Voting

Yesterday Jim went with me.  We started at Sherman Beach, ran to Rock Hollow, then up the Rock Hollow to the grade school.  We went in to vote then ran back.  Foot still not feeling great but not getting worse.  I have no idea what will happen in Boston.  I have run less miles that any other marathon training but have done more cross training.

Easy Run

Yesterday it rained all day and was cool in the 40s.  I did a Golds Gym workout.

Today was still in the 40s but the sun was out.  I ran 6 easy miles on the trails by Manchester Road in Wildwood.  There are gentle rolling hills.  I have felt beat up the last month.  First I had a stomach virus.  Then I continued to battle plantar fasciitis while trying to do long runs.  Then I got a  cold and spring time allergies hit.  I have been a mess.  Now I am  on the taper.  Today's run felt okay.  At least it wasn't ugly.

Only 15 days until Boston.  OMG!

Last Long Run

So much has happened since my last post.

Most importantly, I am a grandma again!  Beautiful little Flora Jean was born on Wednesday.

Thursday I did my last long run.  It was 20 mile slow run walk.  My only goal was to complete the miles.  It started raining at mile 17 and I considered cutting it short but I pushed through.  My foot was hurting when I was done but no worse that it has been.

I have had a stuffy nose and cough for several days.  I thought it was allergies which happen in the spring.  This morning I went to urgent care and said that I could not be sick.  I have a new baby to visit and a marathon to run.  Being sick is not an option.  She gave me some cough medicine and said I probably wasn't contagious.  Then I went to Dr. Lauren for one last adjustment.  She told me that it was common to get a cold during the taper.

Today I took a walk.

Ugly Run

Today was an ugly run.  When I woke up I felt like my head was going to explode.   My springtime allergies are in full force.  I went to Bluebird Park.  I don't know what I was thinking because it is quite hilly.  I ran 5 ugly miles.

Easy Rock Hill

This morning we got up and did a quick Gold's Gym workout.  I spent  20 minutes on the Recumbent bike while Jim did 20 minutes on the elliptical.  Then after 10 minutes of stretching we took a quick shower and went to see the granddaughter who had been on spring break vacation all week.  When I got home I went for an easy 4 mile run.

Discussion with Jim:

Me:  Do you want to go for an easy run.
Jim:  How far?
Me:  4 miles.
Jim:  Where
Me:  Down Rock Hollow and back up.
Jim:  Do you mean start at Sherman Beach and run to where Rock Hollow starts then back to Sherman Beach?
Me:  No.  Start at the grade school and run down the Rock Hollow and back up.
Jim:  That's not easy.  There's a big hill to run up.
Me:  The pace will be easy.
Jim:  I will stay home and watch basketball.

I ran by myself.  There were thunderstorms in the area so I only did 4 miles.  My legs were tired from the bike workout this morning.

Long Run

Today I started my day by going to Dr. Lauren.  She worked on my plantar faciitis.  This involves a lot of work on the calf and foot.  I came home and got ready for my long run.  I started the run at 11:30 which is about when my coral starts the Boston marathon.

I ran from Sherman Beach to Rockwood Reservation.  I ran all the way up the hill to old Manchester.  Then on the way back I ran up the Rock Hollow Trail to put some hills in the end.

My goals today:
Run 20 miles
Be able to run again on Sunday
Run the second 10 miles faster than the first 10

My accomplishments
I ran/walked 20 miles.  This was big for my mental health.  I feel I need to run 20 miles before a marathon.
I was tired when I was finished and a bit dehydrated but I was feel I can run again after a day's rest.  I needed Kathy there with a cold Gatorade.  I have lots of Gatorade at home I just don't remember to put it in the car.
I ran the first 10 miles in 1:57:07.  The second 10 miles were much faster 1:52:00.  I made sure to keep the first 10 slow so I could get negative splits.  Average pace for first 10 miles was 11:42.  Average pace for second 10 miles was 11:12.  Overall average was 11:27 pace.  I was happy that I was able to run 20 miles.

