It wasn't pretty, but it was a finish! (and a new PR)

Ok folks. So I know I said I was retired from marathons, and I am, for sure, really, now that I got this last one out of my system and actually FINISHED. I'm not exactly sure what got into me. Yep, I pulled a Brett Favre. I signed up for the Denver Marathon yesterday and ran it today. It was a beautiful fall day in Denver, and what better way to spend a gorgeous Sunday than running through the Denver parks with about 3,000 other people. So that's what I did this morning. What did you do?

My goal was to finish, and that's what I did. It certainly wasn't pretty and it wasn't fast, and it sure wasn't a Boston qualifying time, but I did beat my previous best time by about 10 minutes. To me this means that training is totally overrated. My previous best time was set when my longest run was 6 miles and I probably ran a grand total of 5 times in "training" for that one. This also means, as I had previously suspected, that the marathon is definitely not the best distance for me. After putting in the training I did, there is no reason on paper that I shouldn't have ran faster over the 26.2 miles. Oh well. Now I'm done - for sure this time. With marathons, that is ;)

Racing Redemption?

So I may have earned some racing redemption today. Scout and I entered the Panerathon 10K to Fight Hunger this morning. We ended up winning our age group (my age group, there was no doggie age group), and we were the 1st place Dog/Person team!

Nothin' Much

I don't have a lot to blog about now that I am officially "retired" from marathons. But, as you probably noticed, my blog posts have strayed a bit from their original form. I left the banter about pace, distance, and heart rate behind and gave you a bit more of a personal look at my life. Pretty boring for the most part, but sometimes things fall on your head in the middle of the night, and that's worth blogging about!

Over these past few weeks, I've had a lot of time to get used to me as a "non-marathoner". I feel much less restricted. My training plan is no longer running my life and taking over my weekends. I've been able to drink wine and eat cheese on any night of the week and not worry about the ill effects on my mandatory long run the next day. Because if I don't feel like running, I don't, and if I do, I do. And I now run as far and as fast (or slow) as I want to. Simple as that. I'm having fun with running again. But...I'm still not having fun with racing.

I said it in my last post, and I'll say it again - I'm a huge head case and do not race well. I have tried to look at it from many angles but cannot figure it out. Does anyone know a good Sports Psychologist? I would really like to get this figured out.

In the meantime, Scout and I will keep running. We have to keep our girlish figures, after all!

One piece of good news...Sargent returned from his cycling trip in Europe! He rode every single day and took some amazing pictures. Here is a link to his online photo album. ENJOY!

http://picasaweb.google.com/Sargent86

No Guts, No Glory

Ok folks. There will be no Boston for me. There will be no more marathons, period, for this girl. They don't give any passes to people who can't finish the race. I'll make no excuses. The weather was perfect, I was well trained, and I had an awesome pace setter, Heather. But one bad mile around 15 was enough of a window to allow my big stupid fat head to get in the way. Yes, I am one of those...a head case. These are the folks you often hear about in the running circuit, the ones that have all of the potential, really show some promise, train really well, run some good races, but can't bring home the bacon when it really counts.

I definitely have a new found respect for those that run marathons and run them well. Perhaps I did not give the marathon the respect it deserved and in some way pissed off the marathon gods. This seems to be the case because the marathon has beat me down, and am humbly bowing out of this race.

I'm not turned off from running all together. Don't worry about that. I have a nifty little dog at home waiting for her next run. I will continue to run half-marathons and 10K's, but marathons are definitely not in the lineup. It looks like 26.2 miles is just not a good distance for me. I should have recognized this well before this point but hey, I gave it a shot. Sorry for letting all of you down. I know you were all wishing me the best for this race. At least I have some great pictures of the Seattle area!

Game on...

After logging over 350 miles these past twelve weeks, my training is complete. On Sunday I will run the Skagit Flats Marathon in Burlington, WA. I AM READY. I have been appropriately massaged, cracked (complements of chiropractor Steve), and stretched. My shoes are laced and my running clothes have been properly selected. The Garmin is charged. I have ordered up some super fantastic weather. Slight cloud cover, temps in the 60's, light breeze at 5mph. It should be a superior day. I have also enlisted the help of my BFF Heather to be my pace setter. (For those of you outside of the "text speak" world, BFF stands for "best friend forever").

To be honest, at this point I just want to get it over with. I have now been in training for 9 months. That is the longest amount of time I have focused on running since 1994. So, whatever the outcome of this race, I can be proud of sticking with a training program for as long as I have. After this race is over, I will sleep in on Saturday mornings. I will go hiking with Scout. And I will run when, where, how far, and however fast I want to just because I feel like it, not because my training plan dictates it. Most of all, I am looking forward to having time on the weekends and after work to ride the tandem with Sargent.

Thanks to all of you who have supported me through this journey. Your words of encouragement mean more than you know. If you recall, I began this blog and this training program in part as a tribute to my late coach, Rob Luecke. His spirit has truly been an inspiration to me over the miles of roads and trails. And so, on Sunday, I will not only have my BFF running along side me, but Coach Luecke as well (standing at intersections w/ a stop watch and yelling out splits, no doubt).

If you have not had a chance to contribute to the Rob Luecke Memorial Scholarship, there is a link on the main page of this blog. Yep, just over there to the right and up a little. Please be sure write "Rob Luecke Memorial Scholarship" in the comments area for the online donation or on the memo line of you check if you like to contribute the old fashioned way. Either way you choose, THANK YOU!

I will post an update after the race. Again, thank you all so much for your support!

Missing U

My boy is in Italy for the next 2 weeks and I am missing him. He's only been gone for 2 days, but quite frankly it's boring without him. I sometimes need alone time, but knowing I have another week and a half of aloneness does not help the missing part. I miss the anticipation of him coming in the door after work. I miss the sound of him puttering around in his bike room. I miss him asking if he can have another Kung Foo Panda (gummy bear type product). I miss the smell of his skin.

