“Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.” John Wooden

Leslie- that story is awful. They were doing all the right things. Very sad.

Arla-  hope you find some relief for your back.

Stumpy, sounds like you have your hands full. Normal expenses plus a kid in college. I'm right there with ya .

A very nice half marathon for me out on the Sandy Hook peninsula that sits across from NY Harbor. About 1,000 peeps in this one .Perfect 55* at the start and got up to about 70*. Flat as a pancake and feeling good from this training plan, I knocked 6 minutes off my last half time. Granted, that was the only other half I have run, and it was way back in 2009.

1:52:03  Paced it very well as my last 3 miles were the fastest at 8:09, 8:19, 8:08.

Arla- yes , a long race (or fast out and back) was planned, but I may have run it faster than the prescribed pace.

Nobby is shooting for a 3:53 for me. I'm hitting or exceeding my training paces, and yesterday was a big confidence boost.

Some have said that if you double your half time, and add 10 minutes, that is a rough predictor for the full. So that would have me right on track.

I really felt strong throughout, which again, makes me feel good for next month. I also have another half 2 weekends from now.

Howdy folks!

I did scan the two wks recent threads...

Congrats on a solid HM there, Joe!

Hope you get the back sorted out, Arla!

I should be out "wiggling" but, am taking a lazy, lazy start to my day!   Did my 2nd 50K yesterday @ the Bear Chase Trail Races. 8:11:23, which includes 24 mins of aid station stops...Gorgeous day! 52*F/76*F, light breeze & mostly clear - minor sqally stuff moved in early afternoon for a short bit to nicely take the edge off of the direct sunlight, although, for a short bit it meant a briskish head wind!  All & all I would say that it was quite the mixed bag....Considering what my training has NOT been this Summer, I think I did remarkably well. Although, I had that feeling upon crossing the finish line of not having nearly left it all out there? Which, upon reflection, isn't necessarily a bad thing considering I've signed up for two more marathons over the next 5 weeks?! & I desperately need to get the yard sorted out before Winter, And I have a few more events to work yet, plus my own clientelle, And I need to chat more w/a sports doc about employment, And I need to sort out my own Doc stuff - the one I talked with last week is def NOT a right shoe for me, so am continuing the dig for a better "fit" It's nothing hugely serious at this point, and may never be - you never know, I'm just trying to a) educate myself & b) be more proactive with my healthcare. The chonic fatigue and stuff fluctuates & is more annoying than anything - like mild allergies :/

Ok, Ok...I really need to do a cpl more things than sit here w/herb tea reading!

C

4 miles accomplished under a star-filled sky, with the almost full moon at my back.  The moon looked like someone had squeezed it a bit too much and pushed it out of shape.  Followed the run up with about 45 min of core/strength training whilst watching "Forrest Gump."  Love that movie, especially the part when Forrest, as a little boy, is running away from the bullies and the braces fall apart and he begins to run freely.  The look on that little boy's face is priceless.

Good Morning!  Debate Day in Denver! OY!  tfc will be ridiculous!!!  LOVE being in a swing state 

Arla ~  You tryin ta kill me?!  ..... actually, as I was thinking about (& watching) the 50 milers in that last loop & evaluating how I was feeling at mile 28/29 @ my roughly avg 15mm pace (big part of that was spent chatting w/folks on the course rather than focusing on gittin 'er done!) .. when I crossed the finish line, I looked at my friend Tricia, who'd commented that I looked "really good!?" & commented, that I think I could do another loop! 12.5 more miles! I said "I THINK" I could. Didn't say I WANTED to! & that's still 8 shy of the 50 mile! I definitely need to be waaaaay more focused on strength/core/cross training as well as being more diligent about my long runs before I even consider something so insane!  Interestingly, Doug was about 30 mins slower than last year's 50 miler. Last year it landed right btwn two full marathons and about a month out from the TRR race. His long mileage was solid, but in the days leading up to it, he just wouldn't stand down from the long work days & on race day last year he was tired & weather conditions were hot! This year, his mileage is way down but he rested up & weather was near perfect. The difference really kicked his butt!  Two days out, he's still really feeling it!! 

I also told the RD that I was ready to go back to working it! He laughed & asked if I thought he ought to add another loop - make a 100K option!? I said, Definitely!

BTW:  Good luck w/the PT!! Hope you get that sorted out! 

Great job on your half, Joe! A number of people from my running club were down there running it as well, including one of my GFs. She PR'd as well. I had no idea she was planning on running it, but she said it was to be a training run race. The race she's training for is the Shades of Death HM in Allamuchy, NJ. Perhaps that's the one you're doing as well??

I did a supported 20-mile run in Manhattan on Sunday, the first of two Three Bridges Run sponsored by the NY Flyers. It was NOT a good experience. The pace groups sort of fell apart, and I found myself running all by myself for quite a bit, in some deserted and unknown neighborhoods in  Brooklyn and other places. I was able to keep the group ahead of me in sight as they ran a couple blocks ahead, but if there were multiple turns, I felt like I was constantly on the verge of getting lost. I also had stomach issues from around mile 2, but didn't dare stop and use the facilities (if there even were any around to be used) lest I lose the pace group for real. So I shuffled on, my gait deteriorating a bit because I concentrated so much on keeping my stomach "intact". My running got ever sloppier, and about halfway through I tripped over my own two feet and fell. Bloody knee, elbow, both hands and a banged wrist. Continued running, then several miles later I fell again. Kept running until about mile 19 or so and my stomach just couldn't take the jostling anymore. Walked a bit, finally caught up with others from the pace group who had been left even further behind than me, and started running with them the final half mile back to the start. Fell a third time! Final distance was 19.71 miles, major accumulation of road rash, and a sprained wrist. Finally did use the facilities back at the store where we started, over 3 hours later. Overall pace was a solid 9:30, so at least I kept to the plan!

Went to the ER Sunday night, got xrays done and no broken bones were found, just a sprain. But my hand and wrist was feeling worse rather than better these last couple days, so I went to see the orthopedist this morning, the one recommended by the hospital. Turns out the scaphoid bone is the culpruit, and it's one of those sneaky bones that won't show that it's broken until it starts to heal several weeks later. So now I have a removable splint that's making my wrist and hand feel MUCH better. AND my doc said I was marathoner #6 that he's seen this week (with NYC only a couple weeks away) and so of course he doesn't want me to stop running and training for it! But since it's pouring out today, and rather than risk yet another fall, we both decided that the stationary bike would be my best bet today...

Quite an adventure, eh? Hope all of you have less eventful runs and lives!

OM - that's a heck of a story, falling down three times! I've fallen four times, but at least they were on different occasions! And no broken bones yet. I was just showing my students X-rays of scaphoid fractures last week, they really are tough to see, it's obvious why the radiologists get the big bux. Hope you feel 100% for your race!

Leslie - that's a sad story. We had a similar one here, young guy gets arrested trying to lure a 10 yr old kid into his car, and is then released. A few days later, he succeeds in getting a little girl to go with him, rapes her and leaves her in an orchard. Tough little girl keeps her head about her, finds help, and ultimately helps them get the guy. 

OK, on a happy note, it's ONLY going to be 90 today! And getting cooler from here on out. I'm ready for the electric bill to go down and ready to stop running in the dark of the wee hours or the night! 

Leslie - I just got off the phone with Mark, the guy who ran American River with me, he's trying to get into WS again, but tells me there's only about a 10% chance.  He did Leona Divide and said it was a booty-kicker compared to AR...but probably good training for WS.