The elevation gain for today's run was 762 feet.  The elevation gain for Boston Marathon is 783.

The weather was beautiful.  There were a lot of people on the trail.  It is spring break for many of the schools here so there were lots of kids and families out.

Blisters

Today spring starts at 4:58 pm central time.  This is the time when night and day are the same length.  We have gradually been getting more daylight. 

Today Jim went with me and we ran from Sherman Beach to the top of the Rock Hollow Trail.  Hills have been bothering my foot but if I take them slow it's not too bad.  We did a walk/run.  The temperature was in the low 50s.  I wore capris and a  long sleeve and was comfortable.

I have a blister on my second toe on the right foot.  I drained it and put antibiotic cream on it then a Bandaid.  It didn't hurt too much when I was running.  I hope I can hold it all together for 4 more weeks.

Cross Training

I ordered a power cord for the recumbent bike that Kathy gave us.  This is a great option for a cross training day.  I spent some time on the machine then did my stretching.  Jim and I also to a walk on the Stinging Nettle Trail. 

Bib Number

The Boston Bib Numbers were posted today.  My bib is number 24956.  I am in wave 4 coral 1 which has a 11:15 start time.  I have never started a marathon that late in the morning.  I have never started a race that late in the morning.  I will do my last long runs starting at 11:15 and experiment with what time to eat.  The cut off time for wave 4 was a qualifying time of 3:56:54.   There are 8 corals and I am in the first one.  I hope I finish the race before it gets dark.  My bib color is yellow.  Boston is only 4 weeks from today.

This morning we got up early then did a quick 20 minute work out in Golds Gym (our basement).  Then we showered and went to visit Jim's parents.  This is 2  hours in the car each way.  After we got home we went to Sherman Beach and ran an easy run.  I did run/walk for 5.25 miles.  My splits were:  10:33, 9:51, 9:43, 9:00, 9:03 with an overall average of 9:40.  This is fast for me for a run/walk.  Jim stayed with me for 3.5 miles then slowed down.  He averaged under 10 minute miles which is great considering he hasn't run in a long time and he isn't really a runner.

New Shoes

Today I did a 16 mile run/walk from Sherman Beach to Rockwood Reservation.  I asked Dr. Lauren if I should run through pain.  I have a high pain tolerance and I am worried about injuring myself further.  She said as long as my gait didn't change I should be okay to run long.  I paid attention to my running form and did not note any changes so I pushed on through.  When I trained for St. George I was dealing with a hamstring issue.  Every run was painful but I pushed through.  My foot hurt on this run but it didn't get worse.  At home afterward I did my runner's yoga, foam rolling and ice.

Today's run was 16 miles at an average pace of 10:48.  I did a 4/1 run/walk through out. 

Today I ran in a brand new pair of Brooks Glycerins.  These will be my race day shoes.  They felt good.

Less than a month until Boston.  Yikes!  I'm not ready.

Catching Up

Dear Blog Readers - (all one of you)

I have been remiss in  posting my blog for the last month.  I have been disheartened by plantar faciitis and questioned my sanity in continuing to run in pain.  I have iced, stretched, rolled, rested, compressed, elevated and it's still there.  It is a tiny bit better.  Through it all I have cut my runs short and done a lot of cross training.  My actual running has far fewer miles than my plan.  My plan was also affected by a bad stomach virus a couple weeks ago.  At this point I am going to Boston with the mindset of finishing and having fun. 

Last weekend I helped move my slug sister to Virginia.  I miss her being close by but I know our friendship will endure the miles.

Highlights from recent runs:

March 7 - Last Slug sister run before the move, 10 miles on "our" trails.
March 11 - 12 miles slow on the Al Buehler Trail which winds around the golf course at Duke University.  It was a nice trail with gentle hills and a soft surface.
March 13 - Back home on the Al Foster Trail.  I did 4 mile walk/run at a faster pace than I had been doing.  Averages 9:43.
March 14 - Ran with Jen from her house to Forest Park.  Average page 9:11, no walking.  Jen runs faster than I do.  Only 3 miles but faster.

