Empty Nest Runner

"Ran" late to practice.  Sent boys out to do their run, changed and basically just killed time playing on the track. 

10 minute warm-up/stretches/drills

2600m @ 6:24 pace (girl swimmers out on the track, so just ran continuous until they were through)

2 x 1/4 @6:50's (thought I would get a bunch of quarters with one minute rest between, but then the boys showed back up...)

5  minutes of diagonals

Gorgeous out, so showed the boys some sand box drills and called it a day!

Rest day!  No time to run.  Travel to New Mexico to meet up with Drew for his last XC meet of the season at RMAC's.  Go ADAMS!

Crashed the pasta dinner as Mines and Western were all eating with Adams.  Good times!

Got to talk to Zoila for a few minutes at dinner.  She is SO sweet AND amazing.  What an inspiration and jewel for the Adams crew.

Watched Harry Potter on the tube and had a banana skin skin fight with Drew.  Gotta love pre-race routines!

RMAC Championships

What an exdcellent race.  Guys for first, gals for second.  Drew ran unattached in the open race.  So great to see him running up front again.  Went out in 4:40's for the first mile with the lead group.  Stayed with them until around 6k.  Caught his breath adn then started to catch people again!  If only it had been a full 10k--he really aught his second wind and looked great through the finish. (25:41-new 8k PR!)

Such a proud mama moment.

In between races, tried to get my workout in on the course.  3x 1k's progressively faster down to 6:20's with one minute rest.  4 minutes rest (really talking to folks instead of running...) 2:30 @ 6:40's and 1:30 @ 6:40, then time to get in quick CD to meet everyone for lunch at Subway's before the *yawn* drive back home.

10 mile race tomorrow.  Probably not a GREAT pre-race routine...

UGH!  Committed to meeting Matt (marathoner that I somewhat train) at the Rocky Mountain Road Runners 10 miler.  We "guestimated" our start times too conservatively today...I guessed that after yesterday's 7.5 miles that I would only be pacing at 8 minute pace.  Matt was WAY off (and had a GREAT day!)

This race format is where the hares chase the tortoises and, if eeryone was within their handicap, everyone should finish pretty much together.  SO, you run to catch the slower folks ahead, while trying not to get beat by the speedy ones starting behind you.  Ran most of the race by myself and caught people throughout.  Didn't get "caught" until matt blew by me around 1.5 miles from the end.  After that, my legs just sort of died.

Took 2nd for females time-wise.  Course was hillier than i expected and mostly on dirt, which didn't bode well for my flats (should have just worn my trainers). 

Ran faster than if i had just gone out to run my 14, so not all bad, but certainly not race quality.

Oh well--lesson learned...Great to catch up with Karen Voss (who finished like a beast!)

MAJOR running hangover.  Feet were pretty swollen from my weekend adventure, so took it super EZ.

Just moved raound a bit to get the circulation going again.

Gym:  Did Dalton's upper body super sets, Jay's Athena med ball routine and my favorite core routine.  We were graoning and barely moving by the end!  Good stuff, AND great day to be a bear!

7.2 @ 7:30's.  just starting to realize how much faster the littel buggers are getting!  Instead of leading them through at certain paces, i am now the clean up crew and pulling caboose duty.

Time to step it up pretty quickly if i am going to keep hanging with the crew!

20 minute free "fartlek" with the guys.  Crazy buggers!  Lots of fun, but finding that I am definitely falling off.  That's what i get for trying to run with 16:00 5kers...

EZ 4 miles with the beras and then rushed to meet up with the DTR crew at Red Rocks for some chilly, night trail runnin'.

Got to the trailhead and had to listen to the group leader talk WAY too much (glad to be recognized as a vet, but REALLY?  It was like 30 degrees and dropping).  Was borderline hypothermic before I even started, whcih should have been a red flag.

Lost my feet around 3 miles in and then *BOOM* misread the land and sprained my ankle.  Could not even jog it out, had to WUSS out and walk back downt he ridge 3 miles.  With my Reynauds and neuropathy combo, should have known that my proprioception would be shot.  SHOULD NOT HAVE RUN tonight...