2 weeks to GO TIME

Thanks for bearing with me as I attempted to post the slide show from Photobucket. I apologize to all of you who receive a notification email when I post a new blog. I'm guessing you received three or more updates clogging up your inbox. Sorry about that. Technical difficulties.

To finish my blog from two weeks ago... I had one of the best birthdays ever! Sargent, Scout and I camped in the national forest about two miles from the town of Alma, CO and about 2 miles from the base of Mt. Bross. It was the most picturesque location... a mountain lake, sounds of a stream and waterfall, old mine tailings and out-buildings, all nestled in a little valley. It rained hard in the night, and we were worried for a bit that we might get washed away being so close to the lake and clearly in the flood plain. I should say Sargent worried, as I had my one beer and a Tylenol PM so I wasn't worried about anything. The sunrise the next morning was something from a John Fielder picture book. You can see for yourself in the slide show. I cannot put into words how lovely it was. Sargent slept through most of the sunrise, as he was up fretting about the rain all night, while I slept soundly in my chemical induced coma.

After a breakfast of hot coffee, oatmeal for me and stale pizza for Sargent, we started our hike up Mt. Bross. Again, you can see from the pictures just how awesomely amazing it was. I will stop describing it as I use words like "awesomely" which we all can do without.

Training - this last week was one of recovery for me, and I needed it. I have been having a lot of tension and pain in my neck and shoulders. I saw an acupuncturist / cranial massage person on Thursday, and went to the chiropractor on Friday. Needless to say, I was a mess. My neck hurt so bad it was hard for me to hold my head up, and my shoulders so tight they were nearly touching my ears. My regular massage person, Nancy, is out of town, so I had to see someone else. Sorry for cheating on you, Nancy. I feel a lot better today, but I'm nowhere near 100%. I have another week of chiropractic care, acupuncture, and massage to get me on the right track.

I have just two weeks to go until the marathon in Washington. As I said in the last post, training has gone very well, but I've been racing like crap. I think I have a good plan to get me through the marathon in Boston qualifying time, but we'll see. Tomorrow morning I'm planning on running 18 with Scout. The weather is great and it will be cool enough for Scout to run with me. It's been a while since she has been able to do the long runs because of the heat. But now we have a break in the heat and have even had some rain, so all is well.

Mt. Bross, August 2008

Rocky Mountain high...

Hello from Mt. Bross, 14,127 feet above sea level! What a wonderful week. I've been so busy enjoying myself that I haven't had time to post. So, to all of you checking weekly (I had been updating nearly every week), I apologize.

The good week (long weekend, actually) began on Friday. I took the day off of work to paint the blue oyster cult bathroom in the basement. For those of you whom we have had the pleasure of hosting in our home, you can't forget the blue blue blue bathroom (not to be confused with the flamingo pink on the main floor). Well, I hated it. Sargent and I had talked till we were blue in the face (yep, like the bathroom) about remodeling it, adding in a nice soaker tub (for me :), some heated tiles, redoing the shower, nice lighting, etc... Of course Sargent, the logical one in this partnership, always brings up money in this conversation and ruins it for me. I'm a fly by the seat of my pants sort of girl. If I decide I want to do something, my first instinct is to react and just do it, and then stop and think about it (and how to pay for it) later. For example, the Denver Dumb Friends League (dog shelter) was at my work last week with dogs for adoption. I knew they were going to be there, and had marked it on my calendar at work as a "meeting" so I could go outside and pet the dogs. The first dog they brought out was a 6 month old Cattle dog/Border Collie mix. He was adorable. I immediately named him "Jem", as in Scout's brother in To Kill a Mockingbird, took pictures on my phone and sent them to Sargent. At first he thought I was just kidding around, but then he realized I was seriously considering bringing this dog home. His response was "we need to talk". And talk we did. He brought up lots of really good points about why we can't have another dog right now. Jem didn't have any training and would take up lots of time. Both of us would be gone a lot in August and September, work is really busy in those months, I'm trying to train for a marathon, and of course the money thing about how much we have spent on Scout's no goose chasing training, and this dog's training would be even more extensive, etc. , etc., etc., Yes, Yes, I know. These are all really good points. But I want him! (Can you hear the whiny intonation in my voice?) This is how many things work in our relationship. I say I want something and Sargent goes and does a spreadsheet on it, running comps and analysis this way and that. Then three days later he tells me its a crazy idea. And you know what, his spreadsheet is usually right.

So anyway, after numerous conversations and 3 estimates from contractors, I have put down the bathroom remodel torch. A coat of primer and another two coats of paint have turned my blue bathroom into one of "Gray Frost". Now I'm on to the next thing I need...a new refrigerator. I wonder how many different ways you can run analysis on refrigerators...hmmm.

After I spent all day Friday painting the bathroom (ceiling and all), on Saturday I ran the Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon. I was all excited for this race. The training has been going well, I seem to be on track. Half-marathons are supposed to be good predictors of marathon finish times, especially if they are run 4-5 weeks prior to the marathon. The timing for this one was perfect. My strategy for this race was to make myself start out slowly, about 30 seconds per mile slower than my target finishing pace, and slowly get my average pace down to a reasonable race pace. If you remember, the last half marathon was a disaster because I ran much too fast in the first 5 miles. This time I wasn't about to make that mistake. So I ran the first mile in 8:28, mile 2 in 8:20. So far so good. A nice and steady pace increase is certainly something I can handle. I do it in training all the time. Yeah, well, that didn't happen. Looking back, I believe I can pinpoint the problem to how I had my Garmin set up. I had it set to show my average pace and not actual pace, so although the first two miles were right on pace, the next 5 were way to fast. I didn't know it at the time, but definitely felt it at mile 10 and 11. So in the end, my Garmin showed I ran a 1:48, but the posting time was 1:52. I'm not exactly sure why these times were so far apart, as I didn't start more than a minute from the front. So I'll split the difference and call it 1:50. Still, that's 5 minutes slower than I had anticipated.

