3/68

4 miles (10:30/mi) with Kim.  I ran harder than I planned this morning but I'm feeling good.

I've had a couple of questions asked over the last day so I'll answer them here:
Kim asked:  "Does your foot hurt?". 
Yes, my foot hurts every single minute of every single day.  I hope that someday it won't but for now it does.  It serves as a reminder that no matter how much I exercise or eat clean illness can still strike.  I thank my lucky stars everyday that it wasn't the "The Big C"!

KBF asked: "How are you dealing with the heat?". 
For the record it has been crazy hot here in my part of the world!  100 degrees F yesterday afternoon.  KBF I'm dealing with it by going out at 5:45 AM when it's only 70 degrees!  Race day forecast is back down in the 80's, should be a perfect running morning!

On another note, Heather said I can run with her during the race on Sunday morning.  Yay!  I was afraid she'd want to go solo!  We are shooting for 11:00/mile average which will have us finishing under 2 hours 30 minutes.  Heck I don't care if we take all day, I just want to finish!

Up tomorrow?  I haven't decided yet.  Either an easy 3 miles or rest day.

4/69

REST day.  I more or less rested.  Went to work early so I could leave early.  Watched a movie in a quiet house before the kids came home.  Baked homemade bread and got dinner on the table by 6:00.  Overall very successful rest day!

Lot's of stretching today.  Left piriformis is acting up probably due to change in my gait from surgery.  I'll be heading back to the chiropractor after Sunday's race to work on the scar tissue in my foot.  The incision has finally stopped peeling and scabbing.  Ew gross I know!

Up tomorrow?  4 miles dark and early with Kim.

5/70

5 miles (10:40/mi) with Kim.  Yes Jerry we played nice.  Good run.  Foot is a tight but nothing a little massage and ice won't fix.

Up tomorrow?  REST day

6/71

2 miles (10:30) on the dreadmill and 20 minutes of stretch.  Everything from my butt to my toes is super tight.  Planning on more stretch tonight.  Overall feeling good about finishing Urban Cow even though it won't be my fastest finish.

Up tomorrow?  5 miles.

7 days to Urban Cow 72 days to CIM

Woke up this morning feeling lazy and not in the mood to run in the 75 degree heat.  I did go on a wonderful 4 mile walk with Cheryl, her dog Hurley, and my dog Jack.  Great morning.  The walking was a nice way to work the foot without the pounding of a run. 

Up tomorrow?  4 miles

8/73

30 minutes of ab and upper body work. 

Up tomorrow?  Not sure yet.  Will see how I feel in the morning.

9/74

Rest continued today.  Last night the hubs massaged the gimpy foot.  I'm going to try to get a few miles in tomorrow.  A little more than a week to go now.  Still nervous/excited.

14/76, 13/75, 12/74, 11/73, 10/75

Sorry kids life has been in the way all week.  Training has pretty much been nil this week.  I'm getting excited/nervous for Urban Cow but I'm feeling healthy and ready!

15/77

Ah yeah!  This is the way we do it.  12 miles done by 9:00 AM and I'm feeling GREAT!  Mostly it's due to the fact that Heather came out with me again and we meet up with my old friend Bill and new friend Carolyn.  Time flew and even though it was super humid for our part of the country the temperature was just right.  Two weeks until Urban Cow and I'm feeling pretty confident!

Up tomorrow? REST DAAAAY!  Yay!

16/78

3 miles.  Done. Fin. Finito. 

There was a time not that long ago that I thought anything less than 5 miles was not much of a run.  My last two runs have been less then 5 and tough for me.  My limbs feel heavy and I cannot wait to be done with the run.  I feel like I'm carrying the weight of the world or at least the weight of my world.

Up tomorrow?  12-14 miles with friends.

17/79

REST day.

Up tomorrow?  3 or 4 easy miles to prepare for Saturday's 12-14

18/80

Overslept yet again, ugh.  Did make it out the door around 6:20 and get in 4 miles.  Not a great run (10:20/mi).  Was hoping to get down into the high 9's.  Might have been last night's fast food bender that slowed me down!

