Birthday Trail Run

Birthdays aren't over-hyped in my home, but they MUST be celebrated. :)

Don't get me wrong, cake is great... but, my idea of how to best celebrate another year is to find something new to conquer or explore, then spend the next few days refueling and recovering!

Sunday, a friend and I met up in a nearby town at an hour that really should be spent under fluffy covers with a soft pillow. We did a quick transfer of gear and discussed our options again. Then headed to the North Umpqua River outside of Glide, OR.

North Umpqua River, as seen from Mott Bridge

Kristen had a plan for a loop that included about 6 miles of the trail called the "Mott" segment, with a 6 mile return down a different trail. (This would be about 2 miles longer than I have ran in over 6 months.)

Skies had been wet, and the climate is always cooler up in the Cascades. So, we dressed in layers and I brought some essential trail items "just in case". :)

We arrived at our destination at dawn and found a nice, weathered outhouse. And some guy in a van who looked like he spent the night there. He was going to bike the first section we planned to run.

First bit of trail as we headed out..

As we headed upriver, I noticed right away that the trail was beautiful, but had a lot more rocks than another segment downriver. There were some close calls, as sometimes those rocks and roots can sneak up on a runner!  I was glad I had on my Brooks PureGrits, because they allow me to "feel" the terrain without slipping. This was probably the scariest bit of running trail I have ever been on. I am sure I will see scarier though!

The single-track got rather narrow at one point, with a steep wall on one side and a drop off to the river on the other side.. And there were 2 trees across the path. I thought of the cyclist and hoped he was an expert! O_o 

At the end of the Mott segment, we took a bridge (built by the CCC in 1936) across the river. Then we ran along the road for about 1/2 mile before picking up the Riverview trail back down.  This trail was much wider, having been made for forestry vehicles.

Tiny mushroom growing near a campground outhouse :D

Downhill = fun running!!

I don't know any of our actual distance or pace information, since we left before I got a good GPS reading. Oops! Chances are good we might have lost the signal anyway.

Afterwards I was fortunate to get a hot shower at Kristen's house before heading home. If you ask me- a hot shower is a real treat after a cold run! So is a little cake :)

***
Do you do anything "running related" to celebrate your birthday?

What items would you take "just in case" if you were heading out to run new territory?

Cake, ice cream, or neither?

I wore safety pins and came home with a necklace! ~ Autumn Trails 10 Miler

It's been a while since I raced!
Had I known how long I would spend rehabbing and rebuilding from a running injury, I might have made a certain 26.2 mile training run in February count a little more.

Yesterday I pinned on a bib for the first time in 50 weeks and headed to a local race, called "Autumn Trails".

My favorite shoes right now- Brooks PureGrit2

This race has been around for a few years, but I was never interested until this year. My injury recovery training has led me off the road (as much as possible) and to different terrains where I could focus on things like scenery, form and footing, rather than pace.
It's been refreshing. My body likes it.

I arrived early, after eating a PB with Honey and coffee, and registered (with some deliberation) for the 10 miler. (The other choices were 3.5 miles, 6 miles, and 16 miles.) Given the nature of trails, this was an approximation. We were advised to bring copies of the trail map. Luckily I had practiced this trail 3 or 4 times in the last several weeks, so I had a general idea of where to run and where to turn around.

My race goals were (in no particular order) :

- smile
- pay attention to my foot and run accordingly, run my own race
- ignore my pace and try to keep a moderate-high heart rate as much as possible
- NOT trip 

I wore my fuel belt with water, which leaks ALL over the place and needs to be replaced.

The start times were staggered, but at 10:05 the 10 milers left and took a loop around a flat bark path, which made a great warm-up. Before long, runners spread out and we all headed up to the Ridgeline trail.

The next few miles were a steady uphill climb with several switchbacks. I could see that there were at least 2 women ahead of me, but I had no way to tell for sure until we reached a turning point. My arm warmers came off right after crossing Fox Hollow road.

