track fan

2:45:33 (8:16AP).  I was running running at about 9 min/mile, or even slower, the first 8-9 miles (headwind, my legs are dead, I had a rough night sleep-wise).  I did not have mile markers for all of my miles, but my last 2 with mile markers (about 2 miles from the turn-around, were 8:55 pace).  Then, after 12 miles I picked it up, had a mile marker 6 miles out (14:56 for two miles, 7:28 pace -- no wonder it felt hard!), then the next 4 were 7:35, 7:34, 7:32, 7:16.  It was 81F when I finished -- and 2PM!!!  Talk about carbo depletion ;-). 

So, we went out to dinner with some friends last night -- it was great fun, and we were home by 8:30!  We watched a movie and were in bed by 10:30 (yes, we are old fogies).  Then, around midnight the fireworks started and one of our dogs Jake freaked out.  He can open doors and opened our bedroom door!!  He is just a baby, he is a hound dog (we got him in Tennessee -- he showed up on our door one day) and we have always thought that his old owners kicked him out because he is such a horrible hunting dog (afraid of fireworks, likely guns as well).  Well, I tried to get him to calm down in the living room, but he kept coming into the bedroom, so finally at about 1:30AM we just let him stay in the bedroom.  But, it was a comedy of errors with me blindly trying to get him out into the living room only to have him slink back up the hall, I stepped on a broken dog bone and cut my foot, tried to catch the cat as she also ran into the bedroom ;-) ... so, after all that, I did not get back to sleep until nearly 2-3 AM.   I was tired this morning -- plus, my sinus infection is hanging on for dear life and I swear, the last 8 miles of this run I had snot pouring down my face (I did not care ;-) ).  

Oh well, last 20 miler done ... now I just have to stay healthy ;-) ... and make it to the line.

I am a little freaked out, not just about the race (though there is that too), but I am actually having to make a business trip the Monday/Tuesday before the race -- a trans-continential flight from Tucson to Philadelphia -- very little sleep those two days, the first day of the semester is the Wednesday after the trip (early class) -- also my last workout -- and then a flight out to Houston on Friday ... oh boy there it is going to take a lot of vitamin C not to get sick that week ;-).

Well, the New Year has begun.  I hope you are all enjoying it!  Happy 2012!!!! 

AM: (9 miles, 1:17:40).  28:56wu/29:04cd.  10 x 1`w/1` recovery.  Usually Greg doesn't give me a pace for these -- he just says do a fartek for X mins with Y recovery in between.  Today he specifically said to keep it at slightly faster than 5K pace.  We talked last week about training, and about the race, and he definitely wants me to take it pretty easy the next few days.  I have no choice really, since I am producing twice my body weight in snot every day (TMI, I know).  

PM: easy 4.

Went and saw John Ball yesterday -- saw Lauren Fleshman and Claudia Becque ... Claudia is getting ready for the trials (in 11 days!).   I am doing pretty well (except for my sinuses) -- at least my legs/back and foot are doing better than I could have hoped.  I still feel like I need about 40 hours of sleep ... ;-) ... instead, I have to work many hours this week, to get caught up and get ready for the new semester.  Where does the time go?

I hope you are all doing well ... just a little more on the trials here ... what an exceptional group of guys! And they train year after year in Minnesota winters.  Andrew Carlson was a runner for McMillan Elite/Team USA Arizona for a while, he is a very funny guy. 

41:25 ... I was glad to see 40` on the schedule, I am still sick.  I think I needed a few more days of antibiotics.  Ever since I finished my 10 days I have been getting sicker.  I am going back in to the doctors today to see what they say.  YIKES.  I am a little bummed, I am hoping beyond hope that it doesn't spread to my chest.  And, I am hoping that my two 8 hour travel days (5-6 hours of flying) in row doesn't make it worse (damn work interfering with my training!).

