The sun is up, the air is fresh, the stone is old

Real happy with this run!  I tried to decide if I should run this after getting over the flu Wednesday but I really needed to get back into the running.  My brother, a sports therapist, said that I could probably run a good 10k or a half, but in his opinion I wouldn't have the leg strength or recovery to go longer.  He was dead on.

We flew into Phoenix and within 10 minutes the kids were playing in the pool with the cousins and the whole trip was already worth it.  Of course the kids all stayed up playing until midnight so there was only a chance for three hours of sleep, but who gets any more race night anyway?  The next morning, I decided to get in a Tempo workout out of the race along the lines of my brother's recommendation; hit it until mile 15 as fast my goal marathon pace and walk the rest.  At the first, the lead group seemed to be holding back, probably waiting for all the hills that this course has, so I ended up in the lead for the first 6 miles.  It was averaging 5:45 pace.  Mile 10 was 58:23 so we must have slowed a bit.  A runner passed me here doing about 5:30 and then we caught him again near 14.  Mile 15 was 1:28:32 and I was ecstatic to be done for tha day!  I grabbed some water at the aid station and began a slow jog up the hills.  It felt doable so I basically jogged the rest of the marathon instead of the walk.  The first Master passed me about 2 miles from the finish and the lead woman just blazed by for a new course record.

Odd way to run a race, but otherwise I wouldn't have done it.  I just was way too out of sorts.  It felt so good to be back into some races!  Even if I was slow...This just gets in your system.  It also feels good to get into training now for Boston in seven weeks.

Now I'm going to kick my feet up by the pool for a few days

Spent the morning hiking in the lower hills of the Superstition Mountains NE of Phoenix with the kids.  It's so amazing to have two little girls that love the outdoors so much.  They loved every minute of this.  Hiked the Dixie Mine trail.  We came across a wild herd of horses and spent some time talking to a couple of ladies camping out monitoring a bald eagle nest for the winter.  In the afternoon I was able to get horses from Fort Mcdowell and we rode the day away in the Yavapai Indian Reservation just East of Fountain Hills.  I was able to teach Shelby, my 6 year old, the basics of riding in an afternoon.  I can't remember a more perfect day in recent memory. 

Drove the Mountain to Fountain 15k course in Fountain Hills in the evening.  Excited for this race March 11!

Easy run on some sore legs just before the sun came up in Phoenix.  Rushed to the airport to hop on the plane, landing in snow flurries in SLC, and dropped the kids off at school with bags of grapefruit, oranges and lemons for their teachers from their cousin's yard.  What a neat trip.

Heading to Costa Rica for work for two days tomorrow and hoping to have some juice in the legs for some trail running!

Early morning at the gym.  1 hour 30 minute pool run which is a long period of my life I will never regain.  Man, that is boring.  Upper body workout for 30 minutes after.

I ran the Talamanca Trail near San Jose, Costa Rica today.  What an incredible afternoon.  I had no business running this far, but the climb up the mountain range started about mile 7 and I just had to keep going to the top.  I took it real easy, the run took me nearly four hours, but the pace was about right for my leg condition!  I finally took a camera along, which I keep forgetting on trail runs, so if I figure out how to do it, I'll post some pics.

Easy morning run on the streets of San Jose before work.  I am so stinkin sore...

Easy run at home, just no time today.  Probably good since i'm hurting from the week.