track fan

1:54:31.  Very hilly mountain run, two laps + a little under a mile added on in the middle (59:17, 55:34).  I tried to get out earlier, but the best I could manage was 7:30 and it was already 70F, it is 87F and sunny now.  Now that it is hot, I plan on running at least 10-20 secs/mile slower than I normally would (well, I don't know exactly what pace, I guess I would say I start out running no faster than 65-75% effort).  Most of the time, this works fine and I can pick it up the later part of the run - or not if it is really hot out.  

So, today I ran on the big dirt road that goes through Saguaro Park West.  This is were the BIG snakes live ;-).  It is a safe place to run though, because even if I see a snake the road is plenty wide enough to go around them.  I saw two snakes, one live and one dead, neither of them were rattlesnakes (they were much too pretty and colorful - although one of them was easily as big around as my forearm).  The VERY COOLEST thing?  I saw my first Gila Monster, he/she was much larger than the one in this picture, about the size of a small cat (larger than a kitten - maybe an adolescent cat).  They say that a Gila Monster bite is the most painful desert creature bit there is ... I did not put my hand down to test it out -- it did not seem like it cared that much about me watching him/her.  It was very pretty, bright orange spots/lines.  Very very cool - I sped it up after this, because I wanted to check the internet to make sure it was a Gila Monster!

Today is the final day of NCAA PAC 10 track and field regionals (as our own Ruthio knows ... although I think she is in the Mountain region).  Anyway - after 7 events Arizona women are ahead of U of Oregon ... wow.  Of course, the 1500 and the 5K are today, so who knows what will happen; not to mention the 800m!  Still, I was happy to Arizona in number 1 status, even if it is short lived.  

Have a wonderful day resting and enjoying your family bloggers.  Congratulations to all of our awesome Ogden Marathon and 1/2 Marathon runners! 

AM: (9+ miles, 1:20:13).  Warm, hilly run -- but not as mountainous as Sunday.   I felt really good today.  At first it felt like I was running really slowly, but when I hit my first landmark I was actually faster than usual.  I went to my "landmark" turn-around today (rather than my watch turn-around).

PM:(easy 4).  

Keeping in the never-ending summer saga -- this week we should see some 100F days.  Luckily the lows are still in the high 60s, so my morning runs will be in the mid-to-high-70s (because I just can't get started early enough to get the lows ;-)).  My PM runs will be in the 100s I am sure, but by then the sun will be down and it won't feel as hot.

So, Sunday night I had a very scary dream about snakes.  And then, Dean had to tell me (really he actually did) that yesterday morning he found a scorpion in his bathroom drawer -- EWWWWW.  So, I had to get up and go to the bathroom last night and I just KNEW I was going to get stung - I think I must have laid there for an hour before I got up to go ... I really don't like spiders, and to me scorpions are too much like meaner spiders.   

1:03:28.  Up the mountain.  A day without snakes on the trail is a good day.

I slept fine last night, despite Burt's attempt to ruin my good nature.  

I hope you are all having good weather, and happy trails! 

AM: (10 miles, 1:25:28). 30:33wu/25:58cd 20 x :30 w/1` recovery. It is going to be a very hot day today ... already well into the high 80s, probably over 100F for my PM run.

It was a very eventful day yesterday, first, I made some awesome headway on my grant resubmission. I only get one more shot at this so I am working really hard to get this right, and a whole bunch of stuff came together yesterday, yea. Movement in the right direction. Then, last night I found out that I was elected to serve as a representative on the Board of Directors for the American Statistical Association. It is an honor to be elected, and looks really good on my dossier for promotion/tenure. Lots more visits to DC are in my future.

I am so disappointed with Floyd Landis. I can't even tell you how upset this makes me, I really wanted to believe he was innocent -- I haven't been this disappointed in an athlete since Justin Gatlin. I just can't abide by cheaters.

PM: (4 miles easy).

Have a great day bloggers.

1:03:xx.  Run up my favorite trail.  It was very hot, and pretty uncomfortable, except it was SO pretty and therefore I have no complaints! Last night my run was a very comfortable 88F and I saw a beautiful coral snake (not poisonous, but very colorful) so it is only right that this morning would be slightly uncomfortable ;-). 

Very very busy today -- and still -- I am so far not expecting to get home for several hours.  However, it has been a wonderfully productive week and I am energized and can easily hang in here for these many more hours. 

I wish you all happy trails and a wonderful weekend!

AM:(hilly 8+, 1:10:32).  It was super duper hot.  Yesterday I brushed up against a prickly pear cactus on the trail.  I have a 3-4 inch area on my thigh that looks like a big rash (it isn't it is that there are tiny spines ebedded in my skin) -- the worst though, was that I got a huge spine stuck in the side of my thumb, and I did not know, and when I brushed my hand against it yesterday it stuck it way down inside and then broke off the top ... now it is all infected and really hurts.  I hope it comes out soon ...  Close by, I saw these guys out spraying stuff on the side of the road yesterday - I asked what they were doing and they pointed out this tall green grass - they said they were just neighbors and were killing the grass that is growing and is not indiginous to the area (it kills all the native species).  So, I jokingly said, "I guess you can tell what belongs here by how dangerous it looks" (this was nice smooth green grass, not brown, dry and prickly). 

PM: (4 miles easy).

I hope you have a great day bloggers!