Sunday, 11.16 - 26.2 miles: 4:15:32

Night before 26.2

We are completely ready for tomorrow. We are finally relaxed, we feel confident and we are about to get the best sleep ever. Everything is set out, alarms set and the car has gas! All we have to do is wake up and go. We are waking up a little after 5:00am and hopefully, we get to the shuttle before 7:00am. After we get this one under our belts, I'm sure all the butterflies and uncertainties we've had will be a little more settle. We are both extremely hyped for tomorrow but neither of us knows exactly what to expect. Except pain!

There are 30,000 runners are registered for this Inaugural race. The news just said it's a record for the Rock 'n' Roll series. Truly, a historic event for us! This is going to be a huge event and I'm still not sure how they are going to get everyone through the streets, especially by the Alamo. Before I leave, for the two or three people who follow this blog, if you would like to follow us tomorrow, please go to Live Results at http://www.rnrsa.com/home.html. The Live Result tab is located at the top center of the page. Type in our first and last name or our bid numbers 16140 (L) or 16141 (A) to track where we are. We take off around 7:30 and we are expected to finish around noon. Wish us luck!

Thursday, 10.13 - 3 miles: Last Run

Last night was our last run before the marathon. We finished strong and as always, holding hands! Today is packet pick up. We head to the Expo to get our bib number, free t-shirt (the real reason why we do these types of events) and some other swag. Later tonight we finish our training by doing a two mile walk with our dogs and then we rest. As always, I’ve gone over and over in my head to ensure we have everything down to the last detail. We have directions to parking and we have our alarm clocks and back-up clocks set, check. It says the weather on Sunday morning will be in the low 40s. To keep us warm, we’ll wear throwaway long sleeve thermals and a toboggan, check. We need to get some extra Vaseline to rub down all over us to prevent chaffing and blisters as well as some band aids to cover my nips so they don’t bleed while wearing the thermal, check. Laura has a big smile and reassures me that we’ll finish, check.

Saturday will be spent relaxing and thinking nothing of the race. We plan on renting some movies, eating some carbs, get the oil change, see Laura’s parent’s new Great Dane and most importantly, relax. As far as after the race, we aren’t sure how well we will feel. There is free food, live music and 80’s rock legend, The Cult, is playing Sunday night. We both plan to take part in all of this but it all depends on how we feel. Monday is the day we’ll be hurting the most. We’ve both taken off from work and we plan on getting a massage. Next to finishing, the massage will be the second biggest reward! They say, after a marathon you should rest one day for every mile. For the first week, we’ll do no running after which we’ll slowly return. If we feel okay, then it will be time to start training for the next one!

Sunday, 11.10 - 11 miles: Got my new shoes on

Friday, we left volunteering at Saddle Light Center, a therapeutic horse back riding organization, at 7:30pm. We were scheduled to run three miles but felt it was too late, so we decided it would be best to mix it with our Sunday’s eight mile run. Saturday afternoon I went and bought a new pair of running shoes to replace my worn out ones. My old Glycerin 5 shoes started to make a squeaking sound and were pretty cashed. Don’t read too much into this but we’ve both put 355 miles on our shoes just training for the marathon and it’s suggested that you replace your shoes every 300-500 miles. I went with the Glycerin 6 but within the first 3 miles of Sunday’s run I discovered they had a more defined arch which gave a shoelace like feeling right at the arch of my foot. Since we were exactly a week away from the marathon, we thought it was best to stop the run and go replace them. I ended up getting the Defyance which is a bit lighter but still a neutral shoe.

Laura had bought a new pair of shoes prior to the marathon but they got stolen at the gym. So she ran in her old shoes which easily had well over 500 miles, plus were a few years old – just goes to show how strong of a runner she is! She finally replaced her running shoes on week 6 and will need to replace them before the next marathon. We have a love/hate relationship with buying gear. We always seemed to get over whelmed by what is worth buying and what is not. I usually stick to a few simple guidelines (i.e. what Laura will allow me to get away with) but really in the end, it takes experience to know exactly what works and what doesn’t.

