track fan

33:12. A little longer than 3.5, but whose counting, I am just happy to run! Bad news was my quad is still messed up. It was so painful the first 6 mins or so that I thought I was going to have to turn around ... but then it got a little loosened up and felt a little better. It never did completely go away. It is exactly the same place that cramped up last Sunday -- so maybe it is still sore from the cramp - but it feels like a big knot. I guess this is why there is a recovery period!

Also, I am using this time to get used to running in the heat. Sometime between my taper and my race summer came! It was 106F yesterday (did you know that "official" temps are always taken in the shade? wow. that means it was much hotter in the sun). So, today I waited until it was about 89F and sunny and then went for my run. Since it was so short and I am running so slowly anyway it was fine, I didn't need any water and it didn't feel too bad. By the time I actually start training again I will be able to run much longer in it. When we lived in the South it would take about 2-3 weeks to "get used" to running in the heat and humidity (It never got above 90F, but 85F and 80% humidity feels much warmer than 90F). The first long run where it got really hot I would always get really sick afterward (like throw-up sick) - but by the next weekend I would be able tolerate it and we just had to reduce our pace a little over the summer months.

Yesterday was great ... I spent a couple hours on the pool, refinished a bench/glider, worked on my grant, and finally got some groceries! I like this extra time business!

Happy Sunday bloggers.  And a special Happy Mother's Day to all you Mom's!!

22:22.  My first "almost" painfree run!! yea.  As I left the house this morning Dean said, "have a good jog, you do know you are a jogger now?"  ha ha ha .... yes, I am painfully aware that I seem to have left the "runner" class and am now a "jogger".

I hope you all have a great day today! 

another big ole scheduled goose-egg.  

Interesting, I have lost 2 pounds.  I am hoping it isn't muscle ... I have  reduced my caloric intake so I am hoping that is what it is.  I wanted to lose a couple (or 5 actually) pounds this summer for 5-10K racing ... but I expected it to take a month or even two to get there.  I think weight plays an even bigger part of shorter distance racing, especially in the heat, so if I want to PR I need to get a little lighter.  Shouldn't be hard actually, I am not really hungry when it is so hot out, but when I start training again (and cycling 60 mpw) I might get a little hungrier. 

Anyway -- I miss running, I am showing great restraint by following my schedule ;-).

Happy running, and happy spring/summer bloggers!

All the racing bloggers out there:  Get some sleep, eat well, stay calm, we are all behind you!

31:16. I can't say I felt great -- but I did feel like running faster, so I guess things are progressing. My leg did not hurt until the last .5 mile, so I am ever hopeful that it is getting better!

A huge huge shout out to the women's marathon team for the 2009 World Champs in Berlin. Along with Kara Goucher, Paige Higgins (McMillan Elite), Desiree Davila (Hanson's), Zoila Gomez and Tera Moody (Adidas/Boulder Running Company) will all be racing for the USA. The USA team has a very strong marathon contingent this year!

Still wishing all the bloggers who are racing this weekend lots of rest and calm for the next couple of days!

PM update: I got my bike today!  that is the good news.  The not-so-good-news is that I have already fallen twice in my practice of my clipless peddles.  Once on each side ... on the concrete in the garage.  I am going to have to practice this weekend on the grass, where it won't hurt so  much.  I am getting a little nervous about this now!  At least I have a nice helmet, but I think I might have to wear knee pads, shin guards, elbow pads and big ole' goalie gloves so I don't break and mutilate myself.  I got a little tiny pack thing to store my wallet, cell phone, and a big pair of baggie shorts or a skirt so I can cover up after I get off the bike and to the shower.  This is no easy thing bloggers, I had no idea things would get so complicated in my quest for a cleaner environment and a little cross-training. 

Another thing, that I had NO idea would happen.  I can actually tell the difference between 103F and 97F -- I always thought that once it was over 95 or so it was all the same, ahhhh contrare my dear fastrunningblog friends ... it feels much different.

31:02. I felt SOOOOOO good today. I wanted to run for so much longer. Maybe my body was shocked into running well after the fear of me becoming a cyclist was realized. My knees said, "yes running puts a lot of pressure on us, but all these scrapes and blood are no picnic either". I need a lot of practice before I will feel even remotely safe coming up to a stoplight and being able to clip out of my bike.

Part of my new found energy is thinking about the Tucson 5000 this weekend. I decided, since I have so much extra time and energy right now, to volunteer for one of Tucson's largest road races (the Tucson 5000). They used to have a lot of prize money, but I can't tell if they do anymore. Anyway, it is a fairly locally competitive road race (usually top men's winner is in the low 15's and woman's winner is in the high 17s low 18s) and it usually draws about 300 people. I think the only "larger" races are the 10 mile race (which I hope to do) in October and the Tucson marathon. Anyway - I hope I get to call some splits or timing (so I can keep an eye on the winners). The 5 and 10K races just have such high electricity! Ritz was talking about how mentally different the marathon is from the track (or shorter distance) -- with the marathon he (and most of us probably) need to be in an almost zen-like state, so we can stay focused and run easy (ier) for a long time. For shorter distances he (again most of us as well) likes to be on-edge, jittery even, ready to slam a strong pace from the beginning of the race ... anyway, I am getting pumped for some faster training this summer!!

Have a great day bloggers. I am so excited for all of you running Ogden!

Interesting article about what our very own Kelsy is doing right now:

Tornados 

One of the last scheduled goose-eggs for me.  It has been hard to show restraint this week, but I know from past experience that the conservative approach is best for me.  I am excited for next week ... many days of running, I will finally be able to eat an almost full plate of food again without worrying how many calories it has on it ;-).  Note-to-self: I am getting a little too compulsive about  weight, need to work on that.

I really really need to work on hydrating more.  Even though I am not running much this week, it is going to catch up with me next week when I am running longer than 30 mins in this heat.  2 weeks now of 100F and more (high 106F so far) every single day.  It is both better and worse than I had anticipated it would be. 

I have three weeks to get my grant done - I will be working until very very late pretty much every night until then.  Might even remind me of being a student agian, probably a good thing seeing how I am teaching a really hard class in the fall, it will be nice to the students if their type of pain is fresh in my memory ;-). Well, these days things aren't really "fresh in my memory" if it happened more than a couple of hours ago ;-).  Which reminds me, I met with a group of collaborators the other day and they were describing a grant that I had worked on about 3 weeks ago (ok, I worked on 7 grants during the same time period, but still 3 weeks ago).  I said, " I don't think I saw the final version of the grant, didn't we take that genomics bit out?" -- they said, "no, would you like us to send you the grant?".  Well, when I recieved the copy and started reading it I thought wow, who wrote that methods section, that looks pretty good ... well, it was me!!  My initials were all over the track changes and some of the verbage was stuff I always use (like referencing my own papers he he he)!!  I couldn't remember doing it!!  I am getting super bad.

Happy racing bloggers, I am so excited for all of you!!  HUGS and LUCK to all of you!!

44:33.  Yea.  Finally, a run that was a tiny bit challenging!  I didn't really hold back on the pace and it felt really good.  I got a little later start than I wanted ... but it was only about 78F anyway so it was perfect for running a little hard. 

I have to get going -- but I can't wait to see the Ogden results!!  Pins and needles!