12/31/2007

Ok, so I slept most of today. I got up this am and got dressed to go for a run and the longer I was up the worse I felt. So I dove head-long back into bed and slept from 10:30am to about 2pm. After I got up I decided I would at least try to get out and run a little so I took off and made it a whole mile and a half. ha It was miserable. My body hurts like hell and my breathing is horrible. I am not going to get upset over this as I see it as only a minor setback. My running base is really solid so I can build up some good mileage over the next 3 weeks before Rocky. My only plan is to finish anyway. At this stage of the game.........................I just enjoy the running.

12/30/2007

Man, I feel like hammered shit!! I haven't been sick in two years so this is beating me down big time. I decided to just take today off and not sweat it. I don't want to literally run myself into the ground. The kids have been gone all week with my parents in Dumas so Kelli and I haven't had to worry about them which has made recovering a little easier. We are going to pick them up tomorrow and I really hope that I am feeling better.
On a lighter note, Kelli has made the decision to get back in shape. I am extremely happy about that, bless her heart. I know that her life will be even better once she has become more fit. It's the little things in life that we have to enjoy. And it's much easier to get in shape sooner than later. We are going to get a nice elliptical trainer from her sister which I am really excited about. It'll be a great exercise for Kelli and I can set it up for good hill training for me without having to drive 20 miles to Horseshoe Bend.

12/29/2007

Man, this cold I've got is a killer. I got up this morning and thought I felt ok and then WHAM! Kelli and I had some breakfast and then I went back to bed around 11am and slept til 2pm. I felt quite a bit better after my nap so I went for another 5.5 mile loop. It's chilly and windy outside so it didn't feel very good on top of the cold. I kept my pace pretty well around an 8:30 mile or so, so that's not too bad. I am really hoping that I will wake up feeling a lot better tomorrow so I can put some length into my run.

12/28/2007

Ok, so I've worked the last 6 out of 7 days due to the holidays and every one of them has sucked. Working that much in a row at night will just kill you. I am exhausted and trying to fight off a cold or something. I'm sure I'll be over it soon but it certainly takes a toll. I got out and ran a relaxing 5.5 miles yesterday afternoon and really enjoyed it. I need to go long tomorrow afternoon so hopefully I will be feeling good.
According to my boss, I will be going to days in about 3 weeks. I have to orient a new nurse for two weeks and then I am going to move to days and start training with our clinical educator. I am also getting ready to start working on my BSN online and should be able to finish that up in about 18 months or so. Also, I need to get my CEN. All while training for a 50 miler. Is it possible?? We shall see.

12/23/2007

I woke up this afternoon around two and called Aubrey. He was wanting to go for a long run this afternoon and I thought I would join him before I went to work. We headed out to 1585 again and headed west. The wind was directly in our faces and really made it hard to obtain any forward motion. It was crazy. We decided to cut it short because 1.) The wind sucked. 2.) I was a little time-constrained due to work. 3.) The wind sucked some more. All in all, we ran 6 miles so not too bad for a little recovery run for me. My body felt great so I am pleased with that and because of the wind, I got a little resistance training out of the deal as well. Christmas Eve tomorrow so I won't be able to run much if at all. I'll make up for it though.

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12/22/2007

I am really happy about my run yesterday. I'm not sore at all and I feel like if I had time, I could go out and do it again today. I will try and get out tomorrow afternoon and do a little recovery run just to keep things loose. Not much to post today. I have the Leadership Christmas Party tonight and then on to work. I am working 6 out of 7 days this week because of Christmas so running will have to take a back seat which sucks, but I bet I'll survive.

12/21/2007

Today I ran from the house out to 1585 and did a 16 mile out and back. I felt pretty strong on this run however my hips got pretty sore towards the end. My calves and feet held up really well so that's good. On the way out the door I grabbed a water bottle and 2 gels. I think, in hindsight, 3 gels would have been more sufficient but oh, well. All in all, a good run. Back to work tonight so I am fixing to hit the showers and then to bed.