Thursday, 11.06 - 5 Miles: Check List

We’ve got everything pretty much figured out. We’ve made some last minute adjustments as far as our GU and our Cliff Bars. Originally, we were going to carry them in my short’s pockets but after the 20 mile run, I realized the slapping on my thighs was too much. We tried safety pinning them on the outside of our shorts but still they flopped around. Then I read that safety pinning the GU packs to the outside of our waist band and then folding the packs over and into our shorts will eliminate the floppingness. If you place them right, there’s no raw rubbing. We tried this on our five mile run and it seemed to work great. A better test will be on Sunday’s eight mile run.

Anyways, here’s our long thought out check list of things that we must have on us during the marathon.
-A cheap throwaway long sleeve shirt for the first mile too keep us warm (will ditch them in trash can at one of the first water stations – expected temperature 52°/77°)
-Electrolyte pills in tinny Ziploc bag (goes in my small side pocket on shorts)
-One Cliff bar (fits in Laura’s back hip pocket on shorts)
-3 to 4 GU packs a piece (safety pin to waist band and folded in)
-Tinny digital camera (tied to shoe)
-One ChapStick (fits in headband of Laura’s hat)
-Laura’s Hat
-SunGs

Tuesday, 11.04 – 3 miles: Election Night

As we enter our first full week of tapering down, Laura and I ran three miles in 23.15. A 7.7 mile is considered clutch for us! Not too bad for a couple doing their first 26.2. We were both impressed but not exactly concerned since we are not running this marathon for time. We have all along trained for this marathon to finish together and within the amount of time allotted (seven hours). We project we will finish in about 4:30 but secretively, we want to finish in sub 4 hours.

Obama is now the president-elect and has defeated McCain to become the 44th president. As I watch the cover of tonight’s election and reflect back on the debates, the speeches, the highs and the lows, I look over at my sleeping beauty and think how fortunate we all are to live in a in this great country. Truly, all things are possible and I am proud tonight to witness such an historic moment. God bless America.

Sunday, 11.02 - 9 miles: RAIDER...POWER!

Tonight’s run was much needed after a bashful weekend. First, WRECK’EM TECH! We decided to run later in the evening since we were up late Saturday night. We completed the nine miles in our neighborhood and it was sad to see that most the house’s had already taken their Halloween decorations down. Several houses went boarder line overboard on their decorations that provided an unusual change in scenery. Laura and I ran a decent pace and broke a good sweat which was definitely needed. We are now 14 days away from 26.2 and boy the anticipation is sitting in. We really want to concentrate on keeping a consistent diet and absolutely no injuries. I’m going to void doing weights but I’ll continue to swim.

Mixing a social life with training hasn’t been too difficult for us. During week three when we had to run 10 miles, we were at the condo in Port A. The great thing about running is all you need is your running shoes. So we were able to run that Sunday along the shoulder of Highway 361. However, staying up late and not sticking to our normal diet, we certainly paid for it on that hot, steamy, no shade, mosquito infested run. This weekend, we had a party on Friday night for Halloween (Laura was partly cloudy with a chance of rain and I was a dark stormy night) and then we got together with friends to watch my beloved Red Raiders beat those t-sippers.

Tuesday, 10.28 - 5 miles: Count down

Nice evening run. Cooler weather has brought a much needed break in the relentless heat. Laura is studying hard and is very committed to her goal. She had one test on Monday and another tomorrow so a break in her study to go running was exactly what she needed. We took off in our neighborhood and ran at a much more comfortable pace. We both were feeling pretty sore from Sunday’s run on Monday but we felt 100% today. Except that I have a runny nose and Laura is nervous about her test. Anyways, we ran leisurely and enjoyed a good chit chat.

No more long distance runs on Sundays and no more stationing water bottles along our routes. Now we cut down the miles during the week and count down the days until the race. SimplY, we want to concentrate on keeping a pretty consistent diet and mostly avoid INJURIES. We both think we are physically and mentally prepared for the race but there is a sense of uncertainty as far as what to expect. Just getting to the race is going to be a challenge. There are 30,000 people registered for the race. It’s definitely bigger than the Tour de Cure, Mas o Menos or Miles of DisComfort – combined and some. As far as we know, it's going to be a big crowd with overly focused runners wearing short shorts and those fuel belts. (Pic: Enjoying some smores, as you can see by my face, at the bonfire after the Mas o Menos 100-k mountain bike race in Terlingua.)