From these runs I learned that my foot is not getting worse if I stretch and ice and take it easy.

Yesterday I went to Dr. Lauren.  She worked on my leg and foot.  I think it helped.  Today I will run and test it out.

Book Review - Let Your Mind Run

I just finished reading "Let Your Mind Run" by Deena Kastor.  I like reading and I like running.  I like reading about running.  This book was great.  I talked a lot about how your mind effects your effort and success.  Deena Kastor talks about her career from an early age  through running as a master.  She set many records but also had ups and downs.

I am still cross training.  The foot/heel is still sore. 

Cross Training Continues

The something that I did to my foot is a little better but it does not feel well enough to run.  It always frustrates me when I can't run.  Today I spent 30 minutes doing runner's yoga.  Then another 30 minutes doing stretching.  Then I spent 20 minutes on the elliptical.  Then Jim set up the bike trainer for me and I did 30 minutes on the bike.  Then another 10 minutes stretching.  After all this I was sweating so I felt I did get some workout done.  I start worrying about my plan.  Then I think back and every marathon training I had a week where I had to take off.

Rest Day

I put myself on the injured reserve list.  My right heel is hurting after yesterday's race.  I iced it and stayed off of it.  It is not major pain but is bad enough that I know I should not run until it feels better.  Right now I am calling it Plantar Faciitis.

Frozen Feet Half Marathon

Today was the Frozen Feet Half Marathon.  Jim got up and dressed warm and went with me.  Kathy was not feeling well and stayed home.

First they announced that the 1 mile loop on the dirt trail at Sherman Beach was flooded because the river came up over night.  They were going to take that section out and make the race 12 miles.  Then a couple minutes later they said that we would run the out and back on the Al Foster on the way back also making it back to 13 miles.

Shortly after the race started we hit the first patch of ice.  It was frozen across the asphalt so I stepped over to the grass.  Somehow the grass was sopping wet and I started the race with wet feet.  Had to run around patches of ice on the way to Al Foster.  The Al Foster trail was in good shape.  The Rock Hollow was okay until the last half mile.  It was a skating rink.  I was able to walk around the ice on the side of the trail.  Had to do a lot of walking that half mile to keep from falling on the ice. 

Somewhere on the Rock Hollow my foot started hurting.  It has hurt off and on for a while but not serious.  Today it was throbbing.  I kept running on.  I finished in 2:03:53 which was really good considering the icy conditions.  This was 2nd in my age group.  Candace was third.  She probably would have been 2nd but had an emergency port-a-pottie stop along the way.

My original plan was to run back to Sherman Beach after the race to get more miles on my legs but my foot was hurting.  Instead I came home and iced it.  I am hoping it feels better tomorrow.

Jim stuck to him plan to do a 4/1 run/walk.  He finished strong.

It was 12 degrees when the race started.  It was sunny and not much wind.  I was dressed warm and felt comfortable the whole race.

The medal had a corkscrew attached in case I needed to open a bottle of wine while wearing my medal.

Book Review: Finding Gobi

I just finished a book that I loved.  It was called "Finding Gobi".  It was about an ultra-runner who was running a 155 mile race across the Gobi Dessert.  A stray dog showed up and ran along side him for 75 miles.  He named the dog Gobi and they became very attached to each other.  It is the story about a runner, a little dog and his determination to bring the dog home. 

Tomorrow is the Frozen Feet Half Marathon.  It will be very cold.  I may have frozen feet when it is done.  Today was an easy day of stretching.

Frozen Toes

It rained all day yesterday.  I did stretching and yoga in the house.  It rained this morning.  I was running in shorts three days ago.  Today I was back to winter running clothes.  Since we had a lot of rain I decided it best to run on asphalt.  Jim suggested parking at Home Depot and running those trails.  I suggested Rock Hollow.  He said,"But we would have to run up that big hill".  I told him it was training and that was the idea.  In the end I told him he could decide.  He chose Rock Hollow because it was windy and that trail is more protected.  We still felt the wind chill.  There were places that a small creek was running down the trail.  Our feet were soaked.  I usually wear Smartwool socks when I know my feet will get wet but I didn't think they the asphalt trail would be wet.  I didn't have me Goretex shoes on.  My feet were very cold.  I took the run easy.