I'm very frustrated with my races this year. Training has gone really well, but in races I suck. I'm going to have to pull my head out of my arse before I get to the starting line on Sept. 7th.

I'm going to end this blog now because I need to log in to work. I told you August is a busy time. Be sure to check back soon as I will post many more pictures from camping and hiking Mt. Bross.

The Curious Incident of the Window Fan in the Nighttime

The human body is equipped with a wondrous network of neurons. Working in synchronicity, these neurons send messages all throughout the body, allowing us to perceive and respond to the surrounding environment. My sensory neurons were firing on all cylinders last night, when at 3 a.m., the fan in the window above our bed abruptly fell right on top of us. Both of us, awakened out of a dead sleep, sat up yelling, frightened, clutching each other, wondering out loud what the @#$% is going on. To top it off, Sargent had his room darkening eye patch on (like the one in this picture with Emily), so he couldn't see what just hit him in the head, which only intensified the fear. Finally I took off his eye patch so he could open his eyes. At the time, I don't think he realized that he had it on. Perhaps he thought that whatever hit him in the head made him blind? However, once he was able to see it was just the fan, he casually put the fan back in the window and went right back to sleep. Sleep! Are you crazy! I was so freaked out there was no way I could sleep. Every neuron in my body was firing at full throttle. I was seeing and perceiving things that weren't there, shaking so much the whole bed was shaking. I was certain that there was someone in the room that pulled that window fan down on top of us. Little did I know it was actually Sargent who, while sleeping, somehow got his long arm wrapped around the cord and pulled it down. So, there was no more sleeping for me. Just lying there, awake, rigid with fear...until my alarm went off at 4 a.m.

You see, today was my long run. Scheduled to do 18-22 miles, I knew that I needed a very early start in order to avoid running the last miles in the heat. Denver has set a new record for the longest number of consecutive days above 90, and today was to be no exception. I had planned to be up at 4:00 and running by 4:30. However, the fan incident had scared me so much, I had absolutely no desire to go running around outside alone and in the dark. Sargent knew this when I turned off my alarm instead of hitting snooze and did not get up. So, the gentleman he is, he got out of bed at 4 a.m., went through the house and turned on all of the lights so I would feel comfortable enough to come out of the bedroom. Then, get this...he got on his bike and rode with me in the dark while I ran. This made me a very happy girl.

So with Sargent by my side, I ran 21 miles. My goal was to keep it slow, like Scott and my online coach dude said to do. My average pace for the distance was 9:38 min/mile, which ends up being about a minute to a minute and a half slower than race pace. I felt good throughout most of the run, up until mile 18 that is, when Sargent tried to kill me with moldy water. Sargent had carried an extra water bottle on his bike so I could refill my handheld without having to stop at a gas station or water fountain. It seems that the bottle he chose to carry already had some water in it...from "two days ago", he says. More like two weeks in 90+ degree temps I say. So at 4 in the morning, he did the easy thing and just added a few ice cubes. At mile 18, I proceeded to refill my water bottle from his, and took a nice big drink. Yuck! I spit it out and almost puked in the process. In my 'I've already run 18 miles' brain, this was too much. I was convinced he was trying to kill me. Then I got all pissy and started running much faster than I was supposed to. I overreacted and thought I was going to die because now where was I supposed to get water? Of course there was a perfectly good water fountain just a mile down the trail, and I knew this, but no, I needed to have my little temper tantrum. This doesn't sound like me, does it? Anyone? Once Sargent admitted that yes, in fact he was trying to kill me (I'm sure he wanted to at that point), I was just fine, and finished out my run without further incident. By 8:00 a.m., I had completed my long run, and Sargent got in a 3 hour bike ride (with a grand total of 300 pedal strokes, mind you).

After a big breakfast of waffles, eggs, and sausage, followed by a long nap, we took the dogs to a nearby pond to swim. I say "dogs" plural because we are watching my cousin Anne's dog, Lady, for the next week. They had a blast and were thoroughly worn out by the time we got home. Lady is the dog on the left. Tomorrow I am looking forward to an hour and a half massage, and then finding somewhere cool to hang out for the rest of the day. Hmmm, the mall?

Dragon Boats and a Fast Finish

It's that time of year again...festivals, festivals, and more festivals! On Sunday, Sargent and I met our friends Scott and Kathleen (see wedding photos in the 'Blogolicious' post) at the 8th annual Dragon Boat Festival on Sloan's Lake. Teams in four different divisions - Competitive, Corporate, Novice, and Youth - competed for the top prizes (not sure what the they were, but I'm sure there were some prizes) in the Dragon Boat races. The boats were really cool, certainly not something you see every day. It makes me wonder...were do they store these things, and do they just bring them out once a year for this festival?

Actually, the most interesting thing I saw at the festival was in the "dance" tent, if that is what you would call it. A DJ was spinning the music and providing some sort of commentary? on the action on the floor. The dancers? were spinning, flipping, and flopping, all to the rhythm of the music. Break dancing? Wasn't that in and hip in the 80's? Or was that the 90's? Anyway, now it is new and improved and called something else, I'm sure, although I'm not sure what. I was greatly impressed by the kinesthetic sense needed to do something like this. This is definitely not something found in my genes, which is probably why I am in such awe. I would look like I had a serious medical (or mental) condition if I tried something like that, not to mention that doing something like that would cause me to have a serious medical condition. Good thing I'm old enough to know better. I found this video on You Tube, which is, for the most part, what we saw on Sunday. Take a look.

