8 Miler in SW Austin

I received my official Dr's clearance to run yesterday. He said the toe is healing fine and was shocked at how much I have been running. This morning I met Wish for a route we haven't done in a long time an 8 mile loop in SW Austin. It was cold and rainy...felt just like my time in Oregon. Thank God I live in Austin now! I felt good during the run, but started to get really cold right at th end. I feel good now, just tired after my first full week of mileage since I broke my toe.

800s at AHS

On another very cold morning I met the group for 800s at AHS. The goal was 4 - 8 depending on your race goals and etc. I was thinking 4 since this is my first real week back. I ended up doing 5 although at a slower pace than I normally do these. Still lots of work to do!

Recovery Run

I met Wish for a recovery run in Circle C today. We did a couple of loops in the park and then added some mileage in the south part of the neighborhood. Another cold front blew in so the temperature was dropping and it was windy. The cedar pollen is back so I had to find my Flonase to battle this year's pollen. I felt good after yesterday's workout, but my foot feels a bit more sore after running.

Hill Repeats at Spring Hill

Today I met the group for hill repeats at Spring Hill. We jogged over from Runtex and the goal was 3-6 repeats plus a few backward and some sprints up the steep part. I was thinking 3-4 and skipping the backward and sprints due to my foot. I ended doing 6 with Rachel and felt winded, but good. I hit the gym on the way home for some weights.

Saturday long Run

I met the group today for a kind of new course. We ran scenic and then headed east on Enfield to run the reverse Cap 10k course. The run was nice, but a bit too much sidewalk and trees to contend with. I felt really good until my stomach blew up again. I need to eat better and prep for long runs better. I did a few strides when I got back to Runtex and called it a day.

Treadmill Run and Weights

I took my rest day early yesterday so I could run on the treadmill again. My toe feels better, but the softer surface helps. I ran 5.25 miles/45 minutes and then lifted. It was a good workout prior to tomorrow's long run.

Gym Run and Weights

I got up this morning drove to RunTex for some speed work, got out of my car, the cold wind hit me, and I got back in my car and drove to the gym. I ran 5.25 miles over 45 minutes on the treadmill and then lifted.

After Sunday's disaster at Decker, my Austin marathon plans are done. I am going to get back in shape to run a great 3M as well as the Austin half marathon next year. I haven't had a PR at any distance since 2007 so the goal for 2010 is to get at least one.

2009 Decker Half Marathon

Today I ran the Decker Half Marathon. It was brutal day to say the least. Decker usually has weird weather and today was no different. I was cold and drizzly throughout the whole race...very miserable conditions. I met Rachel for a two mile warm up and then changed into shorts and put on my bib to get ready for the race. People came out of the Expo center building with about 5 minutes until the race started...smart!

As for the race, I found out I am in terrible shape and ran my slowest ever half marathon by 2 minutes. I started out OK, but had to stop to pee and things got worse after that. My stomach acted up so I slowed to the 9:00 range during miles 9 and 10. I finally pulled over and spent about 5 minutes in the can...not cool since that was the difference in my personal worst half marathon. Since I was a bit lighter I finished with some miles in the 8:30 range. My limited running over the past 4 weeks caught up with me. I am not sure what my next move is as far as this season goes. I don't think I can effectively run the marathon since it is only two months away. I may switch to the Half Distance Challenge and focus on a fast time at 3M. My foot held up really well...probably because my feet were cold and wet which may have numbed it. Anyway, I survived and got another half marathon on my running resume.

Fartleks on the Trail

Today I rolled out of my warm bed for some early fartleks with the group on the trail. It was nice to be back in some form and the trail was good for my foot. I dropped in with Chris and the middle group and was able to keep contact with them until the Rock. I can't believe how my conditioning has gone away in just 3 weeks. I stopped for water at the Rock and then did a consistent pace cool down from there. I was happy with the effort and am good to go for Decker on Sunday. I am excited because I haven't run the full race since 2006 due to running the Dallas marathon.

Blog Catchup

I have some catching up to do after spending a few days in Dallas last week for the holiday.

Friday - 11/27
I have been resting my broken toe since Monday so today I hit the gym for 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer and some weight lifting. I ate and drank too much in Dallas so the 30 minutes was kind of rough, but enough since I have a long run tomorrow.

Saturday - 11/28
The group ran the Grove loop today. My foot felt a lot better after the rest and the soft trail was really good for me. I cut off at the Pfluger bridge with Anne to get to a bit over 10 miles. I felt good, but was a bit fatigued.

Monday - 11/30
I planned to run on the treadmill today, but my trial Mizunos felt weird on my toe after about .25 miles so I switched to the elliptical trainer. I rode for an hour and felt good, but tired. I did some arm weights and called it a day.

Tuesday - 12/1
I can't believe it is already December...about 2.5 months before the Austin marathon and I am nowhere near where I would like to be. I am hoping to just get through the Decker half marathon this Sunday in one piece. For today I met Wish for a run through the Circle C golf course. It was nice and soft on the grass and dirt, but way muddy. We had to stop and clean our shoes off a couple of times. I ran almost 6 miles and felt pretty good. The toe is healing, but still feels weird and a little numb on one side. Hopefully that goes away soon.