Two days until the Frozen Feet Half Marathon.  It will be very cold on Saturday.  Jim still has not committed to the race but he didn't wear his warmest running tights today because he is saving them for Saturday.

6 Miles

Today I considered doing cross training.  My foot/ankle was a little achy and I was going to rest it.  But I decided to take and easy run.  Yesterday was a run in shorts.  Today was back to tights and layers.  I went to Sherman Beach.  I started out slow.  The first two miles were 10:43 and 10:55.  The more I ran the better I felt.  The next mile was 10:23.  I ran up the Rock Hollow.  By mile 4 and 5 I was running downhill.  They were 9:04 and 8:32.  Then the last mile I ran some farklets with easy running in between and ran 8:31.

The trail is marked for the half marathon this weekend.  There is green leading the way.

Shorts weather

Today the plan had yoga.  The temperature outside was 68 degrees.  It was impossible for me to stay inside.  I put on shorts and went for a very slow, easy, short run wearing shorts.  Then I did my yoga.

Sunshine

Yesterday was groundhog day.  The groundhog did not see his shadow so he is predicting an early spring.  I hope he is right.

This morning Jim, Kathy and I went to Route 66 State Park for a longish run.  We were all shedding layers after the first 2 miles.  I wore capris but would have been comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt.  It was a beautiful day.  We walk/ran 12.4 miles.  Felt great.

Easy Slug Sister Run

Any run with Kathy is a good run.  Today we met at Sherman Beach and ran an easy 4 miles.  The polar vortex finally left us and we had a nice sunny day in the 30s.  It felt warm compared to the frigid temperatures we have had the last couple of days.

Castlewood

Tuesday was a cross training day.  I did an aerobic workout on my elliptical.  Then I did squats, lunges, planks and other types of torture.  I know that I have a good cross training workout when I really need a shower afterward.

Yesterday was Willow's first birthday!  It was also the coldest day that we have had in a long time.  It was zero with a wind chill of -25.  The news reporters kept saying you could get frostbite in 10 minutes.  I decided to exercise inside.

Today I needed to get outside.  Jim went with me to Castlewood.  I ran most of the Castlewood Cup course.  There was about an inch of snow overnight.  I kept the pace very slow so I didn't slip and hurt myself.  It was a warm 21 degrees when I ran.  It was great to get into the woods.  I ran 8.3 slow miles.  Jim ran 7.

Running with Jim

Today Jim surprised me by telling me he wanted to go on a 7 mile run with me.  The temperature was about 40 but with the strong wind it felt more like 25.  I wore a vest but wished I had worn a jacket.

The workout was 2 miles easy warm up (11:09, 11:05).  This was a nice easy pace for a warm up.  Then 3 miles at a faster pace (9:36, 9:26, 8:58).  This felt pretty good.  The course was rolling hills.  Then there were two miles of easy cool down (10:24, 10:31). 

My right foot and ankle has been bothering me off and on for a while.  This morning it was aching.  I took the warm up slow.  At one mile I was thinking about turning around and heading back because my foot hurt but then it loosened up and felt better for the rest of the run.

Half way through the run we ran into Kathy and Marti running toward us.  Who else would be out running on a windy cold day?

A Hike and A Run

Yesterday was a rest day so I took an 8 mile hike.  Today I took a 4 mile hike then I went for an easy 5 mile run with strides the last mile.

A cold but sunny long run

This morning I picked up Kathy and we headed to the Al Foster Trailhead for a 16 mile run.  It was 16 degrees when we started but the sun was shining.  It's the first sunny day we have had in a very long time.  We were dressed warm and felt comfortable.  Kathy has a fancy hydration bladder with an insulated tube.  I have a regular hydration pack with a plastic tube.  Hers froze, mine didn't.