19/81

Slept 'til 6:30, seriously considered skipping but then I dragged my butt out of bed.  Was able to get in 3 slow, easy (10:35/mi) miles on the dreadmill.  My foot is feeling cranky and pretty much told me eff you for taking 5 days off and ignoring me.  Point taken.  Back to ibuprofen, ice, massage and stretching.

Up tomorrow?  5 mile tempo run.

22/84, 21/83 & 20/82

I am currently in the epic fail portion of my training.  For some reason I cannot find the motivation to get out the door.  Lame I know but that's how I roll sometimes.  Tomorrow is a new day, hopefully I'll have a new attitude too.

23/85

Overslept this morning and didn't get in a run.  Tonight I'm just too tired.  It's been a rough week at work.  Planning a 12 mile run sometime this weekend.

24/86

Took a second rest day today.  I gave blood Tuesday and was stilling feeling a little tired this morning. 

25/87

Decided a day of rest is in order.  I'm expecting a lot out a foot that was sliced, diced and put back together just 12 short weeks ago.

Up tomorrow? The speed work I skipped today.

26/88

Workout:  5 mile recovery run.  Oops ran about 5.5 (10:45/mi).  Still having trouble pacing.  Today I wanted to stay around 11:00 and take it easy.  I fought myself the whole way.  I'm not sure what my problem is.

I swallowed my fear of running alone in the dark and went out before the sun this morning.  May have been part of the reason I had trouble pacing.  I had this anxious weight in my chest and I really had to fight to keep calm.  Luckily I didn't come across anything or anyone out of the ordinary.

I'm starting to recognize a few butts faces in the park now.  There is a pair of women that actually crack me up.  They are walkers which is totally cool except for the fact that they don't have any trail etiquette and refuse to shift to one side to be passed.  One of them always has a venti sized iced Starbucks beverage with her and both ladies are also very spiffy.  Mind you I dress in the dark and the only spiffin' up I do is brushing my teeth.  Some mornings I wish I had that Starbucks drink though.  I would mainline caffeine all day long if I could find a way to do it.

This morning as I trotted by the aforementioned ladies a masters runner whizzed by on the other side of them.  That's  a really fast old guy for those of you who are wondering.  He seriously whooshed on by like I was standing still.  Man do I envy people who can run like that.  He made it seem so effortless.

Up tomorrow?  Speed work.  Yeah, right!  Well maybe.

27/89

REST day.  Yay!  I'm truly taking the day off and just relaxing.

28 days to Urban Cow 90 days to CIM

9.4 miles!  Feeling on top of the world!  Had the old butterflies in the stomach this morning.  I'm not sure if I was more nervous about the mileage or running with a new partner who was nervous about running with me.  Turned out to be a beautiful morning and the company was FABULOUS (insert sing song voice here!).  Thanks for a great run Heather!  I'm now positive that I can finish Urban Cow even if I have to walk half of it.  Great, I mean super great day!!!

Up tomorrow?  REST day.  Woo hoo!!

29/91

Strength exercises and stretch.  Boring but effective.

Up tomorrow?  9 miles of awesomeness with PDawg!  Can't wait!

30/92

REST day. 
Tomorrow 30-40 minutes of cross training.

31/93

Overslept again.  Damn it.  Cut today's planned 5 miler down to 3.  Decided to push a little harder since I cut the distance down.  Was hoping to get down to 9:50/mile didn't quite make it coming in at 10:00/mile.  Did manage negative splits though.  Mile 1 10:56, mile 2 9:49, mile 3 9:31.

32/94

4 miles (10:10/mi).  Was up 'til after midnight with the hubs.  Literally have only seen each other passing from one activity to the next for over a week.  Overslept this morning. Didn't have time for my planned 6 mile run.  I didn't see another soul running or walking on my route for the first 2 miles.  That's pretty odd since I ran my park route.  But at mile 2 I saw a familiar gentleman ahead on the path.  He has the sweetest smile and twinkling blue eyes and reminds me so much of my grandfather.  It made my morning!

Foot feels great today.  All the stretching and icing is finally paying off!

Up tomorrow?  5 miles