track fan

1:09:06.  Yeatman trail.  It is supposed to be record breaking heat for this time of year today, tomorrow and Sunday.  Depending on which weather station you use it is somewhere between 90 and 96 right now.  This makes me sad on a lot of levels (not the least of which is that I don't like heat).  The other thing that early hot weather means is SNAKES.  Lots of them.  Last year I stopped running on the trails in May after I saw at least 1 and sometimes 2 every day.  So far, there have been 5 reported snake bites around town, but I haven't seen any.  As soon as I see more than 1 on my run then I won't be able to run on my beloved trails until October or so ... so sad.  Anyway ... it was not too hot on my run this morning (probably 80 or so) but the sun was burning pretty bad by 9:30 (I had a conference call super early so I ran a little later).  I did see a few hikers, and none of them had seen any snakes, that was good, but I was still a little extra vigilant. There are a couple of pretty steep, rocky, areas that are both particularly appealing to snakes and dangerous if you do see one - since there is no where to go (but off the steep ledge) if you do see one.  It was, as usual, beautiful, despite the potential dangers that potentially lurked from every rock and crevice ;-).

The happy thing was that although I was a little tired from my workout yesterday, overall I felt pretty darn good today.  

I hope you all have a wonderful Friday, and better yet, a great weekend!

AM: (8 miles, 1:11:01).  About a minute slower than usual ... I attribute :30 to the heat (89F) and :30 to the 800s on Thursday ;-).

PM: 4 miles easy.

VCU and Butler ... it is a hard one, but I think I am for VCU, they had to fight to get into the tournament and are as close to a cinderella story as we have had in a long time.  Both Butler and VCU have, I think, the youngest basketball coaches in NCAA?

Have a wonderful weekend bloggers. 

2:02:41 (1:03:03/59:38) (9:00 AP/8:31 AP).  Not as hot as yesterday (83F), for which I am profoundly grateful.  I felt really good today, the whole run was just good.  I just ran easy and was so happy that it felt good (despite my workout this week) -- I can't believe how good I feel after feeling so horrible a couple weeks ago.  

I hope you are having a good weekend!!

AM: (9 miles, 1:15:56).  8 (or I think I did 9) hill repeats up a "medium" sized hill.  I had no idea what this meant (and did not have time to call Greg and ask him).  So, I thought of all the hills (there are many since I live in the mountains) nearby and picked a 5-7% grade hill and thought, I will run about 90secs up it and call it the workout.  Well, this was the lowest grade hill around but alas, it only took me a little over 60 secs to run up.  It was hard (I went too fast on first couple) so I called it good.  A minute at what felt like 200m pace wasn't fun so it had to be good ;-).

PM: 4 miles easy.

Tomorrow I am on my way to DC for a board meeting ... it will be a challenge but I think I have figured out a way to squeeze all of my runs in ... we'll see how the best laid plans work out.

I hope you are all doing well!!

72:43.  Up the Yeatman trail.  First diamondback sighting of the year ... sigh, my Tucson trail running days are numbered for the season.  I will miss the trails, but look forward to seeing them again in October ...  so, do jackrabbits hibernate?  I have seen tons of them this week, after not seeing them since last summer ... although the little cottontails seem to be around all year round.  Just thought I would throw it out there in case anyone knows.

Got to get to the airport ... happy running bloggers! 

AM: (9 miles, 1:20:01).  Easy run on the Mt. Vernon Trail ... beautiful morning, about 46F and lovely.  Had to run on asphalt the whole way, but I won't complain ;-).  Then I snuck off and had lunch with some friends up at the National Center for Health Statistics/CDC (where I did my post-doc) ... what a great day.

PM: 4 miles easy - on the treadmill, man I really respect you folks that can run on these things for many many miles, I would rather run in a blizzard, a thunderstorm, anything ... tough - you are tough!

I hope you are doing well, hurrying off to a meeting.

1:03:07.  My watch said 3:15AM -- although it was 6:15 DC time ;-)  Rainy and a little chilly at first, but actually it was perfect running weather (43F) ... shorts, long sleeve shirt and gloves.  aaaahhhh.

Hope all is well!

1:07:56.  Early morning run - it was pretty dark when I started, but got light by the time I finished.  I felt pretty good.  I either ran the first half super slow or ran the second half really fast, because I turned around at 36:36 and got back at 32:20.  Most of the other board members went to the ballet last night, and even though I wanted to go ... I was so tired, and I knew I had to get up even earlier this morning (we started earlier, I had to check-out, and I ran a little longer than yesterday).  

