I just felt like running

Went out for a lunch run and my right ankle complained big time.  I doesn't feel like a strain but who knows.    Its fairly high on the inside of my ankle.

I made it a little further before I stopped in disgust at the pain in my ankle.  Now its got me wondering if I have a stress fracture.  No running tomorrow.  and ice tonight.

After three days without running to recooperate, I woke up very excited to race.  I had spent the night at work following a new product run and caught sleep here in there in one of the conference rooms. 

I warmed up with Jon and within a 1/4 mile knew that my ankle was a lot better.  It was a little tender but didn't hurt.   It was cold  (<30F) but what can you expect from a race called the Frosty Freeze.

Jon agreed to pace me to try to break 18 minutues and PR.  I was on his back shoulder through the 1st mile (5:37).  This was only one second off of my mile PR.  My breathing was labored so I knew I would be in pain at the end of the race.  Jon gradually pulled ahead but I kept pushing.   The second mile is hillier but I came in at 6:00 so I was feeling OK.  I kept it up as best as I could and actually picked it up a bit.  I caught sight of the finish and knew I would have my PR.   Cut it by 6 seconds! 

The marathon next weekend should be interesting.

It warmed up into the 40's which felt so nice   Had a great run. 

Another great run.  Still nice and warm.   A stiff southerly breeze.

 I had a nice runners high for awhile.   Run felt effortless and in slow motion.    just enjoying the weather, the surrounding, and my fitness. 

Cold and rainy today.  Treadmill run at the fitness center.    Ran a couple miles at marathon pace.  Felt pretty good.

Day started out rough - bad headache and nose stuffed up.  Nothing a little Advil and the Neti-Pot won't solve.

I had a banana, toast, and coffee at home and headed to pick up Jon.  At the Dizzy 50k, I had a Hardees sausage biscuit 5 minutes before the start of the race.  As unconventional and seemingly stupid as that is, I decided to have more of a good thing and bought two sausage biscuits on my way to pick up Jon.   A little protein in the stomach helps things in my opinion.  As far as the grease, I don't know but it sure helped my mood. 

 We got to the race a little behind shedule (about 55 minutes before the race) but that was plenty of time.   Jon let me in on the secret Fleet Feet bathroom in the holiday inn.  Nice way to bypass the lines right before the race.

 It was a chilly day  30F , sunny with light winds.   I couldn't resist just wearing a short and singlet though.  Being chilled at the start gets me on edge which is good to get me going.  You don't want to be too comfortable at the start line.  I did wear gloves, hat, and my poor man's arm sleeves  (white tube stocks with toes cut off).  I can't see myself ever spending $40 for those fancy moeben sleeves just to keep my elbows warm.       My sausage biscuit gave me a little heartburn during my warmup but it settled back down.

 I almost missed the start like I did at Dizzy.  5 minutes before the start while, I saw Jon and somehow that triggered a thought that I wasn't wearing my waist pack which had all my Gu's in it.  As the race directors were thanking everyone for coming, I sprinted from the start line back to my car and got it.  and returned the startline in the middle of the national anthem. Whew! Nice warmup.

 The start went smoothly.   The week before I had chided Jon that if he started running 6:30's I was going to let him go as that was crazy and too fast.  Ironically it was me who started too fast, as I came through mile 1 at 6:30.    I'm not one to follow my own advice.   Jon yelled at me from a pack 10 yards which brought me to my senses.  I let Eric Charette and Donald Bowman go and eased up slightly.  

At mile 2, my left shoe got untied  ("Blow out!" as Brett Addington pointed out)  and  Jon along with a sizable pack (8-10 runners strong) past me as I knelt to fix it.  I caught back up and tucked in but my left upper hamstring tightened.   I tried to ingore the pain and eventually the pain gave up and took a vacation.      

 This was the first of two great packs we ran with.  It makes things so much easier.   This one was going a little too fast which had Jon and I shaking our heads at each split-  6:35-6:37ish.  We felt good though and hung on.  The eventual 2nd and 3rd place women were with us (both local fleet feet runners.).   Jon and I let them go at about mile 6 or 7 and we eased up to around 6:40 pace.

I stayed true to my Gu schedule.  1st at 20 minutes then another each 30 after that.  A little water or powerade at each aid station. 

Jon and I hung together on Bailey Cove road and broke wind foreach other.  We both felt good.  My standard question for him was "how many gears do you have left"?   Two was the common answer  which is good for not quite half way through a marathon.  We caught up to the eventual 5th place woman and ran with her for awhile.  Our old pack was about a minute ahead when we went through the half marathon at 1:27:45.    We had a slow mile (6:50 or so) and another pack caught up.  they were 8+ strong as well.  We slipped in with them and hung on.  This was a great group- nice and steady.   A couple times they got a little gap on me and Jon yelled at me to catch back up.  I was able to.  There was no way I would be running this pace if I was on my own.    The pack carried me through the "tough middle" of the marathon - 13 to 21 miles.   

