Hills for breakfast, hold the gnats

I hope the sisters make it next week -- it is hard to run with a group, but not run with a group. The larger the group the less this is a problem. I wish I was closer, I would love to explore the SVT with you! I love elk!

Those long runs with harder running at the end really pay off in the marathon. Good work!

Way to start of the new year! Those wildlife sights really were blog-worthy. I hope your group gets some people for you to run with.

Exciting to see so many elk! It sounds like you are getting really really strong.

Wow - you rock! What a beautiful run!

Nice workout there! Hope you get some people to run with next week

Wow how exciting! I tried to find more ST3's the other day and couldn't...did they make like a part 2?

Those are two fabulously happy surprises!

I've got to make myself get out in the cold in the VFFs, since I talked my husband in to buying them. My hang up is that it takes so much time to put them on, and I'm always in a rush. Do these socks that you wore with them have little separate toe pockets?

Yes, the Ininji socks have 5 little toe pockets. So it takes even longer to get shod. I'm not going outside in my VFFs anymore until the temps are 50 or higher. Ironic, since I bought them to extend my BF runs into winter.

Wow. I'm impressed that you were able to run in the car wash weather. And I'm glad that your close calls weren't any closer. Please don't get yourself hurt!

Be careful out there. One day I counted people texting/talking while driving and since then I've pretty much quit running any roads without sidewalks or VERY wide shoulders.

All the texting/talking while driving is crazy! I agree with Rattletrap it makes running even more dangerous. Glad that the close calls were not any closer. Way to get a run accomplished in conditions most mortals would never even try. :)

With the driving rain, I can tell they just can't see me. But one was a car coming out of an alley -- you know how they get used to the sidewalk being free every other day so why not today? The other was just a rain-blinded SUV driver. Fortunately, I can see THEM and hear them and I TRUST NO ONE behind a wheel.

Yes trust no one! I have very few shoulders and get nervous at times. At times I have waived my arms about to make sure they see me. But that only works in better weather!

Its dark and rainy morning like this that make me really appreciate trails (and lately swimming pools!).

Once again you show your ability to exercise restraint and stop when it's time to stop, rather than running a mindless 0.03 in order to get to 10 miles. I, on the other hand, ran an extra 0.03 in order to stop when I got to my driveway, instead of when I got to 10 miles.

Saw you this morning on and it looked pretty miserable out there. Good for you to get out there!

Funny you are having rain and we're not. After an evening of rain, today we have the THREAT of rain, but so far dry. Hang in there.

At least it's warm. Nice tenner for you too. Now because of you and Carolyn, I feel pressured to run ten this afternoon. We'll see. Maybe I'll stop at 9.97. :-)

FUN, I like that word!

You know you're a perfectionist if you have to practice non-perfectionism. Just kidding. I've got the perfectionist tendencies myself when it comes to running (not so much with other things).

Nice mini run.

Getting the blood flowing is a great way to start every day.

I know you were joking, but to me perfectionism means all-or-nothing thinking. "If it can't be just so I won't do it at all." So in a sense, you really can practice avoiding that kind of thinking, because it is poisonous and a dream-killer.

Good for you Sno - it sounds like you listened to your body and did what you needed to do! I hope you enjoyed the run you had!!

I am lucky that my job is very humbling - from constant reviews on papers to grants to students everyone is ALWAYS telling us how imperfect we are ;-).

Okay, I'm not a perfectionist. I do most things (everything?) imperfectly.

BTW, I'm reading "What to Say when You Talk to Yourself."

Nice job not being perfect, Sno! I am familiar with the "I can't do it perfectly, so I won't do it at all" attitude myself.

Carolyn - why would you talk to yourself? Just kidding.

I was going to be jealous of your temperature, but then I read about your wind. I think I'll keep me cold over your wind. I'm glad you made it home safely and didn't get blown to Oz.

Oh but Oz would be so much fun right now. All the bright techni color!! I would love it over my gray world. LOL

Glad you were able to make it home through all the wind Sno!

Yesterday the wind made one of my feet hit the other and I almost fell on my face. It was worse today so I just hit the tread.

Running in this weather will definitely help the mental aspect of your marathoning! Excellent work!!

I wonder if you really ran 10 miles b/c of the treadmill like effects!

Stay on the ground! You are getting more wind than we are; nice change for me! Ridge Runner is right; it can't possibly do anything but help your marathon mindset.

You guys get a lot of weather in those parts!

Nice miles!

A-Em, It's because of S. Ridge being situated up high in a direct path west from the Pass. When we've had a high pressure system (no rain) for a couple of days and then a low pressure system comes through, the air traveling from Eastern WA through that pass just blasts us. Even a couple miles west of here, in Preston, there was almost no wind yesterday, while we were getting up to 50 mph blasts.

Just what you wanted, a weather lecture, right? lol

Great work! Enjoy your relaxing afternoon...You've earned it with that run!!

Way to go!

You are so not a loser. (I know you were joking.)

As I was waiting for your blog to load a minute ago, I was guessing that you would have done at least 20 miles today. I was right, but you're the one who did the work.

Have a wonderful afternoon.

Nice run today... what is Pose method running? Sorry if I'm being an idiot, but never heard that.

Hope you have fun afternoon:)

Metcalf I haven't heard of it either!

Sno--great run! and I'm so glad the other guys decided they might as well run with you! Do you prefer to run your 20+milers alone or with others?

Wow! Great day! Even without the 22 miler. Lol!!

Enjoy your afternoon! Knitting and eating sounds so nice right now.

That is so cool that both those guys ran with you. I'm having a hard time sticking with it on my long runs. I have 16 miles planned for tomorrow with just me and my MP3 player...

Lori & April - here is the link for Pose info:

http://www.posetech.com/

April - I like having a little time running with others in the middle of my long runs because it breaks it up and makes it more interesting. But I'm fine running them alone too. I guess I'm easily amused (by my own thoughts).

Reminds me of chi running

I think i need those rubber bands to remind myself to kick my butt!

Our discussion yesterday revealed that the Chi Running guy learned his basic technique from the Pose guy. What a world.

I wonder if the Pose guy is angry...B/c I definitely heard of Chi running first!

4.5 miles with no bathrooms or drinking fountains! You are truly roughing it. Enjoy the temporary spring!

I'm glad you were able to run down in the valley away from the howling wind, even if you did have to rough it.

Nice weekly mileage.

Guess all the wind is hanging out up there. It's been gorgeous here for 2 days straight. I think it hit 60F today, no wind. But here comes the rain again...

Another solid week in the books. Thy name is Consistency!

Totally valid! What race are you running next weekend?

Crappy weather! You're running a half and didn't even tell me...thanks a lot! :-)

I think you have a great excuse to toddle! We should have much warmer weather than last year for the Nookachamps.

Jeff - Now I'm pretty sure I tried to rope you into signing up for Nookachamps at some point, didn't I? Not too late, you know! They have a 5K, 10K and half.

TB - This race runs through the fields where Trumpeter Swans migrate at this time of year, and they are all over the place, honking their heads off. It's pretty cool. http://nookachamps.com/

That sounds really pretty!

You may have told me about it, but I don't remember. Good Luck!

Your pace for this race should be 8:44 according to McMillan running calculator. You should be able to nail that...(that's based on a 4 hour marathon time)

8:44 - I don't know.... Maybe on the flats. My PR on this course is 2:04:06. It would be nice to beat that but beyond that, it's just a fun MP run. Fun - I *hope*. We could get drenched as we are in a repeating storm pattern right now.

Hey - that reminds me. A-Em, is Mt. Vernon in the rain shadow?

Great job running in the wind and the rain. And good luck with your upcoming race. It sounds beautiful.

Showers and breezy sounds just a bit better than yesterday's rain and windy.

Good luck with your super busy day.

You really are committed. I saw you out there this morning and thought...maybe rain and wind but not when it's so dark!

Sounds like a fun race Sno -- which distance are you running, I am assuming the 1/2?

Jeff - Ah, shucks. It's so nice to know someone, in some car out there, appreciates my suffering! lol

Bonnie - Yes, the half.

Run like the wind!!! not into the wind, but like it ;)

I am so jealous of the 44 Degrees!

Our snowpack is melted too, but it's going to take a long time to get rid of all of it. We've still got big ice slicks in some north-facing areas.

Hooray for pretty good feeling legs. I'm excited for your upcoming race.

Wow 48 degrees... that's a down right heat wave!

Good to hear that you feeling fresh... sounds like you will have a great race!!

Winter's just getting started here.

Enjoy the taper!

Snow's coming back, Sno! Freezing level is dropping tonight, and 5 inches expected up on Pan Dome by morning! Yeah, just in time for the Legendary Banked Slalom Locals Qualifier on Monday.

Pretty fresh only to do another 20 miler! LOL

Sounds like mission accomplished.

45 degrees... boy you are in a warming trend! I think it was till about 25 here as I was driving to work.

Good luck Saturday.

Have fun! (Like I have to tell you to have fun...)

GOOD LUCK ON SATURDAY!!!

Enjoy the rest day! See you Saturday!

Nice easy day!

Good luck Sno -- post as SOON as you get home, I want to hear all about it!

Good luck on the 1/2. I'm looking forward to the race report.

I keep checking for your report!

Congratulations on your sub 2-hour finish and especially some awesome speed at the end. Great job!

I enjoyed your race report. I don't know how you can remember the detail of each mile like that. I tend to be in a fog most of the time.

Awesome race! Love to see you push yourself to those faster paces! Congrats on the sub 2. Sounds like a nice race.

Congrats Sno!! great job! I knew you had it in you!

Yes I love your mile by mile. I try to do that even with my training runs and by the time I get home I forget it all! LOL Congrats on your second sub 2 1/2 marathon!

Congratulations! I really enjoyed reading your mile by mile accounting, and greatly admire the way you sped up for the last couple miles! Very inspiring!

Thanks, everyone.

I think I was able to remember more mile-by-mile details because I've become so familiar with this course.

Nice job on the sub-2! Next thing you're on Leg Builder thinking about how much it sucks, remember today!