I was very happy with my training this week. Monday was a recovery day, with 4 miles at a nice easy pace. Tuesday was off, and Wednesday consisted of 6 miles at race pace with one mile warm up and one mile cool down. I did strides on Thursday, and Saturday was my first 'fast finish' long run. For this run, I ran 10 miles at about 9:22 min / mile, the next 6 at 8:10 min / mile, and mile 17 as a cool down. I felt really good the entire run, and was quite pleased. Then on Sunday, Ironman Scott told me that I was running my long runs too fast, and that when Coach McMillan (the guy I paid $99 to write me a training plan) says to run the first part of your fast finish long run at 1:30 - 2:00 min. per mile slower than race pace, he means it. So this week I'll push hard on my interval workouts during the week, and just take it nice and slow for my 18-22 miler on Saturday. The bad thing about running those long runs so slowly is that it takes up so much time. To get in 22 miles at 10:00 min. / mile (my race pace is technically 8:20-8:30/mile), I will have to start running at 4:30 a.m. to avoid the heat. Ouch!

Scout got to run with me again this week, on all runs except for the long run on Saturday. She does not enjoy the heat, and I worry that I cannot carry enough water for both of us on the long runs. This translates into me not drinking enough so I can conserve for her, and then I get dehydrated and that is no good either. So she can go along for 8 miles or less. Anything over 8 and she stays home for at least part of the run.

Volunteer pet therapy dog Scout spent some time yesterday and today raising the spirits of patients at the hospice and the hospital. She seems to enjoy the hospice better. Perhaps she recognizes the peacefulness of the hospice environment, the transition to another life stage of the patients she sees there, the finality of the moment. Yes, yes, I know. I'm projecting. Dog's don't have a sense of past, present, and future. But Scout the pet therapy dog becomes tranquil and calm upon entering the doors of the hospice. She knows her job is to stand there and be petted, loved on, cried on, and talked to. Her job is to allow these patients the space to be true to themselves, to reflect upon their lives without the fear of judgement. Good girl, Scout.

Sweet 16 w/ Dick Francis; The great escape

I was all alone for my 16 miler on Saturday, as Scout was still on paw rest (much to her dismay)and Nancy was running with her club. I again returned to the wide open spaces of the Colton and Doudy Draw trails. I like this trail because you begin running west, towards the mountains illuminated by the rising sun. The first mile is a killer, straight up right from the car. After that, the uphill becomes more manageable until about mile 3 when it becomes more or less rolling hills.

I began my run at 6am, knowing the heat was going to kick into overdrive that day. It was a gorgeous morning, and as I ran, Dick Francis told me a story about a race horse, some shady business deals at Cheltenham and New Market race tracks in England, and how his main character saved the day and won the lady. Sound familiar, Dick Francis fans? About 10 miles into my run, I was beginning to feel the heat of the day, and my water bottle showed that it was a bit on the low side. Hmmm....what would Dick Francis do? Knowing that there was no where to fill up, I did not delay, but high tailed it up the trail. I ended up on empty with about 3 miles to go, and now it was 8:00 and really getting hot. Lucky for me, the last 3 miles were all down hill, and I coasted in on fumes. All in all, I averaged 9:34 pace, about 10 seconds faster than the previous Saturday.

The rest of the day I was shot. I ate breakfast, took a nap, woke up, took in some fluids, slept some more, drank more liquids, relocated to the basement (too hot upstairs), continued my nap, and more of the same. I was clearly dehydrated and probably had a touch of heat exhaustion.

Today, Sunday, I said "enough of the heat", and escaped to the good ol' Rocky Mountains. Previously I had purchased some "Mushers Secret", an all-natural waxy type substance that "heals and protects" the paws of working and athletic dogs. Scout convinced me that the "Secret" had done the trick, and she was ready for a hike.

We loaded in the truck and headed up past Keystone to Chihuahua Gulch. We had done this trail before, last year with Sargent. I first read about it in Canine Colorado, a guide to great Colorado hiking trails for you and your dog. This trail makes its way along the backside of Grays and Torreys 14,000 foot peaks to a glacial lake at 12,200 feet. For the most part, the trail is an old jeep road cris-crossed numerous times by streams. Along the way, beaver ponds and rock scree keep the hike interesting. Scout had a blast, running, jumping, splashing, and cavorting all along the route. She often ran ahead, looking for critters to chase and good smells to follow, but frequently "checked in" to make sure I was still following along. At one point, she had run quite a distance ahead of me when I came to a stream crossing. As I slowly picked my way across the nearly knee deep, fast moving, glacially cold stream, she came galloping back for her check in and... SPLASH..."what's taking you so long?" The pictures in this posting are all of our hike today in Chihauhau Gulch.

Although I had escaped the heat for a while today, when I returned home at about 6:00 p.m., the indoor/outdoor themometer read 98 outside, and a cool 91 inside. Brick house = brick oven. I think I'll ask Sargent for an air conditioner for my birthday.

Injured Reserve

Poor Scout is on the injured reserve list. On our 14 mile trail run on Saturday, she literally ran her little foot pads off. The true companion that she is, she gave no indication that she was in pain while on the Saturday run. It was only later that evening that she showed tenderness in her feet. Today, Monday, she seems just fine. Playing in the yard with her toys, you would guess that nothing is amiss. She is running and jumping like usual. The pads on her feet, however, tell the story of many prairie dogs chased, mucho miles of rough, unforgiving land covered. She is off of running for this week. We will re-assess the situation next Saturday.

Scout is pissed about this. She woefully endures nightly applications of "Tuff Feet - A dog is only as good as it's feet" topical medication. To top it off, her fantasy Tour de France team "Team Scout" has moved to last in the league standings. It seems her tour riders are acting in sympathy and riding as if they are injured as well. What a rough week to be a dog.

