Lazy Days...

Ok, not really lazy... just when it comes to my running. I am in a bit of a summer lull. Traveling, work, heat... just a bit too much to fight through. So, my goal at the moment is to just keep up enough to maintain a working facade of fitness. Once things settle down a bit, or at least settle in... then I will hopefully start up the actual training towards a marathon in the Spring. However, the 3 miles I did last week... is not quite going to cut it.

What the...

What the...,
originally uploaded by TreeBed.

So after travel hell yesterday, I felt I was having a good comeback this morning. Woke up, a short run, dip in the pool, decent hotel breakfast, upgrade to a sporty little rental... on my way... I stopped at Starbucks to see if they had sandwiches, and grab an iced coffee to finish the trip with. I walked in and they handed me a "blah-blahchino-cup-o-sugar"... free is a good price, so I reluctantly accepted, and then noticed... no sandwiches, or anything lunchish. Feeling it would be poor form (even at Starbucks, especially since the girl had just loaned me scissors to open a package) to turn around and walk out with my free cup-o-sugar, I bought the least sweet looking thing in the case. So, instead of a quick lunch, and a little pick me up... I am now full of sugar and a little shaky. Oh well, guess I will get back in my sporty little rental and wait for the sugary walls of goodness to come crashing down... Its fun while it lasts (I think).

Today: 3 miles
Week: 3 miles

Hell (take two)

So I am sitting on a million degree plane on the runway in Las Vegas (for the last hour)... and instead of taking off... we are now heading back to the terminal to deplane, lose some fuel, get back on, fly away... but stop in some other random place in route to Omaha to get back the fuel we had to dump... I didn't sign up for this... but some how it all seems to fit.

Hell

If I believed in such things, I would say I have a much better idea of what Hell is like after today. Yeah, not the best day ever. I will spare you the gory details, but just the miserable temperature amplifies all crappiness I suppose. Anyway, no run, but I did get a sweltering 3 mile walk in (not by choice exactly). Guess that will be my work out for the day.

Better...

Well, it still wasn't "good" (my knee was talking to me about 12 min in), but it was better. It helped that I waited till it cooled off a bit (and I caught a beautiful sunset). I need to start stretching more. I have never been really good at being consistant with stretching, but my body needs it. I was thinking tonight that what I really need is to start Yoga... then I thought, "well, that won't happen anytime soon", and then I thought... "why the hell not?" I am not in one place long enough to take classes (which would be the ideal), but I do have a yoga for runners book... ahhhh, I could MAKE it happen. We'll see. It would be a good challenge for myself (not to mention really good for me).

At the moment I am watching The Edukators, it is a German film (don't be scared). It is a good flick with some good things to think about. Check it out sometime.

Today: 5 miles
Week: 11 miles

Blegh!

Today was one of those "get back into it" runs... you know, where you feel really crappy, but you just sort of have to push on through it. Yep, one of those. It didn't help that I let it get too hot outside before heading out. However, I am feeling good now that I got it in. I am hoping tomorrow will feel a bit better and I can jump back up to 5 miles, but for now... I will take what I can get. It is nice to be home... not quite ready to jump into all that I need to get done, but the clock is a tickin!

Today: 3 miles
Week: 6 miles

Ugly Shoes

Ugly Shoes,
originally uploaded by TreeBed.

I am back from my week of camp... spending a week with a bunch of teenagers is worth at least an 80 mile week! I am certainly tired, but also had a great time.

Now it is time to get back to some training, and back to work. Another day of bumming around Portland (in recovery mode) should help get me ready for that.

Today: 3 miles
Week: 3 miles

Friday Again?

Geez, could it really be Friday already... I haven't had a lot of posts this week so maybe that is why it seems like I just posted about Friday. It has ended up being sort of a down week. My legs felt a bit torched after the run... then i torched myself on the 4th with some dehydration issues... then I jumped in a car and headed to the Northwest. Now I am up to Seattle for an evening (I am on the train right now), and Sunday I will head out to a youth camp for a week. Whew...

I did get a short run in this morning... felt pretty crappy, but it was beautiful out... so that sort of balanced it out.

Today: 3 miles
Week: 6 miles

Happy 4th

Got an easy run in Golden Gate park today... a fun holiday with the family. My legs are still a bit torched from the race.
Not much else...

Today: 3 miles
Week: 3 miles

Race Results

Pre-Race Photo

Pre-Race Photo,
originally uploaded by TreeBed.

Got my second run at the Angle Island trail run... It was fun to have friends along this time (and my mom... the photographer here). It was perfect conditions for running (although it would have been nice to see the view from the top of the island... it was a misty morning). I am going to be sore tomorrow for sure. It did feel good to go and blow the cobwebs out. That is the nice thing about a course that goes up and then DOWN... if you can make it up... then you can role down. I am not really sure what I was doing this morning... I showed up without clothes to warm up in, or change into. For some reason I woke up at 3:30am, I suppose that probably had a part in it. But once I got there I started wondering if I ever had done a race before...

Good times...
Today: 5 miles
Week: 16 miles