We didn't have a downhill until about mile 3. But it's hard to say how far we had gone exactly.  My map distances are most likely off in a few places, since we probably lost our GPS signals in the dense tree cover. In any case, I could only smile when my Garmin beeped with an 11 something mile.

I'm throwing this in just for kicks, but the elevations and distances are most likely off here and there.

I trucked along a steep downhill, with many tight corners, to the farthest turn around (near mile 4), and saw that there appeared to be only one other woman in front of me racing the 10 miler. I circled round the water station, but didn't stop since I had my own- then I headed back up the hill for more fun.

Through all of this, my foot felt great. I was not in aerobic agony, but feeling tempo-ish, with legs a bit on the rubbery side here and there.

It was clear the leading female was a strong uphill runner.
Strategy started to enter my thoughts a bit, and I reckoned that maybe I could catch her on the downhill-- which we had a lot of coming up. Once we crested the highest point on the route- somewhere after mile 5- it would be almost all downhill (or in my mind it was).

The last three miles of the race were very exciting. I started to catch up with the leader, and actually was on her heels after the Dillard turnaround. This hairpin was tight, and the top 3 ladies all got a good look at each other passing on the single track. Here I discovered another woman was catching up with us both.

As we headed back towards Fox Hollow rd., it was uphill mostly. I reasoned with myself that I could let the leader get ahead a bit because I could catch her on the downhill. That was a mistake. She had more in the tank than I thought she did, and she knew she had 2 other ladies on her heels.

My mind was focused on a few different things now: 

-light feet with fast turnover (egg beaters),
-don't let yourself relax,
-don't slip or trip,
-and when you get to stable/flat ground GUN it.

She definitely was aware that I was there.

As we switched to a flat trail at Martin street I gave all I had left. I didn't have enough time to pull in ahead of her at that point, so we finished 2 seconds off of each other.. Interestingly,  the third female had also tried to catch us.  Her finish time was the same as mine. I had NO idea how close she had gotten in the last mile!
***
Other stuff:
After the race, I stayed to visit with some other racers: Lauren, who just recently ran the Chicago Marathon and some friends who live in Roseburg and raced the Grape Crusher (road race) the day before. I also had some time to visit with the 1st and 3rd female and get to know them properly. :) Both very nice ladies!

There were some fantastic post-race foods! Qdoba catered, and Muscle Milk, water or beer were there for racers.

There were good aid stations set up at each race junction with water and gels.

Course marshals were out, but one was not at a critical junction for the 16 mile racers, so many of them missed a leg they were supposed to run. I like how the race director handled it though! He quickly determined among the racers who were finishing the16 if they had taken the leg that went behind the butte. If not, he put them in a new category all their own, for "13 milers". Then he assigned awards for those people separate from the 16 milers. It was all very organized and classy- a good solution since no one intended to miss their turn.
***

Official stats say I ran the 10 miles in 1:19:58~ An 8:00/mile pace.
I won't worry too much about that.
It felt good to get in a workout. :)

***
One last thing..
The photographer did an excellent job, but I need to learn how to take better race photos. Not a single photo of me with a smile!! 

Next time I will remember to stop for at least one good one.

Next time. 

Random Favorites

What might you find if you ate breakfast at my house? 

Sometimes I make puff pancakes, or sausage and potatoes, but recently this has been on my menu. 

Egg whites, served over fresh spinach with feta, balsamic vinegar, pepper and salt. 

Served with coffee and a blueberry smoothie (no sugar). 

What? You don't like vinegar on eggs? What's wrong with you? ...

I could eat this three meals a day- or egg whites with fresh salsa. (My kids will eat this too- but not everything together on the same plate)

Poor kids. 

I keep them happy with McD's apple pie pockets once a week. (Shh..!)

On the culinary / nutrition topic...

This year I canned my own tuna! 

Several ladies I know got together last month and packed jars with fresh caught tuna. We all brought our pressure canners so we could get this done as soon as possible. No one wants fish canning to be an overnight process.. It starts to make you do silly things.