I like to call Leg Builder hill Thigh Buster or Lung Buster hill... but to each his/her own 8-)!

Very impressed with those last two miles and under 2 hours...Excellent work!

Do you take notes while you run? Sheesh.

Nice work, by the way.

Great Race!!! Impressive time! Love reading your race reports.

CONGRATULATIONS! Way to go! Great time!

Hey Nicole! When are you going to show up at one of these local gigs so we can meet you? Great half-m here in Snoqualmie in May!

LOVE reading your mile by mile. THAT was an AWESOME strong finish!!! CONGRATS on sub-2. I love your post race thoughts and impression. I have similar thoughts concerning where I'm heading in terms of racing goals! THANK YOU for sharing! You are a great runner...staying injury free and improving all the while. GOOD LUCK with your marathons this year!!! :)

Great job Sno!

Looks like a nice improvement over this course last year.

Sleeping in is well worth it now and then! Great job with your race yesterday. You're going to do great in March!

It sounds like you're in great shape after that race and a day's rest was probably just what you needed.

We had a friend that sounds exactly like the BOL in Nashville ... it is nice you got to meet her, any chance you two could run together? It Sounds like the shoes are either the Gel-Piranha or Dirt-Diva Cross-Country shoes? I love the Dirt-Divas!

I hope we can all be Speedy Beautiful Older Ladies when we reach a certain age. It would be great if you could run with this woman sometimes.

At least it was fairly warm out this morning. Glad you are back and feeling OK.

I think that Piranha is it, Bonnie! She did mention that her shoe is only 4 oz. The Dirt-Diva looks good too. I'm going to have a order both and try them out on the TM. Send back what doesn't work. Finally, a reason to like my TM.

I'm sorry but you guys are so funny for suggesting that I try to run with her. "Hi there. I'm the stranger who has been stalking you at all your races and my 5K speed is your easy run. Would you like to run with me?" hehehe

I have done it before, and some people I have done that with are still good friends! Another shoe to check out is the Brooks Mach 11. I have a much older version of the brooks that I really like, but unfortunately they exacerbate my PF - but you have had luck with Brooks before so they might work for you.

Bonnie, I want to look into those shoes. Are they like the ST3? Meaning nice and light weight?

Yes ... very lightweight - probably lighter than ST3s ... but they have little bumps on them, so they can be used as cross-country shoes. I have some ST3s too, actually the precursor to them (since they are pretty old now - probably 3-4 years), but they not only hurt my PF, but twice after 10K races my foot would cramp like crazy after. It wasn't fun, so I don't wear them anymore, these days I prefer Asics and Nike Frees.

Yes, I'm looking at the Mach 11's as well. It's like there is this whole secret world of minimal shoes out there. No way would a running shoe store ever let me have a peek. I've had to get into it all on my own, with help from people like you of course.

Hi Sno! Just got back to internet land and caught up on this blog. Read your race report, and I'm so proud of you for pushing like that at the end! That was a really good race; I loved getting to give you your medal.

The weather seems to do what it wants regardless of our wishes.

Nice run today. Easy and slow is good.

We could still get a good winter storm or two! Sometimes they happen late! It is weirdly warm here too; I've pulled out long tights ONCE this year.

Congratulations on a great recovery.

Wait....What! your recovery days are longer runs than my regular runs...no fair!

Looks like you're recovering nicely. Must be all that running you do. :-)

Jeff- You too can be sleep deprived if you so desire. But you seem to do quite well with your plan.

Isn't it nice to have a fitness level that allows you to run 6.51 on a tired day?

I bet you'll be feeling strong after a tired day today.

Hey- new picture?? Like it!!! Great job being tired and all. I think I need a recovery week too. Now if I could just find a run here in Mazatlan!!!

No pressure. You could take a week off and not lose much if any fitness.

New picture? I don't see it!

I want my tired days to be like yours! I would have gone home after 3. LOL

This is exactly why I love this blog. You all are so encouraging. Thank you!

MD - No, not a new picture. Though I should probably think about getting one sometime.

You're probably just finally letting yourself be a bit tired, being a recovery week and all :)

Your recovery weeks are tougher than my regular weeks! You are aweseom!

I've had a couple of cranky days myself recently. It was good of you to run nearly 11 miles despite the crankiness. I hope you feel cheerier soon.

My imaginary friends are sometimes my BEST friends. I wonder if we are getting that rain later in the day - it sort of looks like that might happen.

Poor thing. We almost ran the same distance! I think i'm .03 short of you!

Better days are ahead!

All I run with are my imaginary friends. I can get pretty cranky with them too, but they still show up for the run every time.

Nice run. Way to recover in style.

Sorry your run was such a bummer. You should have joined us in steilacoom :) We stayed dry and were treated to baked potatoes after the race. The next race of the series is a 15k on Feb. 20.

Your recovery weeks are something for me to stride for just for regular training! You rock!

Sounds like you're recovery week is wrapping up at exactly the right time!

You are so organized, Sno. I am in awe. The perfect recovery week.

I'm glad your recovery week worked its magic and you were feeling good today.

That's really some wind.

I'm so impressed that you can run in rain and wind like that and call it pleasant. And that accidental fast finish is money in the bank.

HaHa, "accidental fast finish". I signed up for the Feb. 13 5K at Greenlake! Will be sort of nostalgic to run in my old spot.

Ah yes, the AFF. Classic. Not to be confused with the UK (Unintended kick), which occurs when the runners finds herself sprinting the last 100 yards with wild abandon and for no apparent reason.

Great job today! Looks like you don't need much recovery time after a 1/2 marathon!

JD - And then there's the UHRs- unplanned hill repeats: when too many people are on the Parkway and I have to speed up to pass them.

As always, thx for making me laugh!

VERY COOL accidental fast finish. EXTRA COOL for the gusty windy run w/ rain in the mix!!!

Great job on the hill repeats, especially doing the last one the fastest.

My recollection of Hudson's recommendations is that you use the steepest hill you can find for hill sprints, but not such a steep hill for the longer hill repeats. I can't remember if he recommends a specific grade for hill repeats.

ooo, i know this! Hudson says 4-6% for Hill Repeats, a fact I relearned after a session on the treadmill with the incline set to 15.

As for the question, can it be too steep? Shortly after the session of 15 incline repeats, I started on my latest injury saga with left shin pain. Not completely sure if it was the hills or the long run 2 days later, but caution is advised!

How do you like your VFFs?

Where did you run those babies? Sounds like a killer hill!

I think it was Bonnie (referring to a Greg McMillan article) that said no hill is too steep, which I assume to mean no hill that on which a road can be built. But perhaps I should rethink it. 4-6% is definitely not steep enough, comparing to the hill Sean Sundwall started me on. (Upper 3rd of the Parkway.) But that hill has the worst of both worlds: lots of cars going by on one side and scary bear-filled woods on the other.

Jeff- it's the hill going from Eagle Lake up to Bandera.

Mont - They're not my favorite because there are some little ridges under the ball of the foot that bug me a little. But I am getting more and more used to the toe pockets, which drove me crazy at first. I doubt I'll ever do really long distances in them. I like total barefoot much better but can't keep the skin on my feet in shape with our very short summers. (I can just hear Mr. Sno sniggering - he goes barefoot even now, up to 10 miles. But I cannot chose the hour I run like he can. I'm 8 months in the dark.)

Ah, the starts. That is one of the biggest reasons I love running in the mountains. So many of my mountain runs are done in the dark, early hours of the day and I just love to feel the vastness of the sky. What a great run. Congrats.

I need to go run somewhere where there's not so much light pollution. I can't see too many stars from here.

When I was in college, I spent a semester in Israel and we spent a night in the Sinai Peninsula. I could REALLY see the stars from there.

That is why I love morning runs! It is so quiet! no cars! just you and the stars!

You're really getting the wind.

Thanks for doing my shoe testing for me. Just kidding, but only kind of. I like to buy shoes based on your recommendation. You haven't done me wrong yet.

I am curious about that shoe - I am going to try a pair as soon as the store gets in a new shipment with my size. I have usually liked Asics.

What is your favorite running store in Seattle? Where do you shop online? Can you return shoes for free?

WAY to show the wind who's boss! I like your shoe shopping strategy! Same questions as nicole.

Nicole - Super Jock n Jill on Green Lake is THE BEST running store in the world. They will take returns within a certain time period (cannot remember if it's 30 or 60 days) even if you have put hundreds of miles on the shoe. They also will let you run outside the store in the shoe while trying it on. They are staffed by real runners as opposed to "athletic people," and they carry a great selection

For online - I have been shopping at a number of places. But my current favorite is Running Warehouse. I just bought a shoe there on sale, which didn't work out. But! Not only was the shipping free (even though the sale price was dirt bottom - $15 for a pair of track shoes), but a return UPS label was actually in the box to make free shipping return completely easy! I just drop it off at my local UPS store. They've earned big loyalty points with that.

I am a "VIP" member at Road Runner Sports (not impressed, and I have to pay for return shipping) and at Zappos.com (so-so selection and no returns if you wear it outside).

I love your shoe reviews.. it is how I do my shoe shopping...my only complaint is you need to find some cheaper shoes! LOL

I checked with Fairhaven Runners and they don't have the Pirahna yet, but said they'd get it if need be. I think I will wait until I wear the Lunaracers out.

I bought shoes online! i hope that they work! I can't wait! Muahaha

I love Asics and "Piranha" just sounds so cool! I need to check these out :) Thanks for the tip on Running Warehouse.

As far as local shops go here in the NW, Kym and I love FleetFeet in Bonney Lake. Owned and operated by actual runners. They also do a free video analysis of your stride to help select the right type of shoe.

I'm sorry about your %$#@! mood. Enjoy your long run tomorrow and I hope the family obligations are pleasant enough.

You are so funny! I have been feeling that way all month, so I blog little! You are running, that is what is important. Who cares about the blogging???

have a great weekend!

@#%@#!!!

