track fan

2:02:45, beautiful hilly run.  I saw a fox!  It was a little hot by the end (in the 80's), but I really can't complain.
 

AM: (8 miles, 1:14:05). Beautiful morning -- though it looks like rain by tonight and into Thursday (should be perfect for cross-country!).

PM: (4.5 miles easy, 39:35). I am hoping to get enough work done that I can leave before it gets dark and run on the grass at Reid park in my spikeless xc shoes to see if I want to wear them on Thursday, if it is going to be slippery then I would be better off risking achilles tightness rather than turning an ankle with my more "supportive" trainers (and I think my Nike Frees - which I wear for my shorter runs - might be way too slippery in the rain/mud).  I ended up not going to Reid park, and not trying out my cross-country spikes ... my foot hurt way too bad to wear them (I could not even wear them walking around in my office) -- instead I worked until it was dark and then ran around the mile grass strip in the middle of campus (pretty fun actually -- runs near the student center and dorms -- for me, it is nice to see so many young people milling about talking about school and life).

Happy Tuesday bloggers.

1:06:16.  I would be lying if I said that because of my day off on Monday and an easy day yesterday I am ready and raring to go for tomorrow.  My legs are tired and dead!  And, I am getting a sinus infection (I am smelling smoke again -- weird -- and my nose was running faster than me today!).  I am still thankful, even if I can't seem to run fast, I am one of the lucky ones in many ways.

WOW!! This was one of the hardest and most fun races I have ever done! So, it rained all night last night and into the start of the men's race (first they ran the men's race and the women were the second race - they alternate every year, mainly because the second race is much harder because they tear up the course); there were about 1200 people total between the two races. The course was a double loop, with only two hard hills but two hay bale jumps on the backside (so you hit them each twice) and then a double hay bale jump + two water jumps of about 5 ft over about 50 yards directly on the bottom of a steep up and down hill (you hit this twice too) and there was on "rock jump" (you had to jump on a rock to cross a creek. The course probably would have been "moderately hard" course if it had been dry - because of the rain we had *3* calf-level creek crossings (one ended being about 25 yards in the creek) -- again, we hit this twice -- but what made it so slow was the mud!!! It was so slippery up the hill (and down actually) before the double hay bale and double water jump that even when I was warming up I fell going up, after the guys were done with it the mud was ankle deep -- even 1" spikes wouldn't have helped! It was soooooo fun - I was soaking wet since it had poured during my warm-up and then I ran around the course cheering Dean and then did some strides before my race ... my shoes were soaked even before we started - so when we hit the first couple creek crossings I did not care at all. The creek crossings were actually great the second lap because the mud was packed on my shoes and they were really heavy, I was glad to wash it off!!

Anyway -- I did not run as well as I would have liked, it was slow and I did not seem to have enough confidence and I did not take off at the start the way I should have - there were only a few places where it was easy to pass people and I got stuck for the first 1/2 mile. In the end, I did finish pretty strong - I passed about 25 woman the last 1.5 miles, but the big mud hill slowed everyone down (and actually coming down was even worse, people were sliding all over the place). I have to vent -- a woman who beat me (by probably at least 20 seconds - she was faster than me) cut the course - actually a bunch of woman in front of my ran around the back course hay bales and then cut corners! I was ticked off actually, I followed the line and actually hurdled every bale! I actually ran through one of the water jumps because my shoes were so slippery I was afraid I was going to fall -- but that is not cheating -- but passing hay bales and cutting corners I feel is cheating!! It did not really matter, my splits were slow and I did not come close to throwing up -- I am disappointed in that -- but, it was fun -- I have only run a few cross-country races and this one was by far the hardest and just loved it! splits: (7:38, 7:44, 7:43 +?? I somehow missed stopping my watch in the finishing shoot -- my time was in the high 23's, i will change it when the results are posted). Dean ran about 1 min slower (so he thought) than he would have if the course were dry, so I guess I am somewhat vindicated by that logic ;-). I did win a pie.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

54:13.  I really thought I wanted to run longer today (even though Greg had told me to run 4-5 miles) -- but about 15 mins into the run, I realized I was a lot more sore running than I was walking around the house (go figure).  So, I just ran slow ... I have some sore muscles that I have never felt before -- they must be "hurdling muscles" since that is the only thing that was completely different than anything I had ever done (unless it was "wading in the water or trying to run uphill in mud" muscles!).  My main focus right now is not mileage for the week, but recovery for a "workout" that I am supposed to do within my long run this week.

I hope everyone is having a nice "day after Thanksgiving". 

AM: (1:11:32, 8 miles).  As I started the run today I felt plain ole 'tired' -- not really sore, just whole body tired.  I thought I was going to have to only run one run today, and maybe cut my run this morning short.  But, funny enough, by about 25 mins into it I realized I felt much better!  It was slow, but I think I am going to be recovered enough for my workout tomorrow! yippee.

PM: (~4 miles).  

Plain for the day is to finish unpacking -- the moving company is supposed to come and take all the empty boxes away this week ...