The schedule said 16 or 17 miles.  We did 16.  When I got home and told Jim that he said, "Everytime you say two different distance, you run my legs off and make me do the longer distance.  Today you run short.".  I told him 16 miles is not short.

Easy run

Today it was cold but we accomplished an easy 4.4 mile run on the trail,.  "I'm not a runner Jim" joined us.  It seemed like we were running into the wind the whole time.  The wind seems to shift to do that to us.  We kept it slow and easy.

Willow Wednesday

Wednesdays I have my beautiful Granddaughter Willow.  She spends a lot of time playing on the floor.  I do planks and push up next to her. She weighs about 20 pounds.  I lift her and do squats while holding her.  It is a good cross training day.

Hill Repeats

Today's workout was 2.6 miles easy warm up.  Then I did 6 hill repeats.  This was .25 miles up hill then a 1 minutes rest and .25 mile down.  Finally I finished with 2.4 miles easy warm down.  This was a total of 8 miles.  Hill repeats are hard.  The uphill part is hard.  The down hill part is easy.  This is supposed to make me stronger.

Crosstraining

Today was a cross training day.  Strength and stretching.  Jim and I took a nice 4 mile hike on the trails.  I love hiking in the snow.

Cold Weather Makes Me Run Faster

Today was cold.  Jim suggested that I workout on the elliptical.  I wanted to go outside.

Today my plan was to run the Rock Hollow Trail.  The trail was in good condition except for the bridges which were ice covered.  I ran the trail and carefully navigated the bridges.  The temperature was 17 degrees.  On my legs I had Patagonia capilene tights with warm fleece tights over them.  Then on top I had a wool base layer, a second wool top and a light jacket.  I wore my Smartwool beanie and warmest Smartwool socks.  I wore Smartwool glove liners with fleece gloves over them.  When I got out of my car the wind was blowing and I was freezing as I was swinging my legs for warm up.  Once I started running I was very comfortable.  I had a buff around my neck which I pulled up over my mouth at first but then pulled back down.

About half way down the hill I had an urgent need for a bathroom.  I was going to run to the port-a-potties at the Al Foster trailhead but I didn't think I had time.  I hiked off the path and squatted behind a big tree.  Snow makes good toilet paper.

I ran fast because it was cold and I could get it over with quicker.  As I was running back up the hill it was snowing.  I really like running in the snow.  It is beautiful.  The snow started sticking which was making the trail a little slippery.  Last mile I slowed down to keep on my feet. 

I saw three people with dogs.  Two of the dogs had sweaters on.  I saw one bicycle rider.  Besides that I had the trail to myself.

It was a good run.

Pink Flying Pig Slug Sisters

Tomorrow was supposed to be the Wildwood Trail Half Marathon.  It was cancelled due to poor trail conditions from last week's snow storm and another storm expected to hit tomorrow.  Since it is supposed to rain, snow, sleet tomorrow I moved my long run to today.

I only know one person who I can text something like, "I am going to run 15 miles tomorrow, do you want to come with me?"  And get an answer like "Sure I can pick you up".  Not only does she pick me up she keeps me running for 15 miles and provides Gaterade at the end.  Any of my other friends would think I was crazy.

It was a good run.  The wind chill made it a bit cold when we were running into the wind.  We got it done.

Easy Run

This morning I spent time doing some exercised, planks and arm strength.  Then I went for an easy 4 mile run.  I did negative splits on each mile keeping the pace easy.  I ran in the subdivision because the trails are still a mess.  I am getting used to running in the cold weather.  I just layer up and go outside.

Comfortably Hard

Today plan A was to go to Route 66 State park and run.  After looking through web sites I could not determine if they were open and had plowed the snow.  I didn't want to drive there and not be able to run so I ran in the subdivision which had been plowed. 

Workout was:  2 miles at an easy pace.  In the cold weather it is very important to warm up slowly so you don't injure yourself.  I concentrated on running slow.  Mile 1 was 11:33 and mile 2 was 10:36.  Next were 2 miles at tempo pace.  Tempo pace is defined as comfortably hard.  My next 2 miles were 8:51 and 8:46.  They were hard but I don't know how comfortable.  This was followed by 2 miles of cool down pace 10:08 and 9:35.

