Feelin' better...

After a slow start back into running and a quick examination by a physical therapist of my calves, i am feeling better after my break. I have started to take stretching more seriously (something i took for granted) and have slowed down my easy runs. I am usually a 'give it all you got' kind of runner, even on easy days and I have begun to change. My muscle soreness is becoming a deterrant to running and i don't want it to be, hence the change of mentality.

I ran about 20 miles last week along with a few hours on the indoor bike trainer as i prepare for the Desert Classic Duathlon at the end of February. I hope to work my way back up to 35-40 miles/week by the first week of Feb. I am not looking to run any PR's, although a good time would be appreciated and a Worlds Qualifying wouldn't be too shabby either.

I got back in the pool again today too after 5 weeks out and, although not as fast, I felt good and bad at the same time. I felt exactly where I should be. My endurance suffered, my muscles were a little tight. I hope to be back to full strength in the next few weeks in the water as well.

As far as i am concerned I am feeling good about where I am physically, albeit still a tad tight in the legs, and I should be ready for the Desert Classic when it rolls around.

Changes...

The first big change is it is now 2009! It has been 2009 for a few days and so far, not so special. But, who knows, i don't tend to judge the outcome of things by the beginning. If everyone judged things that way, Michael Phelps wouldn't have won 8 gold medals, The two wars we are in would be over and the snow would just keep coming down. Fortunately Michael Phelps did win 8 golds, and it has stopped snowing everyday.

Now, on to running. Big news: I am not running the marathon, nor the half marathon anymore. I really had to re-evaluate my goals for 2009. I originally signed up for the RNR Marathon in phoenix with the intent to leap frog into the AZ Ironman in November. Well, plans changed there too and I don't think thats the way i want to go just yet. I want to focus on the shorter distance triathlons and work my way up.

Physically i wasn't feeling it either. The recovery from the Tucson half took a lot more out of me than i expected and i wasn't feeling good on my long runs after that. I thought, "Man, if it takes me this long to recover from the half marathon, its going to take me twice as long to recover from the full!" And i can't take that much time off. I have a Duathlon at the end of February and it is a world championship qualifier. I don't have the intent to race at the World championship if i make it, but i want to give myself the best shot at qualifying. Secondly, i just felt like a I needed a break. I haven't run since christmas eve and i think this is good for my legs. Once school starts back up in a little less than a week. I will get back in the pool, back on the trainer and back out on the roads to train for the new exciting year ahead!

Snow feelings...

I think i am finally recovered enough to start running again. I went out on saturday for an easy 5 miles and felt alright, just trying to shake out the cobwebs in my muscles. My calves still get tight when i run and i am a little worried about it. I can't really take any more time off from running. My marathon is in less than 4 weeks.

I went out again today and did a moderate 8 miles. Felt a lot better than saturday but my calves still got tight at about 4 miles. Now, its snowing and the roads and sidewalks haven't melted from the last storm. This is my least favorite part of running during the winter. I absolutely cannot do treadmills, which means, i just have to make do with the conditions i live in. I have to work back up to my endurance level and i should be set for the full in january. I am thinking that one way or another i am going to finish that full marathon. I have too many friends giving me encouragement to wimp out on it. The next few weeks will be key.

Recover, recover...

Recovery has been my mantra this week. I knew it was going to be a stretch running a half marathon only 6 weeks before my marathon. And a stretch it has become. A stretch of quads, hamstrings, and calves.

My week started with a few days off, seeing as though it was a struggle to walk. I think the combination of a bad warm-up before the half and a mostly down-hill race with a little speed mixed in made for a long recovery. I went on a 5 mile, easy day today and felt absolutely horrible. My legs were tight in the first half mile and living in flagstaff means no flat ground...anywhere. I am obviously a little worried about my preparedness for the full marathon in january. If it was a struggle today to run 5 miles, its going to be a struggle to finish my long runs.

I did swim on thursday and rode my bike yesterday. I have not been totally dormant. I am thinking i need to add some more cross training to my schedule next week and resume full running by next weekend. Ultimately, i am regretting my decision to run the half, but seeing as though it was a friend's first race of any kind, i wanted to be there to support him and get a feel for my fitness at the same time. Its going to be all on time's shoulders to tell if i am going to be prepared for the full in 5 weeks, but the race organizers have an easy transfer of races: Just start in the half marathon. It might be a race week decision on which race i do.

Tucson Half Marathon...

