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Waffle Run

My head cold slammed me pretty good this week. While I am fine during the day, I have not slept well at all for several nights. :(

I ended up scrapping my Turkey Day race because I just did not feel well. BUT, I promised my son that today we would run the Fleet Feet Waffle Run together. It was a 5 mile group run followed by a waffle breakfast. Last week I asked him if he wanted to ride his bike with me while I ran and he thought it was a great idea. I wasn't sure if he really would stay on board with it, but he talked about it all week long. He had biked for 3 and 4 mile runs before, but never 5, and he was pretty jazzed about it.

My alarm went off at 6:00 am and I immediately turned it off. The last thing I wanted to do was get up - I was finally sleeping well. Then at 6:15 I got up, thinking, James will be so disappointed if we miss this.... So I went to wake him up and immediately popped out of bed "is it time?" He was so excited and I was SO glad I did not blow this off.

We drove to Fleet Feet and waited with all the other runners. People were surprised he was participating, and James was proud. We discovered there was an option for a 3 mile loop, but James insisted on 5.

It was cold (26 and windy), but the sun was out and it was a nice morning. James took off and hit the first miles pretty fast (8:50, 8:07). He then started losing a little steam and needed a wee bit of help up some hills. Around mile 4, he started getting tired and said he thought maybe we should have opted for 3 miles. I said, "Are you kidding? You have gone farther than you ever have, you are doing great!" He agreed and we went on. He was telling me all about pirates in the Sponge Bob movie and it was really fun. Just before the 5 mile mark we stopped because we did not know which way to go. Then a Fleet Feet employee came running down the hill and told us where to finish. James finished strong and was incredibly proud of finishing his first 5.33 mile bike ride!

We enjoyed waffles together and decided that it was a really, really great morning.

Weekly Recap

Another light week, but building back up nonetheless. Everything very slow and my HR is though the roof with this nasty cold. But onward I go...

M: rest / pilates
T: 3.08 (9:23)
W: rest
R: 7.57 (9:21)
F: rest
Sa: 8.18 (9:28) / pilates
Su: 13.01 (9:38) / pilates

Total: 31.8

Nothing to write home about, but I'll take it. I am going to run the Berbee Derby on Thanksgiving. I haven't decided on the 5K or 10K. It should be interesting as I haven't done a lick of speedwork since early October.

yech

Wonderful. I have developed a nasty nasty head cold. Yech. It took so much energy for me to get out and run today because it was so cold. We have hit winter full on this week.. When I ran on Thurday, it was 22 or something, but weather channel said "feels like 9 degrees." And yes it did. Today, it was 35 when I left, but with the winds I was very cold the entire time. Unlike the last several weeks, this is NOT my fave time of the year to run. But as I told myself during my run today, I have a long 6 months of me so I better saddle up and improve my attitude.

Joe+ had a birthday this week - HAPPY HAPPY!

Salty had peanut today. What a miraculous, wonderful time. As I read her news I enjoyed thinking back to those days. Absolutely priceless. Congrats Laura and Mike!

My friend Steve is running Philly tomorrow - GOOD LUCK! I will be cheering for you! He is a machine running Milwaukee Lakefront in October, a couple weeks later doing his first 50K and now hitting Philly for marathon redemption. He is in great shape and will nail it if life cooperates (cough, attitude!!), no doubt it will be a great race.

Greg is in full taper. Focus - you are going to kick @ss! I know it.

Cindi is back in action - I knew it wouldn't be long!

I'm hoping to log 30 miles this week with 4 runs, then regroup. I am getting a lot too soft and slack for my own good and my own sanity.

A down month

So I originally had great hopes of recovering, doing low mileage and speed work in an attempt to have a fast Turkey day race. Well it looks like the plan has changed. Between the weather change (cold!) and my obvious need for rest (more mental than physical), I have had a VERY low mileage, low intensity month.

It has been really nice to have the break. I get so geared up in training mode - It is nice to have a few weeks to say, "I'm just not going to get out there today."

The weather has turned very cold. Last Tuesday it was 17 degrees when I ran at 5:00 am! With the cold weather, my arthritic R knee has really acted up. I have missed several days in an attempt to let the inflammation calm down. This happens every year, but is always very alarming anyway. I have been doing a good job with the pilates and that always helps. Yesterday I was in a TON of pain, but today is much better. I hope to log a "longish" run - maybe in the range of 8 to 12 miles. We will see. I have had a VERY slacker weekend and haven't done a whole lot of anything. Although I have pulled out the crock pot in the cold weather - yesterday I made Chili and today we have lentil soup simmering. What a welcome treat! :)

The good news is that I finally sat down and wrote up a schedule for my spring marathon! I start training on December 7.

I am excited about the upcoming arrival of Salty's baby - it should be any day now!

And Greg must be getting into his taper - rest up!!!

Update: I ran 12 today and the knee felt great! Yay! And as I updated my running log, I realized I did a little more than I had thought. I am slow, but I am moving:

M: rest/pilates
T: 5.83 (9:15) / pilates
W: rest/pilates
R: 4.02 (9:40) / pilates
F: 5.81 (9:33)
Sa: rest/pilates
Su: 12.04 (9:50)

Total: 27.7 miles

The best time of year for running

Is now. Wow, it has been spectacular lately. I took this entire week off, however. I was not ready to start getting up before 6 and I really enjoyed the extra sleep and rest. Yesterday, however, I ran a nice easy 7 miler. The weather and fall colors were spectacular. It was a nice reminder of why I love this sport so much.

I think I will run the inagural Illinois marathon in April. My sister decided to run it as her first marathon and asked me to join her - how can I pass that up?! Very cool.

In the meantime, I think November is going to be a low mileage month with some nice speed workouts. The Berbee Derby is on Thanksgiving and I think I will shoot for a 5K or 10K PR (or something close to it anyway). My task for this afternoon is to write up a good schedule. I also plan to add pilates back in religiously. I have really slacked on it and I know better than that. It just plain makes me a better runner and I know that. I am also committed to dropping a couple of pounds before starting marathon training again. So far I have had no success with that endeavor, but hopefully things will change.

Best of luck to Quinto Sol who is running NYCM this morning! He just hit the 5K at 23:51 - Woo Hoo!! UPDATE: 3:21:05 - WAY TO GO!