Cross Training

Today I did cross training.  This involved burpees, squats, lunges, planks, push ups, step ups with weights, and other types of torture.  It amazes me that I can run for hours but one minutes of burpees leaves me gasping for air.  This will all make me stronger. (I hope).

Plan D - a little craziness

Monday I ran in shorts.  Today I ran in 10 inches of snow.

Before I was a runner I remember drive down the road and seeing people running in rain, snow, heat and thinking they were crazy.  Who would run in those conditions.  Now I am  one of them.  When you have to run you need to get it done.  When we were running at one point a man rolled down his window.  I just heard the word "crazy" before he rolled his window back up.  Maybe we are a bit crazy.

Plan A - go to trailhead in Valley Park and run.  I was told the trail was cleared.
Plan B - When I went to pick up Kathy she had a great idea to go to Route 66 state park.  We got there and the park was gated closed and nothing was cleared.
Plan C - Drove to Valley Park to do plan A.
Plan D - the trail was cleared for a quarter of a mile then snow covered.  We ran in snow trying to follow footprints of others.  It was a hard workout.  After about 5 miles we found a road that was cleared and no traffic.  We ran up and down that road until we had the eleven miles in.

It was not pretty but we got it done.  Temperature was around 32 but wind chill made if feel colder.
I was happy to have my slug sister with me.  It would have been a brutal run alone.

A cold Gaterade is quite refreshing even after a winter run.  When I got home I did some foam rolling and had hot chocolate and a warm bath.

Snow

We had at least 10 inches of snow.  This morning Jim and shoveled for 3 hours.  My Garmin keeps track of my steps.  Three hours on my feet shoveling and I only got credit for 1500 steps.  I considered that my cross training work out.

Fun with a running friend

Running with a friend is always more fun.  Today Kathy and I went for an easy 4 mile run.  It was on the Rock Hollow trail which goes downhill then back up.  It was at an easy pace so the uphill was not too bad although it was still hard.  We got the run in before the predicted snowfall.

New Shoes

Time for new shoes.  These are my new Ghosts.  I wore them today and they felt great!  Here was my workout:  2 miles easy warm up (pace 10:39, 10:03).  Then I did 6 times a half mile at what was suppose to be 8:40 pace.  Each interval had a 2 minute rest between.  My splits were between 7:51 and 8:25.  I need to work on pacing.  Then it was an easy 2 mile cool down.  These were (9:37 and 9:02) the last mile I threw in a few strides.  Much to fast for the cool down.  I felt good afterward.

It was 27 degrees when I was getting dressed.  I wore my medium thick tights, a light long sleeve, a heavy long sleeve and a light vest, hat, and gloves.  I felt warm enough.

This picture makes my ankles look huge.  I actually have skinny ankles.  It must be the warm wool socks.

Willow Wednesdays

On Wednesdays I have my amazing granddaughter here.  Today I did plank while she played on the floor.  I did squats while I held her.  After she left I did a workout on the elliptical and some strength.  My right foot/ankle is still not perfect.  Planning on running tomorrow.

Recovery

I am being extra careful about recovery.  Sometimes I feel a small twinge in my right foot/ankle.  I have been running pain free but sometimes afterwards I feel it.  Since I did a long run yesterday, today was stretch and strength.  I bought some X2U recovery compression socks.  I wore them all day. 

Long Run

Since I had a busy weekend, I moved my long run to today.  Jim went with me.  Here was the workout:  Total 14 miles, first 7 at a 3/2 run/walk, then last 7 at a 4/1 run/walk with the last mile being the fastest.  Do this on rolling hills.  Second 7 should be faster than first 7.  Jim ran the first 7 with me then his knee started hurting so he walked back while I finished the workout.