Canning tuna at home might seem odd to you too, but if you have never had fresh canned tuna, it is a totally different experience than the Chicken of the Sea. I am very glad to have this on my shelf for as long as it will last. 

OK.. 

I know I have said this before; but, it is worth repeating:   

 

I ♥ FALL RUNNING. 

Really loving these cozy arm warmers. *

They are inexpensive and make your summer tops work for winter. 

Added bonus: No muffin-top on the biceps. :D  

*super gift idea!

Laugh lines.. 

Worth every laugh!

***

How about you, runners? 
Have any random favorites? 
Interested in coming over for a little breakfast?-- Or tuna sandwiches? 

~Fall Trail Special~

I had this great idea that I would do a Vlog (video blog) a couple of weeks ago, and I even posted one to Google+ ...

It was up for 5 minutes and then took it down as fast as I could. O_o
Not sure what inspired me to put myself out there on video, but maybe I'll try that again next year..heh.
Maybe not.
Instead, readers are stuck blessed with a photo blog of my adventures over the last few weeks.

There has been a fair bit of good fall weather here, so it would be a sorry thing not to lace up my PureGrits and take them for some old-fashioned abuse! Brooks would be proud. (HoneyStinger should be too, though I have been eating a years supply of goodies I planned to use for racing and training fuel as snacks.)

  Ridgeline trail ~ Eugene, OR

This year my boys are in school one day a week, (I still home school the other 4 days).
It's been an adjustment for us all; but, one perk has been that I am in the Eugene area weekly now, and am free to run trails for a few hours that day! :D

I'm so grateful my parents will watch our youngest while I go running on Ridgeline, or one of the other local paths.
***

Another spot I have fallen in love with is Cooper Creek Reservoir. There are views of the blue/green reservoir through the woods almost the whole way.

 Cooper Creek Reservoir ~Sutherlin, OR

This trail is almost 7 miles if ran as an out-and-back.  It's easy to re-run part of the trail to add in some more mileage. And, I'm the kind of nut who would do it three times to make a very rolling 20 miler (Someday... not anytime soon).

I was there on the weekend and ran into 2 or 3 groups of people. On a weekday I would be surprised to see anyone at all.
***

Most recently, I was able make a trip I've been wanting to do for some time: a close-to-home "destination run" ~  the North Umpqua Trail.

 At the top of "Bob's Butte" with new friends! ↑ 

A Facebook group of Roseburg area runners met and covered a short section (just over 7 miles of the 79 mile trail) together, taking many stops to rest, stretch and take pictures -- perfect for where I am with running right now.

We had a great time visiting, getting to know each other, talking about anything and everything, and taking in the gorgeous fall scenery.    I can't wait to go back!
***

Things have been going well, but this week is a cutback for me. It's very easy for me to try to keep adding to my mileage when things feel as good as they have....It's much harder to restrain myself when the weather is great and I have more opportunities to run. 

I'm still running much lower mileage than I was at last year at this point, but, considering the restart I made in August, I've put in quite a bit of time on the trails and gravel roads in the last few weeks. I tried moving from 3-4 runs a week to 5.

This is a lazy graph, because I'm not bothering to tinker with the colors right now. 

Almost all running has been at easy heart rate (< 140) and about half on trails or gravel.

Now my foot is giving me hints that it would like to adjust for a bit. This time I will take the cues- A cutback is in order. I am trying to remind myself this is still more running than I did when I first started out on my journey- and I had no injury issues to contend with back then. It's about keeping a positive perspective, enjoying each run, and staying smart right now. And a massage with some stretching doesn't hurt either...

I don't know what's in store for the rest of the year for running. I'm considering a low key race in November. That may, or may not, be able to happen. Either way, I am blessed just to be back "in it" and able to enjoy the incredible trails Oregon has to offer.

****
How do you feel about taking cutback weeks? 

Have you ran any fantastic destination runs lately?

Does the idea of a VLog make you nervous? 

Brooks PureGrit2 trail shoe review

I got my first pair of trail shoes via Brooksrunning.com and have managed to put about 100 miles on them so far.

