What ever it takes!

When I woke up this morning I would have guessed I was feeling about 80%, after my run I've downgraded myself to 70%.  Did my "regular" New Orleans run, out St. Charles, around the Autobahn Zoo by the Mississippi and back.  At the 1/2 way point there is a little park where people go and sit and watch the river, (I guess) and I really had to use the bathroom.  Good news, there was a bathroom, Bad news, it was the most disgusting restroom I have ever been in, and I've been in truck stops in Mississippi.  Anyway, sometimes you gotta do what ya gotta do.

Pretty humid this morning, and didn't feel great, but very happy that I was at least finally able to do a normalish run.

Distance	Time	Avg Pace		Avg HR	Max HR
1	6:45	6:45		144	151
2	13:19	6:34		150	151
3	20:04	6:45		149	151
4	26:54	6:50		148	151
5	34:02	7:08		144	149
6	41:07	7:05		142	148
7	47:57	6:50		142	151
8	54:30	6:33		151	158
9	1:01:02	6:32		157	163
10	1:07:34	6:32		163	164
11	1:14:08	6:34		162	163
12	1:20:45	6:37		161	165
Total	1:20:45	6:43		152	165

Woke up totally planning on doing the St. Charles 12 mile run again but as I was limping down the hall I was prompted to go to the gym and take it easy.   I used to feel pretty down on myself when I missed a day of running, but thanks to advice from people like Steve yesterday, and reading Ryan Hall's book I'm slowly realizing that no one is super human, but the way to appear super human is to stay injury free.  One of my New Year Resolutions this year was to stay injury free, which I think even if over all fitness falls a bit is a much better strategy than trying to run a fast marathon with an injury.  So there it is, I'm not going to feel bad about not getting miles on the board just to do it, that's not my primary goal.

Oh, forgot to put my workout in..  1 hour elliptical, 20 minutes of stretching and weights.

I don't have this problem anymore, but thought it was funny since I was there about 2 years ago and I know a lot of you are probably dealing with it now.

Last day of running in the Big Easy (haven't figured out why it's called that)  I wanted to do my Zoo loop one more time,  I have a 7:00am flight tomorrow and wont be able to run. Didn't feel great at all, and my hip and knee are still bothering me, I really hope it's just from being sick, I can't remember doing anything to make them hurt.  Ran the short loop around autobahn park and back,  lots of people run down the trolly tracks on St. Charles, My momma told me "don't run on railroad tracks" but today I decided to try it,  ended up not liking it very much cause it was really un-even so I went back to the road.

Today is the last day of the conference, which means another really long work day, but at least we are finally done.  So.. ready to go home.  To bad it's only for 1 week.

Distance	Time	Avg Pace		Avg HR	Max HR
1	6:34	6:34		148	167
2	13:29	6:55		147	149
3	20:28	6:59		150	154
4	27:24	6:56		154	157
5	34:32	7:08		152	157
6	42:28	6:56		154	156
7	49:34	7:06		153	156
8	56:45	7:11		153	156
9	1:03:51	7:06		153	155
10	1:10:56	7:05		153	158
11	1:17:56	7:00		153	159
Total	1:17:56	7:00		152	159

Wow, this is the worst cold I've had in a long time, I don't feel terrible but it has been lingering for over 1 week now.  Took advantage of my travel day home yesterday and didn't run, just flew home early and then chilled all day, took a 2 hour nap, watched Cloudy with a chance of meatballs with the kids and went to bed early.  I woke up early this morning feeling bad for myself thinking I was just falling apart and all of my training had been wasted, my groin was still bothering me and I felt pretty tired.

Went to the gym so I could feel like I was back on a normal schedule and take advantage of the amenities, IE foam rollers, hot tub, steam room.  Got on my old familiar treadmill and started out slow, after 2 miles things started to work themselves out, I found a rhythm and started feeling really good, my legs actually felt really fresh from the easy week or so I've had since getting sick and I started feeling really good.  The faster I went the better I felt and I found a fluidity I haven't felt in a while.  I don't think I'm ready to try anything crazy like say , the Riverton 1/2 tomorrow, but I am happy to feel normalish again. Did my last 3 miles after the treadmill reset in a progressive 17:58.  It seems like every time I do a race when I have 5K to go I think if I could only do it in 18:00...

Forgot my watch, which I am mad about cause I would have liked to get HR info.

Distance	Time	Avg Pace
9	58:55	6:32
10	1:05:02	6:07
11	1:11:02	6:00
12	1:16:53	5:51
Total	1:16:53	6:24

So, I have a major issue, the same drive that has got me where I am today is the same thing that's going to kill me in the end, I had no business running 18 miles today, felt like crap my first step to my last, I've felt better at the end of full marathons than I felt today but for some reason I just keep going even when I know I should stop.

Just found out Ryan (my running partner) took second place behind Walter today in the Riverton 1/2, I'm glad I didn't try to run it, cause I couldn't have stayed with him.  I'd have been lucky to finish. 

Congrats to him though, someday I'll be able to keep up with him in a race.

Distance	Time	Avg Pace		Avg HR	Max HR
1	7:37	7:37		134	166
2	14:30	6:53		145	148
3	21:14	6:44		148	150
4	27:48	6:34		152	154
5	34:16	6:28		155	157
6	40:42	6:26		156	157
7	47:04	6:22		157	160
8	53:24	6:20		159	162
9	59:39	6:15		160	162
10	1:06:08	6:29		149	159
11	1:12:36	6:28		157	159
12	1:19:04	6:28		156	158
13	1:25:36	6:32		156	159
14	1:32:03	6:27		157	159
15	1:38:25	6:22		158	162
16	1:45:04	6:39		155	162
17	1:51:30	6:26		160	163
18	1:57:52	6:22		161	167
Total	1:58:02	6:32		154	167

 I finished Ryan Hall's book yesterday, I actually ended up really liking it, I think anyone who is running the Boston marathon would really enjoy reading it during their taper period to stay motivated,  it makes you realize that even though these guys run insanely faster than the rest of us they still have the same drawbacks in training and the same fears.