At the crest of the final big hill, I broke ahead of the pack on the down hill and never looked back or get passed from that point on.  Jon stayed with me on Whitesburg through the tunnel and then dropped back for a awesome 2:59 finish of his own.  I just put my head down, focused, and pushed.   I didn't have any gears left but I stayed strong.  All the later miles were 6:40 or better.   I caught sight of Eric Charette coming up to the 25 mile mark.  He's a 34 minute 10K and sub 17  5K runner whose been doing some great training over the past year.  He was my carrot to keep pushing.  I caught him with a 1/3 mile to go (right by the hospital).   Eric has a great kick and was able to pass me back in the finish stretch and get me by 5 seconds.  He had a huge PR (over 10 minutes)  as did I (almost 4).   

When I broke 3 hrs before, my thought was "that is too hard.  I'm never going to run a marathon fast like that again."   I shouldn't listen to myself.  This was felt so much better.  My first negative split marathon (in 18 tries). I was within 30 seconds of my 1/2 marathon PR on the 2nd half of this one!   I really had no expectation of running this fast-  the miracle of lowered expectations (no pressure) i guess.

First run back after the marathon.  Went well but took it easy.  Left hamstring and right calf tight but thats par for the course.  I'll take it easy the rest of the week and put in some good mileage again Christmas week.

Easy run from home.   Meandered around the neighborhood , headed to point mallard, came back on 11th to Summerlane  (RCR course in reverse).

Went through a neighborhood I've never run through before-- scouting out another possible way to get to work..   Ran to Austin HS via 14th then Betty ln. footbridge over to 8th St .  14th St to douthit to Canterbury (new neighborhood for me) which came out on Old Moulton.  I eventually worked my way over to Finley Dr. NW is part of the Princess 10K if that occurs.  It comes out into Old Decatur. 

Pretty chilly day (30's)  but nice and sunny.

Jon and I are planning a ultra training run for 12/24.  We plan to start from my house and run to Fleet Feet in Decatur.   Its going to be around 39 miles.

Worked my last day of the year.  Plant is shutdown until 1/2.

Ran the trails at lunch.  Chilly day  24F.  Felt good though and still was able to wear shorts.  I have to toughen up for my trip to Wisconsin knowing 24F would be a heat wave for them.

 Its supposed to get up to the mid sixties here later this week.

The Fagerman brothers (patrick and jeff), Larry Dickerson, and Jon Elmore came to my house at 6am and we headed out for a little run.   North on 16th Ave to the river at the Hwy 31 bridge.  I was convinced someone was going to call 911 when they saw us crossing this bridge (which has been the scene of more than a couple jumpers).  There is a great shoulder but it is not a pedestrian bridge.  Jon called a coworker at the 911 office to head this anxiety off at the pass.  He tried to get a police escort but they must have been busy.    After only one car honked at us, we left the causeway and entered the wheeler wildlife refuge.  Nice surface which is right next the the River.   We cut north through the woods and came out in historical Mooresville.  At 13 miles, Larry, Patrick, and Jeff bid us farewell with full bottles of gatorade.   We ran on frontage roads along Interstate 565 for the next 5 miles.  Fast and straight but it got old.  We cut north again on County Line road and then stopped at a Chevron station for refueling (gatorade, water, and a Dark Chocolate Snickers for me).  Went east on Palmer Rd past several big bulls in pasture and came out in old Madison downtown by the railroad tracks.   Jon started hurting (shins) at this point and slowed.  We stuck together onto Hughes road and then Jon started walking.     I had been updating my location on facebook so a work friend of mine , Sooi, came by not too much later and picked up Jon.  He was getting hold and appreciated the rescue after 26 miles.  Not bad after running a 2:59 marathon 10 days ago.     Sooi and Jon caught up with me on Old Madison Pike at the Bridge Street Mall.  After a picture and a Clif Bar, I was on my way again.     Two miles down the road my friend Sidney drove by and gave me a nice cheer.    This facebook enhanced long run is nice.  I got half a dozen comments from other friends during the run.    From there went down Bob Wallace where I passed Jon where Sooi dropped him at a convenience store.  Hopped on the marathon course then took a left on Airport Rd.  After a nice climb and descent, I arrived at Fleet Feet Huntsville 6 hrs after I started.   Suzanne (co-owner) gave Jon and I oranges, fudge, and mtn dew.  yummy.    

quads were a little sore but I needed to get out for a jog.  Felt good.  

Watched Elliott in the afternoon while Liza and Fiona were out on the town.  As the sun was setting, I got out for an easy one.  It was foggy back in point mallard park back by the river.  was understandibly not too light on my feet but I kept moving while listening to a "This American Life" podcast.

Ran from home to Delano Park, did two laps, and then back home.  Pushed it pretty hard at times.    I think my new Garmin is wrapped under a tree in Guntersville so I don't know exactly how fast.   The nieces were sick so we delayed our visit since Elliott is so susceptible to infection.

Did some mtn mist 50k training.  Parked at aid station #5 (MonteSano Blvd crossing) and ran on the road to the Fearn Dr. Crossing (aid #3).  Ran from there on the course back to aid #5 (8 miles).  It is the rockiest section of trail I've ever run on.  I really have to take what the trail gives me and be tentative in parts and then open up my stride when I can.  You really have to let loose to do well and have no thoughts of sprained ankles or a skull ramming against a rock.  I wasn't there today.  Maybe race day.

I got to the water line climb and did one repeat on the lower section (up to the waterfall).   To give an idea of how tentative I am on rocky downhills, I ran up faster (6:56) then the return trip down (7:26).  I felt good overall though and only got a little bloody from some bushes.