Sunday, 10.26 - 20 miles: Top 5's

Yesterday Aaron and I accomplished something that was unimaginable just weeks ago! We ran 20.4 miles…our farthest distance, yet! The reason for the extra distance of 0.4 mi added onto our scheduled 20 mi was due to the multiple twists and turns of our mapped out route. So therefore, 20+ MILES!!! Trust me; this is an incredibly challenging distance…both physically and mentally. The triumph is still hard to fathom the next day. Overall, I would have to rate yesterday’s run as a success, and I am sure Aaron would agree! We were able to run the entire distance while battling a late start, humidity from hell, and a beating sun. (from which I now have an ugly sports bra and running shorts tan line). We have a routine of setting our sealed water bottles along our route the night before the run. This way, we do not have to carry water bottles with us and we easily stay hydrated along the route. We were definitely looking forward to our last water stop; I had hidden the water bottles by the sidewalk next to a guard rail. We ran up to the spot dying for a quick break and a wet drink, but the bottles were nowhere to be found. Panicked, we began looking everywhere! Unfortunately, to top off the already lengthy and blistering run, someone had stolen our bottles. All we could do was pout and press onto the finish line. Through all of the challenges thrown our way, we both ran really strong! And when one of us showed any sign of stress, the other would support and encourage! I am so grateful for our amazing partnership. (it’s somewhat comforting to know that when you are in the most uncomfortable state and the most extreme pain…your not alone!)

Top 5 greatest things on this run:

1. Looking to my right, and seeing my best friend (my husband) beside me!
2. A cool breeze, right as you are about to die of heat stroke!
3. Unexpected shade!
4. A slight downhill slope after a grueling uphill climb
5. The huge bacon cheese burger (and in Aaron’s case, chicken fried steak) we get to eat when we burn off more than 2000 kcal in a workout! :)

Top 5 worst things on this run:

1. Chaffing (armpits, legs, anywhere…it’s not fun!)
2. Unrelenting sun and no shade in sight!
3. Sweat in your eyes! Help! (or arguably worse, sweat in a fresh cut)
4. Terrorization, whether it be from the two-legged or four-legged kind. (nothing gets your heart rate going like a person yelling from a car or a rapid dog chasing after you!)
5. Craving a huge, beautiful bacon cheese burger at mile 2, when you have 18.4 mi to go!!! :)
-L

Tuesday, 10.21 – 5 miles: I hurt my back!!!

I’m lying on the floor, flat on my back, with one pillow under my head to give me an angle so I can see to type. How did I end up here? Well, I always seem to injury my lower back at least once a month. Last month, I moved the lawn mower in an unusual way and it caused me to have a pain in my back or what I like to refer to as a “crick in my back”. The crick in my back has never been extreme and it has never kept me from work or doing my normal day to day routines. That is until now. Tuesday morning I decided to include a new routine to my workout. It’s called the Good Morning exercise and it strengthens the lower back. (See link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4H2EZC1UCY).

During my second rep I felt what can only be described as an explosion going off in my lower back. The pain spread to every point in my body. I was barely able to get the 60 lbs curl bar off my shoulder. I was completely helpless but I didn’t want to cause a scene. So I walked awkwardly out of the gym. Then, what usually takes me 20 minutes to shower, shave and dress, took me more than 45 minutes and I didn’t even shave. By the time I got to work, I could feel that I was getting really stiff and my upper legs started tingling. Since I was able to set up an appointment with our PCP at 4:00pm, it was decided that it would be best for me to go home. Once I got home, the only thing I could do was lay flat on the floor (where I’m at now) and wait for Laura to get home.