The PureGrit2 ($110) weighs 8.2 oz for ladies', and 10 oz for the men's shoes. This is considerably lighter than many trail shoes on the market, but slightly heavier than the original PureGrit.

And they feel light...weighing less than my usual road trainers by an ounce. (Weight makes a big difference, especially in racing if you encounter water, as anyone who has ever ran in very wet shoes knows!).

These are part of Brooks Pure line and are designed with a 4mm heel-toe drop. There is good arch support within them, but they still maintain a "natural" feel. The asymmetrical lacing feels comfortable, and once laced, I don't notice them again.

Compared with Brooks Cascadia8, these are a sleeker, nimbler model. The Cascadias feel more like a rugged hiking/running shoe with a wider toe box (too wide for my foot), but the PureGrits fit more closely with less sole and bulk to the upper.

How they performed
I was able to test the PureGrit2 shoes on a variety of trail surfaces: gravel, bark, grass, packed dirt and slick mud. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), I was unable to test them in loose sand, snow or icy surfaces.

 The hardest test for the shoes was certainly mud, but in my 7 mile run with mud I lost traction only twice- both times going downhill on a very slick slope, and only momentarily. Overall, they handled very well on each trail  they were worn.

The flexibility rivals my other speed shoes, but they are still sturdy and protective.  And as far as protection goes, there were no issues with rocks poking through to my feet. I suspect there is something (thin plastic maybe?) within the bottom of  the shoe to prevent this.

The PureGrit2s seem to almost repel mud.

Water penetrated my PureGrit2s when going through puddles, but the mesh upper fabric design allowed for it to drain quickly. My friend, who wore regular trainers on the same muddy run, had mud caked on her shoes when we finished.

A couple of cautions
The heel tab/achilles notch hits my foot a little higher than in some other shoes. Wearing longer socks will  keep them from rubbing sand or dirt into your foot. Gaiters are also recommended for especially gnarly trails.
If you are new to the 4mm platform, take your time adjusting to them.

Evaluation
The PureGrit2 are an excellent lightweight trail training and racing shoe. I would strongly recommend them to anyone, especially those interested in a trail shoe with lots of flexibility and a lower heel drop.

Looking forward to a few things:

Some new shoes!!!

I LOVE my Brooks PureConnects, but can hardly wait to see how the PureConnect2  (And the other Pure shoes) will feel (available December 1st) !

The PureDrift, available January first,  promises to be fun and freeing-- I will keep the sock liner in, but without it the shoe will be zero-drop. 

And...also looking forward to some of this:

  

A little bit of easy trail running at one of my newest favorite spots: Dorris Ranch. 

There IS a trail once you get through the filbert orchards. I like the soft ground under the trees, which is less traveled (and not as muddy yet).

Ah...
Just me and the squirrels.

I am REALLY going to enjoy volunteering at this RACE on Sunday! 

Usually I race it, but I know it will be a blast to help out (with a friend!!) instead this year. :) I am coming fully caffeinated and will be ready when the all the crazies rush my table to register day of race.

And...who ISN'T looking forward to this? 

(But not until after a 3.11 mile run, maybe???) .

I am so blessed to have my health and my family to spend Thanksgiving with. God has been very good to me this year (always!!), and I am thankful. 

 How about you?

What are you looking forward to? 

Do you have any special plans for Thanksgiving Day?

5k PR - OTC race series #8

My secret goal when I toed the line at the 8th race (my first official) of the OTC race series was to beat 19:10. I have been training specifically to the 5k distance, with the main goal just to see how low I can go (before I need some time off: AKA a sort-of-scheduled rest).

Signing up for "fun" ...or is it pain?
Photo -Todd Bosworth/OTC

The road 10k time trial (39:57 from a week earlier) put me at 19:10 so that seemed reasonable to shoot for. Being optimistic, I figured I might break it - if I was training better for a 5k than a 10k.