Dogs have an amazing capacity for loyalty, one which far surpasses that of human relationships. Scout's willingness to continue running on Saturday reminds me of another true companion - my best boy, Caesar. After months and months of tests, xrays, and vet visits, at the age of 10 1/2, Caesar was diagnosed with bone cancer. Although in obvious pain, he continued to follow me from room to room, trudging around on his splinted leg. Up until the very end, the little stump of his tail still wagged, his butt still wiggled, he had a smile on his face, and he would lick you to death if you let him. He was a true companion - with me through all of the toughest times of my life - my one constant... And he remains with me in spirit. Rest in peace, my baby Caesar.

Wow...did I just have a good cry while posting this blog.

Mozart Under the Moonlight

On Thursday night, Sargent and I attended Mozart Under the Moonlight at the Arvada Center Amphitheatre. Although the day was hot, the evening was perfect for watching the Colorado Symphony Orchestra perform outdoors under a cloudless sky. Sargent has become increasingly interested in classical music, often listening to it at his desk at work. I must say, it is quite relaxing. He has it on his non-I-Pod, and we listen to it at night while falling asleep, each using one ear bud of the headphones.

This afternoon, I finally mowed the lawn after almost 3 weeks. It has been outrageously hot and dry in CO this summer, the driest on record in quite some time according to the people who keep track of those things. We increased our watering time so the grass has some semblance of green. The spots that got enough water grew quite a bit, but other areas are still brown. So, our lawn looked like it had mange, with long tufts of green mixed with short, brown, crusty areas. Now that I mowed the longish bits, it now just looks spotted. Oh well, it is just grass. Once I get my water bill, I'm sure I'll be in shock and will shut down watering all together and all of my efforts to date will be in vain.

Training - this was a good week for training. On Monday evening after my last blog post, I ran 13 miles. Scout didn't run with me because even though it was about 7:00, it was still too hot for a black dog. I feel guilty if I don't take her with me, and wonder what is going through her head when she sees me put on my running shoes but yet she is left at home. I don't really believe that dogs have the ability to reason, but yet we humanize them so much that it is hard to not blend the non-tangential properties.

Wednesday was the Yasso 800 day. This Yasso guy (or girl, I'm not really sure) says that the time you average for half-mile repeats (in minutes and seconds) predicts your finish time in a marathon (hours and minutes). For example, I ran 6 x 800 meters at an average of 3 min. 38 seconds. Yasso says that I should be able to complete a marathon in 3 hours, 38 minutes. This is good news. Technically, he also says that I need to be able do 10 repeats and take that average. I'll work up to that one.

Wednesday was super hot...98 in the shade hot. Of course I didn't get up at 5:30 a.m. to do this speed workout. And, we made plans for the evening for dinner with Anne, Daniel, and Jessie. So, that meant I had to get this workout in after work and before dinner. This was probably the hottest part of the day. Scout and I went to this place I used to take my old Rottweiler, Caesar, to swim. There is a gravel trail around a lake, with the South Platte River running nearby. Scout got to get in the lake and get all wet before we began. Then, as I was running these repeat 800's, she got to get her feet wet and get a drink in the river. She liked it...I did not. I got a bit over heated, and actually had chills during the last three repeats. No good. But I did them, and I ran them in fairly respectable and even times.

Friday was just a short morning run around the neighborhood. Scout loves to run with me in the morning because the squirrels are so active. She is so quick, I'm just waiting for her to catch one some day. Hopefully not, as last year squirrels in Denver were dying from the plague. Yep, the plague.

Today I ran 14.24 miles with Nancy, my wonderful massage therapist and friend. We started at the Colton trailhead and ran up and over the hill to the Greenbelt Plateau and back. The temperature was perfect (we started at 6:30 a.m.). Scout had a blast chasing prairie dogs all over. We even had an encounter with a crazy coyote. The coyote scared Nancy and I, but Scout didn't give it a second glance. After the run, Nancy gave me a massage. I hadn't had a massage for about a month, so I was definitely due. Thanks, Nancy.

Tonight, I sit under the grape arbor typing this blog. It is a gorgeous evening, as most are in Colorado. I can hear the tinkling of the water in the fish pond fountain, see the twinkling of the lights strung high up in the grape arbor, and smell the fresh cut grass (what there was of it). There is a comfort with this life that I haven't experienced in the past. I know that tomorrow I will make breakfast, drink my coffee, and read the Sunday paper. Then I will pull weeds in the front flower beds. After, and as a reward, Sargent and I will ride the tandem bike. Scout will lay around and rest her feet. At night we will drink some wine and prepare for the upcoming week. For a time, contentment can be a blessing, a security. Over time, it can be like a rut, holding you back from exploration and opportunity. If you know me, blog readers, you know that I am not good with ruts. Like getting your front wheel stuck in a washout, a slight wave of panic ensues, and you know that adjustments need to be made or you're going down. Now this may be a little dramatic, but you know what I mean. I'm already planning some epic hikes up the 14,000 foot peaks of Colorado this summer. I'll travel to Seattle to see my friend, Heather, and run a little race while I'm there. I'll try to explore new areas of the Colorado mountains that I haven't been before. These things keep me out of the rut, out of the mundane contentedness that can bring you down.

Look, Ryan, an update!

I hear you. I hear you saying I suck at keeping this blog updated. You're sick of checking in and finding nothing new. I guess the "blogolicous" post was enough satiate your demand for Renee & Scout updates for a couple of weeks, but that just doesn't cut it. You're right. The month of June was paltry in terms of blog postings. Just two. Pathetic. All right. I vow to be better in July. Afterall, you need something to do at work, right?

Training - I have now completed three weeks of a 12 week training program. This program is supposed to be my golden ticket to Boston. After all, I paid $99 for it, so it better work...as long as I actually put in the work ;) So, after three weeks, I would describe my relationship with this $99 training program as "rocky".

