200 Days

MCM is 200 days away.  My head knows that is plenty of time.  I know I can get to where I need to be in 200 days.  I'm just still a little afraid. 

Lower Abdominal Injury

About a month ago, I thought I was pretty invincible.  I had completed a fifty miler, and was training for the Boston to Big Sur challenge.  Even though it was two marathons six days apart, I felt pretty undaunted – I had done two 28-mile double-summit Mount Diablo training runs in training for my 50 in December.  I decided I would use Hal Higdon’s Boston Bound training plan to get some speed work and hill intervals, but that I would do back to back weekend long runs, starting at 20 miles, then after a week off two 22’s and eventually two 24’s.  I figured this would ensure that not only would I finish the two marathons, but that I might even PR Boston.  My ultimate hero dream was to come down Boylston Street and maybe even see the time clock time with a two in the hours column. 

Then I had that bad run.  It was a Friday afternoon, and I was supposed to do an eight mile pace run, which I had decided meant trying to get as far under 7:00 miles as possible.  I had been able to do this a few other times, but on this day something felt off, and I was putting in too much effort to hit 7:10 miles.  When I finally got home and stopped, I felt a sharp pain in my lower abdomen.  I didn’t think much of it – I’m used to the aches and pains of running, and I was more concerned with the fact that my mile splits were off target.  That night I went out drinking beers with a buddy, and even helped him move a dresser down a few flights of stairs.  That didn’t feel great on the abdomen, but I just hoped I’d wake up the next morning and it would be gone.  Well, that didn’t happen, and when my allergies flared up on Saturday and every sneeze jarred my abdomen, I just planned to skip the Saturday run so I could just get the 22-miler in on Sunday.  No chance of that either, and I finally became resigned to the fact that I’d just have to take a couple days off.

I tried running on Tuesday, and made it about a block before feeling sharp pain which forced me to turn around.  That was enough to make me realize I was injured, and couldn’t just gut this one out.  I also had to admit to myself that I was limping throughout the day at work.  My first thought was that I had a sports hernia, and after a Google search I became pretty convinced that it was a pretty accurate diagnosis.  Then I became a little more optimistic and Googled “abdominal strain” and was pretty sure that that’s what I had.  I know that medical self-diagnosis on Google is one of the worst things you can do, but the compulsion is always too hard to resist.  Lesley told me I should go to the doctor, but I didn’t want to hear that I should take a few months off and miss Boston and Big Sur. 

I took eight days off, and my symptoms gradually improved, but when I went out for a two-mile trial run, I felt the return of the pressure on my lower abdomen again.  I decided that since there seemed to be some improvement, I didn’t need to throw in the towel yet so I signed up for a one-month gym membership.  The owner gave me a deal when I explained my situation, and I told him that all I needed was the stationary bike. 

For the past few weeks the stationary bike has been both my refuge and antagonist.  I have been able to maintain fitness, but am unsure how this will translate to running.  The tedium though, is terrible.  I try to keep my RPMs up to at least 90, and some days when I get bored, I just crank up the level for about two minutes to snap out of it.  I have done speed work outs, but again, have no idea what they translate to my Yasso repeats.  There are televisions with close captioning, so I listen to my headphones and drift in and out of daytime television shows like Katie (Couric, a talk show that I never knew existed), or four straight episodes of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives the other day.  I did run a whole category of Literature questions in Jeopardy and nailed the final Jeopardy question, unsure whether or not I should tell the guy on the treadmill next to me (I didn’t, but more to give him a chance than out of a fear of showing off).  Sometimes I look out the window over my shoulder and see the blossoms on the tree outside, and know that spring is blooming this time largely without me.

Last weekend I was able to get out for a run, and decided that the abdominal issue would just be there, but as long as it wasn’t painful I would keep going.  I ran a twelve mile loop that finished at the gym, then rode the bike for an hour, before a dead-legged mile shuffle back home.  I ran a couple other times this week, but can’t quite get back-to-back runs.  When I do run, I cannot push the pace – it just feels like I’m lacking the strength of my lower abs – so I’ve given up on the idea of a Boston PR or Boston BQ.  I did get a twenty-miler in this morning though, and while it didn’t feel great, I think I can at least get through Boston.  I’m still unsure about Big Sur, but I’ve got three weeks to hopefully heal some, so I’ll see how it feels.