12/20/2007

Tonight's run was really enjoyable. I took off with my headlamp and headed out to 114th on a nice dirt road and ran about 4 miles. Not much, I know. However, with the holidays looming on the horizon along with my work schedule, I will take what I can get. I have to head back to work tomorrow night for the whole weekend so I won't be able to get much running in. I plan on trying to go long tomorrow morning out on 1585 but I'm not going to speculate on how far I will go because I say it and it never happens. I'm not sure if it's my discipline or if it's just life getting in the way. Probably a bit of both. The discipline thing I can hopefully fix though.

12/16/2007

Aubrey and I didn't make it out to Horseshoe Bend today. We really wanted to but both of us were so busy with everything at our own houses that we just didn't have time. I felt surprisingly good after the long hilly run yesterday so that's a plus. We finally got to don our headlamps and head out to 1585 and run a simple flat 4 miles around 7:30 or so tonight. Whoo hoo! Oh, well, better than sitting on our asses I guess. Tomorrow will be an off-day since I am going to be really busy and I have to go back to work. This is my long week at work so hopefully I can get some miles in but who knows. If the weather holds it will be great. It was absolutely beautiful today.

12/15/2007

For today's run we were back out at Horseshoe Bend Canyon for a 12 mile hill workout. It started off really "iffy" because my whole body just felt stiff. However, after the first half mile or possibly less...........I felt fantastic. It's amazing how the body adapts so quickly. Once you have a good base then your body will simply take care of everything else. The hills have become so much easier now. I really wish that I had some that were a little steeper but these will do okay for now. I am really jealous of the people that live close to fantastic trail running venues like Colorado, just to name the closest one to me. I have made the comment before that our lives are built on choices. By that I mean that we choose where we live and with that comes the abundance or lack thereof of great running venues. One day in the future I may take my own advice and talk to my family about choosing to make a move................but not right now.

Hopefully back out to Horseshoe Bend tomorrow for 15 miles.

12/14/2007

Well, no news isn't always good news. It's pretty chilly around here today, overcast and misty as well. I didn't run yesterday or today due to my work schedule but I plan on heading back out to Horseshoe Bend tomorrow afternoon for a good 12 mile hill workout. I love running out there because it is so peaceful without all the traffic and whatnot. All the trees and hills along the road make the "course" a little wind-resistant too, which is nice. I whole-heartedly enjoy the outdoors (obviously) and really wish that I lived a little closer to some more wooded areas with good trails and more trees. Man, that would be so fun! We may have to really consider that over the next couple of years. I love trees!

My parents, however, would kill me if we moved.

12/12/2007

I was able to get out and put in a nice easy 5.2 mile loop today. I just did a loop from my house around to Indiana, out to 1585 over to University and then back down to 108th and then to the house. It's a nice little run but not much of a shoulder to run on which makes me nervous when the traffic is thick. I need to talk to Kelli about finding a place out in the country so I can find some trails and less traffic. Uggh, moving sucks though.

I probably won't get to run tomorrow unless I make it happen before I go to bed after work. I always find that to be pretty tough since I am usually exhausted. However, I definitely need to be getting in more weekly mileage than I am right now. I probably just need to be patient and know that it will all happen the way it's supposed to. This weekend I plan on putting together back-to-back long runs on Saturday and Sunday. Maybe 12 miles one day and then 12 or 15 the next. I guess we'll see. I haven't really had any problems recovering after each run so that's encouraging. I also need to get started on some kind of core workout as well.

12/10/2007

It's not very nice outside today at all. It's around 30-35 degrees, completely overcast with low-flying clouds, and it's misting like crazy, so.....................I went out and ran 10 miles. I felt pretty good on this run. By the end of it, however, I was soaked and starting to get really cold. I came home and got into our jet-flow tub and wow, did it feel good. I don't mind the cold too much when I am running but really don't care for the "wet" mixed in.

I found a shop online that still had some of the La Sportiva Slingshots that I like to wear. They had 2 pairs in my size and I bought them. They won't last forever though, and then I am going to have to work on finding another shoe that I like. That still irks me.

12/08/2007

I only got to log 4 miles yesterday. I just didn't feel very good and I also knew that I had to go to work so that didn't motivate me much either.