The one thing I forgot to tell you about from my run  yesterday, I almost got hit by a huge buck deer!!  He came FLYING, I mean flying from out of the wash and missed literally hitting me by about 10 ft!!  it was amazing.  I never did see what/who he was running from (it is hunting season here -- bow only, and usually a little further from major trailheads.  I saw a cute little fawn in my yard this morning, it was a little odd because I almost always see them in herds of at least 3 - 4.  

Happy Wednesday bloggers!! 

Update: I am in tears.  The doctors visit was not good, at all.  There is a chance that I can beat this thing, but chances are small.  She basically thinks it is a viral infection (especially since it is on the heels of a 10 day course of antibiotics) that is going around.  If it is the same thing that she has seen (tons of, btw) it will go to the lungs, and I WILL be out of commission for a while.  I did get some more antibiotics -- she said if it doesn't feel much better in two days stop taking them -- and I am trying EVERYTHING else under the sun, but her exact words when I said, "I am running a marathon in 11 days" was, "I am so sorry ..."

I won't cuss because this is a family friendly blog, but there are many words that are on the tip of my tongue that are most definitely not "family friendly".   I am still not giving up yet (without a fight -- an immune fight that is), but I am not sure I am going to waste my time running *in* a marathon if I am sick (though I will still go and watch the trials).  I am sick to my stomach now - just thinking about not running.  

I think I am going to go home and eat worms. 

another 40 min day.  

Greg just nixed my marathon on January 15th.  I am pretty depressed about it right now, maybe by tomorrow I can make up my mind for sure about deferring, changing to the 1/2, and whether to go to Houston at all -- versus use the money, plane tickets, etc. for Napa in March (if I can still get in).

More later.  I hope you all are well. 

48:10.  

I am feeling a little better, both physically and emotionally.  I know it is the right decision not to race in Houston, but it is not an easy one.  I have a coach because I trust his opinions.  He basically said that if this was a 24hr stomach virus or something that was a short duration thing then yes, it might be possible to pull it off.  But, this is something that has been going on for over a month now (since before my 1/2 marathon in Phoenix) .. and it is not a 10K or even a 1/2 marathon -- it is a marathon, and the probability of running a good race at less than 100% is quite small.  Plus, I don't run professionally, I am not running the Saturday race, so it does not carry the same necessity.  I am in the best shape of my life and I really don't want to waste it running a sub-par race just to participate (which maybe I would do if it were Boston or something).  

So ... Napa was already closed, butI have signed up for a new race: The Woodlands Marathon on March 3rd.  I have been in contact with the race director because I was 29 secs off of the time to get elite status for a masters female (based on my 1/2 marathon time) -- unfortunately, he can't make an exception for me because he turned down other people who were off of the qualifying time -- although I am only 6 months off of being in the "senior" category (50+) - and I am a lot faster that time.  So, at the end of the day, he was not able to pay for lodging or waive my entry fee, but he is going to get me an elite start!  I have his cell phone number and I a supposed to call him when I get into town and he will hook me up.  I thought that was pretty nice of him.  This should be a very fast course, it is a two loop 13.1 mile course -- which I think will be good for me, I like loop courses, and train on them all the time, so mentally it is something I actually like.  It is a smaller race, and they have prize money ... If I have a good day, I might be able to get a piece of the masters prize ... depends a lot on who shows up ;-).

So, the biggest challenge now (besides kicking this damn thing) is that Greg wants me to "get a little out of shape" - so I don't peak too early.  So I really really need to take it slow and trust him, even though I am itching to keep up with my training (well, I don't feel well now so it is a bit easier to take it slow).   And, I am the perfect race weight right now, so I also have to figure out a way to eat well enough to help myself heal, and not gain any weight ...  

AM: (little more than 5 miles, 46:25).

PM: easy 4

Well, I am feeling better!  But, I am still feeling it.  I have two mantra's (actually stuck to my bathroom mirror):

Patience today for the greater reward tomorrow

I did not train for Houston, I trained for PR in the marathon -- I will get it in 5 short weeks

I hope all of you preparing for races are getting itchy for a great run!!  Stay focused, stay strong!!