I guess injuries are a part of running, or getting older, or both.  At least it has been a reminder that I should focus more on cross training.  Just not on a stationary bike – I think on my last day at the gym I’m going to drag that thing out to the parking lot and drive over it a couple times with my car.

MCM Training Starts Today!

Today is my first official day training for the Marine Corps Marathon.  I had my coach design out a plan for the next 7 months to get me to the starting line healthy and hopefully feeling pretty confident.  I certainly don't have any lofty goals for this marathon.  Finishing = Winning. 

I started off with a 3 mile run today.  It's been about 3 weeks since I last ran so it felt good to get back out there again.  I've missed it.  Evan was so excited when I got home and he immediately started asking me if I was going to have some Nuun.  The boys love that stuff.

Mike decided to photobomb us in the background.
 

Yoga

I went to a yoga class this morning.  It's been a few weeks since my last class.  I've really missed it.  My body has as well.  I've noticed my hip feeling tight again and I definitely noticed a decrease in my flexibility. 

Today's class kicked my butt in the best possible way. I've got to get back into the habit of going 2-3 times a week again.

Like Mommy & Daddy!

The boys and I were waiting for Mike to pick us up outside a Fleet Feet store (my favorite running shoe store) and Lucas pointed to the pictures of the runners on the window.  He then exclaimed, "Those are runners like Mommy & Daddy!"

I love how he associates running with us.  Hopefully by us modeling running to him, he'll grow up to be a runner someday as well.

Back at it

I've fallen off the wagon.  Life got in the way yet again and it seems like I've been sick 3 weeks out of March.  Plus I've also come to realize that I just don't run regularly when I'm not training for something.  I need the accountability of knowing my runs are working towards a bigger goal.  I've decided to change that. 

I signed up for two races in May.  I'm a huge fan of Brazen Racing and decided to sign up for two of their races.  I'm doing the Western Pacific 10K on May 3 and the Nitro Trail 5K on May 31.  But that's not all I've got on my race calendar.  I've got something else.  Something BIG. 

For awhile now I've thought that a half marathon was probably the max distance I would run in a race.  I don't think I'm cut out for anything longer.  But then again, a marathon has always been on my bucket list.  It's something I'd love to say I did.  Because I never, ever thought I would run one before (hell, I never even thought I'd run at all!).  I've always said that if I were to run a marathon it would have to be a big race.  A race with a lot of spectators to boost my spirits when I hit the wall.  A race with a lot of participants so I never feel like I'm running all by myself. 

The Marine Corps Marathon is one of those races.  I happened to look at their website and saw that they were accepting entrants for their lottery.  I entered feeling fairly confident I wouldn't get selected. 

But then I did.  I got into Marine Corps.  Holy crap.  I'm going to run a marathon.  I'm just a bit frightened...

Spectating at Oakland Running Festival's Marathon & Half Marathon

Today was Oakland Running Festival's race.  Last year this was my first half marathon.  In addition, I managed to convince 21 of my students to run the half marathon as well!  We were so grateful to be part of Running for a Better Oakland which helped train the runners on Saturday mornings.  There were quite a few of our former students who were running the half marathon again so Mike and I wanted to be there to cheer them on (they didn't know we were coming so surprising them was fun).  In addition our good friend Moir was running the full marathon (his first!) so we wanted to be sure to cheer him on.  A coworker of ours was also running her first marathon so we were hoping to see her as well.

We made it a fun outing for the boys by taking BART.  They love riding on BART.
 
 
 
 
 

We took BART to West Oakland because it was around the halfway point for the half marathon runners and close to mile 20 for the marathoners.  Within a few minutes of arriving we saw Junior run by (in the yellow shirt). 

 Then came Jonathan (also in yellow - all of the students wore yellow RBO shirts).

I was happy to see Jefferson coming by as well.  Last year Mike ran the half marathon with him.

After Jefferson we saw Alejandra running with a smile on her face!
 
 Jasmine came running by as well looking really strong!

Then I looked around the corner and saw David and Vanessa.  They looked like they were struggling and walking a bit.  I definitely know that feeling.  I think I scared them when I jumped out in front of them and told them to start running again!  I ran a bit with them and was so proud of them for digging deep and continuing on. 
 
 I'm so proud of all of my students from last year.  It was really good to see them and cheer them on as they ran 13.1 miles! 