Once I arrived at the doctor’s office, I took several painful x-rays and then our doctor saw me. He is a DO and not a MD, and is pretty amazing – especially when it comes to back injuries. He told me that I dislocated my sacroiliac which is where the tailbone meets the hip. He was able to pop it back in place by doing this leg maneuver. The popping noise was loud enough that our nurse heard it outside our room with the door shut. It gave some immediate relief but now I’m on codeine and muscle relaxers for at least another day – sorry if this blog doesn’t make any sense. I asked the doctor if I would be able to run and his simple reply was, “if it hurts, don’t do it.”

Tuesday’s run for Laura was great! Laura is really amazing when it comes to taking care of me. She took me to the doctor, got my prescription filled, ran five miles, cooked dinner and took two quizzes for her class. I’m so impressed with her! Plus, I got to return the favor and follow her in our car.

Sunday, 10.19 - 18 miles: Busy Week

Eighteen miles is a milestone for us! We’ve been told all along that if you can run 18 miles you can finish a marathon. Training for a marathon or any endurance sport is challenging in itself. Adding day-to-day obligations and commitments only increases the challenge. Laura and I have been really discipline in sticking to our running log. However, we’ve had to adjust our life's schedules at times to accommodate our running schedule. It becomes a little tricky but so far we’ve managed.

Tuesday, five mile run was nothing special except that we were both really tired. Thursday’s and Friday’s run were great examples of mixing a running schedule with other commitments. Thursday, we had to run errands after I got off work and we didn’t get home until after 9:00pm. We then managed to finish eight miles by 11:00pm. We attended a wedding on Friday night, which meant we would not be able to run after work. Thus, we woke up at 4:45am and ran our five miles before work. Usually, once we get going at this god awful hour, we gain our energy about a mile into the run. Not this time. I’ve never felt so damn tired in my life and I’m the lucky one. I got to go back to bed for a couple of hours. Laura had to leave in order to be at work by 6:00am. However, we pulled it off and the wedding was a REAL treat. I have such a beautiful bride who truly glows on the dance floor!

Sunday, 10.12 - 17 miles: Chalk it Up

Laura and I volunteered for 10 hours yesterday at Artpace’s Chalk It Up festival. Nearly 12,000 people showed up to view chalk drawing and creations along historic Houston Street. Laura and I were volunteer coordinators and sticker passer outers. We spent the latter part of our day assisting a photographer who was using a ladder to get an areal picture of every piece of “chalk” work. We then helped with clean up. It’s safe to say that we were exhausted once we got home and even more exhausted now.

Friday, Laura and I both agreed that we needed a change in venue for our five mile run. Running our weekday runs in the neighborhood is simply convenient. It’s clearly mapped out and we are obviously familiar with the routes. However, it does get redundant and quite simply boring after running the same routes over and over. So a simple fix was to find a different path. We decided to head out to a section on River Road that runs along the Guadalupe River. My father-in-law has taken me on a bike ride that included this stretch and I thought it would be the perfect setting for Laura and me. We parked one car at a road side store at the end of our route and drove five miles up river to the start of our route. I didn't expect it to get dark so quickly but the moonlight gave us a perfect amount of lighting and the flies that flew in our mouths gave us the needed fuel...It got a little creepy, but it was the perfect change that we needed.

Today, Laura ran 14 straight miles during my 17 miler! She didn’t have any pain but didn’t want to push it too far. This being her first Sunday run since her injury, I was really impressed!!! Now running 18 miles next Sunday won’t be as overwhelming since she did 14 today. She is really happy about returning to our normal running schedule and I’m more thrilled to have my running buddy back! -A

Thursday, 10.09 – 8 miles: Cliff Bar

Nice run today. Laura did four mile after she got off work and finished without any pain! I’m really hopeful that she will make a full recovery. Laura’s goal for Sunday’s long run is to go 10 miles with no pain. This should determine if she is fully recovered.