:-)

22.22! what a beautiful number. and a HOT ice bath...genius. i'll buy your book.

Awesome run Sno -- embracing Leg Builder is the way to go! My massage therapist has me do episom salt soaks in extremely hot water, maybe she needs to buy your book too ;-).

I'll buy your book! I'm all about rule breaking

also usually after a cold bath(never added the ice) I take a hot shower.

I see that deuces are wild today...that's gonna score some big marathon points with that hill right at the end of a long run like that.

Super Job!

Love it, Sno. You give me motivation on days when I don't want to move! Let's break all the rules!

Way to crank out another 20+ mile run. You are the queen of long runs.

I can never bring myself to have an ice bath and I'm usually freezing when I get home after a long run and so I hope into a nice hot bath post run whenever I can. Let's hear it for rule breaking.

Chinese medicine doesn't EVER believe in ice. Not for injuries or for post run. Icing reduced blood flow, and actually kills (or further harms) tissue, thereby not allowing healing. I've done both hot with epsom salts and ice, and don't find a difference. Maybe its just the water!

Very interesting about Chinese medicine!

Thanks for all the encouraging comments, everyone!

You are definitely a very strong runner! Maybe the faster recovery pace is due to the piranha's.

Nice, nice, very nice.

VERY NICE long run yesterday and perfect recovery run today! The hot bath (instead of ice bath) must have worked! :)

I'm glad you stuck with it long enough to get warmed up and have a nice run. I feel sorry for people who stop after 3 miles or so and never get the nice miles that come after the warm up.

Sometimes it takes me up to 4 miles before I start feeling good in a run. I have to keep talking to myself telling myself that that crappy heavy and sore feeling will soon disappear. Before I know it... it's gone. Awesome job lady!!!

Carolyn- So true!

MD - thx. Four miles seems to be the outer limit of a warm up for me too. Most days I'll feel good much sooner, but I can always count on getting in the groove by 4 miles.

Wow great run! Do you wake up at likee4 to get this one in? I think that is what time I would have to be out the door in order to do almost 10 milers during the week!

35 miles in three days!I don't know how you do it. Good job!

April - up at 4:20, out the door by 5. If I can get out by 4:50 I don't have to finish on the TM, but I haven't been successful with that lately. Will try again Thursday.

47F sounds so nice!

It IS great to be a runner!

That is so great to hear!

I love the positive vibe from your blog today.

Oh, you're right. Just when we start to get light at a reasonable time in the morning, the switch to DLS is going to plunge us back into darkness. I hadn't thought about that. I was just looking forward to an earlier sunrise.

Good job on the workout today.

Lot's of miles this week!

Cursed DLS!! Guess we better enjoy the light while we can.

WOW! Check out your mileage this week! WAY to run with the *stars*! VERY AWESOME VO2max! DLS messes things up for me too!

Sounds like we did the same workout! I was early as well, but had the advantage of the track with lights. Helps a little. My coach (who is young!) doesn't understand sometimes why I cannot read all the information on my Garmin in the dark. Its the 50 yo eyes!

I had forgot all about dls.

Nice run, mom! I had one of those pesky little "operator errors" this morning too -- I pressed "run" instead of "walk" on the treadmill this morning and couldn't understand why it kept speeding up. LOL

HOORAY NO MORE TOWELS ON THE WINDOW SILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe we didn't check the weep holes years ago. Now it seems so obvious -- not that I know anything about windows. But after four years of contractors and Milguard people trooping through the house, you pick up some knowledge about these things, you know?

Nice run!

Yeah! I'm so glad that someone finally found a solution to your problem. Thanks for the lesson in perseverence!

May your BQ quest being succesfully resolved soon as well.

Yes indeed - won't it be nice! Actually we did check the weep holes in a way, but not in the right way. We removed the "baffles" because one guy thought they could be filling up with water and then getting blown closed, trapping the water inside. But that still didn't explain how it was getting into the house. We removed the baffles at the same time as residing and resealing the outside of the windows. When the leaking went from 5 windows to only 3 after that, it was not clear which "fix" helped and how. I still don't know. At least now we can bring Milgard back into the picture and I know they'll help. They have always been quite helpful all along. Again, hurray!

Carolyn - thanks! My brain immediately wanted to say, "aha! an omen of BQ!" But I'm too rational to be able to sustain that kind of thinking for more than about 5 seconds. Perseverance, however, I do believe in! :D

hallelujah! Perseverance (and patience) are definitely the keys to success in most endeavors ... including BQ's, I believe.

Yahoooo!!! It's great to have long waited problems resolved!! May this be the start to many other problems getting fixed :) (Hint Hint BQ) :)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I'd be shouting for joy...FOUR stinkin' years to figure out the problem. Who would've thought to check the weep holes! I don't know there's such a thing as weep holes. I thought weep holes are those tear ducts thingies in your eyes! ;)

Oh and CHECK OUT your HUGE MILEAGE this week. I'm so relieved to find out you're "resting" tomorrow! :)

Thanks, Smooth. You are so supportive and encouraging! (But the mileage is "inflated" by last Sunday's long run you know.) Next week it will look even more macho when I have a long run on Sunday and another on Saturday of the same week. That's why I like to do a Monday-to-Sunday summary in my Sunday blogs. Otherwise I choke trying to swallow my pride on those weeks that get cheated by a Sat. long run followed by Sun long run. ;)

Wow what a great day! I love when a puzzle is finally solved! I wonder how the darn things go pierced in the first place??

Wow, weep holes huh? Another thing I've never heard of as a homeowner. Now that's a marathoners perseverance for you!

Nice mileage this week.... that 50 marker is a tough one to reach for sure!!

Happy end of the running week Sno -- great fast finish!! I hope you had a nice shopping day, are you making anything in particular?

I love fabric stores, particularly quilting stores. But alas, I have time for only one hobby at a time, so quilting has lost out to running.

What are you making?

Great run, by the way.

OOOh fabric--tell me more! Great run!

Nice run!Great miles this week... but like all the other comments... it's the trip to the fabric store that I really love LOL

I don't sew much these days. Since I have about a half hour drive each way to get to a Fabric store, I don't go very often. This was mostly to stock up on threads, elastic, etc. for mending. But I did get some beautiful pieces of fabric for making gift bags. We are getting away from using wrapping paper. I've made plenty of xmas fabric bags and now I'm slowly working on having a good supply of birthday bags.

WOW cool idea instead of wrapping papper, I love it. I have been trying to sew fabric grocery bags. I only have a couple right now.

I missed the moon this morning because it was snowing.

I've been called a morning person too because I get up so early to run. But it is not easy for me and is not what I would do naturally if I had the freedom to sleep as late as I wanted. I think some people are naturally morning people who enjoy getting up early and do it easily. I am not one of those people. I do enjoy the early morning to a certain degree, but it's definitely not easy.

I prefer to think of someone who likes to sleep in and get to bed early as being a sane person!

I am a morning person; I rise early naturally and am obnoxiously cheerful to others sometimes! I am certainly not a night person, and can often fall asleep while watching a movie by 9pm.

I'm a "sun" person. I'm up when the sun is up and starts to get tired when the sun goes down. Thus I sleep more in the winter and less in the summer. Good thing I don't live in Alaska!

NICE run w/ the crescent moon! :)

Cool deer encounter!! That is awesome! Nice run... I tend to zone out also, but I like that LOL

WOW!! That must have been amazing to see a deer that close!! I love to zone out... helps the miles just blur by....

Wow. That was a really cool encounter with the deer.

I sometimes zone out on hill sprints and then see that I've run some of them too slowly when I look at the stats later.

good thing you had the head lamp to freeze her in her tracks! LOL

Nice run. That's awesome about the close deer encounter! Wildlife rules!

Some hill sprints are better for you than no hill sprints!

What a cool moment with the deer!! They have been all over our neighborhood lately and they are fun to watch, but we can never manage to get that close no matter how slow we creep up on them!

I think your hills sounded PERFECT!!!

Nice FUN hill sprints!

VERY COOL deer encounter. There's a family of deer living in the field across from my house. Some mornings and particularly early evenings, they are in my yard. I try not to startle them. I love to watch them prance across the street back to their "home".

Do you pick a specific distance for hill sprints? It is hard to find exactly the right steepness of hill. I am searching for one now that is a little not a lot steeper, but still near the track, since I have to finish up on the track.

I do hill sprints (and longer hill repeats) by time, so I just have to make sure it's long enough for my purpose. Plenty of hills to choose from around here. A hill for all my many moods... :)

Awesome workout today! And in the rain! Amazing.

I understand the thoughts rattling around in your brain and you're probably good with just one speed workout and a long run per week.

I normally only run 4 days a week and sometimes 5. My body likes the extra rest. Also, thanks for the tip on not using the HR monitor as my running has improved a lot for the past week and a half without it. I usually only do 1 speed workout a week.

I wondered what happened to you! But it was a good idea to let the run go. good job!

Nice workout. Gotta get that rest!!!

And tomorrow is a scheduled day off before a Saturday mega-run. I will get spoiled!

VERY NICE steady tempo pace! GOOD JOB!!! And hills and rain to boot. My tempo pace are all over the place.

Sleep and rest is so under-rated! I don't do more than one speed work a week.

nice going on your repeats! Heck, we should all make 7 hours sleep a goal.

Great job Sno! I agree about the sleep ... I can really tell a difference when I am sleep deprived (like this week) and when I am not.

I've got to say that I really notice a difference in how I run when I haven't slept well...

Nice workout!! I am so not a fan for running in the rain- I would have bagged it...way to stick it out!!!

Wow! Awesome really long run. I don't know how you crank out those really long runs week after week. I'm glad you had someone to run with for part of it.

Way to show Leg Builder Hill who is the boss Sno!! Awesome run, great mileage!

Holy smokes!!

You get my monthly mileage done on one trip.

But you could be fed and in the shower by the time I approach the finish line.

Yes it is! good for you!

I see you wrote 4.05 on your chart but you didn't put it in the blog..I don't want you to lose track of your miles on accident!