First 7 miles:  1:21:58      (11:42 pace)
Second 7 miles:  1:14:51 (10:41 pace)
Overall for 14 miles (11:12 pace)
Last mile:  9:35 pace

My legs felt very tired the first five miles.  I think they were reacting to my hill workout from Saturday.  Then I settled in and finished strong.  I have learned from the Boston Training Facebook Page that when you run the last mile of a long run the fastest it is called a Moley Mile.  Like Holy Moley I ran fast. 

According to my Garmin today's workout had 957 feet elevation gain over the 14 miles.  The entire Boston Marathon only has 783 feet elevation gain.  It also has 1225 feet elevation loss.  I am including hills in my training to prepare myself for both the ups and downs.

Today the temperature was in the 60s.  It was a shorts and t-shirt day.  I love shorts in January.

100

It is 100 days until the Boston Marathon.  I have hundreds of miles to run between now and then.  I have 100 days to prepare, 100 days to worry, 100 days to get excited.

We have a crazy busy weekend so I moved my long run to Monday.  Today I got up early to run.  Then I waited for the sun to come up.  I ran an easy warm up in the subdivision.  There is a big hill up to the subdivision then there are rolling hills once I am up there.  After an easy warm up I did some hill repeats.  I ran both up and down because Boston has both ups and downs.  I have not done hill repeats in a long time so I made sure not to overdo it.

Willow Day

Today I had my beautiful granddaughter, Willow.  On Willow days I get lots of arm exercise.  I lift a 19 pound baby multiple times.  I can do squats and lunges while holding a 19 pound baby.  I had a well woman check up in the morning.  I am happy to report that I am a well woman.  I went to visit my parents in the evening.  This left time for some stretching and strength training.

Indoor workout

This morning we took my slug sister to the airport so she could look at houses in Virginia.  Then we took a road trip to take down the in-laws Christmas decoration.  On the way home we went grocery shopping.  When we finally made it home I hit the elliptical trainer, did some weights, squats and planks.  Then it finished with stretching.

Day 2 - slug sister run

Day two of Boston training.  The planned called for either cross training or a slow easy run.  Any time I have the chance to run with Kathy I choose a run over cross training.  It was 32 degrees with a slight wind.  We ran 5 miles which were supposed to be slow and easy.  We averaged 9:52 miles which is too fast for a slow easy run.  I need to work on my pacing.

When I got home I did some foam rolling and easy stretching.  Need to stay healthy.

Today I wore tights, one thin long sleeve and one thick long sleeve.  I was comfortable.  I wore my Ghosts which are at the end of their life.  Right now I have 5 different Brooks shoes in the rotation:
Glycerin for long runs, Ghost for short and medium runs, Cascadia for trails, Ghost GTX for wet weather and Launch for short fast running.

New Year's Day

New Year, New Plan, New Goals.  Today I started officially training for Boston!  It is only 104 days away!  As I was reviewing training plans I was becoming overwhelmed.  It is a lot of work.  It is a lot of miles.  It is daunting.  I felt this way two years ago when I started training for Cincinnati.  I learned if you have to eat an elephant you feel overwhelmed.  But you eat it one bite at a time and get the job done.  Same way with marathon training.  You attack it one mile at a time.

Today was a workout day.  One mile warm up.  Then half mile repeats with a one minute rest between repeats.  Since it rained all day yesterday I thought the trails would be muddy so I went to the paved trails along Manchester.  The rolling hills are good for me.  It was hard but I did it.  Overall average 8:55.  The hardest part was getting out the door.  Once I was at the trail and running the miles flowed by.

It was 34 degrees and cloudy.  I had the trail to myself.  I only saw one other runner, one walker and one bike.  I wore tights,  Two thin long sleeves, a light jacket, hat and gloves.  I was comfortable.

This is the first New Years in several years that I have not run a race.  This morning we took down the Christmas tree and lights.  I didn't run until 3:30.

I am starting marathon training pretty healthy.  My hamstring, glut, shin, calf issues that I had in the past have heeled.  The only thing that I need to keep watch on is my right ankle and foot.  I tweaked it in the trail marathon.  It is mostly okay but sometimes I feel a little twinge.  I have been running pain free which is wonderful. I did my runner's yoga cool down and some stretching.