Week one started while I was on the family vacation, so I only got in 22 miles. 12 of those 22 were done in one long run. My notes say I felt good that day and ran at 9:22 pace (well within the plan recommended pace of 8:44 - 9:44).

Week two totaled 33 miles, with one tempo day, one stride day, a (not so long) long run of 7 miles (was supposed to be 12) followed by 6 miles at 8:40 pace the next day. On Saturday, my scheduled long run day, I felt really tired. Perhaps it was the tempo run (4 miles @ 7:36 w/ 2 warm up and 2 cool down) that left me fatigued. I'm not sure, but I'll watch it in the coming weeks. So, I only ran 7 of the 12. However, the next day I ran 6 at just 10 seconds slower than race pace, and I felt really good.

Week three was a shorter week with only 23 miles. This week was really hot, so I found it difficult to find a good time to run. If you know me at all, you know I am NOT a morning person, so getting up at 5:30 to do a run while the air is cool is not high on my list. I'll blame it on Scout. She likes to sleep in like nobody's business.

So, week four and it looks like I'm already playing catch-up. Today - tonight now, as it is - I will have to do my long run. Yesterday we hiked about 8 miles, but that doesn't really count. It counts for Scout, however, as she probably hiked (ran, jumped, chased critters, swam) about 25 miles. I should have hooked her up to a GPS and mapped it. That would be funny. Anyway, Scout's off the hook for tonight's run. She gets to stay home with Sargent and rest her little feet.

Speaking of Scout (since it is her blog too)...she's finally become "official" on the list of Pet Therapy dogs volunteering at the hospital. What a process! More of a process for me, really. Scout had to have two days of training and two behavior checks to make sure she wasn't going to bite anyone. I, on the other hand, had to have something like 6 months of training before the organizers even wanted to see Scout. Maybe they thought I was going to bite someone. I told Scout that even if she didn't like it, she had to pretend since it took what seemed like FOREVER to get approved. Look at that...she even has her own little photo ID badge.

Blogolicious

I know, I know...I've been neglecting you, my faithful blog readers. So tonight you are getting a mack daddy blog, the most blogolicious of all blogs to date. A lot has happened since my last blog on June 3. I'll put the details in titled segments so you can skip the parts of which you are not interested.

June 8 - Rocky Mountain Half Marathon - Ok, I've had enough of the cold and rain on race day. A gorgeous week turned to crap on this particular Sunday. Hmmm...sounds familiar. Planning on using my time in this half as a platform for then next 13 weeks of training, I was looking forward to seeing how I could do. However, a minor mental breakdown set off by weather induced flashbacks from Brookings set me into a tailspin. I ran a good 10 minutes slower than expected based on training runs. Is it possible to get mental hypothermia? If so, I had it. I felt fatigued almost from the start although I believe that I had plenty of rest. I do know that I started off faster than I should have (surprise surprise), and had no idea what my actual pace was through the first 5 miles or so through the downtown Denver streets. It seems my Garmin does not like tall buildings and takes on a crazy bounce. I was getting pace readings of 3 min/mile while going up hill, followed by 20 some min/mile (slow walk pace) while going downhill. Regardless of the Garmin and my own poor pace setting, I felt like the weather...CRAP. What did I learn from this? 1) Start off slower (this is an ongoing lesson for me); 2) don't wear the Garmin and just let my body dictate the pace; 3) don't worry about the stupid weather; 4) HAVE FUN.

June 14 - Scott & Kathleen's Wedding - Absolutely gorgeous! Scott & Kathleen have been friends of ours for a number of years. Scott and Sargent met while training for an Ironman triathlon, and Scott and Kathleen met while training for a race. The wedding was held at Red Rocks, a perfect setting for the union of two remarkable people. Scott and Kathleen are Scout's wonderful caretakers when we go out of town. We were glad to be able to share this lovely day with them. I've added the song "The Story" to the playlist in honor of this couple. The song was sung at the wedding. Enjoy the pics.

June 16-20 - Family Road Trip - Grand Canyon, Glen Canyon Dam, Arches National Park - My dad, step mom, sister Lori, niece Emily and I all loaded up my dad's minivan and drove through CO, UT, and AZ to take in the sights. The whirlwind tour (not to be confused with the Grizwald's Vacation) brought us to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon for a nice look a the big ditch, the Glen Canyon Dam of Lake Powell creation for a dam tour and some dam pictures, and Arches National Park near Moab. The trip allowed us to spend some quality time together without the distractions of everyday life. This is something I can't readily do since I live 700 miles away from the rest of my immediate family. Thanks, Dad, for getting us all together and making this trip happen. (My dad is good like that).

Training Plan (aptly labeled "part deux") - I finally received my training plan. I ordered this 12 week plan over a month ago from Greg McMillan at http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/ After 4 weeks of anticipation, the plan arrived. He has laid out a good mix of speed work, distance, and recovery runs. I'll follow this plan to the best of my ability, I'll stay within his expertly guided pace zones and hopefully the results I am looking for will come to fruition.

Back in the saddle again

Sargent's been bugging me for a couple of weeks to post a blog. It seems he is sick of seeing himself all stretched out with Scout as the first thing that pops up when opening this blog. I guess I've been holding off because I'm not sure what you want to know.
After Brookings I took a week off of running. I was planning on doing a 10 mile race in Durango on May 23rd but my calves were still shot from being cramped for 15 miles. I just re-read that sentence...it sounds like a scene from a cattle drive in which things go terribly wrong and the baby cows have to be put out of their misery. Anyway, a hilly race just wasn't in the cards for that weekend. So Scout and I hung out while Sargent and his friends did some riding and racing.