GREAT work this week! VERY awesome L-O-N-G run yesterday and nice recovery run today! 0.01 away from 50 mpw!!!

NICE recovery run.

Thanks so much, April, for catching that.

Awe, c'mon, Sno, we don't really know what 90 feels like. Probably we'll be stronger and faster than we are right now! Anyhow, I'm glad you felt 19 for the second few miles.

I like your long rant, Sno, and I happen to agree with you. So important that we each find the diet that works for us and feels right. I have for so many years eaten much higher protein and particularly fat than is "recommended". I do it because I know what fuel works best in my body. And, as runners, we are particularly vulnerable to the carb culture. I am fortunate that my trainer also eats almonds before long runs, so I don't get a lot of grief in that department. RANT ON!

Awesome!

Very nice rant, Snoqualmie. I always read everything you write.

I'm sorry for your mother-in-law and the things your family is going to have to go through as a result of this illness.

Welcome to Rantsville! Love the passion and the common sense...don't know what you've got against oatmeal though...

You are in my thoughts. I hope that everything works out. You are on to something with the reverting our diets to the essential. Surprisingly there were no McD's back in the stone age! I thought about picking up the "Paleo Diet" book at work. You ever looked at that. Very similar argument. I'd be interested in trying to get a different diet going myself. I am doing much better elminating the bad stuff, but still like carbs. I think it's everything in moderation. One must also remember that the human species is living many decades longer than the Neanderthal ones. So perhaps we should also still be happy we are living to 80-85 even if we get cancer? Odds are you would not live 1/3 that back during the time of the Romans or before.

Benn - Thanks very much for your kind words. It has been a very emotional week around here.

I am familiar with the Paleo Diet and have tried to stay as close as I can to it for several years now. Where I think it doesn't quite cut it is the part about low fat. I won't go into it too much here, but I doubt our ancestors would have done very well in an ice age eating only lean meats. (And our ancestors ate brains, bone marrow and organ meats - very fatty.) Anyway, I think Gary Taubes' book makes an excellent argument for the benefit of healthy fats in the diet.

Just for fun... every person who is successfully following a weight loss program is on a high fat diet. For every pound lost, 3,500 calories of animal fat (ie human) are released into the bloodstream for the body to use.

There is a lot of misconception about "stone age" longevity as well. A couple of links: http://donmatesz.blogspot.com/2010/02/paleo-life-expectancy.html http://paleodiet.com/life-expectancy.htm

Thanks Sno for the "rant". What you wrote make alot of sense to me.

My mother-in-law is a healthy 83yo. Granted, some of it is genetics, her father was 100 when he died having lived a productive life in war-torn China. She came to America as a young bride with an equivalent of jr high education. She has her own peculiar health code. She gets up at the crack of dawn and walks for an hour (5-6 miles) every day. She walks as fast as my recovery jog. Her diet consists of oatmeal, barely, rice, fruits, fish, nuts, beans, vegetables and plenty of warm water (she will not drink anything cold). She eats, naps and goes to bed at regular times and is never idle. She has never been hospitalized or seen a physician other than prenatal visits when she was pregnant w/ her 4 children. Other than the common cold, she has never been sick a day of her life. She has been a widow for over 40 years, working hard to raise 4 young children. My point is, here's this woman with very little education, oblivious to the latest scientific studies or nutritional guidelines, somehow knows intuitively what her body needs. She has a keen mind, strong healthy body and positive spirit. Wish I could harness some of that wisdom.

I am so sorry about the physical illnesses that are plaguing your loved ones and particularly your mother-in-law and the difficult time you and yours are going thru. Hope things get better. Best wishes to you!

Thank you for your kind words, Smooth. You are indeed lucky to have an amazing woman like that in your family. :)

So glad you survived! It was raining sooo hard here this morning; I was grateful that track is tonight, and I didn't need to get up and go out in it.

I am so impressed that you went out in the rain. You are one tough cookie.

So you took your iPod out in the rain? And it survived?

So glad today is my day off. You are not kidding about the rain, that stuff was just pouring down when I got up at 5. Dark and wet but at least it wasn't very cold for you...

Carolyn - it goes into a zip lock and a jacket pocket. I did a hankie test for dryness long ago. You have to do that sort of thing up here. :)

Glad you survived and that the music got you through!

Tough workout! SIx of those is a lot. Don't you feel really invigorated after vo2 max workouts? Always makes me feel like superwoman.

Nice run today! I like the picture I got in my head of you being all sparkly :) I don't know if I agree with Auntieem... I usually feel discouraged after I try a Vo2 workout, maybe I'm doing them wrong.

Nice workout!

You running the St. Patty's again?

Nice workout. I agree with Auntieem, getting the heart rate up like that always gives me an extra ounce of energy throughout the day.

I felt pretty good afterwards. At the moment I have the usual after-lunch-want-a-nap feeling.

Jeff - I will be volunteering but not running. Little too close to the marathon.

For what my opinion is worth, I think your splits are awesome!

Saw your post in my blog about mile repeats. Yes, I do love them! I will be running them at tempo pace, 7:38 exactly. It is one of the toughest workouts that I do, but really challenging and fun.

Nice intervals! You're a few months off your last 5K race so maybe you're 5K pace has slipped a bit since then, but these will help bring that around :).

I think you did better than ok. I wish I could have seen you sparkle.

Nice that you missed the black ice! I usually don't see it til I'm flat on my back LOL. Nice easy miles :)

Snoqualmie Knievel!

I almost slipped on the black ice up around the corner from my house...seems like there is a lot up there for some reason.

You do indeed lead a dare devil life! So weird that it was frosty again this morning; I almost fell down the front steps!

I'm glad you saw it just in time instead of just a bit too late. Way to tempt fate.

I thought of you today on my run. It was full of gnats.

Nice weather! and awesome mileage for the week!

You continue to crank out those (nearly) 20 (or more) milers with the Leg Builder hill thrown in. Great work?

Good long run. "pieces of fast" sounds like a good training term, like "tempo", "intervals", or "aerobic threshold". I'm going to try and throw in a little pieces of fast on one my runs this week.

I think it sounds like a movie. You are my hero, Sno. You just do it over and over and I am dead from my 17 miler today.

GREAT endurance run with Leg Builder Hill. NICE pieces of fast! AWESOME JOB!

Great job! How are you liking 6 days a week?

A recovery run was certainly order after your great effort on Saturday.

April - I wish I could run every day. I would if I thought it was good for me. Sometimes I think I should only run five days because I think I'm feeling my age (like today, when I'm even more sore (DOMS) than yesterday). But 6 seems to be work fine. I'm going to switch my routine a little in March, though still run 6 days.

how are you switching it up?

Just shifting miles around so that I only have one day a week where I'm trying to go over 9 miles (other than long run) instead of 2. After Napa recovery, I'll work out the details.

You really did work hard on Saturday. I bet you'll feel much better tomorrow.

I'm glad your legs are feeling better and that you had an enjoyable run. I'll check out that video when I have some time.

I watched the lecture. Very interesting.

I have a question. Is fructose that occurs naturally in whole fruit okay? He talks about carbohydrates and my understanding is that fruit and vegetables, as well as grains, are carbohydrates. When he says carbohydrates, does he mean grains specifically, or is it broader than that?

That's a great question, Carolyn. All sugars, once they reach the blood stream, look alike to the pancreas, and the insulin responds the same. So in that respect, fruit isn't any different. Banana, whole grain, donut -- other than the issue of glycemic load (how much sugar), they are all the same in the blood stream.

Actually, fructose is supposed to be one of the more insulin-provoking (not sure that's a good term for it) sugar than others. That is why the high fructose corn sugars are so "fattening."

The amount of fiber matters as well. If you are measuring carbohydrates, fiber is included in that measurement, but is not digested and therefor not counted. Hence the term "net carbs," which are the total grams of carb minus the fiber grams. It doesn't amount to much of a difference except in non-starchy vegetables.

I hope you will have a look at Taubes' book, which goes into far more detail, with far more science. I think you would enjoy it.

Here is an example:

A slice of whole grain bread has about 12g net carb. A small banana has 21g. An apple has about 17g.

Of course, the fruit might contain more nutrients for health as well. Everyone's tolerance and insulin sensitivity is different (mine sucks), so we all have to weigh many factors in our food choices. :)

I watched the lecture yesterday too and had the same questions as Carolyn. Guess I have to check out his book when I find the time to read and "digest" all the scientific findings. GOOD stuff, Sno!

I'll check today to see if my library has the book.

Also, I normally have 1 egg, a fruit (a banana or a half grapefruit), and a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Because of watching that lecture last night, today I had two eggs and skipped the cereal (I also had the grapefruit instead of the banana, which is probably better).

Don't forget plenty of butter! :D

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/fat-not-protein.html

They were scrambled eggs cooked in real butter.

Snoqualmie, can you give us some examples of what you eat in a typical day?

I just walked to the library and got the book.

My diet is "under construction" right now. Let me get back to you on specifics because what I've been eating for the past 3 weeks is not my "normal" diet, but it might become the norm. I have always been a big meat eater. Right now I am tipping the balance more towards fat, with a lower than normal carbohydrate intake. I did my 23 miler a couple of weeks ago on very little carb intake (during the run) and my 19 miler with none at all. When my little experiment is finished I will give a full report - I promise!

I hope you like the book. I think it will eventually be considered a major historical work.

I'm just curious what you eat to get the fat without increasing the protein too much.

I add fats to cooking, mostly butter & coconut oil. (They are more stable at higher temps, esp. coconut oil.) I also drizzle virgin olive oil on foods. Cream in coffee (1 c in the AM and 1 decaf in the pm). A tablespoon of cream can also serve to head off a sugar craving. Another food I use is full fat coconut milk, in soups or my "un-desserts." I eat a bit of cheese too, but not a lot.

If you are worried about the saturated fats, you won't be after you read Taubes. :)

Thanks for all the great questions.

