Gettin' My Groove Back

I hope I'm handling this right. I've taken some time off then got back into things this week, slowly. I had a couple decent runs at Bradley Park just to stay fresh. I've also been good with my fueling and diet. I have another day off today except for some core/stretching work. If this weather holds out I'll try for some RIT action tomorrow and a long run at Jubilee on Saturday. I think that I can stick to loops on New and Plank and it will give me a similar distance loop that I will have next month in Indiana. Now if my new bottles and belt would just come in at Running Central everything would be great.

In addition to this bloggy, I also keep a journal where I track my workouts/moods/diet and notes on all the above. It has really helped me stay focus. I also lay out a plan each night for the following day which includes things I want to accomplish for the day and a full menu for what I'll have at each meal. It's worked well for me and adds to the accountability I'm trying to keep.

"Focus" and "Balance" are my two keywords this year.

Rest Over

Yeah, I took a few days off, like 4. After my issues a couple weeks ago and my BP being a bit high, I decided to just take a few days off and rest. I ate and slept well. I even pushed the green tea and stuff hard to help heal and cleanse. I finally got back out yesterday to get a short run in at Bradley Park. I was stiff and it took me a little longer to loosen up, but eventually things felt better.

I'm hoping to get out tonight for an RIT ride, but if it decides to rain I'll just get a run in. I need to get another long run in this weekend, but the weather will have to cooperate with me.

Moving On....Again

Yep, made it through this round and now to the waiting game for awhile. This next step is completely out of my control. All I can do is wait and hope it works out.

One interesting thing of note today. My body had been giving me "signals" that maybe I was going a bit hard and needed to slow down. I thought that I had, because some things were getting normal again. But I had my bp taken today and it was a bit high for my liking. Something like 137/78. I was expecting it to be more like 11?/6?. Could it be the E-caps, the Elete, a combination of both or could it just be I need some more rest? I'll see how I feel in the morning and maybe do a quick road ride. I'll see how I feel before I decide on the 4 hr. on Saturday.

Tomorrow is the Big Day

I take on the next phase of the secret ops plan tomorrow. I'm a little nervous to be honest with you. But I really have nothing to worry about. I just need to be honest and tell the truth. And in all honesty I have nothing to hide. I like to think I'm a decent person and that's all I need to worry about.

I had a solid run yesterday at Farmdale. I did the entire loop in just over two hours. Not too bad for me. Obviously I won't be doing lap 2 or three at that same pace, but I figure if I can average 2.5 hours/loop in October I'll be fine. That's really looking way ahead though. I have other goals to reach before then. I'll be hitting Jubilee on Saturday and I'm going to focus on smaller 4.5 mile loops and keep hitting them to simulate more of what it will be like at my race next month. I'm really hoping to get a solid 4 hours in.

Today I did a quick 90 minutes on the RIT. I was supposed to ride with Howie but I overslept. I got there late and hooked up with him in Princeville on his way back. My buddy is hurting. We need to get him fixed up so we can tackle 24/9.

I'll try and get a ride in with him on Friday also on our 20 mile loop we do. I need to spend some time in the saddle and decide if I want to try the 12 hr. road race in September.

Since I have the big run on Saturday and my gig going on tomorrow I'll take it off except for some good stretching.

Change In Plans

At least to today's plans. While running at "The Farm" today, decided to call it a day at the end of my 1st loop. I had been out for just under two hours but had went into the run looking for 3.5+. My thought behind it was this, my body has been giving me signs to pull back all week. My sleep has been off. I've had some "irregular" days and a bit of a chest tickle the last few days. I know my body well enough to know it was time to not push it. At the end of the loop, my hip felt good, my legs felt good and my HR was still where it needed to be. I just thought "Let's leave here today with something left in the tank." I really think it was the right decision. Also, I think my runs on the weekend are getting to the point that I can't go out and set a new PR every week for how long I've ran. Now I can train smart all week and build up for a nice 4ish hour run next weekend and feel good doing it.

For those that aren't members of PAMBA and have the slightest care in the world, I have officially announced that I am stepping down as president at the end of this season. It's been a great run and I hope to still be very involved with the club. I just have some matters, both personal and carreer that need some attention. And I won't lie. I need a break from it all. Getting ready for that festival took a lot out of me. It's time to move on. Tiffany deserves more of my attention as does my actual job. It will also allow me to train for whatever I decide to do next year. I have some ideas on simmer right now, but we'll get to those when we get 2007 in the books.

4-mid all week so it should be a good training week. The stretching is really helping out. I'll add some additional core work to the mix this week and make sure my runs are quality runs. Hopefully Howie and I can hit the RIT for a couple hours on Wednesday. NOTHING on Thursday except some haeavy stretching. Then start building for a big effort next Saturday.

Lots to Report

I completed my fitness bomus test today at work. No biggie, but an easy $300 for my effort. It was the standard POWER test of sit-up, sit and reach, bench and 1.5 mile run. I didn't set the world on fire, but did o.k. Remember what I said about the stretching stuff.......we'll need to keep working on that. I didn't pass it as easily as I would have liked.

I also got my letter for the next phase of the secret ops plan. It is scheduled for 5/24. Not sure what kind of time frame we'll be looking at after that. All I can do is focus on it and keep myself busy at work and with my training stuff.

I believe I am going to RIDE A MTB tomorrow night after work. Nothing serious, just a quick ride at Farmdale or maybe Jubilee before a long run on Saturday. That one will be at Farmdale and I'm homping for 3.5+ again this week. The closer to 4 the better.

Confidence Rising

Went out today and did just over 3.5 hours at "The Farm". I felt really good actually throughout. I think I ran smarter for starters and kept my HR manageable longer. Secondly I think I did a better job on my fueling. The timer works wonders and I didn't gulp, I just gave myself a shot and kept moving. I never got the gut pain I was having on my long runs before. I finished feeling very confident I can do more which is a good thing. I really need to hit that 4 hr. mark next month then start my taper for the 360 Minutes at Muscatatuck. I even remembered to bring along some Carnation and a banana for post run recovery to begin.

My only concern right now is my low back/hips. I'm pretty confident it may be piriformis related, but I'm not sure. Remember back when I was saying I really needed to make sure I was stretching and working my core hard? It's biting me in the ass now for not doing it as I had hoped. I have 6 weeks to stretch and strengthen it, but most importantly be smart with my training. If that means more time on the bike, so be it.

I'm planning on a VERY easy run at Bradley tomorrow to loosen up, then take Monday off completely except for some stretching.

Happy Mom's Day!

Festival Over, Now Train Harder

It's a bittersweet time for me. The festival was a huge success and part of me wishes it could have lasted a couple more days.......a small part. The rest of me feels like the weight of the world was lifted off of my shoulders and now I can really focus on some other things, my things. Like running the sox hour race next month in Indiana. I am REALLY looking forward to the event and am planning my trip now. I also need to make sure I register for the Howl at the Moon 8 hour race for Augst. It has a limited field and fills up. Glad I found that out.

I've spent the day detoxing and hydrating today since I spent the weekend putting crap in the tank. I can tell my training is working though because I already feel better at the end of the day today. I also ordered some new trail bottles and a belt system. Running Central is going to get it for me from Ultimate Direction. I Love getting new gear! I also need to look at a second trail shoe option soon. Looks like I'll be heading to Bushwacker for that.