However...........today was fantastic! I went out to Horseshoe Bend Canyon and put in 8 miles on tough hills. It was about 40 degrees with just a slight breeze. There was a fog coming in over the ridge and snowy-looking, overcast skies. It gave the canyon a majestic visage. The scenery was just beautiful. I felt really good and strong on this run so that is encouraging. Even on the tough uphills, one of which is approx. 1.2 miles, I felt fresh. I'm not sure whether or not there are many hills at Rocky Raccoon but I don't think so. The hill training can only help on later ultras that I plan on running, e.g. Jemez, and maybe Leadville. I don't know if I can be ready for Leadville but I am sure going to try. Again, I really need to focus on my diet, logging the miles, and keeping myself in great shape. Ain't life grand?!!

12/06/2007

Well, this was an interesting run! I went out around 8pm or so with my headlamp on and was planning on a nice, easy 5 or 6 miles and it just didn't happen. I got about 2 miles from the house and my headlamp started going dim. (Note to self: Check batteries before going out at night in the dark! Moron!) Ok, so I turned around and headed back home and as I was running down 108th I heard a really loud crash. As it turns out, a really intoxicated dumbass had slammed into a parked SUV about 30 yards behind me. REALLY SCARY! That is why I really wish they would create some safer places for us to run here in Lubbock. Anyway, I ran back to check on everybody (since I'm an ER nurse and that's what I do) and make sure that everyone was ok. The only person involved was the drunk guy. Nobody was in the SUV, thank goodness. So it was just the drunk guy that was bleeding and that was fine with me. All bleeding stops eventually. He got out of the car and almost fell. He was bleeding from his head and absolutely reeked of whiskey........stupid bastard. Anyway, there were some other people there and they called the cops so I ran on. I may sound like a hard ass but he was drunk behind the wheel and I can find absolutely no sympathy for an SOB like that. I hope he rots in jail!

I'm planning on a flat 10 miles tomorrow morning. Hopefully all will go well.

12/02/2007

It was a beautiful day here. In the 60's with a slight breeze out of the northwest. Aubrey and I went out to 1585 and dropped his truck off on University and then we took my car out eight miles west and then ran back east to his truck with the little breeze behind us. My calves were a little sore from the hills yesterday but they handled the distance without much difficulty. I haven't had any problems as of yet with my left foot and plantar fasciitis. I think the shoes that I was using back then had too much support and motion control and my feet weren't able to strengthen. Ever since I switched to a more minimalist shoe my feet have been so much better. Apparently the La Sportiva Slingshots that I like to wear have been discontinued so I am going to try and buy up several pair and keep them around. Why is it that whenever I find a shoe that I really like, they end up getting rid of it? Just my luck. Hopefully there is something comparable out there. I'm sure there is but don't ya just hate having to find it? Oh, well. I plan to take tomorrow off and let my legs recover a little again. Back to work tomorrow night.

12/01/2007

We (Aubrey and I) went to the lake today and hit a couple of good hills on a 6 mile run. The hill workout felt really good, like we were definitely getting some good out of it. I really think that hill workouts will make or break a long distance race. Apparently, a lot of the ultras that I am looking at have quite a few hills and living here in Lubbock will be a huge disadvantage since it is so flat. Out at Buffalo Springs Lake and the surrounding canyons there are several good climbs but it's kind of a pain in the ass to drive out there, run, and then come home, especially on work days.

I plan on heading out to 1585 tomorrow and putting in about 8 miles even though it is kind of a pancake-flat run. I really wish I had more time during the week to ramp up my mileage. Like I said before, working nights just freaking kills me. Hopefully that will all change soon.

I need to get back to the grocery store and get some good fuel back in the house. During my time off I ate like crap and I could sure tell the difference. Ever since I became vegetarian my energy levels have just soared and my gut feels so much better especially on long runs. I need to get some more good recipes and get to cooking. Living in what seems to be the "beef industry capital of the universe" makes it somewhat difficult. I swear that Texans are some of the biggest devout carnivores around. It's just hilarious when my crew at work refers to my supper as "twigs and berries." Sigh.