Mmmm, this conversation is making me hungry. Especially about the fats. I do like that book, but haven't listened to the lecture. I've been experimenting more with not using carbs during the longer runs too. I noticed that during the marathons it just didn't agree with me so much. I've been using these Pro Bars, cut up into chunks instead, as well as nuts. I have also used squeeze packs of p nut butter. My body seems to like to burn fats as fuel. I guess we are all different. Immediately after a long run, I drink down a coconut juice, which is LOADED with potassium. It does the trick.

Thanks Sno - my diet is in shambles and it's good to get information like this. Hard, and deadly habits to break!

JD, it would help us all if you would remove the picture of the doughnuts :)

Haha! Doughnuts, my nemesis!

I'm glad you've found the right combination of clothing and gear to let your fun-o-meter operate in the rain. I suppose necessity is the mother of invention.

Nice run today.

My fun-meter got uncalibrated by the nice weather. Now a little rain and wind seems unbearable.

You missed (or mist) yesterday's rain...hard stuff! When is the next race for you again?

For me, the fun-o-meter plummets as the temperature rises as well as with increasing levels of precipitation. I do love rain, though. ;-)

Flake: Your Mom is tougher than any mailman...snow, sleet, freezing rain, dogs, bears, cougars...she runs right on through...She is Absolutely Amazing!!

The rain was kind of refreshing! As much as I complain about it, I think I like it sometimes. When is your marathon Sno?

Thanks, Jeff. Nice to hear my many sufferings have not gone unnoticed. ;)

Napa Valley Marathon, March 7.

ohhhh... you rock running in the rain - I don't mind running in the rain, but it so hard to get out into it when it is already pouring. I told you about the commercial with Joan Benoit didn't I? It is what I think about every time I have to run in the rain.

Napa is a GREAT race ... I debated about this one last year and someday I will run it (you know you can win your weight in wine??) wow.

Have a great night Sno.

Oh, I kept thinking it was Eugene, and that's way too close to Newport. Napa makes sense.

Bonnie- I don't know about the Joan Benoit commercial. I'll have to look for it on YouTube I guess. I might bring home wine, but no way will I win it. :)

Sno - it was a really old commercial (I want to say maybe LA Olympics?) -- It showed a house and pouring rain. It was dark outside and inside the house (all you could hear was rain). And then a persons shadow opens the door and looks out into the rain ... they just stand there (in their Nike shoes of course) and then the door closes and the "shadow" turns from the door. They make it look like the person is going to go back to bed, but instead they go to a closet and pick out a Nike jacket. Then either Joan Benoit or Mary Slaney (I can't remember now) goes out into the rain for their run. The caption was, something "train like a champion" or something like that. It was really cool!

Another marathon? Already? You're amazing, and I'm not just saying that...I'm writing it.

But it's been months and months!

I hope your Garmin recovers. It sounds like it's not down for the count.

That's great that you felt comfortable and your slightly too fast pace. That's got to give you some confidence.

Thanks, Carolyn. The Garmin is fine. It's my fingers that messed up. :) With the 405 you lock the bezel by pressing two buttons at once, one of which is the stop button when pushed alone. Sloppy fingers.

Don't you love it when a faster pace feels comfortable, as if it were a slower pace, but it's not, it's faster?

I agree with JD. Gotta love it when the pace is faster than it needs to be and it feels comfy!

Nice easy pace! Great job!

Nice pace! cool that it felt easy when you were faster then you needed to me :) you are so strong!

Looks like a perfect weather running day. NICE recovery week. Here's to a GREAT week to come!

Great recovery week. You are going to be ready to race!

Enjoy the great running weather this week, and many more "pleasant jogs".

COOL video and music! Those goggles are awesome. Hope you get some. NICE run! Sorry about the gusty wind!

I almost always run with glasses on, but they're not as cool as those goggles.

Mr. Sno is quite the runner. Why doesn't he join the blog? We'd love to hear about his barefoot exploits.

Mr. Sno is not a "joiner." I can't imagine him blogging anything. You might understand when you meet him in June. He doesn't talk about himself much.

Taper week is a good place to be.

Cool video! I think I saw the right one. Good music.

Hey - I run usually with my sunglasses... I see nothing wrong with some goggles- I'm sure they make really cute ones!!

Love the barefoot video; it would be much worse if there were blood. I like the soundtrack!

I had my eye on those goggles too! They are really sweet, but I would probably just lose them. If I could pick my body, I would be a speed skater.

I think he is right! I absolutely refuse to do a crunch of any kind. It just feels wrong to me. Today we have your rain coming.

I think that plank moves and reverse crunches are better.

Whoot Whoot!!! nice pace on the stides... glad that you are enjoying them!

Way to go! Is the marathon this Sunday?

You can use that to trick yourself too. Start out in your building with 100' strides fast. Feel pretty good. Next time, try 150' strides fast. Still pretty good. 200'. Not too bad. 8 x 1 minute. Survivable. Rinse and repeat until before you know it, you're doing 4 x 5 minutes fast and surviving. It also makes the slower paces feel easier.

Sweet! Just relax and sleep really well these next few nights so you are ready to rock and roll on Sunday...

Nice! I just LOVE that that happened. Will I even recognize you?

whooohooo! Great job Sno!

Good for you! Nice run. 7:22 -- nice job!!!!!!!!!!

It sounds like you are ready to race! The taper is doing it's job.

awesome job!

Well, congratulations on #20! You are absolutely amazing. Great job on the negative split, the kick at the end, and the positive attitude.

It sounds like it was a beautiful race and great in many ways, even if you weren't feeling your best.

Is Newport going to be #21? You don't have another marathon scheduled between now and then, do you? Though I wouldn't put it past you.

WOOHOO, GO MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HURRAY FOR MARATHON NUMBER 20!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!

Sno -- you rock! I miss you ... I need you at every race, you are my inspiration.

I want to figure out a way to get to Newport to be a part of your support crew.

xoxo

CONGRATULATIONS! Way to push through the struggles and come through! Sounds beautiful, I wish there were pictures! Which marathon is next?

So happy to see your report at last! (I've been checking since, maybe noon?). Congratulations! Number 20 - unbelievable! Totally unbelievable to me, the distance weenie. After knowing you for a year (?) or so, I am just beginning to comprehend this distance thing and how incredible it is that you JUST KEEP DOING IT!!!

SO EXCITED FOR NEWPORT! Yes, Bonnie, come to Newport.

Congrats! Not feeling the best and running with "slowness" and still negative splitting is awesome.

Glad you enjoyed the race and bagged your 20th marathon!

Congratulations!! I enjoyed meeting you.

Congratulations on # 20! You're one strong runner. Negative split on a challenging second half course in a marathon. You are the endurance queen! Think you'll ever run an ultra?

Excellent!!! I can't wait to run my first.... you give me hope!!!

awesome job! another marathon in the books. way to kick it in at the end. it sounds like a beautiful race.

Newport = Flatness

You are going to LOVE it!

Great job...those hills at the ridge are paying dividends for you...

Thanks for all the nice words of encouragement, everyone!

Carolyn & Nicole - Newport is next (early June), plus a half-m at the beginning of May. (To be treated as speed work and rehearsal.)

Bonnie - That's so nice of you. You should come to Newport for *you* though. It's supposed to be an awesome course. I've got the world's nicest family following me around to all these gigs you know. And if the sun is blazing hot or the onshore breeze happens to be a typhoon that day, think how bad I'll feel that you came all that way to see me be mediocre again! :) Come on up for the race though. I'm sure you and Dean will love the beach and we would really enjoy seeing you again.

jtshad - You are a rock star to me. Thanks for "autographing" my race report! :)

Solemate - It was so great to spend some time with you! And thanks for the gift and introducing me to the masters champ. Incredible lady! You live in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

JD - I don't see myself ever running ultras, even though I do seem to have that ...um ...bent personality? I think I'd have to train on trails and I'm not comfortable on trails by myself. Maybe someday. Not anytime soon.

Jeffrey - You have given me so much encouragement. Thank you!!! I am a worrier by nature, so now my brain is starting to worry that I'm not used to running long distances on flat surface. (People say that can be hard.) I guess I'll just have to do more SVT running. Gravel = "moan."

Wow, you're really good at finding challenging courses & conditions! Hills and winds and sun, oh my! And #20? Quite the accomplishment. Congrats on another well-fought battle.

20 marathons, nice job, you are 17 ahead of me!

you are amazing! good job running through that time of month, I always HATE that. NO energy, lethargic and it seems to always mess with me mentally as well. You are a brave woman, 20 marathons!! That is incredible. congratulations!

Yeah!!! Number 20...Sounds like a gorgeous race. Sorry it didn't go as well as you wanted but I think you still did well for all the rolling hills!

Sorry I'm late reading this! CONGRATS on marathon #20! You're amazing! Sounds like a nice marathon! You did GREAT consider the time of month, the hilly course, heat and leg cramps in the later part of the race. EXCELLENT JOB! What a STRONG marathoner you are!!!

Sounds like a beautiful but challenging course, definitely on my wish list. Also on my wish list is the elusive negative split! Congratulations on one more solid marathon.

I'm impressed with the way you ponder and learn from your races. I appreciate it when you share the lessons that you've learned with us.

Welcome home.

I'm a travel wimp too. Enjoy this week; post marathon is a nice place to be.

Well, I don't know if fearing it is so bad, it just gives you something to go out there and CONQUER! Right? Fear presents challenge, and challenge leads to - triumph? I know the runs I fear the most are the ones that I feel the best after I accomplish.

Recovery sounds like it is going well.

In Marathon Woman she pretended to sit for 11 minutes a day. Of course she started only being able to do it for 70 seconds. I thought I would do it too and so far I really like it. I'm up to a minute a few times a week now.

"pretended to sit??"

I hope this works!

http://www.how-to-exercise.com/images/IMG_4409.jpg

Thanks, April. That makes more sense. It was a real non-sequeter there at first. Maybe I should add those to my day. It would help my skiing for sure.

That actually makes using a elliptical look fun. But I doubt I could go as fast as those guys in the video. Too bad those things are over $2000. I'm just going to have to stick to putting one foot in front of the other on the ground.

