and finished off with a good luck bagle.  Now for a weekend off!  Yeah!

8:30 AP.  First real snow of the year and it was delightful.

am.  8.02 @8:14 AP.  Snow-covered dirt roads.  Slippery tire tracks, not-so-slippery tire tracks, and some powder-hopping.  I love winter running!

pm.  5.24 at 8:08 AP.  Knowing I will be stuck on the dreadmill tomorrow I just had to get out in the pretty snow again.  The wind was blowing and making cool swirls across the road.  I could run all day in snow and be happy.

7:59 AP.  Dreadmill.  Confession, for about a week I've had slight dicomfort on the upper part of my shin, on the medial side, a few inches below my knee. I feel it when I first start running but then it warms up and eventually disappears.  I can feel it a little bit walking around throughout the day, particularly when going down stairs.  It's really not painful, just annoying, and nerve racking when I'm only 19 days away from the marathon.  From everything I've read it's not acting like a stress fracture or a shin splint.  In fact I can't find anything that really describes it.

The workout that wasn't.  Was supposed to be 2x4 at MP.  There is nothing but sheets of ice outside so I steeled myself for the mill.  Warmed up one mile 8:34, then 2 miles at 6:49 pace and by the end of the second one I feel like a jackhammer and my legs are in knots and screaming. I tried slowing it down to see if it would help, and finally slowed to a jog, to no avail.  Disgusted, I shut it down at 3.5 miles, threw on tights, shirt, gloves, and hat, and went out the door to skate run 6.09 miles at 7:57 pace.  Although it was an effort to stay upright my legs immediately felt fine and I relaxed and enjoyed the run.  The good news is that my shin felt fine and I am perhaps not doomed to an injury.  Still going to do Bonnie's exercises though!

Day off from running to re-group.  Did Ab Ripper X.  Ouch.  My core is jelly.

7:49 AP.  It started out bad. Really bad. As I ran down the snow-packed tire

tracks by my house my calves and shins were tight, and they hurt, and I

couldn't muster up any speed whatsoever. I struggled with 8:30 pace.

Even as I hit the dirt roads with traction and eventually turned onto

some asphalt to head into Rose Hill, I struggled to shuffle and my shins

were tight, like knots. Then the ugly thoughts poured in--"all this

work for nothing, you're injured, no Houston for you, turn around and

walk home, you overtrained and now you pay, blah blah blah". I was

heartbroken at the thought of not running Houston, just heartbroken. I

said a prayer, a petty little selfish prayer because God has bigger fish

to fry, and then, mercy. My calves started to feel a little better.

For the next 2.83 miles I hit 8:00 pace and struggled less. As I headed

back home and turned onto the asphalt road again, which was nice and

clear(and almost entirely uphill), I opened up the throttle. 7:10--good

enough for uphill, I hit the rolling hills on my dirt roads and kept

going. 6:52. That's more like it. Labor up the nearly mile long

low-grade west hill.7:09. I'll take it. Flip a 180 and back down. 6:50.

Eased off the gas pedal and cooled down. Legs feel freaking fantastic

now. 16 days out. I am re-thinking my taper plan. I think I am

exhausted from working two jobs, all the holdidays and birthdays with my

5 children the last month, and the new jumps in mileage. While things

are easing up at work and at home, and I think I have allowed the

fatigue to finally hit me--delayed reaction. I may need to taper a

little earlier. Maybe.

8:33 AP.  Treadmill.  Good news!  When I took Jesse to Sports Authority last night to spend his Christmas gift card, I found my favorite running shoe that were discontinued last year on clearance in my size!  SWEET!  Now I have a pair of new Nike Avants for my marathon!  They felt sooo good to run in today!  Second, got my bib and wave assignment for Houston.  1341.  141 was my number for Eisenhower, so it feels lucky.  :)

7:51 AP.  My running partner bailed on me at the last minute but it was still a pleasant solo jaunt.  18 degrees at the start but no wind so pleasant.  I started running around town until the sun started to rise and then went on my dirt roads.  I'm loving running in my new shoes.  I kept the pace casual and didn't look at my watch.  The pace progressed naturally on its own and looking at my splits later was surprised to see a 6:53 at the end.  It felt easy!  I wore my arm sleeves on my calves and I think that tiny bit of compression helped both my shins and calves immensely, so I am going to get some compression sock thingys that the running stores have now.  

Go Arizona Rock n Rollers!  Go Eddy go Eddy go Eddy go!  This is my dear friend who has lost over 110 pounds and is going to blast the 3 hour barrier today! Go bloggers Marathon Dreamer and Jeff!