If todays meeting adjourns on time, or early, I will try to get a short run in before my flight leaves ... but it will be tough.  Originally, I thought it was feasible, but we ran over time yesterday and we did not finish all of the agenda items ... so I think we might have a longer day than was originally planned.

Happy Saturday bloggers! 

4 miles on the treadmill before I got on the plane ...

2:09:23.  Ran some hilly miles near my house -- after all that flat stuff last week I figured I owed it to myself to get back to the hills.  Plus, I had to write a midterm today so I did not want to drive up to the River Trail (I can't run on my favorite long run spot because of the snakes).  So, I found out what happens when you have two weeks of 90-100F weather and all of a sudden the temperature drops to 35F and  it rains -- FOG and lots of it.  Woke up this morning and visibility was about 10ft.  By the time I got out to run it was sunny, but the wind was cold and I under-dressed a little.  Bummer that the water-fountain that I normally use at about 9 miles was gone (I think the pipes froze and exploded this winter and they are repairing it now).  I was thirsty, but not dangerously so ... glad to have the run over with though.  I am tired.  I did not get home until nearly 11PM last night -- and my internal clock is all messed up ... 

I hope you are all doing well!  happy running! 

AM: (10.5 miles, 1:29:15) 25:05wu/24:37cd.  15 x :45 w/2` recovery (essentially a fartlek version of 15 x 200 w/300 recovery).  Legs felt pretty fresh today -- old, but fresh ;-).

PM: 4 miles easy.

Keiko the Ridgeback had surgery this morning (cancer, again) - I ran from the hospital (it is a hospital, they even have visiting hours!! can you believe that??) while she was under the knife.  I did the workout in the dirt parking lot of the Rillito Park (horse racing track) - it was a pretty nice surface, and since there were no turns it was pretty fast.   Beautiful day - about 67F and sunny ...

I hope you are having a good week!

1:03:12.  Because I was teaching this morning I did not take my chances with the snakes on my trail (not quite like on a plane ;-)).  But I probably will on Friday. 

Busy at home with now *two* patients who can't walk (Dean and Keiko - the dog), Keiko had a mass removed from her thigh/hip yesterday, it looks horrible - just like Dean after his surgery she is on pain meds, unlike Dean I have to remind her to pee. 

Have a great day bloggers!

AM: (9 miles, 1:16:12).  29:24wu/28:56cd.  hill sprints x 10 up a very steep (15-18% grade) hill; approximately :36-:38 each.  This run was all about hills, in order to get to the steepest of the hills you have to run a whole bunch of hills.   I felt horrid on my warm-up.  I actually was prepared to do the workout and then take the short-cut home.  By the time I finished though, I felt pretty good -- and decided to take the long way home.

PM: easy 4

So very glad it is Thursday.  I have so many things to do ...

Happy trails bloggers!

1:13:04.  Up the mountain on one side, on the Yeatman Trail, then down the other side to the fork in the trail, then back up and then back down.   No snake sightings (yea) so pretty boring ;-)  ... did see some coyotes and some pretty birds. 

Happy Friday bloggers!!

AM: (8 miles, 1:11:12).  Hot, sigh.  For some reason, I just could not get out the door this morning (I was answering student emails and looking up papers, and just basically puttering around) - so, I finally got out at 10:30 and it was 84F, and it was 88F when I finished.  It isn't super uncomfortable yet, but tomorrow will be in the 90s so it could get dicey if I don't get out earlier.  I miss fall.winter.spring  ...

PM: easy 4.

SO happy to see all the great racing going on today!!  Yippee on the PRs!   

2:03:39.  1:03:59/59:40 (9:08/8:31).  Last 2 miles were 7:45/7:40.  Doesn't look like much but it was 88F and sunny when I started and 95.8F and sunny when I finished.  It was not pleasant.  I tried to keep it really slow for the first half because I knew that the last 2 miles would be uncomfortable no matter what the pace.  I was glad that I was able to finish strong, despite feeling horrid.  It is always hard acclimating to the high temps (and the sun is so strong it feels much warmer), but the key is to take it easy -- hard to do when what your body craves most is to get the darn run over with ;-).

I hope you are all having a wonderful day!!  Rest up Boston bound bloggers!! 