I left the boys with my Mom and Dad who are huge blessings to me and often watch the boys for my races. They kept them busy with kindling splitting and other chores they like. I owe my parents a BIG thanks for helping me so much. (My husband did not come. He has been spending every day with his grandma at the hospital. It just does not work for me to be there with the boys all day long :(  ).

Warm-up/pre-race

After about a mile warm up in the 8:30-8:40 range, I did a few drills and then a few short accelerations.

We lined up and I found a spot- not in the very front, but close enough. I saw three younger ladies who looked pretty fast. When the gun went off, I fell in behind the male leaders. I watched as my watch went from 17:00/mile to 5 something and back down to the 6's.

We're off!

I have ran in this area before, but this was a new course for me to race. The map was confusing, and honestly, I am usually glad to have someone ahead of me just so I don't get lost. (That is my biggest race fear!) . There were lots of corners- but it was all flat.

The first mile was paved bike path. We hit a corner - even went through a parking lot- and turned very sharply. A little later I hit the first mile at 6:03. Things still were feeling pretty good here, aerobically and with my legs.

In a few more step we entered apart of the course I had been aware of- the bark path mile. Instantly, the race got harder. I pushed my legs to turn over more, but even at a higher effort, I slowed and my lungs were starting to feel a bit O2 deprived. It was dry and dust was flying as well.

One mile loop of Rexius trail (wooded area below)

I am sure this map will help someone next year. 

I glanced at my watch and saw it dipping to 6:20 and thought "This will not do! You must pick up your feet faster, or what's the point?"  Here, I also noticed the advantage of staying in the center of the path, where it was firmer. (Towards the outside, all the bark/sawdust was rather loose and impossible to get a fast spring-off.).

I nearly twisted an ankle in this mile. We rounded a corner on the bark/sawdust, and I did everything I could to keep from going into the 6:20's. Just before the end of the bark section, I hit mile 2 at 6:19- very evenly paced with a male runner- vying for the best spots of bark.

At this point I figured it would be hard (if not impossible) to make 19:10 (My running math is not always so good), but shifted my goal to BEST possible outcome/PR. The course led us back onto the paved path and towards the park again- not exactly as we came.

There isn't a lot of time to make up for a bad mile in the 5k, but I was trying my best. I kept thinking... "There is only a mile left. Make it hurt." But I was worn out from trying to do a 6:00 effort on bark. The best I could do for mile 3 was 6:16.

After one last sharp turn, we were nearly finished. The male I had been pacing/had been pacing me pulled ahead (this seems to happen a lot to me), and I picked it up to finish the last .13 at 5:41 pace- 19:20.

There were no awards, as this was part of a series of official timed runs (results here)- also called "races". I am thrilled to finally race on a 5k course that is 5k and not 2.9 or 3.3 miles - and will count this as a PR.

Some thoughts:

• It was in the 60's and a night race, so I wore my compression shorts, my favorite "Run Eugene" shirt (Olympic Trials freebie), my hat, and my Brooks PureConnects. This has become my default racing outfit. I just feel good in it!
• I left my fuel belt behind and had had enough snacks all day not to worry about a gel. Maybe next time.
• Running on bark is nice for an easy run, but I am not sure how I feel about racing on it. 
• Cheap races are nice! I love the price (free for OTC members, 5$ for non-members). Special thanks to the Oregon Track Club volunteers for hosting a well-organized and accurate race!
• I didn't meet my time goal for this race, but I left feeling great- knowing I ran a solid PR.
• Without trying to sound over-confident, I am looking forward to shaving a few miles off the next few weeks of training, and giving this distance another shot. 
• I am very blessed to be running well- to be running at ALL,  and am feeling gooooooooood about the 5k! 

Attention Clothing Manufacturers!

I need a singlet that can do it ALL.

Brooks GHOST 5 Shoe Review, A few things Running + Non running

Brooks Ghost 5 review
I first fell in love with the Brooks Ghost about a year ago, when I had my gait re-analyzed at my local running store, only to discover I was a neutral.