Well, the next 6 weeks should be fun...

Rested the ankle--pretty swollen but not yet bruising.  Streaks going in three different planes, which makes sense as I tried to over correct without being able to feel my feet.

Not looking forward to the weekend ahead, as I already deal with major pain issues on a daily basis.  Can't ice because of the reynaud's and it also bothers the hypersensitivity of the neuropathy.

Time to refocus and start working on my biofeedback and visualizations. (AND time to revamp my training and racing calendars...)

Rested ankle all weekend (sprained last thurs), so really wanted to stretch the ol legs today.  Held 7:20s throughout and felt pretty good.  Will jsut run every other day this week and check in with Danny (PT) for guidance.

Med Ball routine and MAJOR core!!

25 minute free fartlek.  After wu/stretches/drills, we embarked on a free fartlek.  The guys basically set pace and then call out to something to run to.  they are not supposed to sprint to this thing (be it a car, curb, tree, fuzzy bunny), but sometimes it turns itno just that.  All the while, they are having fun adn running as a team (AND, i get to prime their legs for the upcoming speed sessions without too much impat, while keeping it primarily aerobic).

Ankle clicking today--Danny said my calf is tight and the front ligaments are loose (from the sprain  1 week ago).  that is causing the calf to pull and force the calcaneous bone forward, thereby allowing the loose ligaments to get "caught" and cause clicking-GROSS!

Will take off tomorrow to get rready for the race on Saturday--clicking or no!  The race is almost all uphill up a canyon that goes from the town of morrison 11 miles to the town of Evergreen almost 1500 feet up.  Luckily my ankle only clicks going downhill...

Med Ball and Core

Morrison to Evergreen Canyon Run

Raced from 5764 feet up 1400 feet to Evergreen along the canyon.  Started out at 30 degrees.  Opted for capris, singlet, long sleeve and gloves.  Everyopne else severly overdressed!

Dalton decided that he wanted to go no less than 8 minutes per mile, regardless of terrain.  His goal was to destroy his time from 2 years ago.  Within the first mile, my boys had all taken off and I was off the back end, though in front of the rest of the runners (that I do not train).  Slowly, I began to pick off my guys one by one as the ascents got worse and worse.  By mile 3 I was down to my singlet and gloves as the day was beginning to be GORGEOUS!  Caught up with Dalton adn decided that we would help each other out.  Flee off pace a few times with some MAJOR climbs, so had to drop to 7:30's on anything flat.  Downhills are still difficult as Danny explained that my loose ligaments at the front of my ankle coupled with tight calf is forcing my calcaneus bone to jut forward.  That causes a strange clicking noise as the ligaments get caught on the bone-YUCK! SO, really had to make the flats count to get us back on pace.

Walked through the water stations (I wanted to, and dalton had never done water in a rce before).  opted to not take in any fuel, as I was feeling pretty good.  Dalton experimented with a GU before each water stop.

Near mile 8, we could see DJ up ahead struggling, so thought we would catch hima nd try to help him through.  That only left Brandon as the only runer up ahead of us.  Picked up DJ adn dropped Dalton as I tried to close the gap on Brandon (could not see him, though, and knew that DJ and Dalton would help each other out).

Finish came up much quicker than expected and barely got a good sprint on.  Brandon FTW with me 2nd.  Turned back to get Dalton and DJ through, when BAM, there they were, right off my back end.  Went SLOWLY back downt he mountain to get our next few runners in, picking up a few extra miles and smiles along the way!

AMAZING, beutiful day.  the guys all did amazing.  Figure that if they can race 11 miles up a canyon, it's time to think about a half marathon???  ROCK CANYON here we come!

happy to average right around 8 for the majority with that much climbing and little pain.

Will continue to run every other day for next couple of weeks though until pain back to "normal".

Monday long run with the BCHS crew.  Need to make sure that I make room for tomorrow's donut mile!