BTW, I don't blame you for not walking in the rain. You just ran a marathon. Do whatever you want to this week.

I wasn't about to go out there either...nasty cold rain...let's hope it goes away for the race on Sat.

I DID go out this morning, to the track. You made the right choice; its miserable.

The eliptobike looks kind of fun; at least it would eliminate the sore butt that I get after 60 miles on a regular road bike!

I do think that more than your legs have to recover after a marathon! Your lungs have worked hard too - enjoy!

I refuse to walk in certain rains. A warm rain is fine. A cold windy one not so much!

I'm glad you comply and rest sometimes. You are very driven.

It's great that you volunteered at the race. I really should do that some time.

I'm sure you would enjoy it! And you would know the right things to say, and not to say (e.g. "almost finished!" or "all downhill from here!").

All of us morning runners are grumbling about the dark this morning.

I bet you'll feel fine tomorrow. You're recovering very well.

Good to see you back out there! I hope I rest as sensibly as you have. I noticed on my schedule that I'm on the bike the day after the 50K. Not sure how I feel about that!

Don't you just LOVE DST! I hope "they" never change it! It's just so great!!

Spoken like a true... sleep deprived person.

The best thing about DST is going off of it.

Great run. What time was your run at? Just curious..b/c it is 58 at 4 pm this afternoon and I would be suuppper jealous if that was your 5am weather since I still get the 30's and low 40's!

Nothing like a shoe you really like to run in. Good to see the recovery moving forward.

April- It was 5:30 AM. Sorry. Definitely warmer than our "normal" but we're still in an el niño pattern.

Nice run.

You like those shoes, eh? I'll have to check them out. I've been thinking that it's time to get myself some new shoes.

So glad to hear you like those shoes! I've been eyeing them for awhile. SOunds like you had the same weather in the morning that we had in the evening. It was quite nice all day, then, just as I prepared to go to the track, it began pelting rain and howling wind. It was one of the funnier track workouts I've ever had! Warm though.

It is worth it ... though I know what you mean! Welcome back to the land of the running again Sno!

I have been rather out of things lately... When Bonnie says welcome back is it just because of your long run? Or something else? A run is always worth it!

I'll venture an answer since Sno says she is busy. Sno ran her 20th marathon on March 7, so she is in marathon recovery mode right now. That's what Bonnie is referring to.

I'll also weigh in on the jury question. I think it's worth it.

Thx CofC. :)

totally worth it! :)

It's always worth it once it's over. I've never finished any run and thought I should have done something else with that time. It's just getting through it that sucks sometimes.

Yeah for feeling good!

You've still got decent miles this week, just not up in the stratosphere like you're used to.

The faster pace felt good! That's a great sign that you are recovering(ed). I hope you are having some of our fantastic weather; it really doesn't get better!

I love low miles! In fact, I think I'm beating you in lower miles!

That is really windy. It sounds like you're good and ready to start building up back next week. You'll be back up to the long runs in no time.

Windy! Nice running. You're very smart the way you're recovering and getting back into it.

Dry & hot or soaked and wet are the 2 choices, I think. But I guess we should not be complaining after the "winter" we've had, huh?

Having two variables (temperature and precipitation) makes it tricky. I'm glad you have such a positive attitude about running in the rain.

Excellent! I'm glad you've found your magic formula for marathon recovery. Make it through the ka-ka mileage for March and then you'll be all set to ramp up that training for Newport!

AFter my first marathon I took it super easy and came back nicely...the 2nd one I came back right away and got injured and was off 3 months minimum so I see the benefit you are talking about. Glad to hear you are doing so well!!

Wow you have been running for a long time! that post race schedule sounds great!

That no injuries part sounds wonderful. Unfortunately, I'm not that disciplined. Great that you've found a routine that works!

You do recovery right!

Well hey, at least you found the Inner Twenty Year Old.

I'm thinking of getting some Asics Piranhas. Would you wear them for longer distances or just for short track-type stuff?

The Piranhas are not intended for long distaces, but I am going to see how far I can take them. The way I learned about them was seeing Beautiful Older Lady wearing them at Nookachamps. She told me she wears them in marathons as well. She's about 65 and beats me by a long shot in every race, 5K to the marathon.

Glad you kicked the inner senior in the but LOL :) nice run!

Inner senior. You crack me up.

Hooray for the inner 20 year old!

Both the run and the post (short and sweet, that is).

My favorite kind of run.

NICE!

Oh Sno, you're scaring me. I suppose I'm too young to give you any advice. But I'm feeling particularly old today.

Good job on the run, by the way.

Sorry about the sleep troubles; I wish I could help. That has not plagued me, although I am warmer at night in general.

I'm am young but can't say I"m hormone free. Are you opposed to getting a sleeping pill?

Thanks, April, but yes I am opposed to any narcotic intervention.

The doc gave me a bioflavonoid called Hesperidin yesterday, to be taken at bedtime. I believe it may have helped. I only woke up 3 times instead of 5 or 6. It should help more as time goes by. Comes from orange peels. Isn't that amazing? http://www.shopwiki.com/_HMC-Hesperidin+60+Capsules?o=259404848&s=728766&

Sno, I have had night sweats for years, starting in my mid-30s. I'd wake up drenched, luckily only once or twice at the most and I was always able to fall right back to sleep. I have tried estrogen cream, soy product w/ no relief. So I just lived with it. Thankfully never had hot flashes. Now that I'm post-menopause, the night sweat is less frequent. I don't know how old you are. But the average age for menopause is 52.

Looks like you have tried many remedies. Hopefully the Hespiridin works! GOOD LUCK! Loosing sleep or hair is frustrating!

Thanks, Smooth. I'm 51. My current healthy lifestyle helps I'm sure, but I also have to "pay" for the decades of sugar addiction and other unhealthy habits that have damaged my endocrine system. I can't wait for the end of this tunnel!

Sno -- I feel your pain. I have some issues too - I might look into the vitex and Hesperidin (thanks for the tip). The hot flashes don't bother me much, yet, but I am having other "issues" that are not much fun. I am going through early menopause (I knew I would because of some serious health issues and surgery I had a couple of years ago). I do know that a very good friend of mine recently had some horrible issues when running (felt like anemia but bloodwork was fine). They did some testosterone and estrogen bloodwork and she was seriously low - she is now on premerin and all is well. I have not decided how bad things have to get before I will take medicine, if many more races are ruined, then maybe I will.

Being a woman is not for sissy's ;-)

Sno--I sort of figured at much. I hope the orange peals work. that sounds awesome!

I have to ask Sno- when did you stop sleeping well and when did this all start happening with the night sweats? They may be 2 different issues and although they may have occurred at close times, it doesn't mean that they are cause and effect. I have a medical background and tend to look at things in the way of applying a bandaide.... but finding the source. When did you last see your physician? Have you had your thyroid checked recently? Any other symptoms that you attribute to dehydration, age, or running? Any major changes in weight, stress? I would be glad to help you.

Marathon Dreamer, You are so kind! Thank you very much for your concern and your interest. I am working closely with my doc right now, actually. I am as sure as I can be that it's the hot flashes waking me up. I normally sleep like a log, always have. When a hot flash strikes, the heat is just unbelievable, and I get drenched in sweat too. Pretty hard to sleep through that. I've also now added a phytoestrogen, Black Cohosh, to the treatment protocol. I will try to remember to add a comment here if anything changes, just fyi. Thanks again, everyone, for your kind support!

UPDATE... I have been on the Remifemin (Black Cohosh) and Hesperidin for about a week now and the nightly "fire alarms" have gone down to about 2-3 per night instead of 5-6. It's supposed to take 2 to 4 weeks to really work, but I'm pretty pleased to be seeing improvement. :)

Wow. Nearly 18 with gas still left in the tank, even with the leg builder hill. Great work!

I'm glad to see you back doing the long runs.

nananabooboo I ran more than you today :-)

I wish I hadn't as it almost killed me. I hit that hill last week and this week was off. How do you run these long runs every single weekend?? Toughness!

I'm happy to see you two reunited. Although I don't understand how you can spend so much time together. Once every two or three weeks is all I can handle of that Long Run character.

Hahahahaha! We were made for each other.

Nice miles for a recovery week! Looks like you are ready to start ramping up the miles for your next race :)

Congratulations on finishing official recovery! I guess you're raring to go for the next marathon now.

You forgot to mention that its over!

Way to stay positive! And, I agree... the best part is that it wasn't a treadmill run.

Love your positive attitude... I need to get more if that :)

Hardcore running in those conditions. As much as you love the treadmill, I'm surprised you didn't just opt for a treadmill run this morning. :-)

HUGE macho points is right! When I left the Ridge at 5:45 this morning (for my treadmill run at the gym) all I could think was "thank goodness I'm not running in this rain". You're my hero today!!Way to stay positive & stick with your goal!

good run!

RD- I had to do a double take there... Snoq Ridge is not that big and here we keep increasing our "share of blog." You're the 4th that I know of. So glad to have you. Thanks for the comment, and I look forward to following your progress. Do you know about Mt Si Running Club? I am usually there but won't be this week due to a family commitment. Saturday, 7 AM, Centennial Park.

Snow, eh? I'm glad to hear that it was a pleasant run.

Thanks for the book recommendation. I'll have to take a look, though I have been neglecting strength training lately because I've been running too dang much.

Sounds like an interesting book, I will have to check it out. I think as we get older weight training is very important.

I'm glad your run was good even with the snow.

Great job on the hill repeats. By the way, I love the word "penultimate," almost as much as I love "antepenultimate". And I just discovered that "preantepenultimate" is a word.

As for the horse show/race decision, I think you've got to go to the horse show. Your next key race is the Newport marathon anyway, right? So skip the half, fun as it would be, and power through your marathon training rather than losing two weeks, as you said to tapering for and recovering from the half. That's my two cents.

What time is the horse show? Or what time will she be competing? If it isn't at the same time as your half, why not do both? If it is at the same time, then definitely the horse show.