Since then, I have always had a pair of Ghosts in rotation- first the Ghost 3, then the 4. Now Brooks has raised the bar again, with an even better Ghost 5.

 

To find out what the difference between the Ghost 4 and Ghost 5 is, I called Brooks and spoke with a customer service pro. Here's what I learned:

The Ghost 5 retained the same 12MM heel-toe offset, caterpillar crash pad, and bio-mogo (biodegradable mid-sole), Brooks DNA (special cushioning) of the Ghost 4.

To upgrade the shoe, Brooks removed a plastic piece from the outer arch area. This will make the shoe a bit less stable, but more flexible, (Imagine twisting it side to side from the heel and toe- the Ghost 5 will will twist more). Yay for runners like me, who don't need any extra stability! (Too much actually causes me problems).

Improvements to the Brooks Ghost also includes making it a lighter trainer, 8.8 ounces- down from 9.3.

Test runs:
I find these perfect for easy runs and are supportive enough for long runs. The toe box is nice and roomy, (though it does come in widths for those looking for narrow or wide). On recent tests, it felt firm, but very flexible, (much like its predecessor). Cushioning is there, but they're certainly not squishy...

The Ghost 5 is a thumbs up for me, and I didn't think it was possible to improve on the last model!

***

Running related

• After Eugene I had this crazy idea that I might try to race another marathon in early June. Where do these ideas come from? Reading other people's blogs? Nonsense. I know myself better than that. Someone will win a nice pair of shoes this weekend, but most certainly not me! :)

Sidenote: (Just to prove to myself that it was not a good idea, though, I decided to follow Pfitz's back-to-back marathon training plan- sort of- for a couple of weeks. That ended after a few days of easy runs with strides, and a long run with MP (MP was not in the schedule--duh), and an attempt at pushing a jogging stroller with 70 pounds of kids in it for an "easy run". "Easy run" does not = double stroller. Even slowing down by 2 minutes a mile, my heart rate was in the tempo zone. Little muscles that I usually don't notice were tweaked still from the marathon, and from keeping the stroller from launching off the hills and into the creek. Can't let the kiddos drown I guess...)

•  I have some goals- but they are reserved for late summer/fall. Most of what I am doing is just base / easy aerobic running. Recently I tested myself at my high end aerobic zone and ran for 5 miles to see just how slow I could go maintaining that heart rate. Fascinating test. Took me a mile to get to 139 BPM, and then: 8:54, 9:18, 9:33, 9:36. I was turtle-riffic (for me)  and hope to be about 30 secs/mile faster in a month at the same heart rate. (I was training at essentially the same easy pace after Boston last year.) Will be fun to see...

• One new adventure I am enjoying is coaching a friend with her running. She has already improved so much on her own, but I am honored that she asked me to advise her in training. Each day, I check her progress, it is clear that she is committed to her goals and eager to follow directions. I can't wait to see how she does this summer!

•  I found a new blog! Sole Sisters is a combined project with a heart for the Lord. Check them out! I promise these ladies will be worth your time.

***
Snippets that prove my life is extraordinary ...

• I am learning the joy of interior painting. My helpers are very eager, but also very messy. I TRIED to mask things well, and laid down cardboard. However, seeing a 3 year old with a paintbrush DRIPPING paint onto the floor, while staring in awe...I realized that no amount of prep would protect the floor from this. Paint in hair, on shoes...shoes came off. In socks...socks came off, all over feet and between toes. Just glad he had fun and the floor was vinyl.  One room, one coat, four painters backing into eachother's brushes, and it took half a day. ha.

• My 7 year old is finishing up his first year of home school. We started in October and he has made SO much progress, even though I have not invested the time I had hoped into it.  He has gone from only knowing basic alphabet sounds and adding single digits, to fully reading by himself, including compound words and special sounds. Nathan can now write short stories (but hates to). He can add and subtract triple digit numbers, carrying numbers, recognize and use basic fractions, read a thermometer,  and loves geography, music and dance (much to his dad's dismay and everyone's entertainment), and science. 
• Yes. I have pulled most of my hair out doing this. Yes. I am a proud mom!