So, in the interest of kicking off my taper, I didn't run today since I ran 18 yesterday.  Here is a tentative taper plan:

M--off, Tue--4 mile warm up then 10x1 minute off/on, cooldown W--6 easy with the GoRun group(running clinic afterward!), Th--15 easy with last 2-3 at MP effort if feeling good, F--6 easy, Sat--10 easy group run  Sun--off

M--6 easy Tue--5x1k at HMP w/200 recovery Wed--6 easy, Thu--6 easy Fri--off Sat--2-4 easy to shake off nerves and cobwebs Sun--race

7:58 AP.  Treadmill.  Vanessa wanted to tell knock-knock jokes during some fast parts.  I am happy to report I can gasp "who's there?" at 6:00 pace.  35 minute warm up at 8:34 pace.  10x1 minute on, 1 minute off.  All minutes off at 8:34 pace.  Minutes on at 6:18/6:15/6:15/6:11/6:11/6:07/6:07/6:03/6:00/last 90 seconds at 5:49 pace.  Cool down to 8 miles total.  This was actually fun and went pretty fast.  Now I want to go run a 5k.  Shin stops bugging after I'm warmed up.

8:54 AP.  Despite the freezing rain and ice sheets for roads, I drove all the way to Northwest Wichita to run with the GoRun group and attend the seminar.  The run was dangerously slick and we stuck to the grass and leftover snow as much as possible in search of traction.  It was harder work than the pace indicates!  I slipped 3 times but only went all the way down once in grass and escaped unharmed.  I sat with Lacy and Angela afterwards and did a little catching up.  The seminar was excellent and I am looking forward to attending again next week when the discussion will be about form and efficiency.  The guy doing the presentations is a physician and avid runner and has a lot of very interesting things to say!  Drove home very slowly and made it in one piece.  This was the maiden voyage for my Mizuno Precisions but I can't judge them off that kind of run so perhaps when I am stuck on the treadmill today(snow day--kids are home!) I will try them again!

8:10 AP.  No school today.  Ice outside, kids inside.  So, as they sleepily watched morning cartoons, I hit the dreadmill, determined to do my last volume run before the marathon.  After a while, the kids came down and watched Avatar.  So, between the kids, the movie, and some music, I survived my record distance on a treadmill.  Took it very very easy as planned, slowly bumping up the pace 0.1mph every few miles, and then did the last two at 6:49 pace.  Shin slowly warmed up, although I am coming to realize it is more of a medial knee rather than a shin problem.  Whatever it is, it is very runnable and not getting worse.  Now my taper truly begins.  10 days.

8:46 AP.  Very relaxed.  Getting serious about this taper business.

8:13 AP.  HS course with Eddy.  Glad he's got his legs back!  Bracing myself for a week of taper madness.  I am doing a pretty dramatic volume reduction to stave off injury and get rested and fresh and I'm pretty sure it will drive me crazy.

7:55 AP.  Taper week.  I always struggle during taper week.  Took it easy on my dirt roads at home and finally nailed the last .34 miles at 5:33 pace to get rid of the sluggish fat feeling.  It helped.  Looking forward to a little miniature track session tomorrow too put a little zip in my legs.  I am thinking the 5x1000 meters at half-marathon pace with 200 recovery as suggested by Bonnie.

7:45 AP.  Dropped Vanessa off with Brandon, jogged from there to the track 1.92 miles, and then did 5x1000 meters at half-marathon effort with 200 meter recovery.  I was focused on relaxing and not overdoing the workout and boy did I get relaxed.  I was really trotting lazily along and went a little too slow on the middle intervals but oh well!  It still felt good and was a good enough stimulus for my legs!  Jogged back for a cooldown.  Paces were 6:56/7:12/7:05/6:56/6:46

7:31 AP.  Went and ran with the GoRun group and had good conversation with Lacy, Zach, Jeremiah, Eddy, Barry, and Tony.  Randy gave an excellent presentation afterward on running form and efficiency and we all got up and did some drills, mostly involving dynamic stretching.  I enjoyed the bounding and skipping.  There was a huge group, probably around 50!  Great times!  I didn't feel sluggish today.  I am starting to feel eager to race.

8:16 AP in Sienna Ranch.  Nice little shakeout before the 10 hour drive tomorrow. I felt fat and sluggish at first but by the end of the run felt great.  Typical taper run(well, typical run really!).  I am ready as I will ever be.  My strategy is to go out real slow the first mile while this shin/knee thing warms up, then pick it up to freedom pace+holding back slightly, then pick it up to true freedom pace at the halfway mark, and then go to the well for the last 10k.  Hopefully I get a PR out of the deal but I do want to enjoy all the sights and sounds of my first big city marathon experience.