This is coming from a young person's point of view - Although I would hate to take away from my mom's activity, I really would want her there and would be hurt if she didn't come.

Always err on the side of "doing it for the kids" as they may not say it, but they will always remember that "Mom thought I was more important than her race"... Good Call there Sno! You might just receive some good carma on this upcoming marathon from it. :-)

Nice hill repeats.

Ditch the horse show....that sport gets way too expensive in a very short period of time!!! Trust me, I'm practically a part-time geographical bachelor with the amount of time my wife spends at the barn with her horse!!! Started off with lessons, then a saddle, then a horse, then full time training, then a trailer, then a more athletic horse. We have a separate horse bank account just to make sure we don't run thru all the money paying for the horse stuff!

Okay, now seriously, you already know what to do and don't really need our, ahem, *wisdom*. Go run the new Bainbridge Island half the weekend before (www.bainbridgeislandrun.com) and enjoy the horse show.

Horse show. Without a doubt. Sno Flake's a lucky kid.

I really like the "go to the rocker" method.

Good job achieving that shaky and dead feeling in your legs. Hurts so good!

Horse show for sure ... SnoFlake is a most supportive daughter and has gone to many races (and enjoyed them immensely). The horse show is her day to shine! Go getum SnoFlake!!

BTW ... you are a great Mom AND I love the rocking chair!

I need to get some recipes from you -- Dean is trying the Paleo diet (we have the book for athletes) and I don't know what to make for him for dinner, suggestions? You have my email. Thank you wise woman!

Oh, that's a tough one, especially since its her FIRST show. Having been to my own daughter's horse shows, I can assure you that they are absolutely precious. I think you'll be sorry if you miss it :).

THANK YOU EVERYONE! ...for so much support, humor and kind words. I had pretty much made up my mind in favor of the horse show, but you guys helped make me feel really good about it. Pity Reduction Team to the rescue!

Dale - we can always mortgage the house... ;)

Bonnie - PM'g you later about food when I have some time.

Time to go run now...

Love reading all about the bloggers days and what is going on in their lives besides running... Everyone is always so suportive.

There is always races... but our kids are only kids once. I can't wait to hear about the show and the race :)

It's great your energy level is on high.

I sometimes feel powerless against the doughnut.

Sno, I went ahead and posted that on my FB page...makes sense!

I love Under Armour! What did you get? Cold gear? Hot gear? I have to say that it gets a bit itchy sometimes, but I do love the stuff. I use their tights in the winter. They are fab!

Congratulations on feeling great and not needing recovery. See how strong you are!

As for Under Armour, I've never tried it, but I do love the Smart Wool.

I took the quiz. I got pretty low scores. Maybe I was being too generous with myself. I do like a little piece of chocolate now and then, but I don't feel out of control. I could certainly cut back, though. I wonder if some people are more susceptible to the sugar addiction than others. In one of the books I read recently, maybe it was one that you recommended, it talked about how some people are hooked to nicotine after one cigarette, while others can smoke occasionally for years and never become addicted.

In any case, thanks for posting the link. I'm always interested in learning more.

I have not took the test yet because I know that I'm a sugar addict :) I have been much better lately, trying to eat much cleaner. I have been off soda for over a month, only drink stevia in my herbal tea/ice tea or lemon aid. But I know in the back of my mind I could be out of control.

Good to see that your run felt so good... you are getting so strong!

Don't know anything about UA or smart wool LOL

KP - I'm not sure what it is. Looks like a simple crew neck top. Very thin and very tight. Size Small - do you want it? I'll mail it to you as a gift. After laundering of course. ;)

Lori - Congratulations on dumping the sodas! I know that is hard to do, but they are just worthless. I hope you will look at that quiz website. I have heard Julia Ross in interviews and I have a great deal of respect for her work. Good health!

Size small... in my dreams!

Keep it and try it in different weather conditions. You might grow to like it. I can tell you that UA stuff is very expensive though. You got a great price!

Wanna know how drastic our winters are here? I didn't even know smartwool made clothes! I love their socks... I thought that was all they did! I'll have to look up some of their clothes online as I'm a huge fan of the socks!

I heart smartwool & icebreaker!! I've steered clear from UA because I'm scared of change... ;) Icebreaker can be pretty spendy as well, so I hunt for bargains on steepandcheap.com

I find that if I stay away from sugar I don't crave it, but once I have a little - I go overboard. Let's use yesterday as an example: I had 1 mini peanut butter cup in the morning, then continued to eat them through the day. I left the office with a total of 12 in my belly. Peanut butter cups are my cocaine. Sad but true.

Underarmour was developed for ski racers to wear under those race suits they wear! It is thin, true, but not all that warm. Its more of a wicking layer, so you'd wear it next to the skin, then a warmer layer over the top. More appropriate for skiing than running.

I love Ibex (another vesion of smartwool and icebreaker) for outdoor sports in general, but for running I just prefer a technical top 'cause I get warm when I run.

Good site--I took the quiz...not really surprised. I"m an addict!

Except for the bacon part that looks absolutely YUMMY Sno! I might have to try that! Thank you. You had SUCH a good run today, imagine meeting up with a SmartWool rep and all! I am so happy that you joined the running group ...

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!

You are amazing! I was going to try that hill today but decided against it. Way to knock it out of the park... hope you have a great weekend!

It's like you had three or four runs all rolled into one this morning! And you dealt with some tough conditions too, but I guess not as tough as yesterday would have been.

I think it's way awesome that you met a Smartwool rep. I love Smartwool stuff too. I wore Smartwool socks today. I wear them most days.

Thanks for the recipe!

Those MP miles will pay off. So will the last 4 miles after the MP miles when you were tired. Consider it mental training.

Great run. Of all the people to run into, a Smartwool rep. You must have been on cloud nine.

When is your illustrated Cooking/Running/Knitting/Nutrition/Living book going to be ready for publication? Lol! Seriously though. You have a lot of great information, and ability to write well.

All I can say is Love your blog :)

You all are such good listeners. Thanks!!

wow smartwool rep?? Glad to hear she runs. Was she all decked out in smartwool? YOu did mention it was chilly!

Thanks for the recipe. Sounds delicious!

Nice Saturday run! I was forced inside for my long run on Friday (since I couldn't do Saturday). The weather on the Ridge was horrible!! I was thinking about showing up for the Saturday run group one of these weekends, but you mentioned the Smartwool rep was "trying out". Or did you just mean that she was "checking out" the group? Not sure that I could qualify if there is a pace everyone keeps. I would love to be in the 9:20 pace, but I'm about 9:40 on most days. Maybe joining the group would push me to the next level?! Any more tips you could give me on the group would be awesome! Looking forward to meeting some local runners :)

You would fit right in. The reason I often have no one to run with is that my long run pace is around 10:30. There are always faster people, and often slower ones, but I seem to be in a little niche of my own. (ETA - I run *to* the club as well if you ever want to do that with me.)

The group breaks up by pace. What happens is this: we all arrive and kind of hang out under the picnic shelter at Cent. Park until it's time to start. Then when it's time to start, Sean usually makes announcements about upcoming races and asks people what races they may have done in the last week. He also introduces new people. Then he breaks us up by pace. "Who's running 7 to 8 minute miles? 8 to 9? 9 to 10?" Hands go up; people see who they'll be running with. So it's mostly little groups of 3 or 4 people, plus me and my imaginary friends. No, actually I *have* had someone to run with for the past few weeks, but it was pretty lonely in the worst winter months.

Then we all say goodbye and off everyone goes. Some people head towards the high school for the track, some to the Mill Pond Rd, which is a pleasant run, some to the SVT.

I am planning to be there on Saturday. Be sure to let me know who you are if you come. On weekdays I run at around 5 AM if you ever want to join me. (PM me.) :)

Sounds great! I'll plan to be there next Saturday, the 17th (since I have Mt Si this weekend I'll skip my Saturday run). I'm excited!! I just might take you up on some of those 5am runs. We'll chat when we meet at run group. Yippee!

Don't feel too bad. It's pretty common for people that have never tried a pull-up to not be able to do one at first. Like anything else, it comes with practice.

It might help to start with some "negatives" and "assisted" pull-ups. For negatives, get your chin over the bar (use a chair or something that is just close enough to help) and slowly lower yourself down. For assisted, you're doing a pull-up from a seated position. Keep your legs out straight in front of you while seated, keep your feet on the floor while pulling yourself up (knees can bend slightly). With both these, you're training your body to get to where it can handle lifting your full weight. Just a couple of thoughts.

This is interesting because I can't do a single pull up either. I've tried negative pull ups, but never heard of assisted pull ups. I think I'll try them. Thanks!

PS: Do you know if "pull ups" are easier than "chin ups"? And if there are any differences in benefit between the two?

I can't do a pull-up either. A couple of summers ago I had the notion that I could water-ski like I had when I was a teenager. That was a rude awakening. I couldn't pull myself up. I'm guessing that's related to the can't do a pull-up issue.

Dale- That is so helpful! Many thanks.

Yahoo for new muscles! I know I could use a few more :)

A nice run anyway, even without verbs.

Nice run! Looks like you weather was nice for a change, we seem to be getting your rain.

Don't worry, soon you'll be zinging in the rain again.

Hey, I'm glad those little monkeys let go. Nice running today.

I'll check out the podcast when I have some time.

That painted a very clear picture...I think I have that monkey problem sometimes too!

Why do I get the monkey's with the lead shorts?

2 sets of 8 assisted are actually really good. You should be able to crank out a couple of unassisted pull-ups shortly....just don't let your mind get in the way!