Sore Buns, Long Runs, Answered Prayers!, Hair bands & MORE

How does one run with sore buns? Ah....read on. I might have discovered the secret art.

I had taken a vacation from the weight room during the taper and recovery periods before the EWEB half. Not so surprisingly, I got sore from a fairly light workout the first time back to my strength routine.

My glutes ("buns region" for those who unfamiliar with the term) were the muscles most affected, and they were noticeably sore during my last long run. With each step they seemed to bark a reminder, "If you love us, Ding-dong (as they affectionately call me), you would not wait so long between doing lunges!"

DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is a cue to me that I need to be consistent with the weights, if I want to maintain my strength, muscle balance and any other benefits I might be getting from it. I combat soreness with another light workout about 48 hours from the last. For me, it targets those muscles and gets the blood flow back in there for rebuilding. I do love using weights!! and think it helps in many aspects of running.

How did I get through this painful little excursion called "long run"?  I did a little bit of cadence counting: 176, 182, 180. My goal was to hit about 180. I am sure this number slips a bit when I am not paying attention, but it is a good exercise- I think- for getting a good turn-over rhythm going. And it worked as a distraction (a little)

Training recap since the Turkey Trot

• 11/25 Easy 10.0 mi 8:29
• 11/26 Easy 5.1 mi 8:33
• 11/27 Easy 7.4 mi 8:27, Weights
• 11/29 Easy 7.7 mi 8:21 Weights
• 11/30 Easy 5.8 mi 8:24
• 12/1 Easy 7.4 mi 8:30
• 12/2 Easy 5.4 mi8:25
• 12/3 Long (easy) 16.1 mi 8:29
• 12/4 Easy 7.7 mi 8:24 Weights
• 12/5 Easy 2.5 mi 8:29
• 12/6 Easy 9.6 mi 8:22
• 12/7 Easy 8.0 mi 8:23
• 12/8 Weights, Easy 2.0 mi 8:27, Easy 5.5 mi 8:13
• 12/9 Easy 5.1 mi 8:16
• 12/10 Long (easy) 15.6 mi 8:22, Weights
• 12/12 threshold 10.3 mi -avg 8:04 for run., Weights

That's a fair amount of easy running, if I can comment on my own training a bit. I finally couldn't stand the "easiness" of it all, gave way with a few strides recently, and that final run with 10 minutes of T pace. Hooray for speed!

Answered Prayers/ Faith stuff
I have been doing a lot of thinking recently. Pondering WHY I run and WHY I want to be competitive. Could I ever go back to just running for "fun"? I am not sure I could. Maybe I could...but it might have to happen as a serious accident, or as something incremental, for me to accept it.

On a recent run, I spent some time asking the Lord, "Do you want me to even be running at all?" Circumstances have caused me to question the expense of training, time spent in it, etc..  The following day I received notification that I was accepted in to the Brooks ID program. (THANK YOU Brooks!!) To say I was surprised is an understatement. This is a huge blessing to me, and I am honored to be selected to represent Brooks. Now I am seeking God's guidance as to how I might use this opportunity to best serve Him. I am excited to be running and to see what direction this takes me!!

It might have been an bad idea, but recently I decided to expose our sheltered kids to some music from my youth. Up to now they have pretty much only listened to contemporary Christian music. I was pretty careful about which 3 or 4 songs I played on Youtube... This has opened a whole new world to them. Now my 6 year old wants to grow his hair out like a rock star! I am trying to figure out how to put the snake back in the can. Haha!

(Put this on full screen for maximum effect.)

The best part is that Matthew now sings the words as "Ohhhhhh, oh, Living on the Prairie!,"  Nathan has asked if we can have Brandon (worship leader) learn and play this piece at church.

So...if you were wondering: YES!! Home-school is going well!!! (It really is.. :) )

Have you had any prayers answered lately in unexpected ways?

How do you combat DOMS?

Do you like the 80's/90's "hair bands"?