melancholy

Trying to be thankful instead of melancholy today.  Today was my last available day to add to my 20 year non-smoking mileage total.  The total ended up being 20,596 miles or 19.74 miles per week.  The crazy number for me is the 2.8 miles PER DAY average for 20 years!

I can't remember exactly when I came up with the idea/goal of averaging 20 miles per week for 20 years and I want to say I gave it all I had but I suppose we all second guess ourselves.  I was holding on tight to the 20 mile average 5 months into the 20th year but I had to give into my chronic plantar fascia injury and cut back on my mileage.  If I'd only have taken to heart the good advice I got from a close running friend I may very well have made it.

With 20 years to look back on it's hard to recall the mindset of my reasons I started my running log.  I guess I should go back and look at that first year and read my entries.  I do recall having a feeling of knowing it could snowball into something.   Initially I quit smoking and started running to improve my golf game but regular golfing went by the wayside pretty quickly. 

Things clicked pretty quickly I guess because I ran a 3:42 marathon 8 months later and then just after my first no cigs anniversary ran my first 50k.  At the 18 month mark I ran my 50 mile PR in 8:52.  At the 20 month mark I made it 77 miles in my first 100 mile attempt. 

Today feels very much like the comedown after a 100 mile finish.  Work, work, work.  Plan, plan, plan and there's the finish line and what's next?  I function much better if I have a big carrot out there hanging in front of me.  I'm thinking that having a set date goal of having gone enough miles to circle the earth at the equator would be a good one.  The miles around the earth at the equator is 24,900 miles.  So, here it is.  79.85 miles per month for the next 55 months or 18.5 mile weeks will get me there.

ankle

Me and Ellie did a 2 mile walk Sunday morning at the lake.  This morning she and I did an easy 1 mile run/walk and then I did 3 solo miles.  My ankle is still pretty sensitive and swollen but I'm going to start some easy running.  I'll continue to ice after runs and take some vitamin I too. 

easy

Really easy 2 mile run/walk with Ellie this morning.  The ankle is still hurting a little so I'm going to continue these short easy run/walks through through the end of the month.

one mile

Easy one mile with doggie this morning.  The ankle felt pretty good.  Post run ice too!!

right ankle

I'm on day 12 of no running while I let my right ankle heal.  I really did a number on it and it looks like I really need to take another week off too.  I knew it was bad but didn't realize it was that bad.  I've been elevating at work this week as much as possible.  I sure wish I'd done that last week.  I'm pretty sure I'd be a bit farther along in the healing process.

Pandora

Pandora's Box of Rox marathon was quite the adventure Saturday.   The first loop went pretty well as planned finishing in a little under 3 hours.  The plan as usual was to hold back somewhat on the first loop and save some gas for the 2nd loop.  It seemed like that plan was going just fine until mile 10 or so when it seemed like I may be getting a little tired. 

The last half mile or so I seriously considered stopping.  There were all sorts of competing voices in my head.  One was saying I had no business going the full marathon distance with just a few months of base mileage.  Another voice reasoned that how in the hell was my endurance going to get any better if I didn't take advantage of the mileage in front of me today no matter how slow I was.

As I crossed the timing mat a young lady reached down to grab the chip off my ankle.  I told her I was a marathoner but hadn't decided if I was going back out or not.  I stood at the aid table, drank some water, ate a couple of gels and cookies and considered what to do.  My thoughts went out to my running friends who weren't able to be there for various reasons.  They had all reached out to me the day before telling me good luck and to have fun.  I was feeling like I needed to continue on for them.  We've all known each other for a very long time and have been invested in each others successes and failures.  I was feeling like a finish for me would be a finish for all of us.

I sucked it up and headed out for another 13.1 miles.  In the first few yards I was literally talking out loud to myself wondering what in the hell I was doing.

The aid stations were perfectly positioned at roughly 2+, 4+, 4+ and 2+ miles.  I was actually able to do a fair amount of running to the first aid station.  I was thinking how nice it would be with so many fewer runners on the 2nd loop.  I would allow me to get into a nice mental groove and pass some good time.  There was only one aid station worker at the first aid station so we got to chat for a minute while ate some cookies and refilled my bottle.  I thanked him for volunteering and headed back out.

