Somber Start to the Week

Found out yesterday that one of our Customer Service Specialists was struck by a vehicle on her morning run. She was killed instantly. 26 years old.

And so, I headed out today with a heavy heart for our company (we are such a tight bunch) for my weekly long run. A long, steady, 90' run to the Illinois Momument through Kennsaw Mountain National Park. It was a beautiful morning, and once again, I have to state that this HVAC material we use in our apparel is revolutionary. In 65+ degrees I ran with my HVAC long sleeve and felt great the entire run. It did not even feel like I had a shirt on, let alone a long sleeve. I worked very well the entire way and only had slight tightness in my right quad and only bonked a little the final 800 meters, but closed quite well over the last 600m after a brief stretch. Anyhow, recovery is the name of the game for this week as I have an expo to work...

Simple, easy recovery run this morning before hitting the road to Nashville. Left calf/soleus still tender from Robin's work yesterday and right quad is still improving. Not 100% but hopefully getting there.

And so, I did it to myself again. After slaving through a 2-Day Expo, I decided to challenge myself and attempt to race. Interestingly, I knew the result before I even started: a DNF. I worked the equivalent of two, 12-hour days, all on foot, no lunch, in complete pain and fatigue. I probably lifted over 3000 pounds of boxes and gridwall. My Friday morning run, I could muster no faster than 8:00 pace. And yet, even after the Houston disaster, I made an attempt to line up and try. I actually felt good warming up, but I had eaten dinner the night before at 11PM, slept only 6 hours, and thought that perhaps, in some unrealistic world that I might be able to run 5:30 pace.


After telling my roommate and supervisor Matt that I would most definitely DNF, I headed out for the monstrous, 30,000 person race and all the ceremony. A half-mile walk to the bus shuttles, a 30-minute wait in line for a shuttle, a 15-minute warm-up, pre-race nerves, hydration, and then the bonking, the shuffling, the jogging with no energy for a full hour back home, picking up my gear bag and two hours later returning to my hotel for a pity shower and no breakfast. I went out in 5:40, felt good and kept it, hitting 5:39 and then realizing that I had nothing, nada, zip, zilch. I should have been in bed sleeping, resting. Alas, I ran onto 4 miles under 24-minutes, took off my bib number and proceeded to backtrack the course to the finishline (with your typical idiot males, "the race is THAT way") as I ran against the race on the sidewalk. Depressing.

But, I am healthy and fit, just tired and deflated, completely empty and in need of rest. And rest I will, and then attack again and learn from my over-zealous ambition to never race when I work. The best, rest. Racing is about resting. I was ready for nothing other than sleep. And sleep, I will... after a 30-minute recovery run once I wake up from a late nap... and it was such a shame because I am so fit and felt so strong, fast, and efficient earlier this week, especially my hill workout on Wednesday. Oh well, my day will come.

"Holy sh!t" was the exclamation out of my mouth when I saw my watch after this morning's run. 26:14 for my Reserve Loop. This roller-coaster, hellacious course had a CR of 27:52 that I ran with racing flats back in March, pre-injury. I ran so relaxed and controlled, yet my legs were so strong and beneath me. What great sensations. Spoke to my Coach and we set up the next month of training. Should be fun..

Monday, 4-23-2007
14 Miles Steady to the Illinois Monument in 1:32:11
46:18 / 45:53

Tuesday, 4-24-2007
7.5K Recovery through The Reserve in 30:28

Wednesday, 4-25-2007
6 Mile Hill Workout in Nashville, TN over Pedestrian Bridge in 39:12
4 x @ 800M Up/Down Bridge
9:58, 2:38 (2:40), 3:05 (3:26), 2:34 (2:59), 2:58, 8:51

Thursday, 4-26-2007
6 Miles Recovery in Nashville, TN, in 39:29

Friday, 4-27-2007
4 Miles Recovery in Nashville, TN, in 28:00

Saturday, 4-28-2007
AM: 10 Miles during the Country Music Marathon in 1:00:24
5:41, 5:39, 6:10, 6:32
PM: 7.5K Recovery through The Reserve in 28:38

Sunday, 4-29-2007
7.5K Steady through The Reserve in 26:14

Total
52 Miles

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