We were all really excited when we saw Moir come around the corner!  

 
We also saw our coworker Lacy run by.  I didn't get a picture because she was running faster than I anticipated (she rocked that marathon!) so I didn't have my camera ready.  But I gave her a high five!  
It was really inspiring to see all of the runners.  I love cheering on at races.  I know how much it means to me when I run a race to have people cheer me on.  It was also a bit intimidating to see the runners who were struggling because this is probably going to be me.  I've signed up for my first marathon - October 26th.  Time to get training!

Days 2 and 3

I really love incorporating regular exercise into my life.  I like how my clothes fit better.  I have more patience and energy with my kids.  I think good thoughts about myself.  It's awesome.  The one thing though that I don't like is how busy it makes our weekdays.  I have to sacrifice some time with my boys in the afternoon in order to get a run in while it's still light outside (I'm so looking forward to the time change this weekend!).  But overall it is worth it.  I need to keep telling myself that when I'm tired from being out of the house for 12 hours or I'm feeling frazzled by the nonstop nature of my day from 4:45am until usually 7pm. 

Tuesday I went to my favorite yoga class.  I was disappointed though that my favorite teacher wasn't there and instead a substitute was teaching the class.  She's a newly trained teacher and I didn't care for her style too much but it did feel good to open up my hips and stretch. 

Wednesday I did hill repeats.  I ran one mile to warm up and then headed to a hill that my students refer to as Little Mama.  I ran up 3 times (needed to stop once in the middle where it levels out a bit) and down 3 times before running a mile back to my car.  It felt good to get my heart rate up and feel my legs power through the repeats.  I also was reminded why whenever I sign up for a run I usually pick a flat one.  :-)

Today I plan on running after work.  I'm not sure if I'll do an easy run or some type of tempo run.  We'll see how my legs feel. 

Day One

Today is day one of getting back on the wagon.  My goal of running 4 times a week, yoga/pilates 2-3 times, and strength training once is starting today.  When I work I get up early (4:40am).  I shower and get ready and then head into the kitchen.  Mike and the boys are still sleeping.  I have usually 20 minutes of quiet to drink a cup of coffee, check email, and have some downtime to myself before Lucas is up. 

I've been so hungry in the morning lately and doesn't seem to matter what I eat for breakfast I'm still starving a few hours later.  Today I tried having a bowl of oatmeal with strawberries and blueberries.  It kept me full until noon - win!

Once the day gets going it is so busy.  The job of a teacher is pretty demanding and I feel like I'm going nonstop until I leave at 3:45.  I packed lunches for the week yesterday (mixed greens with grilled chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, and balsamic vinegar.  Made it really easy to eat in my classroom while helping some students. 
 
It's a good thing I love doing what I do.  Mike was running home from work today (the beauty of living so close to work!) and I was picking up the boys.  Even though we live less than a mile and a half from work the pick up of both boys at two different locations takes about 45 minutes. 

I'm so happy when I see them in the afternoon.  I usually get Evan first and love hearing about how day while we drive to pick up Lucas.
 
When I got home I made the boys a snack and then changed to go for my run.  It's been a few weeks since I've run so I wasn't sure how my hip would feel.  I decided to just do a short, easy 2.5 miles to ease into it again.  It felt good to be running again.  I've missed it. 

I came home and played with the boys a bit while I did some ab work and Mike made dinner. 


The boys are finishing their shower with daddy then it will be time to read books with them before they go to sleep. I've got big plans of a hot cup of tea (still nursing that awful sore throat and cold - going on day 11 now!) and The Bachelor on TV. 

March 1st

It's March today.  Two months already into 2014.  I'm no where near where I'd thought I'd be when I thought up my goals for 2014.  But that's OK.  I need to be kind to myself and remember I was injured.  I was feeling burnt out on always being in the training mode for some race.  It's good to take some time off, to actually miss running for running. 

My hip is finally feeling better but then I got hit with a horrible cold.  My chest felt tight like I couldn't get a full breath in.  Running didn't seem like a good option.  But Monday I'm going to try again. 

My goal for the next 4 weeks is to run 4 days a week.  One "long" run - I say long in quotes because I know I've lost some running fitness.  I'm going to start with 4 miles and increase by a mile each week.  One run will be hill repeats - something I've never done before.  I know which hill I'm going to run up and down but I'm not yet sure how many times.  I think I'll start by doing as many as I can and then add one more.  Each week I'll increase from there.  One run will be easy.  My last one will be a tempo run or some type of speed intervals. 