My goal for Sunday and here on out, is concentrating on hydrating, fueling and carb loading. So far we’ve been pretty disciplined in this area except for incorporating protein during our long runs. This Sunday, I’m going to use Cliff Bar during the 17er. I’ve used CB in climbing, hiking and cycling and the taste isn’t bad. Plus, a friend suggested it. Luckily, Laura loves to cook and she has been cooking pasta and other carb enriched meals during the week. I’m lucky to have her to cook for us because otherwise, it would be mac and cheese or roman noodles. -A

Tuesday, 10.07 – 5 miles: La's back!!!

Yesterday was a great run! I ran mile one solo and the rest of the five miles with Laura!!! Her return was well anticipated and a pleasant relief that she completed with no severe pain. Her Achilles tendon wasn’t giving her a problem but she did feel some tightness in her left calf. We are going to monitor it over the next few runs and then make a judgment call. We feel that she will be able to determine how well she is once she runs 8 to 10 miles this week. If no sign of serve pain returns this week then she’ll be ready to return to the normal running schedule for week 10.

The good thing for Laura is that she is cardiovascularly prepared to run 26.2. However, it’s not quite clear if she is physically prepared. If the pain returns in these shorter runs, it will result to her wearing a boot for the next six weeks. If this is the case, Laura is prepared to hang up her running shoes for this race and prepare for the next. Hopefully, though, this won’t be the case and Laura and I will cross the finish line, holding hands!

Sunday, 10.05 - 16 miles: Friends

"Winning effort


"Winning is not everything, but the effort to win is. -Zig Ziglar


"To run a marathon, we train for months. Although we may not expect to win, we hope at least to do well in our age group or to top a personal best. When the big day comes, we strive to meet whatever goal we’ve set for ourselves – to win, in other words, on our own terms. If we don’t, are we losers? How could we be? We’ve worked hard, gotten into great shape, perhaps even made a new friend. These things have more lasting importance than any transient reward for crossing the finish line first.



"It’s great to set challenging goals for myself and then try to achieve them. Sometimes I will, but even when I don’t, I’ll have done some extraordinary work. "


- Linda Picone, The Daily Book of Positive Quotations p. 302

Sick'em

Tuesday’s five mile run was done in some pretty hot weather. I took off from our house at a quarter after five and left our common neighborhood paths and ran an old familiar route. It’s not one of our favorites because of the back-to-back hills and the lack of shade. Plus, there’s heavy traffic which means for some sections we are forced to run on the hard sidewalk. However, it’s one of my favorites because it’s a simple four mile loop with no backtracking; except for the added out-and-back mile to get my total five miles. Not a very interesting run, especially since Laura is still absent, but there is something worth noting that did happen. Harassers – the one thing all runners and cyclist must deal with.

This time it was just some annoying teenagers screaming out of their Kia Rio. In the past, I’ve had a can thrown at me and several who swerved close into me or drove dangerously close by me. Typically though, it’s some punk high school kid screaming out their window. This stuff is expected to happen so I’m not going to waste anymore space than I’ve already done by giving examples and expressing how I feel. However, when I step over to the other side, I’ll bring havoc on those who choose to harass runners and cyclist. -A

Yesterdays's Run

Well, I have not been on a run since last Sunday...a week and one day ago. I guess to say that I have not been 'on a run' in that amount of time isn't totally accurate. I actually went 'on a run' yesterday evening...but I did not 'GO Running.' The truth is, Aaron went on a long 16 m run last night. We normally do our long runs downtown on Sunday mornings. However, we went to a neighbors wedding Saturday night, and it kept us up later than we had planned. With several important things to accomplish on our Sunday afternoon (i.e. our traditional Sunday nap while subconsciously watching football,) Aaron was not able to run until Sunday evening. He had a long way to run and no running buddy. He set off on a 4 mi loop around the neighborhood that he would complete 4 x's, and I headed off to HEB to grab 4 vital items we needed for the week. On my way home, I backtracked through the neighborhood until I found my best friend. When I pulled onto the same street as Aaron, I could see him trudging along, solo, in the distance. A mix of emotions hit me, but the strongest feeling was one of joy! Aaron was working so hard to continue to achieve our goal! I was so incredibly proud of him! I pulled up next to him, and kept him company for the rest of his first loop. Several times during his run, I took Jewels (our Jeep) out looking for Aaron. I provided him with a running soundtrack, water bottles, Cytomax sports drink, conversation, and even took pictures and a video of him running. I decided to drive with him the last 4 mi of his run. I pulled Jewels out of the driveway, put her flashers on, and turned up the tunes. I really admire Aaron for running the entire 16 mi in our neighborhood, that he is convinced has more hills. It would have been hard for me to pass the house 4 x's without stopping/quitting! He ran so smooth and controlled on his Sunday run. He has really turned into a great runner and will do well in the marathon and any other event he desires to strive for, in the future. As Aaron crossed the 16 m finish line, he reached in the car window and held my hand. Then we gave each other a HUGE high-five (circa 1980's)!!! :) It was such a great run for the both of us. While I can't 'Go running' for several more days, I will go for a run with Aaron ANY day! -L