Here are some great pictures from the weekend. The first one is of the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde. The others are of the sun setting behind the Collegiate Peaks just north of Salida near Buena Vista.

I've been doing some easy runs - from 3 to 8 miles with a couple of tempo runs worked in there this week and last. I hope to do the Rocky Mountain Half Marathon on June 8th. My goal for that race is just to see where I am fitness wise and hope my legs hold out and don't seize up. After that, I'll focus on training for the Skagit Flats Marathon in Burlington, WA on Sept. 7th.

One more picture for the album...this is my cousin Anne's new baby, Jessie. Isn't she just the cutest little peanut? She was only a couple of hours old in this picture. I have some of her with the proud new parents too but they might not want me to post them for all to see. Jessie won't object...at least not until she becomes a teenager.

Sargent & Scout stretching it out

This picture just cracks me up.

Next race...Skagit Flats Marathon September 7, 2008

I decided on the next marathon...Skagit Flats in Burlington, WA on Sunday, September 7, 2008. http://www.skagitflatsmarathon.com/ This is a "flat and fast" out and back course with elevation ranges from 16 to 44 feet. Good thing I'm training at altitude! The race is about 1 hour from my friend Heather's in Seattle. Heather will run the race too.

With a September race, I can embark on a 12 week training program that includes some additional speed work and negative split long runs. For all of you non-runners, a negative split long run means that I will start out approximately 1 min per mile slower than race pace and get progressively faster, finishing the long run at up to 30 seconds faster per mile than race pace. This will be a change from my last training plan where I only ran slow and easy long runs. I'll also add in 1-2 quality speed workouts per week.

Scout and I did our first run since the cramp fest in Brookings. We felt really good for the most part (Scout better than I). My calves were really sore and tight, probably because they were the first to cramp up on me in Brookings, and thus the longest in that constricted state. Scout is chomping at the bit to get out there and do some more training. We'll have to make the switch to early morning runs as the temperature will start heating up here soon. Wish us luck!

THANK YOU to the BEST support crew!

Wow, am I blessed! I have the most wonderfully loving and supportive friends and family. Although today just wasn’t my day, their love and support did not waiver. By far, I had the best cheering crew of any other runner out there. Mile after mile, while the rain came down in sheets and the temperature hovered near 40, they were there. Visible in their bright orange shirts emblazoned with words of support, I was able to spot my courageous cheerleaders ahead on the road. Thank you, Lori, for having the shirts made. A HUGE thank you to my husband, Sargent, who drove with Scout out from CO to be here, my mom, Patty, dad Topper, sister Lori, brother-in-law Mike, niece Emily, and nephews Mark and Rob who spent their 12th birthday out in the rain and cold cheering me on. Also, my cousin Lisa and her son Jade came down from Redfield, my uncle Tom from Aberdeen, and high school friends Jonna and Kris from Groton all braved the elements to be by my side. I am so honored to be a part of this group. I am also very sad that I kept them out in the cold for so long and was not able to celebrate with them at the finish line. For that I do say “I’m sorry”.

Although the race started off well, it quickly went down hill when I began cramping at around mile 7. I was right on pace, and continued to stay on pace (more or less) until mile 11 when both legs (quad, hamstring and calf) and left shoulder seized up. My numb feet felt like bricks, although bricks might have been better because as far as I know, bricks don’t have muscles that cramp. The numbness didn’t stop them from cramping either.

I believe there were a number of factors that contributed to my poor body condition. The stomach bug that I had been fighting since Sunday left me weak and 3 pounds lighter. I was not able to produce enough heat to avoid hypothermia. Somewhere around mile 18, I said to my brother-in-law, Mike, “I think I’m a little hypothermic”. He laughed and said something like “I think you’re way past that.” I continued on until just after mile 21. Knowing there would be no way I could continue on for 5 more miles (at the shuffling pace I was working on at that time, it would be at least one more hour in the cold and rain), and wanting to avoid any permanent damage, I got in the van with my dad and Mike and drove back to the hotel.

When I got out of the van at the hotel, everyone was waiting for me. My biggest fear was that they would be disappointed in me. After all, they sacrificed a lot to be there for me. I’m guessing that each supporter there had something better they could have done this weekend that didn’t require standing out in the rain and cold. However, I was showered with hugs, kisses, words of support, and even flowers (thanks Lisa and Jade for the roses). For this and everything else you have done for me over the years, I can’t thank you enough.

So what's next? I will recover for a couple of weeks, hire a coach, select another marathon sometime in September or October (hopefully not one that will be cold and rainy), and try again. I'll continue to post on my blog for anyone who wants to read it. Again, I can't thank everyone enough for all of the love and support I have felt over the last four months, especially today. In addition to the support crew on hand in Brookings, many sent words of encouragement through email, text messages, and voice mail. Thank you (English), Takk (Norwegian), Pidamayado (Dakota Sioux Indian), Bedankt (Dutch), Merci (French), Danke (German), Mahalo (Hawaiian), Toda (Hebrew), Arigato (Japanese), Komapsumnida (Korean), Grazie (Italian), Dhanyabaad (Nepali), and Gracias (Spanish).

Nearly there

Two more days to race day. Right now they are calling for rain and winds at 15. I'm ok with rain. Not so ok with wind. Oh well, it is what it is. I believe I'm ready, but it's hard to tell. I've had a stomach bug since Sunday. No good. But hopefully I've kept enough nutrients in me to get me through. Running wise I've been taking it easy the past 2 weeks with about 18 miles last week and only about 8 this week. One thing I can say is that I stuck to my training plan for the most part, deviating infrequently and not by much. This in and of itself is a great accomplishment for me. As I stated in my second post titled Training Plan, I am not one follow a training plan to the end. Not on my own, at least.

