Patience; the new endurance sport.

I never have done a very good job at post-marathon recovery.  I usually just go right back to my mileage, particularly after marathons where I didn't push any limits.  But just to be sure to prevent what happened to me at the end of last Summer,  I've taken 3 full days off, packed down the chlorophyll and iron, red meat (of which I can hardly gag down anymore), and a mountain of protein and water.  I've set up my Utah Valley Marathon run schedule on an excel spreadsheet and I'll be ready to resume regular mileage next Monday.  I need to get started eating better now too and drop my Witner 10 before the training gets rigerous.  It saps my energy to try and drop weight while doing any real training. I just keep mulling over in my mind the great time I had in DC.  The things Catherine and I talked about keep coming back to me, I've missed her.  The whole weekend, and the marathon experience was very moving.  If not for Cath, I would never have run St. George in 2007 so shortly after my Dad died. Channeling my grief, literally saved my life.  Of all the things marathoning has brought me these past years, I am most greatful for the patience, endurance, and the mental & emotional acuity running has excersized and formed within me.  I am a better person.  And I thank Catherine for that.   

Last days of skiing right here folks.  I am sad, we had a rocky start to the snow year, but the late spring pow was stellar. The skis I got this year revolutionized my skiing and I am just not ready to give it up. There's never too much of a good thing. Oh well, I hope I live to ski again another season.  Today, a little clean air and sunshine did a body good.  I had a nice lunchtime jaunt up to Rock Canyon and back.  I'm running with an old buddy friend of mine from High School on Saturday. Haven't seen her in years, she's driving down from Salt Lake to run 8-10. She did the Ironman in Florida last year and is pretty hard core.  Her Dad and my Dad hitchiked from Riverside, CA across America and worked a summer pitching hay in Wyoming.  They got paid in Silver Dollars and headed to BYU with thier pockets full of rolled coins.  A few summers later, they worked paving I-15 near Baker (home of the world's largest thermometer near Death Valley) and Barstow (in 137 degree afternoons).  My Dad used that money to buy my mother's engagement ring.  Her father is now buried in the cemetary I run around almost daily, and my father's ashes are scattered along the beaches of San Felipe in Baja.  I'll be nice to laugh about our crazy Dads.

It was actually hot to run during lunch today. Everyone in DC on Saturday was complaining about how cold it was there, I absolutely prefer to run in the refridgerator than the oven. So today when it was so hot outside, so suddenly warm after so many weeks of the 40's, I was shocked. I took a water bottle and was glad I did, I drank all of it. My Garmin wrist band broke right at the finish line at the DC Marathon and so I have no idea the pace, only the mileage because it's a regular route.

Was going to run with my friend Shawna, but she had company fly in unexpectedly for the weekend so she rainchecked till next Sat.  Luckily Jos was taking the dog up to the Bonneville shoreline trail and let me and my dogs tag along.  I waaay overdressed.  Because of the cold temps last week in DC, plus it snowed 19 inches at Sundance, plus all week long I was freezing....I thought it would be windy up top.  I should have known.  I night skiied with the kids last night and it was positively balmy.  Got to the mountain top with long tights and a long sleeve shirt, gloves, etc.... and I swear it was sunny and 70 degrees by 7:30 a.m. like summer. We met up with Karen who was running up the other side of the hogsback, and then we turned around.  I don't know if it's because I lived at Sundance all week (owing to the fact it was closing this weekend) or if it was the trail running, or if I'm fatigued from the marathon and travel last week or what, but I am more sore today than I was after the marathon.  That trail running was rough on my hamstrings. I am going to have to turn up the running to get over skiing.  I always get really bummed when the season ends.  But there is spring to look forward to.