In addition to running 4 times a week I want to go to my yoga studio ideally 3 times a week but I'd settle for 2.  I also want to do one day a week of strength training with weights (since yoga can count as strength training as well I figured once is good).  This means some days I may need to double up since I will want at least one day off a week.  I plan on checking in here each week to recap what I've done.  I'm hoping this helps me get back to a regular routine of running and taking care of my body. 

San Diego 50 Mile Race Recap

Over the course of my training for the San Diego 50 Miler (my first legit ultra) I gradually began to wrap my head around the possibility of running that far, and actually felt pretty confident during my peak training weeks.  I ran about a hundred miles over an eight day span during Christmas break, and got a sense of what it must be like to push on with tired legs.  But in the days leading up to last Saturday’s race, I just felt like a shell of myself, distracted and anxious.  It seemed like it would be a miracle somehow to even get to the starting line.  But sure enough, after an eight hour drive from the Bay Area to San Diego on Friday, with my two and four-year-old boys in the back, some bad Mexican food in Oceanside for lunch, and a slight wrong turn on the way to the race Saturday, I found myself picking up my number and shirt at the registration table in a dark parking lot with about forty-five minutes to go until race time.

We were staying with my brother Jay and his girlfriend Julia whose own brother, Mark, was also running the race.  He had completed a couple 50 milers before, and his excitement on the drive over did a bit to dispel some of my own anxiety.  After we checked in, we went back to Jay’s heated car and sat for a while.  I kept going over my gear to make sure I didn’t forget anything, and miraculously, it seemed like everything was in order.  Lesley would be meeting me at the 30-mile aid station and the two after that, so I wasn’t going to use a drop bag.  I generally never run with a hat, but after Mark told me how exposed parts of the course would be, I began to regret not having one.  Fortunately Jay said he would send one with Lesley, which turned out to be a lifesaver.

Mark and I are ready to go

At about ten minutes to race time, everyone started leaving the warmth of their cars and heading over to the starting line.  After some brief instructions about trail markings, and a bit of encouragement, we were off.  The sun wasn’t up yet, but it was light enough to see, and the outdoor temperature on Jay’s car said it was 38 degrees.  I just had a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, and carried my one hand-held water bottle.  Most of my big training runs were done on cold mornings, so it felt perfect.  My biggest fear in the beginning was going out too fast and getting caught up in the moment, so I held back for the first few miles up to Raptor Ridge, keeping an eye on my watch and trying to stay between 9:00 and 9:30 miles.  At Raptor Ridge it felt great to be on some single track and to get some climbing in, and I caught up with Mark and we chatted a bit.  We both flew down the backside which might have worried me a bit, but I’ve found that sometimes it takes less energy to run fast downhill than slow.  Going into the first aid station, I kept to my plan of eating often and early, and grabbed three quarter-cut peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and shoved them down my throat.  I didn’t want to spend much time there so I raced out, leaving Mark behind.

For the next section of the race I tried to stay as relaxed as possible and enjoy the moment.  The sun finally came up from behind the hills and I knew it would get hot eventually, so I just tried to stay loose and cool.  The course went through a dry riverbed alongside strawberry fields at one point, but mostly through open chaparral.  I brought my iPod and planned on listening to it eventually, but wanted to see how far I could go without it.  Eventually I heard the noise of I-15 and we hit the second aid station.  Sticking to my plan I grabbed another three quarter-cut peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and even a chocolate chip cookie.  I decided to start using my Nuun tablets here, but decided to keep going without the iPod.  For the next fifteen miles, I just settled into my run and tried not to worry too much about anything.  I felt pretty confident with runs up to about thirty miles in length, and figured I’d have plenty of time to deal with anything that might come up.  I chatted a bit with a few people and it was nice to reach Lake Hodges.  But I kept thinking about how exposed the trail was, knowing that eventually the sun would be a factor.