Regardless of if I qualify for Boston on Saturday or not (reminder, qualifying time for me (read old lady) is 3 hours 45 min.), I still plan on running another marathon in October or November. Originally I had planned to do the Richmond Marathon on Nov. 15th. However, I have a work event the Friday before that I cannot miss. So, I'm looking for another one around that time but not that weekend. For this next marathon and for Boston, I have decided that I need a coach and someone to run with at least 2x per week. To reach the time goals I have set for myself, I need that extra push that I hope coaching will provide.

I will post my results from Brookings on this blog on Saturday evening, so check back then! For now, I bid you all adieu.

Where are they now?

So the Aberdeen American News runs articles now and then about former area athletes. Titled "Where Are They Now", it highlights the lives and happenings of those they had featured in the paper 20 years ago. I happened to be featured in today's paper. I must say I am very flattered by this because I know there are many more accomplished people from the area that are much more deserving of having their names in print.

Scout and I had a typical Saturday...run, massage, clean house, take nap. Scout has been wondering why we aren't running very far lately. She gives me a look as we end the run like "is that it?" We are both missing Sargent as he is in New Mexico riding his bike, so I've added in this picture. And no, my hair is not orange anymore...or at least I hope it isn't as bad as it is in this picture. Sargent looks cute and there is no gray in his hair. :)

May Day

Happy May Day! What is the historical significance of May Day? Infoplease.com says May 1st "just might have more holidays than any other day of the year. It's a celebration of Spring. It's a day of political protests. It's a neopagan festival, a saint's feast day, and a day for organized labor. In many countries, it is a national holiday". I remember in childhood making little baskets out of paper cups, filling them with candy, and dropping them on the doorsteps of your friends on May Day. Maybe I'll just buy myself some candy. Sargent is in New Mexico on a cycling trip with his team, but if he was here, I might make him a basket. Instead I'll just buy him some candy. On second thought, I might eat it all before he gets back. Maybe the whole candy thing is a bad idea.

I haven't posted for a while because there is nothing much new on the running front. I've been taking it easy this last week. Last Saturday Scout and I ran 11, then 5 on Wednesday and just 3 today. I may run a few tomorrow and then I plan to run 8 on Saturday. After that, it's just whatever I feel like. My Garmin has been banished until race day. My running routes are programmed into my head and I know exactly how far I've gone and pace doesn't matter at this point in the game, so I don't need it.

On the scholarship front, I think we are making some progress. Jamestown College recently ran an article in the Alumni & Friends newsletter featuring this blog and the Rob Luecke Memorial Scholarship. Here is a link to that article. I want to again thank all of you who have donated to the scholarship. Your support means a lot. I will get you an update on what we have raised soon, I promise.

Additions and Changes

I've made some changes to my blog that you may have noticed...specifically, I included a link to the online donation portal at Jamestown College. When making a donation, please be sure to specify "Rob Luecke Memorial Scholarship" in the donor comments section. Thank you all so much for your contributions thus far!
I also changed the profile photo to one that isn't in the snow. I added music. Runner's World article feeds have been added as well for your enjoyment. Also, I made it easier to post a comment. You no longer have to be a Google member to post a comment. So, comment away! Thanks to all who have been reading. I appreciate your support!

Kicker

Both yesterday and today were gorgeous days. After 2 days recovery from the long run this weekend, Scout and I ran just under 5 miles at Crown Hill Park on Tuesday, just under seven miles today on one of our favorite trails in Golden. Although I took it easy yesterday, today I kicked it up for miles 3-6, averaging just a bit over 8:00 pace. This was my last tempo run as I'll be tapering for the next 2 weeks. This weekend I will run 10-12 followed by 2 weeks of no more than 20 miles.
I've had more than a little anxiety over the past few weeks...have I done enough (quality) training? Will I be able to maintain the pace I need to in order to qualify for Boston? Will the weather be crappy (out of my control)? etc. etc. etc. Tonight I was searching online and found this article at Runner's World which details my fears http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244--10201-1-1X2X3X4-5,00.html
Basically, the experts say that everything that I'm feeling is quite normal. It also says that with the additional carbs and water I need to consume over the next two weeks, I'll be a bloated cow come race day. Nice.

Last long run done!

On Saturday I completed my last long training run. What was supposed to be 22 miles turned into 23.5 miles, but that is ok. My friend and massage therapist, Nancy, joined me for the last 10. It was a gorgeous day - in the 70's - so I started my run at 6:30 to be done before it got too hot. It was great to have Nancy run with me as it made the last 10 miles much easier. With the 1 1/2 hour massage from Nancy afterward, I'm feeling just fine today. Sargent, Scout and I went for a 6 mile hike this afternoon. I didn't take Scout with me on the long run because I didn't want to push her too far. So today she got a nice hike instead. I think she's ok with that. Oh yeah, I added some of my favorite music to this boring blog.

Tired

I have been feeling quite sluggish on my runs this past week. I'm guessing this has to do with a combination of a hectic work schedule with late nights and some weekend work and a poor diet. When I am really busy at work, I tend to make poor food choices. I am well aware of this, but taking the time to go to the grocery store and then prepare a healthy meal or snack just seems like one more thing on my plate (no pun intended).
Scout and I ran on Saturday (10 miles) and Sunday (5 miles). Part of each of these runs we did a bit of tempo work, but the sluggishness put a damper on that for the most part. Yesterday (Tuesday) I ran 8 miles - 1 mile w/u and 1 mile c/d with 6 miles at tempo. The first 3 tempo miles were directly into a stiff wind and a bit up hill as I was running in a westerly direction. I struggled to maintain an 8:30 pace. The next 3 miles I had turned around, so an 8:00 pace was much easier to maintain over 3 miles. All in all this was difficult for me. I'm hoping a change in diet and work hours over the coming weeks will allow for an improvement in how I feel. I have 22 scheduled for Saturday, so I need to make some changes quickly.