track fan

3:21:14 (1:45/1:38).  Two really really really (did I mention really) hard loops - more like 22.4 since each loop is 11.2 miles.  I am very excited.  I am now positive I can run a marathon.  I ran the first loop with my friends Doug and Jeannine (average about 9:20 pace) and then ran the second by myself (average about 8:45 pace) - I have all my splits but don't have time to write them all down now.    

Happy Sunday bloggers.

AM: (9.5 miles, 1:20:30).  15 x 1` w/1` recovery.  Ran on the new Richland Greenway today - this was done after I had moved from Nashville (when I first moved here I used to live right near here) .... very nice.  Tiny rolling hills, it is greening up here (thunderstorms last night) so it is so pretty.  The weather was similar to Sunday - drizzling - but warmer today (about 45F versus about 35F on Sunday).  I miss a lot of things about Nashville.  Very busy though.

PM: (4 miles).  Planning on running in Centennial Park!

1:06:42.  Easy run.  Because of my travel schedule I will be missing my second run tomorrow.  I was planning on running this afternoon instead ... but, while I was on my run today I was actually thinking of not doing this.  I am getting very little sleep (working many hours and with the time change I am getting up 2 hours earlier here), not eating well (hours of work -- lots of meetings), and basically my schedule is all messed up.  The potential for illness is just too great right now and I don't want to stress my body just for mileage ... I  think my tempo run tomorrow and my MP run on Sunday are much more important than higher mileage.  I did bring my running stuff with me today so if I feel great I reserve the right to change my mind!

Work is going well, we are getting a lot done, though I can't believe the schedule they have me on ... whew.  I ended up running in the dark last night on the grass at a park I used to run in all the time ... it was very nostalgic.

I hope all is well with you all ... I will be writing on your blogs as soon as I get some breathing room!!

1:35:07. Supposed to do a tempo run today. Yesterday I ended up getting sick, my throat hurt more and more as the day went on (wasn't fun since I was stuck in the same room in a variety of meetings with people for more than 10 hours). I wouldn't have run even if I had had the time ... to top the sad story off, even though I felt "ok" while I was running today every time I started to speed up to anything faster than a 8 min pace my IT band hurt soooo bad -- or maybe it is my quad, who knows. I have an appointment with my therapist today anyway - so hopefully he can fix it up.  

I ran on the "Richland Greenway trail" to Belle Meade -- to the home of Al and Tipper Gore and back (not really their home, just their neighborhood).  Did not see Al, although I am sure he runs this route, it is the route for Nashville runners to see and be seen ;-). 

My flight out of Nashville was canceled today -- luckily American rebooked me on a different airline through Denver so I did make it home really late last night, took 10 hours from airport to airport.  I couldn't miss work today - I just have a gazillion meetings - the stimulus package has incorporated some special NIH grants whose deadlines are coming up .... every institution I collaborate with are submitting hundreds of these grants with very short notice so the next couple of weeks are going to be quite a challenge (hence the name of the grants I suppose, "challenge grants" ).

Happy Friday bloggers.

1:04:38 (32:50/31:48).  Pretty windy today - but it is supposed to get worse throughout the day - with gusts up to 40-45mph by this evening.  I guess we have to watch for tumbleweeds tonight.

My IT band feels better today (probably because I did not do anything really fast yesterday and today I am back on my beloved dirt and not asphalt). My cold is not any worse ... I am fighting it and I hope after another day of mega-mega-doses of vitamin C and zinc and sleep (and a little antihistamine) I will be successful.

Off to the salt mines!

1:18:48 (40:12/38:36). I am pretty depressed. I am sick. I can run about 9-10 miles and not feel much worse than when I am not running ... but I can tell I sick, I feel lightheaded and without getting into too much detail lets just say there is a lot of junk in my head/chest that is not my brain or lungs. I am pretty sure I am not up to a MP run tomorrow. I am just hoping I can run and reschedule the long run for later in the week - it is probably the most important run in this training cycle.

Oh well, off to work and hopefully I can get a nap in this afternoon sometime. If I don't feel any worse I might go for another short run this afternoon, but I doubt it.

Hope you all are doing well today.

On a positive note, the desert is in bloom. It is spectacular.