4 miles today.   48 hour post op was before that.  We learned several fun things when they unwrapped the ace bandage and removed all of the padding.:

There are 21 staples in my wife's leg.

The surgery did what it was supposed to do: the before and after pics are going to be stunning.  Before, lower leg is curved.  After, straight as an arrow.  Impressive.

Electrical muscle stimulation hurts, especially in muscles tortured by surgery.

 Polarpak 300's are the bomb.  Basically a circulation system that runs icewater continuously through a baggie, and you just lay the baggie over the affected area.  Good for 6-8 hours of cooling.  Keeps swelling WAY down.

Just wanted to wish a speedy marathon to Lou and PDR!

Anyone else racing this weekend?

Still no running for me.  I was some pain in my shoulder yesterday so I will get it checked out today.  Better to rest than make it worse, possibly.

Hay, barn, all of that.

The doc said it's a strained serratus anterior... yay!   ok, so it should be fine by race day, but I'm not running until there is no pain.  He said that running probably wouldn't make it worse, but you never know.  Weird... don't even know how I did it.

Cold rain again here today, which I guess makes it easier to not run... but I haven't run since Tuesday!!  It is killing me a little bit.

Where is everyone, btw?

Hey Lou, sounds like you have a good attitude about the weather.  Maybe it won't be too bad-  at least it's not hot, right?  I'm sure you know this, but keeping the hands warm, very important.  I wore tube socks over my hands and arms and I loved that trick.

I'm obsessively checking the weather for next weekend... right now, high of 62, sunny... let's hope that goes about 10 degrees down.

Hope everyone else is doing well!

GL Lou and PDR! The weather sounds terrible though; I really hate wind. But, you guys have the right attitude, I like PDR's "you've just gotta laugh." She's so awesome. Watch her BQ.

Good to hear the shoulder is nothing major, Kimmie. What are you running next week?

It's cloudy here, sure enjoyed our sunny stretch but it looks to be over. Lots of frost this morning but no snow. I had the kids mow the yard again this week, mainly to clean up the last of the birch leaves but it looks very good now. I don't think we've ever mowed n mid-October before.

Not sure if I'll run or not. Getting kind of late. Our running club's award potluck is tonight at 6:30 so feeling a little crunched for time with all the stuff I want to do around here. I'm liking this "downtime" because I don't really care if I run or not, nice to have no pressure.

Entered Boston the other day...

8 miles today, peppier than I was thinking with average pace of 8:18. It's frustrating in a way... my legs and everything feel good enough to run another marathon NOW. But my right foot is hurting more now after so many rest/easy days. Not sure what is up with that. I truly believe it's better when I run more...

Jeremey,

Your wife leg sounds painful. Ouch. Hope she is better soon.

Lou,

GOOD LUCK!!! Those conditions, not ideal but you'll do it. Have a great race. Boy little Nate is a cutie. I can't believe how fast he is growing.  Glad he is so healthy.

Erika,

Glad you're getting some nicer weather.

Kim,

Sorry about the shoulder. Yikes, but at least you should make your race.

My trail half marathon went good. Caught a ride with five other triathloners so I heard a lot of bike talk that was over my head but I pretended to be interested though "I just run". The weather was perfect, 40F sunny, very little wind. Some people had shorts on, these people always make me giggle because we all know they'd be more comfortable with tights. I need tights for this weather. I am prepared for 0F and 55F, nothing inbetween. I wore nylon pants and it got uncomfortable around the knees the last few miles. Why just the end, perhaps I was starting to sweat, weird.

I ran very easy because I was told the course was really hlily. The hills were not really that sore but boy did my butt get sore by mile 11. I kept thinking "I bet Erika has an @ss of steel from running those mountains." And these hills were not all that bad. There was one that you could hardly run and not much time lost if you walked, and I did. Worse is some of the downhill, no choice to go slow. There was a guy at mile four that had fallen, thought his ankle was twisted. The goal became not to fall at that point.

Seems I keep ending up running along some girl pack that won't shut-up. These type of runners really annoy me. I'd spint ahead of them so I could see a few feet ahead of me, easier to watch your feet when not running right behind someone. But because I stopped to pee three times we kept ending up back together. My stomach started to cramp the last few miles. I guess tacos the night before was not a good choice. If it had been a 15 mile race or marathon would have been some serious uncomfortable. Stupid, on my part, but still a good race and good tacos so oh well.

All and all a good race, but I like races (like that 10 mile two weeks ago) where I don't run so carefully and you run even those beginning miles very gutsy.  Oh time, 2:02.

...I kept thinking "I bet Erika has an @ss of steel from running those mountains." And these hills were not all that bad. There was one that you could hardly run and not much time lost if you walked, and I did.

 Yeah, right, a$$ of steel... that's me. 

Good job on a trail run, dear. And yes, I walk a lot of the steep parts, and sometimes pass some who are trying to hold onto that running "stride." Heck with it, just take a walk break! And yes, you can't have someone right in front of you, that's a sure way to meet the ground up front and personal.

Lou and PDR are done, PW for times but they got it done and are now officially Maniacs!! Woohoo! 

Kimmie, high of 62 may not be too bad, you'll be done before the high temp of the day, right? I agree with you on hot marathons though, they're tough. I think Carlsbad was the hottest, or maybe this past June in Seattle. Yeah, that was the hottest for me, temps in the 70's at the end. Bleh.

I ran 8 yesterday, would like to run 10 today but we'll see. I guess it doesn't matter. I've got to let go of this "total weekly mileage goal" thing if I'm really going to make this "recovery" time work, right?

Cute baby pics, thanks!

Laughing at the steel imagery . . . I wish I had more hills to practice on . . . I practice not falling on our laughable bridge with 50 feet of elevation. I ran 18 today and felt very sore today. Very sore. Much too sore for just 18, so I took today off, figuring even the easiest recovery run wouldn't do me as well as total rest. Bummer, too, becuase we woke to our first day in the 60s! Yeah for fall!

I'm still waiting to hear race reports. Even if it isn't your best day, running friends can't wait to hear every detail of your race if you're willing to share them, PDR and Lou.

Congrats on your race, Bugs. Sounds like you ran smart. It's tough for me to know how to dress too--I confess to being a compulsive race-day forecast checker, though most of my races have been warm.

Okay, enjoying having the windows open and the a/c off for once. Check back in later. Keep that shoulder well, Kimmie; Erika, I can't believe what you call recovery.