Still Here

So it's been a long time, months! I have not stopped running, in fact I have been ramping it up over the past few months as my foot and ankle get better and better. I ran my first post-injury half-marathon a few weeks ago and PR'd by a few minutes. There was a lot of debate about the length of the course, but even if it was short I would have still gotten a PR from what I could figure redoing the numbers. I have never had much concern over certified courses (as I'll never in my natural life BQ, not that I have ever wanted to) but I can see why those numbers are important to some.

Never won the Master's category before, I must be getting old, or maybe there just aren't a lot of 48 year-olds running messy trail races?

Just yesterday I ran my first trail race, post-injury. It was a 5.5 miler and although not technical or very hilly, we did spend a lot of time running in knee to thigh deep water. As you all know water adds a giant level of resistance, not something I was anticipating and it just plane old wore me out. We have had some tremendous rains recently and this run is on a trail that circumnavigates a big lake. Well the lake just rose on up and covered large sections of the trail. It made for a tough, muddy and wet run. I lost a shoe and then at one point fell completely in the mud, but it still was way, way fun. In the end I still managed to get the Masters First Place award.

A perfect day, 39 degrees at the start, sunny and dry. A wonderful course through town, I was able to walk to the start and take a nice stroll home afterwards. Now that's a perfect race!

I did get into the ING NYC Marathon on November 3rd, already have my entry paid for (expensive race!) and my plane tickets purchased. My brother who has run it several times will be my local host and my support crew, he's very excited about it, after all he's the reason I am running, so I guess for him this is also a big achievement. I am very excited and a bit scared. For several reasons, 1) I want to make sure I stay healthy, especially my foot, 2) I have never trained during our summer months, August and September are killers down here, 3) I want to have good enough training that I can really enjoy this race in my home-town and with my family supporting me. 

Well that's all for now, I am hoping to keep in better touch with you all in the coming weeks, I haven't been the best blogger friend, but I do see a lot of you on FB anyway. Cheers everybody!

More Good Days

It's been a great month. My running is going really well. Seven miles is my tops for now but my pace is pretty much back to normal. This past weekend I ran in my first 5K and had planned to just jog it. Funny enough I ran into the same guy, at exactly the same place I did in last years race, and we pushed each other through to the end just like last year. I ended up second in my age group.


It's a small race so it's not like there is a lot of competition but after not having raced in so long it was a boost for my confidence. Hardware is hardware!

The weekend before last I decided that morning to jump on a metric century bike ride for charity. What was I thinking? I hadn't been on my bike in a few weeks, I hadn't even pumped up my tires. It's true, I do crazy shit sometimes, so I figured this was right up my ally. Well it was the coldest, windiest, grey day ever. It was the most grueling ride too. But I hooked up with friends and well you know misery loves company, so we got it done and in the end had a great time. Next time I'll do a little training beforehand!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Running Again

Just a short post to let everyone know I am back at it! My ankle is healing real well and yesterday I did about 6.5 miles, it was slow but today I feel no residual pain.

I'll have to skip any fall marathons due to lack of training, but I should be able to do a half-marathon in early December and plan to do my next full in February.

I don't feel sad about missing my training and running as I had an extremely busy art-life for the past few months, working on may projects and a large out-door sculpture commission for the USM campus.

It's almost like starting over, with a renewed excitement and hopes for future endeavors. Next week I will formulate my training for the next few months and I can't wait to sit down and plan out my next races!

Summer Activities

Here are some images from my summer activities- so far. The summer is long in Mississippi so much more is to come.

I decided to do this local half that morning. No training!  But I was only off my PR by a minute and 30 seconds.

Yikes! Nothing worse than an unplanned visit to the dentist!

Lots of great bike rides these days. Decided to be brave and get off the bike path and explore the local roads. It 's been an excellent summer for riding.

My new Hippy Chick jersey, I love the colors.

The last day of my summer class at the end of July, taught a beginner furniture design class. As you can see it was a very successful class. A first for me with this class so it was a very busy summer of teaching. Three classes all together.

As you may have noticed not a lot of running images besides the half marathon at the beginning of the summer. Unfortunately there will be very few for the next month or so. In late June I sprained my ankle pretty bad while working on some sculpture in the shop. Not being a running injury I guess I never really took it too seriously, took a week off, did light running for another week and then proceeded to act as if it never happened. Bad idea! Its been bothering me for over a month now, hurts all the time. I have a marathon I want to do in December and I need to start training in mid September. Stupid me. Now I need to deal with it as if it is a fresh injury and take at least six weeks off. The tendinitis that has developed is chronic so I have to be extra careful if I want to have good training in the fall. Live and learn, right?

Early Summer Fun

So far summer is hot, but fun. Work is crazy and will remain that way as I teach all summer. But it feels good, I feel focused. Running 3-4 times a week, one (at least) 30+ mile road bike ride every weekend. I have been riding my off-road bike to work, I love jumping curbs.


Some Recent pictures...

Not suede, but they are new and blue!

More biking, less running on Trace, too many horse flies, they don't bother the bikers.

This is the South after all....

So beautiful. I was on my bike, he wouldn't budge. I moved him off with a big stick. Very heavy.

Spring Has Sprung

Wow. It's been way too long. I find that I have been keeping up with a lot of folks via Facebook and forget how much is going in Blogger.

Things are well. I have been slammed at work for two months now and realize my choice not to run the 50 mile race was in the end a very good one, considering everything that has been going on. I have been running my usual 4-5 days/ 20 to 30 miles a week and keeping up with everything else, somehow. I think that when I am crazy-busy in life, just like the last few miles of a marathon, I get really focused and push though the tough spots. Does any body else find that?

I have run a few 5Ks and been having fun with that and there is a half marathon in town in May, so I'll do that too. Ran a Saint Patty's Day 5K and had fun wearing green all day, to the parade and festival as well. Here's a pic of me after the race. Not a drop of Irish blood in these veins but for that day I was green in spirit!

Tidbits

Not a whole lot going on in my running world. Juts doing the weekly 25 thing (if I am lucky) and being extra busy at work and art.

• On Friday morning did my first pre-dawn to escape the heat run. It was nice to be out so early and escape not only the heat but also the traffic. It was hot and muggy. Lots more of that to come.
• Today I would have been running  my first 50 miler, if it were not for an injury and life coming into play early in the year. Not too sad though, it's still raining out and there is lots more headed this way. Did the monsoon thing at last years race for the 50K. Not missing it.
• Lots of smaller races, 5ks and such coming up. Trying to decide which ones to run. So many to choose from.
• Would like to find a nice half to do in late spring. Need something to train for.
• Trying to decide if I want to do another marathon in the late fall or just save it all for the big race again next March?
• Been doing some Power 90, God the squats and lunges are killing me. About to go do an ab workout. Pain.
• Need to get back on my good diet. Oh how I love to eat.

Pouring iron with my peeps. Image- Taylor Barnett





Decided I am going to take a blogger break for a bit. I'll post updates every now and again and hope to visit my friends too but a break is needed to clear the head and get back on track.