April 30, 2010

Remember me??

Um, hi. I'm back. I think.

I'm cautiously optimistic about my return to running. I tried running a few days before leaving for Boston, but my leg still hurt. I gave my leg a few days off again and then tried running in the park near our hotel in Waltham, Mass. That was one damn, hilly park! Holy crap! Wish I could show you the elevation chart! Anyway, the run was horrid, hills or no hills. It just sucked. Lots of pain.

Took some more time off from running after the hill run in the park. My next run would actually be a race. Yep, that's right. A race. Don't ask. I ended up running Running Fit's Trail Half Marathon in nearly the same time that I ran it last year (with the same bib number too - weird). Only difference is this year, I did next to no running in the 3 months leading up to it. Huh. I do not recommend following my example.

However!

The trail half was GREAT! I felt awesome during the entire run. No leg pain. The 3-4 days post-race were excruciating. ha!! But that passed too. I have run twice more since then pain free and will soon start running with my RUT friends (Running Fit's Ultramarathon Team) on their Sunday jaunts through the nearby parks, starting this Sunday. (See ya there, Kai!!)

As much as I hated not being able to run Boston, being a spectator for the first time was a treat! I got to watch the winners run by. We were only a few blocks from the finish line, which was clearly visible from our location. I never get to see the winners since I'm always racing! The energy in the crowd was amazing (and deafening)!!

I also picked up a copy of Mark Remy's book The Runner's Rule Book, which he graciously signed for me. Thanks, Mark! I read it in one sitting. Hilarious. One of my favorite parts was the illustration of a harmless dog vs. a dangerous dog. You'll have to pick up a copy to see that for yourself. Priceless.

As far as future plans go, I'm taking it one week at a time. I'm still planning on my 50 miler at the end of August but reserve the right to downgrade to the marathon if I don't feel like I can train safely for 50. The race will still be there next year!

I'll try not to let 1 1/2 months go by between posts next time.
"Cats are like greatness: Some people are born into cat-loving families, some achieve cats, and some have cats thrust upon them." -William H. A. Carr

red's 2011 race schedule