I was feeling much better than I expected I would!  I checked my watch, did some quick mental calculations and figured I may be able to make it to the next aid station in an hour which would put me in striking distance of a 6 hour finish!

It wasn't long until my race went south though.  Somehow not far out of the first aid station I missed a turn.  During the 2nd loop there were people running towards us for the 8 mile race which made things a little confusing.  Several times I questioned whether or not I was going the right direction.  All of a sudden I went through a granite outcropping and see more people coming toward me.  They were making a left turn following the marathon and double marathon sign.  I looked back the way I'd come and it indicated the 8 mile should be going the way I had just come.  I made a quick decision to continue straight ahead.  I was trying not to panic and waste what little extra energy I had.  I didn't go far when I saw a runner coming towards me.  He said he was a marathoner.  I asked him if he'd come through the outcropping I'd just come from and he said no.  Oh shit I thought, I'm in big trouble.  I thanked him and continued a little farther the same way when I encountered another runner.  After speaking to him I determined to go back the other way and make the turn the same direction the others were going.  I went down that way a few hundred yards and really felt like this was wrong too.  I turned back around and asked a lady that was coming down and she felt strongly that everyone I'd encountered were fairly far in front of me on the course.  Damn, I was screwed I thought.  A dim light came on in my head and I realized the only course of action was to retrace my steps.

I'd only gotten truly lost in a race once many years ago in Mississippi.  Today I was picturing the humiliation of coming into the main start/ finish the wrong direction.  The ONLY thing to do was to go back the way I'd come and sure enough I didn't have to go far and saw to see where I'd missed a turn.

Any hope of beating my time of 6:28 from 2 years ago was not going to happen now.  I figured I'd lost about a half hour.  On top of that I was just over halfway and pretty tired.  There was nothing to do besides keep moving.

Again, I was pretty pleased with the amount of running I was able to do.  I finally got to the 2nd aid station and was feeling good about things.  Only a quarter way to go to the finish now and I'll have the satisfaction of having another marathon under my belt.  I reflected on how lucky I was to be on the verge of wrapping up my 20th year of running at the end of the month.  What an incredible journey it's been.  Little did I know I was patting myself on the back a little early.

I stuffed down some calories and refilled my bottle again and headed out on the last 7ish miles feeling good about things.  That didn't last long.

At about the 22 mile mark I was on a fairly benign part of the trail and stepped wrong on a rock and rolled my right ankle badly.  I went down hard.  I layed there for a few seconds and tried to gather myself.  I was seeing stars and my ankle hurt like hell but I was able to get up using a tree to brace myself.  I stood there for a minute or so and tried to assess how badly my ankle was hurt.  I started slowly walking forward and even though it hurt like hell I was sure it wasn't broken.  4 miles to go and now I'm really screwed.  All I could do was keep moving and be very, very careful with every step the rest of the way.  I could not afford to have anymore mishaps now.

I kept walking and was able to actually do just a little bit of slow running on some flat smooth parts of the trail.  On and on I kept moving as quickly as I safely could until I got to the final aid station with 2.2 miles remaining.

Amazingly enough my time wasn't looking too bad.  I couldn't believe it.  All I could think of was how lucky I am to still be out here doing my thing.  I kept moving and moving and finally the finish was in sight.  Considering all that had happened I was very happy with my 6:42 finish time.  All in all including DNF's and everything this was the 59th time I've covered the 26.2 mile distance.  It was sure eventful AND satisfying!!!

coach

Nice easy half mile doggie walk this morning.  I hope this doesn't get me in trouble with my coach!!

doggie

Coach Shan has told me it's not a good idea for doggie walks for the time being so we're getting in plenty of keep away time in the backyard.  Yes, I said keep away......

doggie

REALLY easy half mile walk with doggie this morning!!

One mile doggie walk this morning!!

last run

One mile easy with Ellie and then an easy 4 with Shan this morning.  This was my last run before the marathon this Saturday.  All that's left is a bunch of stretching and positive visualization.

family

3 mile family run/ walk in the neighborhood this morning!!!