track fan

2:09:43.  Wow, somehow I ran this much faster than the last time I ran it, and it was 95.2F when I finished the run (and sunny).  I guess I am "in training" for running camp ;-).

Happy Mother's Day to you all.

It is a sad week for me, as it is the first Mother's day without my Mom, and it was just about a year ago this coming week when she was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer.  It is a part of the life cycle, but knowing that doesn't really make it any easier.   But, I am thankful for my run, thankful for my health (such that it is right now ;-) ), and for my family and friends.

AM: (9 miles, 1:21:07, 41:21/39:46).  Doesn't look like much, but I was very pleased.  I ran to the trails again, it was a very hilly run, but more importantly, the last 2.5 miles are uphill ... so it is obvious I was feeling good!!  Oh yes, it is also in the 90s -- we hit 100 yesterday.  Phoenix is supposed to be in the 108 or so range today - and it is MAY!!

PM: easy 4.

So, after two years the thing than many runners fear happened, my daily running show was "upgraded" -- oh no!!!  Well, I am happy to say my luck must be turning -- the DS Trainer 17 is a pretty nice shoe, I dare say I might even like it more than the 16!! yippee.

I had my radiation simulation yesterday -- it was pretty weird.  Basically they use these laser lights and this huge machine and line up the tattoos to measure the field that they are going to radiate (it is a much larger area than I thought)  I can see how they can't help but hit the lungs with such a large area -- and it goes all the way to the side (one of the areas that is likely to feel uncomfortable by week 2-3).  Now a "dosimetrician" calculates the appropriate dose for the field and body composition (a polite way to discuss both breast  and body size).  When I go in it will take about 5 minutes to position me, and then they push a button and leave me alone while the huge machine moves around and shoots me from a bunch of angles.  I should be in and out every day in about 25 mins. So the drive will be longer than the treatment!

Off to grade papers, and then tomorrow -- off to camp!! yea!! 

Today was a hard run - especially for an easy run ... maybe the heat, maybe just tired.

BUT -- today we leave for Flagstaff and running camp - yipee!

Have a good week, I will tell you ALL about it either this weekend or next week! 

AM: (~7 miles, 60 mins).  Ran on the Flagstaff Urban Trail by myself, at about 9AM.  I kind of wanted to run more, but since it my first day at 7000ft, and I had to run a hilly run at Buffalo Park in the PM with the running camp group, I decided to take it easy.  About 3 miles into it I saw three familiar forms running toward me -- it was Greg (McMillan), Stephanie Rothstein, and Megan Herrick (nee Dunwell) of McMillan Elite!  Greg said, "Sneak training??" -- I laughed and said, "you bet"!

PM: (4 miles) met all of the "running camp" folks!  I ended running with Greg and a woman named Mary, from Toronto ... Greg ran one loop with us (2 miles) and then it was Mary and I and another guy, Doug (from LA).  Happily, we were the second group (Dean, Ben Rosario -- formerly of the Hansons/Brooks team and now marketing director for McMillan Running, and woman named Becky were in the first group) -- I relaxed then, knowing I wouldn't be running the rest of the week all by myself ... despite the hills and altitude we ran ~ 8:30 pace the whole time.

In the evening we went to dinner and then Greg gave a talk that described three different types of runners:  speedsters, combo runners, and endurance monsters.  The McMillan running calculator is going to be updated soon (June?) with these groups in mind, to allow for a little more range and sensitivity -- and there will be a book coming out soon (also June?) that will describe them.   It was cool!

AM: met up and did a group run on the Urban Trail - basically the same run I had done myself the day before - albeit I ran it ~ 1 min faster, because I had company ;-).  I ran with a woman from Tucson, I knew who she was from race results, but we had never actually met (or raced together - I am/have been slightly faster than her in the past, but in a couple of months we will be in different age groups as I move up to the 50-54 year olds and she stays in the 45-49).  It was nice.

Ben Rosario talked to us about running smart and also about shoes/footwear.  Greg walked us through the use of his calculator (I had seen this talk before, but was still interesting). 

In the evening Dean and I went out to dinner, I was feeling pretty tired and really did not feel like a big night out.  The weather had been AMAZING!  after the 103F days that we left, the 75F felt like heaven! 

AM:  Met up at 7AM at the Northern Arizona University track.  We did a mile warm-up, and then learned some cool drills (some A-skips, side skips, etc.) - Andrew Lemmoncello (2008 olympian in the steeple for Great Britain and coached by Greg) showed us how to do these - ha, I looked nothing like him.  At one point, we were doing these sideways things with some arm movement and Andrew said, "yikes Bonnie" (I really have some shoulder issues right now ;-) ).  Then we did some quicker strides, and then did 8 straights-and-curves (sprint the straights, jog the curves).  These were a little different though because Greg and Ben were filming our stride.  They shot us front, back and side in sprint, and then also side view running easy... so we had to go in groups of 2 or 3, and sometimes we ended stopping and lining up while the group in front finished.   Then, Ben Rosario, Becky (woman from Houston who runs faster than me in training, but our races are pretty equivalent, I think my 1/2 marathon PR is faster than her) ran another couple of miles.

We went back to the hotel and we analyzed our form -- it was pretty cool.  My right shoulder is much higher than my left and it is throwing off my stride  - this is because of the surgery, I have had severe shoulder/neck/scapular pain since the surgery (it is very common after breast surgery) and it is apparent I am favoring that side; good news is it is easily treated -- by doing some simple stretches and yoga/pilates moves.  It is obvious that my orthotics are working because I am not shuffling, it was really surprising.

Dean has spectacular form, as did Mary (my new friend from Toronto).  

Dean and I met up with Stephanie R. for lunch -- talked about her soon to be husband (Ben Bruce) who is hoping to make the Steeple final at the Olympic Trials, her wedding, and saw pictures of their house that is being built.  So good to see her, and see how happy she is! 

In the afternoon Greg talked to us about making a training plan.  All of the information is on his website, so I already knew this stuff, but it was interesting hearing him describe it in person -- plus, he has some new information that he is including in his book. 

 PM: Ben, Becky and I went for an easy 4 mile run. 

Dean and I went over to Greg and Tracy's house for dinner - it was super nice.  We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful Flagstaff evening.