Patience; the new endurance sport.

The lowered mileage from last week, and better sleep in the past few days has helped a lot.  I feel that I have regained muscle strenth and stamina over the past week-- I have to admit though, that I think it's also because I've gone back to eating meat more frequently.  I'll go back to the vedgetable proteins and eggs after the marathon, or when I can more evely space out my 50 miles a week and I'm not trying to run fast or hard (I'm sorry Lucia, I hate reporting this knowing how dissapointed you'll be in me....).  The Good news is, I am running 8:13-8:30's with greater regularity again. I've been waiting to announce this until I felt it was not an anomoly.  Also, my natural gait finally came back to me!  I've been trying to find it again since my abductor and hipflexor went haywire. I've got to remember, it's about not lifting my feet so high off the ground, and moving them faster with a flat footed landing and push off. Occassionally I'll mid-foot it to get in some quick steps and change the impact for a bit.  Today's splits:   8:27/8:13/8:23/8:40/8:20/8:17/8:33 This was the best run I've had since August 4th (well, besides the miles and miles of 8:36's on the treadmill, which doesn't feel like real running). Yay!  I'm thinking that my strategy for SG will be to take the beginning and the hill's easy, and to really let it out on the downhill portions.  I'm still doubtful I can take 15 minutes off my last year's run--actually, now that I think about it, if I just don't have to stop and stand in line for the bathroom twice (like I did last year) it might cut almost 10 mintues righ there.  Can you tell, I'm getting excited?

My vastus medialis (inner quad) felt a little twingey as my foot hit the pavement this morning.  I literally broke into a cold sweat (panic) that it was starting up again.  So I started out really slowly, stretched thouroughly once warm, and then kept on running (slowly I thought). Then my mind wandered for a good while and when I finally looked down, I had run 4 miles at an average pace of 8:36. I'm not trying to aggravate my leg, I'm not.  I'm not even trying to run faster, it's just happening.  A friend who'd just  been in Bolivia and Chile for two weeks phoned right in the middle of my run. I was excited to hear about the trip, so  I ran back home as quick as I could to call back and hear all about what happened in Boliva (while he was there the peace corps and missionaries alike fled the country). I wanted to keep it easy today, but I was also in a hurry.  So I compensated for the faster running by sitting in the river for about 10 minutes.  It was a chilly morning, so I got a lot of strange looks.  Then I drove to Salt Lake with an ice pack on my leg just for good measure.  Now I've been chilled to the bone for over an hour.  But hey, whatever it takes to keep that under control.  

I'm ammending a portion of my blog because I want to remind myself what Bonnie wrote me today in an effort to help get me to race day un-injured (run slower and easier on easy days-- especially these days).  Both Josse and Sasha have told me the same thing at other times.  I just forget. She reminded me that the hay is already in the barn aleady and shared her mantra which I thought should be public, if she has not already made it so: "Step 1: get to the starting line healthy.  Step 2: run as fast as the day and conditions allow.  Without 1, there is no 2! 

Thanks Bonnie!  I needed the reminder-- maybe anyone reading this needs it too!

I was compelled last night to re-read The Great Gatsby late into the night, and then lay there thinking about excess, obsession, self-control, and delayed gratification. Hmm. That's ironic now that I think about it. Then, I woke up with a blinding mirgane, and hives. Most people get regular allergies that make them sneeze and cry. Once a year, I get allergies too. Only, I get mirganes and itchy, itchy, ITCHY SKIN. The itching is positively maddening. So I took an Alavert and stayed inside on the treadmill where I didn't need to see my periforial surroundings (remember that migrane?). Also, I knew I could trust the machine to help me maintain a slower pace at 9:45. It was my way of showing how much I love and care for my my Vastus Medialis. By the time I was done, I was mostly over the itching. And, even though Alavert says it is non-drowsy, it is not. Now I'm sleepy with a headache, but my legs sure feel nice.

I needed to balance out the up-all-night-reading and then contemplating the "Great American Dilemma" by running (7 miles) on the treadmill and watching the last season of The Office. See how I'm trying to rest my body and mind? See how I am showing my appreciation for their cooperation and patience in the past few months. Let the tapering begin in earnest. Hey, anyone know what carb depletion is? It just doesn't sound good, but is it important? I'm headed to the discussion board next, but feel free to share knowlege of pre-marathon eating and hydrating!

P.M.-- (3 miles) After chatting with Josse about carbohydrates and scraping, I suggested she take a nice easy little autumn run by the river to get her spirits up after being sick.  I held that delicious little thought for like an hour, and then couldn't stand it any longer and did just that!  Such a beautiful, cool, autumn afternoon, so golden and mellow. The river so still, the air so perfect, the sky so blue, the mountains so grand and strong.  The treadmill is nice, but it just doesn't feed your soul the way being outside does.  Now I'm ready to taper. I promise.

What is better than a Friday morning run along the rivertrail.  I never, ever get tired of it, the cycles of it, the comfortable beauty of it.  I'm not sad to say goodbye to summer. I love Autumn.  It's like eating the frosting off the cupcake and chucking the rest in the trash. Pure perfection and exactly what you wanted in the first place.  What compares to the mellowed light, and cooler air?  The fading leaves, the dry alfalfa fields?  The roadside brown eyed susans and silkeweed? The lake's surface is still blue glass reflecting back the Ochre Mountains?  It's such a short moment of the year we get to enjoy the outside world the way it's meant to be.  This is why we run all year long.  To eventually witness, and bathe in the gentleness of the world on a morning like this. Forget the marathon, forget the races, forget everything and just melt into and accept the changing season.

Catherine and I did our last Saturday training in the canyon together.  It was a gorgeous morning. The trees are unbelievable this year, so much red and orange.  We wondered where all the regulars went, the trail was pretty empty considering the time of year.  We had a fantastic run, both up and down the canyon easy breezy 8:40's.  It's been a while since I even made plans to do fun stuff on a Saturday in anticipation of recovering from hard, long runs.  But after running, I saw Josse who worked her magic on my legs, went to the farmer's market and ate a bushel of fresh nectarines by myself (plus a couple of tamales with the kids), and fitted my kids for their skis.  Oh the canyon, oh the famer's market, oh the excitement for SG!   I love this time of year.  Now, I'm going to the lovely warm shade of my backyard to read a book and maybe take a nap on the hammock while kids play out front with their friends.  Did I say how much I love this time of year?