Hi Five From Lucas at mile 30

I felt good at the turnaround and dumped some water over my head, but I knew that I was entering the unknown, that stretch of running that had initially made ultras seem so intriguing, but mostly because of the fact that it had seemed impossible to go that much further past a marathon.  There was a bit of climbing after the turnaround and I decided to power-hike most of it to conserve energy.  I was actually behind someone who was running and we were going about the same speed, so it seemed like a good choice.  But this was my first bit of walking, and in a way it snapped me out of the trance of running.  I saw Mark after a mile or two and he reminded me to take salt capsules at the aid stations.  I put my iPod on at about 28 miles, and just thought about how great it would be to see Lesley at the next aid station.  But the heat was really starting to bother me, and my plan to eat early and often now seemed like a poor choice because my stomach was starting to bother me.  When I reached the aid station, I first saw Lucas, my four-year-old, then Lesley.  Jay, my brother, was holding Evan, our two-year-old, and Jay’s girlfriend Julia was there too.  It was definitely a lift, but a bit of a struggle to leave and head back out into the sun.  Lesley had brought Jay’s running hat though, which made a huge difference, and has made me wonder why I had never run with a hat before.

Shuffling away from the 35 mile aid station

The next twelve miles or so were a struggle, and the wheels fell off a bit.  In preparation for this run, I had read about “bad patches” and how runners can get through them and actually feel better.  But given my experiences in marathons, where you feel bad with a few miles left and gut it out till the end, it seemed unlikely.  At this point though I was really hoping there was some truth to it.  The stretch between miles thirty and forty were flat and exposed.  I thought maybe I could distract myself with music, but this was some real suffering – although I guess all suffering is relative, and this was definitely self-imposed.  My stomach hurt and even today a week later, the thought of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich makes me a bit nauseas.  I began walking some stretches of the flats and told myself if I could just make it to I-15, the forty-mile aid station, I could walk it in if I really had to.  I definitely vowed during this time to never run another ultra (but was looking for another 50 on the internet the next day).

I actually thought I was smiling here 

A couple things helped me through my bad patch.  The first were ginger candies, which Lesley loaded me up with at the forty mile aid station, and instantly helped my stomach problems.  The second was ice in my running hat, which would last about five miles until the next aid station.  Of course I should mention my crew, Lesley, who got me everything I needed, reminded me when I had already taken a salt tablet, and got me back on the trail.  But the two people that really snapped me out of it were Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.  I was walking out of the forty mile aid station swallowing masticated pretzels like pills to keep getting calories when “Nothin’ but a G Thang” came up on my iPod.  I needed to get kind of fired up at this point to bring it home, so I started rapping along with Snoop and Dre along the bicycle path by I-15.  The more I rapped the more I felt like a true G, so I threw some arm movements into it, not really caring when I passed people out for a Sunday bicycle ride – I guess I must have looked like some salt stained, running freak yelling some unfortunate lines about women, but I figured the fact that I was wearing a bib gave me a bit of a license to be a weirdo.  The song got me going, and I started walking less, knowing I just had to make it to the next aid station.  Things were pretty spread out at this point in the race, but I passed a couple people and we traded encouragements to get through the shared voluntary suffering.

My tank was empty when I got to the last aid station before Raptor Ridge, and I leaned on the table for a minute, eating some watermelon and trying to get some Coke in for the caffeine and sugar to get me home.  When I left the aid station and started up Raptor Ridge, a Pixies cover of the Warren Zevon song “Ain’t That Pretty at All” came on, which seemed perfect for my state of being at that moment, so I shouted the chorus as I got up the hill.  On the backside of the hill, I found I could run, or shuffle, but whatever it was, it was continuous, and even though I promised myself some walking breaks, I didn’t really walk much at all.  The closer I got, the more I felt the excitement swell up within, and I had a minor emotional breakdown when I saw the cars of the parking lot through the trees.  But I kept it under control, and just enjoyed the moment as I ran in to my family and was able to finally stop.  My time was 8:45:19, I came in 16^th overall, but most importantly I finished something that I previously thought impossible.  The world really begins to open up at such moments in life.

Pure Joy!

For now I focus on the Boston and Big Sur marathons in April, but Lesley and I have tentatively planned on teaming up for the Dirty Dozen twelve hour race in Pinole in July.  We figure she could probably run about three hours and I should be able to do nine, but my personal goal would be to see if I can go beyond 50.  After that, who knows?  Road marathons don't quite have the same appeal anymore, although I am looking forward to Boston and Big Sur.  A 100-mile race seems awesome in theory, but impossible to wrap my head around, but I remember when a 50 felt the same way.