Held 7:20.  Great weather today.  Kids REALLY pushed the pace, so I was basically the caboose off the back end.  Picked up a few near the end that were falling off brandon's 6:50s.

Ankle felt pretty good. 

med ball and core following

DONUT MILE!!!

Every few weeks, we do a team challenge.  usually the kids will pick one or make one up based on ones we have done in the past.  this is by far their most favorite, but due to the caloric intake it is reserved for 2 times per year--end of Cross Country when everyone looks like they need to eat a box of donuts NAD right before Spring Break in the hopes thta I cram enough sugar down their gullet to turn them off from junk food for the rest of their vacay.

SO, a donut mile consists of eating one donut and running a lap as fast as you can  x 4.  that's right!  4 donuts + 4 laps!  Everyone gathers at the starting area.  the gun goes off and everyone rushes to eat a donut as fast as they can.  They must have an official check their mouth to be sure that it is ingested (lessens the likelihood of choking and cheating) and then they sprint a quarter.  Return to the starting area for thei rnext tasty morsel, eat, run, eat, run eat, run, finish!  They are timed while eating and running.

If someone pukes, they must redo that lap...

Needless to say, i usually come in dead last for this challenge, but I enjoy every bite!  

Is it sad that we have a school record for this? 

Now that I have a "dough baby" in my gut, must nap...

2 weeks out from sprain.

Drew set up a meet up with Brandon at Bear Creek Park for a nice Turkey day run.  He was able to run with Brandon and his Bro Kevin (just back from D1 nats).  We decided to jsut go for an hour and meet back at the cars, as they wanted to run the trails and I am not quite there yet with my ankle.

First 30 minutes felt GREAT at 7:20's, but then the wheels came off.  Just enjoyed the rest of the "time" at a decent recovery pace and met the boys on their return.

Will rest the ankle again tomorrow.

BEAUTIFUL weather.  Started out a bit windy, but found myslef running in short-sleeves and arm warmers with shorts.  MAJOR temp difference for Drew coming down from Alamosa.  Kevin was bundled in long sleeve, hat and half tights...Drew in short-shorts and short sleeve and sweating!

Sad about the ankle and dealing with more pain issues than usual, but VERY thankful tohave this T-Day with the Drew-ster!

Going to see new harry potter tonight!!

Took yesterday off to nurse sprain.

Drew had pseudo tempo work to do today.  First workout for him after his break! 

20 minutes warm-up

Long (sub) tempo.  Did not trust ankle and did not want to concentrate on my footing, so did workout at the track.  30 minute steady pace at 6:52 pace.  First 10 minutes more like 7:10's until I took a layer off and then sub split to average 6:50.  Goal was to not get lapped by Drew 3xs (did get lapped twice).  Got dark around 20 minutes in, so really had to focus to keep on pace.

Greatly inspired by watching how smooth and effortless the workout was by Drew.  He helped give me the focus I needed to maintain and as the workout progressed, I got happier and happier!!!  No pain in the ankle during workout!

thanks Drew for driving me to excel today!  love to watch you run.

Buffalo Ranch

Drew scheduled a meet up with Justin Mock at buff Ranch (site of the Rocky Mtn Shoot out).  Gabe and Dom slept in??

Drew & Justin went out 16.6 into the trails nearby, so I decided to hang out for 2 hours at the ranch.  Had to walk the downhills to protect the ankle (sprain day 17!) and definitley feeling yesterday's workout.

Kind of did an "ultra" work out with mix of runinng and power hiking.  Filled up my 2 hours and met the guys by the car, only to cool down with them to help Justin get in his 20 for the day.  Justin looked totally stoked and "up", whereas Drew looked like death! (guess he was only supposed to go for 80 minutes today...oops!

Cheered him up with an Eggle before retunring home to finish packing for his return to "A" mountain.  Picked up Gabe and surprised him with a small XMas tree for the dorm (with lights and decs) and the perfunctory menorrah!  Couldn't find any kwanzaa stuff??

Sad to see them back to Alamosa...can't wait for XMas break!