AM: (9.5 miles, 1:09:43).  ~29wu/cd + 8 x steep hill repeats.  Feel very yucky today.  Lack of sleep and maybe a low grade somethingorother ... felt like I was going to throw up for a while this morning, but it did not get any worse upon running, so I decided to do the workout anyway.  Greg had wanted me to run these easier than last week, get a workout, but not a super hard one.  I am not sure this is because he has something "special" in store for Thursday, or he is just looking out for me ;-).

PM: easy 4, I hope.

I need to get some sleep ... and to lower the stress level ... things are way out of control right now at work.

Such a great day for running yesterday!!  I have been a Desi fan for a long time but holy cow she really outdid herself yesterday!!  And it was awesome seeing Ryan Hall be back to his form from a while ago.  And what the heck can you say besides 2:03:02 and 2:03:06?  wow. 

The blog had such a good showing too, with Paul and Nan, Mike, Barb, Rockness, JeffL, AmberG, Jose, Scott Hughs, Michael L, Alicia Christie, and Kimberly!  Congratulations everyone!

1:03:43.  Up the Yeatman Trial ... snake sightings = 0 so I still have a few more days to run on the trails! 

I still feel weird.  I am not really sick, but I am definitely not good either.  I did sleep a little better last night, but I am stressed and just not functioning at 100% (which is not good, because I am super-duper busy here at work).  Seriously, I just don't see how I am going to get everything done that I need to ... (caution: vent ahead) I am working on a huge grant, huge in terms of money (over a million/year) and huge in terms of impact for the University.  Things are so bad with research grants right now that U of A has lost 3 of these big grants over the past 6 months (NIH is not funding as many grants and these other grants did not make the cut - one of them, that I was involved in, was because it was too expensive, the others are because they did not score high enough).  If we lose this one too our Cancer Center (research-wise) is in big trouble - translating into bunches of people losing their jobs.  Anyway -- this grant is due next month.  I am in charge of the biostatistics core - we provide the statistical help for 4 projects (each project is as big as a usual grant), plus, I am also co-leader for one of the research projects.  What does this mean?  It means I am essentially working on 5 grants, at the same time as I am teaching a big service class (tougher to teach than when I am teaching graduate PhD statistics students) plus all my other duties (I am funded 40% on other research grants that all have some sort stupid timelines ;-) ).  YIKES.  Plus, I am supposed to be getting my dossier ready to go up for tenure by June.  This means that I really really really need to get my own papers written, right now I have 2 papers that I am trying to finish ... but I just don't have time.  My TA and RA (same grad student) is not doing her job, and so I might have to fire her ... anyway, whine whine whine.  I know, if I weren't whining so much I would be getting more work done ... here I go.

Happy running bloggers!

AM: (9 miles, 1:17:23).  last 20` hard (last little over two miles in 16:04, when I hit the landmark on my way out it was in 18:11).

PM: easy 4.

Tough day, very tired, I think I have allergies.  Another statistic friend of ours from Los Alamos is coming out to give a talk in the math department tomorrow, so he is staying at our house for the next couple of days.  I am glad that Dean will have a friend to hang out with for a couple of days, I have been way boring for the past few months ;-).

Have a wonderful day bloggers, run fast, have fun!

1:10:18.  Started my run up the Yeatman Trail, turned back after I saw a tiger rattlesnake about 1/4 mile in ... so I turned around and left ... my rule is after I see two I leave the mountains to them for the next 4 months.  Hiking is a little safer because you can see them easier and don't startle them, running is hazardous.  He was huge, and very agitated.  As I turned to go back to the road this couple came walking down the trail, I pointed him out to them and the guy kept trying to get closer and closer to get a picture.  His wife and I were trying to get him to stop ... I felt sorry for the snake.  

Have a wonderful day bloggers. 

AM: (8 miles, 1:10:33).  Nice hilly and hot run ... no snakes, just some javalina.

PM: easy 4

I just received a most awesome gift from a friend who is a New Balance sales rep (and a great steeplechaser), she sent me a pair of NB Minimus (trail runners).  They are SWEET (even though I can't wear them with orthotics).  I highly recommend them!

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! 