Pulling out of the Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon

Sadly I'm not going to be able to run the Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon in San Francisco on February 2nd. My injury has persisted (doctor diagnosed it as hip tendinitis) despite resting it.  Monday I went out for a test run.  I ran 2 easy miles but the pain increased toward the end of my run.  It's pretty apparent that I won't be able to run 13.1 miles. 

I'm sad and disappointed.  I'm beginning to miss running.  Hopefully another week or so of rest will allow it to heal so I can get back out there.  I had already decided not to sign up for a spring half but instead focus on increasing speed and maybe do a few 5Ks and 10Ks.  Now I'm not so sure.  I'm hesitant to sign up for anything at this point. 

The outside of my leg is tight - I believe that's my IT band.  I need to research foam rolling and see if that helps. 

Instead of wallowing in the disappointment of not being able to run the half marathon (after such a good training cycle with my new running coach!) I'm going to use this time off to add in some strength training (a goal of mine for the past 2 years!) and also check out some yoga studios.  I'm hoping that will keep me from losing too much fitness and will also help me add them in to my routine when I do begin running again.

My Taper Slump

Usually when I’m training for a race, I dream about those last two weeks of the training schedule, the taper.  After hitting a peak of high mileage, those short runs at the end, and the extra days off seem like a mini-vacation before the race.  But the reality is, I can never fully enjoy the taper – whether it’s withdrawal, or an irrational fear that my hard earned fitness is slowly deflating, or like this time around, anxiety for the unknown that awaits me this weekend, the taper weeks are always a drag.

My original plan was to run the North Face Endurance Challenge 50 miler in December, but I waited just a bit too long to commit to the race and when I went to sign up, it was full.  I had already been training for a couple months, so I found another race, the San Diego 50 Miler in January, and signed up immediately.  This would give me a chance to see my brother and his girlfriend’s new place in Escondido, take the family to my old college stomping grounds, and give me an additional month and a half to train.  With five road marathons under my belt (four in the past year), it felt like it was time to see if I could go further.  Plus, I was getting a little bored running on pavement, and the idea of exploring the trails around Mount Diablo sounded intriguing.

Now that the race is just three days away, I know I should just trust in my training, but there is just so much uncertainty to stay calm and confident this time around.  My longest training run was the Lake Folsom 50K in November, and I actually came in third overall.  I ran that race like a marathon though, going out a bit too fast and paying for it through the last few miles.  Even though technically it is an ultra, I didn’t really feel like that gave me credibility to claim I’ve completed an ultra. 

The bulk of my training took place in the hills around Concord and Walnut Creek.  All of my medium training runs of at least six miles were either in the hills of Lime Ridge or Shell Ridge, and all included as many hills as I could get in.  I ran the hills as much as I could, and even though I plan to walk some hills in San Diego, I figured running would give me a better base of fitness.  My long runs were pretty much exclusively on Mount Diablo, through Castle Rock.  It’s about four and a half miles to get to the entrance of Castle Rock from my house, but there’s something about stepping out of my door for a run without having to get into a car that I enjoy.  The summit of Mount Diablo is twelve miles away, so I’ve been doing summit runs from my house for a few months now.  The summit elevation is 3800 feet, so I feel like I’m pretty well prepared for the 5500 feet of elevation gain over 50 miles in San Diego.  The peak of my training included two 28 mile runs (I included the North Summit and a few hundred feet elevation gain) within six days of each other.  I survived it all, but still, this anxiety won’t quit.

I went out for a two mile run this evening, and began wondering about that tug in my Achilles, and that ache in the arch of my foot, and the general sluggishness I feel this week after fighting a cold and going back to work.  I also woke up with a pinched nerve in my back last week, but that has abated and hopefully won’t return.  It’s not exactly that I doubt myself because I learned in my training, that when it comes down to it, I’m a pretty resilient mofo.  One of those Mount Diablo summit runs was done in the morning, and when I left my house in the 6am darkness in shorts and a long sleeve shirt, it was in the twenties.  Things didn’t improve much higher up on the mountain with the ice on the trail and the wind kicking up.  But I made it through that run, and even took an ice bath afterwards.

But I do wonder about everything out of my control, or forgetting something, or realizing I actually over-trained and am injured.  I think it’s all part of the process, but I’ll feel a lot better when I’m toeing that starting line Saturday morning.