It’s on!

The bigger the race, the more expensive it is.    I hate wasting money, especially when it comes from signing up for a race that I’m unable to run.  So this year I scheduled all my races in pencil, and waited to actually sign up until it was closer to the race and I could be a bit more certain that I would be ready and able to do the race.  Of course you have to offset that with the risk that the race might fill up before you sign up.

With that in mind, last weekend was the line in the sand.  I needed to finish it with a plan for my early races, and I did.  My training to date has been splendid, going faster and further than previously at this point in the season, maybe ever.  I was still super excited about doing a marathon and venturing back to the HIM distance.

However, I was concerned that I might not have given myself enough lead time to adequately prepare for the marathon.  Then, because of all the attention being given to the marathon, I didn’t think I would be fully prepared for the HIM a month later.  Starting off the year with two big races at less than fully prepared just didn’t sound like a good idea anymore.  After speaking with my wonderful coach, we decided to postpone the marathon until November and focus on the HIM in April.

Monday I signed up for the half marathon in March, and the Galveston 70.3 in April.  The half marathon is a tune up to build my confidence and get in a good workout.  The real first race is in Galveston.

 

The memory of my DNF at that race 2 years ago is still fresh in my mind.  This year will be different.  Not only will I finish, but I expect to easily shatter my old PR.  The only question in my mind is by how much.  I have a goal time, but that is between me, my wetsuit, bike and racing flats.

It’s going to be a good year!

I’m a complete runner now

I’ve spent many years running, and I feel like I’ve heard and seen it all.  I’ve had some wonderful runs where everything was perfect, and I was able to get into the zone or “runner’s high”.  It’s all the other things that complete us as runners.

I think I’ve encountered most of those other things:  sprained ankle, shin splints, stress fracture, dehydration, and sunburn.  You name it, I’ve done it.  Or so I thought.

Although I’ve been chased by a number of dogs in my day, it wasn’t until last week that one actually caught me and I suffered my first dog bite.  It wasn’t a bad bite as dog bites go, and the owner was able to fairly quickly regain control of her dog.

I think the best indicator of the severity of the bite was my eagerness to exchange phone numbers so I could get back on about my way and finish my run.  One thing the run did for me was distract me from everything else going on and before long I was back home.

For personal reasons I decided against reporting the bite.  I did make  a quick trip to the doctor for a tetanus shot and round of antibiotics.  The good news is that this has in no way influenced my running, although I am more wary when I come upon dogs.

I think that for now I’m a complete runner, until the next event I never imagined!  Have fun and be safe!

A rainy day

We are in the middle of a thunderstorm, which has thrown a wrench in my morning training plans.  What better excuse to provide a quick blog update.

I see that my last update was about my 2012 goals.  They haven’t changed, yet, but I’ve gotten some training under my belt which gives me some perspective on what is in store for the next couple of years.

I’m spending more time these days running that I feel like I’ve done before, and it is still climbing.  This past Saturday I ran for 1:45, and while I was tired at the end I could have done more if I needed to.  I’ve also noticed that my times have dropped significantly, even on the longer runs.

Of course no training regimen would be complete without some sort of injury or illness.  At last that is the way it seems to me!  Fortunately, unlike last year’s hamstring problem, this quirk doesn’t cause me much pain while I run, nor does it get worse as I run longer.  It’s also staying under control with a bit of ice.  Let’s hope it stays that way (or gets better).

I’m really enjoying the training this year.  I was afraid of the long runs, but so far that hasn’t been an issue.  Now I’m look forward to the runs, both the long ones and the intervals.  If I can sustain that motivation I could have a good year!

The biking is going great!  My training levels are at their highest point yet, and I haven’t had one workout yet that I couldn’t exceed.  Coach will catch on soon and raise the training levels again.  I wish I was able to ride longer on the weekends, but with the focus right now on preparing for the marathon coach won’t lengthen them any more than 2 hours.

Swimming is going ok.  The night masters class proved difficult to attend last week as I was worn out from my day workouts (and my day job).  Hopefully I can get back to it tonight.

That’s all for now.  Have a nice day!