Good news, bad news, and...wait, what?!?

I waited yesterday until after 5 pm to hear from the doc, but I was impressed that he actually called me the day after my MRI with my results. He said the good news is that I have NOT torn my achilles tendon! My diagnosis is achilles tendonitis. He is not going to require me to wear a boot, because he says that I would lose muscle mass so fast, the marathon would no longer be an option. However, the bad news is that I am not clear to run or "do any activity where my foot leaves and strikes the ground." I cannot go walking, jogging, running or even think about those activities until my follow-up in two weeks. I can swim and possibly bike, if they do not cause more aggravation. I need to continue to ice my leg and was instructed by the doc to "take aleve until it burns a whole in my stomach." He did say that he saw "some very interesting bone inconsistencies, possibly due to stress...but will discuss this more at the follow-up." Wait...What?!? I have no idea what this means or if it is even significant. I did not have a chance to process this and ask about it with all of the other info he was spouting out. However, when I figure out this new mystery, I will explain in detail. Until then, I plan on following the doc's instructions to the 'T'. Hopefully I will be able to return to training very soon!!! -L

7:17pm, Friday, 09.26 - 4 miles: Missing La

Tonight’s run was smooth. I mixed in GU Energy Gel for a fuel fix. The strawberry-banana flavor is non-caffeine. I took a 1/3 15-minutes before the run and another 1/3 after three miles. I’ve tried honey, jelly-beans and Mike and Ike’s but none of these seems to fuel me up for 12 plus miles. Everyone swears by GU so I’m going to give it a try. Obviously, getting enough carbs the nights before a marathon is crucial, but equally important is getting carbs during the marathon.

Laura is resting up and is anxious to get back in it. I hate running without her. I miss nodding while she’s talking and other details like hearing her feet hit the road. Typically, I enjoy pursuing endurance activities on my own. But running is something Laura and I will always share together. -A

Thursday, 09.25 - 8 miles: To Pearson

Eight miles got split up in two portions. First portion was ran at 7:18am for three miles. School traffic was pretty bad but I caught a stunning sunrise. I ran an additional five miles from our house to my company, Pearson, to pick up our Jeep at around 6:00pm. While on the run, I ran into an elderly man who had his road bike upside down. His chain got caught in-between his crankset and bottom bracket. I'm always happy to see cyclist and other runners out there but especially when I see our seniors plucking away! After ensuring he didn't need to use my cell -- he had already called his wife -- he told me he was running in the marathon as well and was doing 18 miles this Saturday. I don't want to guess how old he was but he was one of those guys you see at church handing out the offering plate.


We are waiting for Laura's MRI results. Best case scenario, she takes a week off and is back in the game. We are pretty confident this will be the case. However, the doc wasn't too convincing. But what does he know. Laura is pretty driven. She'll give an update once we know more.

"Injury" or lack there of- Update!