Hey Sno ... as a follow-up on our previous discussion about rest between intervals. Upon reflection, I think you are right about the duration of rest being a better indicator than distance. I found an interesting online article http://maximumperformancerunning.blogspot.com/2009/12/vo2-max-intervals.html (just happens to have a picture of our "best friend", Dathan). This article uses some stuff from Greg's website (and Gregs stuff comes from JD). You can see that he recommends recovery in terms of *time* not distance. And for the VO2 max (800's specifically), the recovery time is equal to or slightly less than the speed portion. When you do it by distance, generally, you can run as slowly as you want and therefore the recovery can be pretty long-- and even longer than the speed portion. I have seen really fast people on the track do some 200-400s pretty much all out (much much faster than their mile pace for sure) ... they stand and walk around and pace for way longer than their speed part was ... but they are working a different system (true speed or sprint by Gregs definition). For VO2 max, it probably doesn't matter whether you jog or walk, as long as the time of recovery is no more than the speed portion. The downside to walking is that for mile < 5K paces you are building lactic acid, especially over long intervals and standing around can make your legs get heavy ... Basically, given this definition, Yasso's are indeed a V02 max workout (since the rest is supposed to be equal to the 800 in duration). HMMMM. I will be seeing Greg next week, I think I will ask him to clarify this for me ... and you ;-). I think his tables need to be modified for 50 year old (and 48 year old) menopausal women!

Dale - It's because the Monkey Lords know you can take it. Be honored.

Bonnie - Very good stuff! Thank you so much for that. BTW, why doesn't Dathan ever write? We were all so close once.... PM'g you a picture of my new best friend, Dick Beardsley. Dathan is going to be very sorry when he finds out I no longer have time for him.

;-) his loss Sno. I still haven't forgiven him for almost driving me over when he sped off in his bright red BMW talking on his cell phone. Probably speeding off to meet the person he was anxiously looking at his watch for during our "last chat" ;-). He is lucky he is cute. Although Dick is pretty cute too - I guess I just have a thing for scrawny men.

Great job on the tempo run. I get intimidated by tempo runs too.

That's a pretty groovy looking water bottle.

I know exactly what you mean about dreading tempo runs. I think we've both blogged about this before, yes? Anyway, I like the Hudson versions of 2/3/4 x 10 minutes and 2/3 x 15 minutes, with varying breaks (shorter deeper into training). Thinking in terms of minutes somehow makes it easier to deal with than miles. Plus, they seemed to prep me well enough for my last marathon, so my final worry that they were cheating me was invalid.

Good job on the tempo!

I hear you girl!! I am not a big fan of tempo runs either. They are hard and they hurt!!! I do the same- with just taking a quick breather I can re-focus and I don't get so mentally overwhelmed with the thought of running that far and that fast!! Breaking it up a bit makes it that much more do-able, and when you only take a short breather, it really doesn't do anything to the effectiveness of the workout from what I hear. Good for you!! Great run!!!

Oh, that sounds like a GREAT water bottle!!!! And if you say it is worth it, I believe you!

Great running days. I hear you on the whole 5k/10k pace thing, I just GUESS as well.

Nice mid week 10 miler. Great mile intervals! I agree about the 30 sec. break in between. Just knowing there's a break makes a huge psychological difference for me.

you forgot to mention that the bottle is pretty!

April - it comes in different designs too. I have a dark red one.

You earned more macho points today! Snow is one thing, but that slush must have been a mess to run in. I was really surprised to wake up to snow! I re-packed my gym bag with a "snow" outfit...now that I'm in Seattle the snow outfit is overkill.

Just watched the Loose Change trailer, will definitely be watching it soon.

Um, would you mind making sure that white stuff is gone by Sunday? 50 is going to be hard. 50 in snow is just not right.

Blah on the snow in April! Good trailer!

Dale- I haven't seen my magic wand since my psychodelic 70s days. But you will be that crazy if you go through with it in a snow storm.

We have had snow and hail showers all day today, with bright sun too.

Begone yea devilish temptress, trying to get me to quit before I've begun!!! I shall not yield!!! Nay, I shall not!!!

Seriously. No snow, okay? Pretty please?

That documentary looks great. It was obvious to me from the beginning (okay, maybe not the very beginning, but within a couple of weeks), that things just weren't adding up with that whole situation. Too convenient for those in power. Too many unanswered questions. The beginning of the end for the good ol' USA?

Oh boy, I just watched the trailer and I get the sense from the previous comments that my view isn't going to be terribly popular, but oh well. Deep breath...what a load of total and complete crap.

So the theory is that because the trade center collapsed in on itself, it must have been done on purpose? Please read http://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/JOM/0112/Eagar/eagar-0112.html.

No plane hit the Pentagon and other myths? http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/news/1227842?page=4

Keep staring at the shadows long enough and everyone sees ghosts. Everyone that thinks GW was smart enough to cook this up, raise your hand. Watch CNN and Fox news, and the truth is likely somewhere in the middle. Well, okay, maybe don't watch Hannity on Fox....he's gotten a bit out there for even this die-hard conservative.

I had to wear yaktrax in April this year too. I hope we've both seen the last of the snow until next winter.

I don't know what to say about the film.

I hear you Dale. There are so many theories bouncing around out there in cyberspace, it's easy to become befuddled, and easier to just accept what's fed to us by the popular media.

No matter who orchestrated the horrible events on that day, and the ensuing political ambush that followed, I think most agree that GW couldn't possibly have had anything to do with it.

When in the world is spring going to get here??!!!

Dale - I appreciate your response. I don't want to start a political debate. I just want to know what happened. And what I'm saying is, in the full movie, there is some serious ---- about the whole affair that I personally cannot dismiss by saying "oh here come the whacko conspiracy theories." I am definitely going to read the links you posted. Thanks for speaking up. I really do just want to know the truth. :)

Glad I didn't PO everyone too badly :) Probably best we all steer clear of political debates anyway. Then the real whacko in me will probably start revealing himself :)

Ditto for me.

Looks like a beautiful day for a run!

Whew! Another Looong run. Just reading the words "almond coconut pancakes" makes me hungry.

Um yes may I have some pancakes? YUM!

Great job on the run and running with imaginary friends! They can be so fun!

Thats a long way on no carbs....I'm gettin g hungry just thinking about it. But 21 miles is good any way you look at it.

I intend to graze ferociously tomorrow everywhere I can. But I'll try to leave all the gravel behind. I'll take the weather.

Nice run!!! Sounds like you have some beautiful scenery up there!!!

You are amazing, and I bet you have the best imaginary friends ever. And those pancakes sound delicious.

Nice start to the week.

I kept looking around yesterday wondering if I'd see you out for a short Sunday jaunt. I guess I was expecting a big "Snoqualmie is running here" sign to be floating above your head. What a gorgeous place to run. But I did get rocks in my shoes!

Dale: Last year she almost got run over by the Mt. Si Relay...gorgeous day for it...

That's true. I had no idea a race was going on, and I had run the SVT and turned up Mt. Si Rd for a couple of miles. On the way back they were all suddenly upon me.

Well, I was staying close to home on Sunday, but with you in thoughts, Dale. Again - great job! (Don't those off-leash horses and goats get to you? LOL Can't wait to tell SnoFlake about it.)

Cool. A running flash-mob.

That sounds like a good policy (the no sleep, no run one). I've been struggling with sleep as well, but for different reasons.

I've also been struggling a bit with shoes.

I hope those monkeys hop of your legs soon. Maybe you're just too loveable.

Dang these colds! I guess you know the drill.

Kale chips, eh? Interesting recipe. Can you get kale at the regular old grocery store?

If I couldn't find kale at a grocery store, I would be hesitant to shop there anymore. Shocking! It would be like not finding any broccoli in a store. My store usually has at least 3 kinds of kale. Kale is one of the cruciferous vegetables and so versatile. I used the curly leaf type for this, but all varieties work.

Bad allergy year too...my snot has been freely flowing for months now. Good to know, eh?

Colds stink!! I hope you are not getting it.

Thanks for the link... that is a great blog!

Yay! not being in total darkness is great! I love the first parts of spring... all the birds the mild weather.

Good to see that you legs are feeling better.

I also started in the dark and finished in the light this morning. But your monkeys were on my legs. I wondered if they had left you. Apparently they had. We need to send them away from both of us.

Good run. Glad the legs are feeling better.

It's been a long Winter, glad Spring is finally here!

Yeah spring!

I know that feeling and it sucks! I say just keep with your schedule as is. Just try to load up on vitamins and sleep so you can kick this cold before the next long run. Get well soon :)

Let yourself rest, running sick just makes you sick longer. I used to live in WA for awhile, running there in the spring/summer is awesome!

I looked for you out there but now I see you weren't out today. Get better! There are only 2 weeks until the half...

Yes, being sick is no fun at all. I can attest to that from recent experience. I hope you get better fast than I have.

I think with 2 MP runs left in the schedule, you're fine with skipping this one and just going with the remaining runs as scheduled. That's my 2 cents.

Hmmm. Hard to know for sure without seeing the rest of the schedule, but I don't see why you couldn't move some things around to do this:

18 w/MP, 22, 18 w/MP, 23, 18 w/MP, 10.

You run 20+ milers consistently so I don't think time on your feet is probably as important to you as long runs w/ MP mixed in are. Every other week is plenty of recovery from the tougher hard runs. Heck, you'd probably be okay with running 20 w/MP instead of some of those 18s since you recovery pretty fell, are rarely injured, and usually take the day following off or really easy. Plus, somehow I have the feeling that this might appeal to your "can't miss training" side :).

I am with Dale. You are strong in the endurance department, so more MP work stuff is the ticket; the 22 milers are easy for you. I think 20 with the last 8 at MP is very very helpful for those hard last 6 miles. And it is not really that "hard" on your body, and since you are a pretty resilient runner, you could do these almost every long run.

whoops ... I hit the "post" key too fast. Sorry you are sick, and I hope you feel better soon!

Shoot, I was planning on going with the do as I please plan, but I guess you are right, Dale & Bonnie. Letting me have 20 miles instead of 18 - that's pretty sly of you guys. You know I want more miles! ;) Going to spend some time with my calendar now...

That downhill gets pretty steep in the early...under 10 miles. I'd be afraid of turning quads to mush, so easy early miles, no leg braking, downhill training a must. Then again, Portland is neither fast nor flat and you been there. Maybe seek out a St George runner in the forum for advice.

I'm glad that the signs are good.