2:04:21.  (1:03:44/1:00:37).  (9:06/8:39).   Slower than last week mostly because they are doing some work on the trail and I had to run a slight detour (actually I ran on the part of the trail that is closed, but I had to run around some fences and down a dirt hill, and then climb a little fence to do it, sshhhh, don't tell).  I figure it might have added an extra 1-2 mins onto my time, no biggie.  Still warm (about 85F when I finished), but it felt cooler because it was a serious headwind (26mph according the app on my phone) after the turn-around.  My hair was wet from sweat on the way out, and so it was standing straight up when I finished, thanks to the natural blow-dryer -- I looked like Jersey Girl from the 70s.  

Happy Easter bloggers!! 

AM: (10 miles, 1:27:14).  23:15wu/22:58cd  15 x :45 sprints w/2` recovery.

PM: hopefully easy 4.  

My eyes are a red, swollen, itchy mess.   Allergies ... first time in my life.  I think it because it has been so dry this winter that when the wind picks up there is dusty pollen blowing everywhere. Regardless, it is not pretty ;-).

What else is not pretty?  My teaching this semester.  Lots of mistakes in my notes, a few goofed lectures that confused more than helped, I will be glad when it is over ... hopefully better next year.

I hope you are having a wonderful week so far bloggers! 

1:05:32 easy -- probably longer than 7, I just ran and ran and then looked at my watch and turned around.  I was thinking about my class this morning (where I had to apologize for confusing them and not studying before my lecture on Monday -- it is more important for me to study for the "easier" classes that I teach than the harder ones).

I feel much better today, allergy-wise, I have been using Alaway antihistamine  eye drops (my nose is just a little stuffy, my eyes are what are a mess).  Finally slept for 6 hours last night - yea!

I hope you are all doing well!!  And, I hope it warms up for you all soon (even though by saying that I am asking for some serious heat here -- you warm means I fry ;-)).  Happy running.

Payton Jordan Invitational this weekend at Stanford -- posted entries here  -- it is a LOADED field, since it is a World Championships year outdoor track will be great ... people are looking to make the qualifying marks.  I can't wait!!

AM: (9 miles, 1:19:20).  21:34wu/30:53cd.   8 x hill repeats up medium (6-8% grade) hill.  Time up the hill was 75"-80".  A lot tougher than it looks on paper.   I really wanted to find a hill that I could do 90" + up, but the longer hills are a little too steep for this, and the lower grade hills are more "rolling" than straight uphill.  Overall, it was a good workout so I am sure it was close enough ;-).  Funniest thing was that I was sort of walk-jogging back down the hill, breathing hard and feeling sick, and one of my co-workers pulled up next to me, "Bonnie, this is Denise, are you ok??"  ha ha ha ... "well Denise, it depends on what you mean by ok..."  ;-).  How sweet was that of  her though?  She is an ironman triathlete, she doesn't do hill repeats, but she works out about 12 hours/week and has a lap pool in her backyard!

PM: easy 4.

Happy Thursday bloggers!   It is indeed a good Thursday as I just found out one of my favorite running blogs is back up (Ian Dobson and Julia Lucas)!!   I also found out yesterday that Lauren Fleshman has been in Phoenix for over a month getting "fixed" by our ART guy John-the-miracleman, how cool.  She drove out in her VW van went straight to John's house, and decided right then and there that she was going to stay to get fixed.  She has been crashing with friends all over town.   It is pretty inspirational to see what sacrifices elite runners are willing to make to get to the top.

1:10:48. Nice hilly recovery run.  Nice day.  I ran down to the track and then ran on the trails and uphill home.  Feeling good, allergies much better (with eye drops).  Semester is winding down (thank goodness) ... grant is due the end of May (greater thank goodness).  I can't wait to sleep a week to catch up!

Happy Friday bloggers! 

AM: (8 miles, 1:11:32).  Early run, had to go to Phoenix to get fixed by John.  He has a new toy a ESWT machine  I can't say it was painless, but it wasn't much worse than Johns thumb (which he still uses).  It probably saves his thumb a little, since he can loosen up muscles before he gets in there and really loosens things up.  Ouch.  I am pretty sure I will be black-and-blue tomorrow, but hopefully I will finally run without hamstring pain (at least for a couple of days ;-) ).  

Tomorrow will be a marathon day at work, so it will be another early morning to run.  I fear the next 3 weekends are going to be super tough, but then smooth sailing (relatively) until August.

PM: "easy" (except for the bruising and aching "fixed" muscles) 4.

Happy Saturday bloggers!