Thank you to everyone who came and watched, offered words of encouragement, and most of all prayed for myself and all the runners yesterday. Here is my race recap.I was up at 4:30 yesterday morning because we had to park in a lot behind Ventana Medical in Oro Valley by 6am. I ate a bowl of instant oatmeal and threw my jersey on. I put on all my sweats cause i knew it was going to be cold.I rolled up to the Medical center at about 5:15 and there was a line of cars, literally, two miles long. Obviously, the parking of cars was difficult and taking a long time. I finally got parked at 5:45. Took my "drop bag" and water bottle and headed to the buses that were going to take us to the start line. They didn't have space at the start line for all the cars to park, hence the bus ride. The ride was about 15 minutes long up to the entrance of Biosphere 2. Again, the organization was horrible. We sat on the bus for almost 40min. They didn't have space for all the buses at the start line. They had them wait at the entrance until a bus left and then the next one would go and unload its humans. Took forever, people decided to just walk the mile to the start line because it was only 20 min til start and we hadn't warmed up. I was one of the people in the mass exodus form the buses. Warmed up, gave up my 'drop bag' on the bus that was going to take it to the finish line and did my normal stretching and warm up. We started about 15min late. Everyone was lining up. I got in the front and people were filling in around me. I ended up being about 3 rows back from the start line. I looked around and I was thinking "no way are these peolpe faster than me." Some were older, some women, some overweight, no way were they faster than me. I took my self out of the line and went right to the front where the 'fast' looking guys were. Annoucer says, "ready, set, go!" We're off.I start out a little faster than expected but want to roll with it and see how my body reacts. There are about 7 or 8 of us at the front by the first mile. 5:27. We drop 2 or 3 people between miles one and two. mile 2 split-11:09. By mile 2 there are five of us. The first aid station comes up, i come up empty handed because the volunteers don't necessarily understand how to hand out water. A runner moving at an increased rate of speed stretches out a hand to a resting cup. Every action has an equal or lesser reaction. In this case, the reaction was a smashing of the pepsi cup and water going everywhere when one hand comes in contact with a resting hand. See if you can't visualize my frustration. Mile 3 split-16:41 By mile three, there are only 4 of us and a large gap back to the rest of the pack, with one runner in no man's land between the two groups. My shins are starting to feel tight already, but i keep pushing despite thoughts of slowing down. Mile 4 split-22:22 Two of the four in our group have started pulling away from myself and the other runner next to me. I start feeling a cramp in my side which affects my breathing. I haven't slowed down but i can't go any faster. Mile 5 split-27:53(?) By this time, i am looking forward to seeing what my 10K split is going to be, because i know regardless of the time, it is going to be a personal best. 10K split- 35:23 I PRed my 10K by over 2 minutes! my previous 10K was 37:47. During the last mile the runner i was with starts pulling away from me and i am not able to keep up. I am now safely, for the time, in fourth place. Right about the 7mile mark, a runner comes blazing passed me. He looks really strong. He ends up winning the race. Mile 7 has our first gradual up hill of the whole race. I am also starting to fade a little. One of the front runners from the beginning of the race is fading quick and i feel like i can catch him. Close to mile 8 he stops and takes his shoe off, i figure he has a blister. After the race i find out his toe was bleeding for one reason or another and bled through his shoe. He dropped out. I am back into fourth position. But there is a huge gap. I shake my cramp at mile 9. But my legs just don't have anything left to give. It is just a battle to finish now. I come through mile 10 at about 57 or 58 min. I don't remember my splits as well because my mind is just set on finishing. But i wanted to be under an hour at 10miles and i was safely under that. Now, my goal was to finish under 1:18. Another runner passed my at 10.5 miles. I tried to stick with him, but like i said earlier my legs just didn't have anything left. The last few miles, i was just cruising. They were the hardest miles of the course as far as elevation goes and i just didn't want to get passed again. My last 5k ended up being about 20min give or take a few. I finished in 1:17.36. Better than expected and i ran personal best times at every distance from 3 miles and up. And i was only off my 2mile PR by 5 seconds. So, it was a good day. I am too sore to even walk straight and now its time to recover so that i will be back in running form by January for my full marathon!

More to come...

It is the last day of november, and i am counting the days til the end of the semester. Review, finals and a few papers for good measure are all i have left. The end of this week could not come soon enough. The academic aspect of my life is coming to another 4 week halt, but the training is just heating up.
The Tucson half marathon is next sunday, a week from today. I am slightly resting this week. My legs have felt pretty tired the last few days from the longer miles i am not used to. After that, it is the final 6 weeks til marathon day. Oh goodness, do i hope i don't just fall apart during the marathon. I could have a fabulous day, or i could just blow up and not be even close to my goal time. The next few weeks are going to be imperative to the success of January 18th.
I have also caught a small duathlon bug. The Desert Classic Duathlon looks to be the next big race after the marathon. Its in Phoenix and its a US world duathlon qualifier. I have an outside chance of qualifying and i hope to put on a good show. I definately need to work on speed after the long monotonous miles of the marathon. I don;t have any zip in my legs during workouts, which could be a side effect to the longer miles i am doing as well. Either way, i need more speed and some good rest after the long weeks of training.
I am pretty excited about the Tucson Half because i haven't raced since the end of september. The racing keeps me motivated to train, so a couple months of training is ready to be released on the roads of oracle.

Yo, Yo....

I think i speak for a lot of college aged adults when i say that i can finally feel the end to the semester. It is still 3 1/2 weeks away, but the general feeling is gaining momentum. Along with the end of the school semester, means the holidays, as well as more races to look forward to.
I am officially registered for the Tucson Half Marathon. I am pleased to say that my friend Cody Elzey is running it with me. I couldn't ask for a better partner in crime.
I am also rejuvenated in the prospect of running for the glory of God. It is easier for me because I race for a team of christian athletes. But, i still do not feel like i give enough to God, who gives me the talent and strength to compete in the first place. After watching Ryan Hall's (olympic marathoner) video testimony, i am excited to be running for God and can not wait to share in his glory with non-believers. Or for that fact to help strengthen the faith of believers.
I am starting to feel better about running. I am starting to see improvements and am glad that the weather is holding up for a little bit longer this fall. My long runs still bring me some apprehension. I don't tend to feel very good about them and i think it is mostly mental. The prospect of having to run 16 or more miles at once seems very far. Which is odd because i just went out for an 8 mile run on monday at a fairly quick pace and that was nothing. Long runs are not fast and i shouldn't feel so bad about them. But, i am a very mental runner and i need to get over that aspect of my training.