After resting on Monday after our 14 m run, I was hoping that I was not going to hear another peep from my calf. Sadly, it bothered me during the run Tues. I came inside the house after our run and took a very hot and relaxing shower letting the water hit my leg. I also took NAISDs (non anti-inflammatory steroid drugs, i.e. Ibuprofen), iced my leg twice, and used a heating pad before retiring to bed. I then had a horrible night of tossing and turning...which I attribute to subconsciously stressing out about my injury, or lack there of. And this morning, I was distressed to find that I still had tightness and pain. I have called and made an appt with not one sports med specialist, but two!!! This is because apparently, a physician that sees pts for a calf injury will not address an Achilles tendon injury and vice versa (according to the appointment line.) And because (with more pain setting in) I am not sure of the root of the issue, I made two appts! (what a literal "pain"!!!) -L

A New Reason...

During our four mile run, which we shared with a heavy down pour, it occurred to me that I now have a reason to keep a legitimate blog. My first attempt at blogging was when I created Webb Extension. It didn’t really serve a purpose (which was the point) but now I’ve designated it as a journal, so to speak, about our trainings for our first marathon. If this works, we will use it for other future challenges.

Friday, 09.19 we officially paid the ridiculously expensive entry fee for the Inaugural Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon. We are now committed to running the full marathon (26.2 miles). We passed a milestone on the following Sunday by running 14 miles. This is significant because it says we can at least go the distance (and some) of a half marathon.

A summary of the first seven weeks of our training goes like this. Laura found a 16 week training log that we shorten to 14 weeks in order to synchronize with the marathon which is on November 16th. We run, rain or shine, on Tuesdays, Thursday, Fridays and our long run is on Sundays. Each week’s total mileage is increased by 10%. For instant, week six we ran a total of 28 miles; Tues. 4 mi + Thur. 6 mi + Fri. 4 mi + Sun. 14 mi = 28 mi. So this week we will run a total of 31 miles.

5:31 pm, Tuesday, 09.23 - 4 miles at 9.15
Since it was obvious that it was going to pour, Laura and I decided at the half mile mark to run back to our house and change into our bad weather shoes. We then continued on a three mile course in our neighborhood to complete our run in the rain. I've realized that I absolutely love running in the rain with my wife! It's happened a few times during our training. Once, a massive rainbow that made a perfect arch literally marked our finish line.

Today was a bad run for both of us. In the seven weeks of training we have had great runs and bad runs. Today, I went off my schedule a bit by taking 2, 200 mg Ibuprofen 30 minutes before we started our run. Usually, I take two around 2:00 pm. For the entire run, I kept burping and throwing up in my mouth. With the streets flooding and me spitting out wired colored mucus, I was having a hard time keeping up with my wife. Around mile 1, Laura's left calve started giving her trouble. In running, a tiny misstep that normally would not cause much of a problem can do some serious damage to your legs. Unfortunately, Laura stepped wrong on something during our Sunday's run. She is going to spend this evening and tomorrow recovering. Some useful info: RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevate. We enjoy learning about little acronyms like RICE and other runner's lingo. However, I never use the lingo properly and I constantly have to ask Laura to remind me what acronym stands for, etc.

Since we started getting into the 5 mile plus runs, I've started having severe pain in both shins and calves. I saw an orthopod (orthopedic surgeon, another lingo thing that I just asked Laura about) when I started having this pain about three weeks ago. Incidentally, the week before I saw him, I started taking 2, 200 mg Ibuprofen hours before our runs and right afterwards and that seemed to eliminate the pain, along with RICE. The orthopod did some x-rays and did not see any stress fractures and said that I should continue doing the Ibuprofen/RICE routine. He said one of his ultra marathon (100 miles) patients swears by Ibuprofen. Also, part of the pain was attributed to the fact that I was running toe/heal and not heal/toe. -A

What?

Time is left without the expression which makes us believe we see mostly a reason to look. If it could be what it was not then it must have been a chance to reveal. Though it’s not always a chance to express but a chance to be expressed, it is only then that one can express. "Peace is out and in is surreal." Then, is it I who believes? -Watdahell D. Hesay

Music in the next cube

If I listen quietly enough, I believe I hear Bowie/Queen's "Under Pressure"... or is it "Ice, Ice Baby"? Got to hate when that happens.

First bike ride

I'm taking my first ride since my disagreement with the pavement.
"I just don't want to die without a few scars" - Tyler Durden, Fight Club