Got up and went downtown to watch the USA half marathon championships.  It was very exciting!  I got some great pictures and video of my favorite runners and felt inspired to run well and give it everything I have tomorrow!  I caught Nan briefly afterward(GO NAN!) and she was sweet enough to pose for a picture with me and wish me luck.  It was a good thing my friend Amy was with me to give me a push because I got shy and on my own probably wouldn't have talked to anyone.  Afterwards I ran for about 20 minutes in the park across the street.  Looking forward to meeting Joe and Danielle this evening!

Well, that was the funnest marathon I have ever run(and wettest, and stickiest, and warmest).  The night before I had the pleasure of eating pasta with fellow bloggers Joe and Danielle(slowjoe and slowjoesgrl).  Not-so-slow, I might add.  I also met blogger "flatlander" and wife! Good times and cool to meet face to face!  There was lot of ruckus going on about race cancellation due to lightning, but while the rain came, the lightning did not, and we had a race.

Race morning:  Hotel bed sucked and didn't sleep real well but that's normal and expected.  Up at 5, coffee, bowel movement, banana, nutri-grain bar, half mile walk to the convention center and there by 6.  Miraculously, me, Joe, and Danielle found each other in the massive crowd and got to chatter.  Joe was in the same wave and we headed out to the starting line together.  I dont' remember exactly when, but cue the rainfall shortly before the start of the race.  We lined up a few rows behind the 3:20 pacer.  It was humid(90%), and wet, and too warm(for me).  I considered the conditions, and decided that conservative was the best bet, and I was NOT leaving Houston without a PR.  I decided to play it safe, don't do anything stupid, get the PR, don't crash, and go home and recover quickly for a more aggressive showing to defend my title at the Eisenhower marathon in 10 weeks.  I was concerned about the heat and humidity, which are problematic for me.  Humidity wreaks havoc on my ex-smoker lungs, but aerobically I actually felt quite well the whole race.  I carried one emergency gu but never used it. I slowed down at every aid station and made sure I got the gatorade down, though.  I cruised quite comfortably until mile 19 when my quads began to scream.  They have been quite resilient in my long runs so this surprised me a bit, perhaps all the concrete?  Anyways, the screaming quads became my main issue for the last 10k, and I slowed down quite a bit more than I would have liked, but kept telling myself to just hang in there and get the PR.  From mile 22 on I was in "one mile at at a time" mode.  When I finally passed the sign that said 1/2 mile to go, I turned it on.  My Garmin measured  a quarter mile long, but I'm afraid I didn't run  my tangents real well--I ran a lot in the middle to stay off the camber on the sides.  I had a lot of miles in the 7:15 range and I was comfortable, so I think if I maintain fitness, lose this stinkin 10 pounds I've gained in the last few months, and have more favorable conditions I may pull off that elusive 3:10 in April.

Splits: 7:43, 7:24, 7:22, 7:20, 7:19, 7:14, 7:16, 7:15, 7:12, 7:12, 7:13, 7:13, 7:13, 7:23, 7:23, 7:24, 7:24, 7:24, 7:24, 7:36, 7:33, 7:37, 7:41, 7:44, 7:48, 7:41, last .46 at 6:27 pace.

The course was extremely entertaining and despite the rain Houston came out and cheered in masses in their ponchos and umbrellas!  I had water thrown on me by a priest(as if I wasn't already soaking wet?), saw the "Thriller" dance, countless bands and music, lots of cheers and bells and whistles!  I saw Aunt Rena at mile 7, my sister and brother-in-law at mile 17, and saw Amy on the homestretch.  During the last 4 miles the energy was great, and the crowd told me sweet lies about looking strong and having a good stride(I flailed desperately the last 4 miles to make those stinkin quads move).

Afterward I talked to Joe and Danielle and we took our after pictures!  Joe had an excellent first marathon and Danielle had a good run in her 1/2!  They are great fun and hopefully someday we have the pleasure of getting together again(come to Kansas and bring those kids anytime!).  Off to a shower, check-out, and long drive home.  My friend, chaffeur, and paparazzi Amy got us home in a record 8.5 hours.  Amazingly, my legs feel pretty good despite the drive, and I believe recovery will be quick.  Mentally, I am ready to roar and get back at it after recovery and chip at that PR some more!  It's gonna take some time, but one of these days I'm gonna run that sub-3.  I just have to be patient.