Checking in while I have some time and seeing how everyone is doing.

Dan and Debra - nice time for the HM. Sounds like both of you had a good time and enjoyed the area. I liked the race reports.

AZ - Nice race report. Next time you will show them who's boss when you are not feeling sick. Hopefully everything is fine now with your son in law.

Hi everyone else. I see all of us are still getting in good runs.

Still running in the morning but the weather has been getting warmer earlier. Temps this morning during my run were upper 70s - lower 80s. I could feel the difference from just a few days ago. The high today is suppose to be 100 and the same or warmer for the next few days. It's still dry out so it doesn't feel that bad yet. Such is summer here.

AZ-  yes, 'warmer' is all relative to your locations!  Sunny and 50 here today, so felt OK.  A little extra rest might be good with all the stress you've been under.  Good luck in Fargo.

Art-  be careful in that heat!  That would be a tough place to run!

7.5 miles yesterday morning, then spent most of the rest of the day trying to reclaim out prairie from the clover.  Too much time on the tractor!  Had a great Mother's day celebrating my wife and her Mom who came up for lunch.  DD, her DF and I put on quite a spread. 

Run strong this week friends!

AZ - Nothing like another race to help forget the "one that was not so good". I know the weather will be great and you will do good. Wife will be in your neck of the woods so to speak. Will be in Minneapolis for work.

Rich - nice practice time. If the weather is good and you find your groove I bet you could be in the 56 minute area.

Reference the heat here. Mornings are the time to run. About the earliest I get out is a little after 6 AM unless I wake up a little earlier and decide to start sooner. There are a few groups that do long runs of 10+ miles and they start between 3 - 3:30 in the morning. This is usually during July and August when the heat combines with the increased humidity that running in the dark feels good. Most of my routes now incorporate the park with a working drinking fountain. It may be warm but it is wet. On the other routes it's time to wear the water belt.

An update on DSIL: DD called me yesterday.  SIL came home Sunday night.  From all the tests and considering the days it took before the 2nd hospital treated him, the diagnosis they came up with is he had a 'mini' stroke which caused some hypoxia, rendering him unconscious.  There is some mild brain damage but it will heal, leaving some scar tissue.  No permanent cognitive damage.  He is walking around, interacting with the babies (GDs), family, and there is less 'grogginess,' but he still needs to take naps.  DD is waking up in the middle of the nights to check his breathing.  I know the feeling as I was in her situation when DH came home after his heart attack.  DD and family still have questions but the days between 1st hospital and 2nd hospital may have been a missed opportunity.  They are relieved that it isn't anything auto-immune. He is young and strong so they are very optimistic in his recovery.

Sunday was my last run, 10 sluggish miles.  Was hoping for a 4-6 miles run today but woke up to rain and wind, then sunny and even more windy, treetops swaying nonstop, electricity went out for about 30 minutes so it wasn't just a strong breezy day.  Fargo reported wind gusts of 50-60 mph!! OH MY!! Maybe I should have just got my butt out there as it might be just as windy in Fargo for the race event this Saturday!! well, will try again tomorrow, even for just an hour.

AZ - Sorry to hear about your SIL, hope he gets better soon.  In my early 20's had a headache for a week and on my wife's birthday driving to the restaurant my whole left side went numb/dead.  Was in hospital for 5 days and all they could tell me was we think it was a bad migraine.  Hopefully things will go well and he'll make a full recovery.

Rich - you're going to nail your 10K!  You've done the work now enjoy the race.

Art - Those temps sound brutal.  When I run early it's usually to get the run in because of other obligations (or a race).  Running in the heat is a bit like running in altitude.  Does require more logistics.  In my teens I ran a lot after my swing shift, midnight to 2am, to avoid the heat.  Your cool temps are my warm temps right now.

Debra - loved the race report!  Sounds like a great race.  Working the stairs after the race, priceless.  Hope the recovery from your cold goes quickly.

Dan - Picking races?  Wife likes to do races more then me (they're like forced training for her), so I just tag along.  Time to work on the leg speed?  That's how I think of 5/10Ks.  You've got your base, now time to stretch it out.

MKay - How's the recovery going?

Last week I was nursing my achilles a bit and took it sort of easy (only 46 miles for the week ;-).  Ended the week doing 13.8 in 2 hours on Saturday.  Sunday spent doing a walking tour in SF of the Richmond District (they have ~100 different free walking tours) for Mother's Day.

Monday was 7 mile recovery run.  Yesterday 2x3mile repeats (23:15,25:05) with 1 mile warmup, 1 mile recovery and 1 mile cool down.  it was only 79F yesterday and I was completely soaked.  I'm already SO looking forward to those taper weeks!

AZ~Thinking of you at your HM this weekend, and you will run great in Fargo!  So happy to read DSIL is at home and surrounded by his family.  Your "dance in the rain" run was just what you needed.  I do think we mid-westerners appreciate a gorgeous spring a little bit more than everyone else after the frightful winter we endured.

Ray~I hope your achilles pain is less bothersome.  Only 46 miles/week?  I can't fathom that as being low mileage! The SF walking tours sound great.  Architectural, historical, botanical?

Dan~You are going to INDIA?!?!   How excellent!  Vacation or medical mission trip?  My world-traveler niece visited there for a week as part of a Sikh wedding celebration for a friend from college. She said it was one of her most memorable cultural experiences, and she'd love to return one day.

Since running the HM two weeks ago none of my runs have been stellar.  Until today!  Virus is finally gone, and I ran 8 miles with 6 miles at HM pace on the interurban bike path.  I intended to run very easy, but my legs took over and there was no holding them back.  It just felt so great to be outside and running.   DS1 was out for his 10 miler, and he gave me a gift by joining his super-slow mom for the last 2 miles.   Always enjoy running with my boys.  Run strong friends!

We stayed with DH’s uncle/aunt in Fargo Friday night. It rained pretty hard throughout the night, with lightening and wind.  It was still raining and pretty chilly, with a slight breeze on race morning:  it will be HUMID.  I don't do well with humidity and had to get the memories of my dismal Zooma HM in Austin, TX last year (severe humidity and hilly) out of my mind/psyche.

I was one of the few runners who decided to wear running tights (instead of my skort).  Mostly preventive to avoid possible cramping which I experienced another time on a rainy/chilly/windy trail race.  Also wore my light rain jacket which I tied around my waste about mile 3.

DH took some photos and I went to the front of the 2:00-2:30 finish time. I just hoped I would finish before it got too hot with the anticipated humidity.  Plan is to take 1 minute walk breaks every mile until mile 10 and re-evaluate.  It took a couple of minutes to cross the starting line.  First mile pace is between 9:40-9:50, then between 9:00-9:30, feeling good throughout, rain stopped around mile 3, sun coming out, temps/humidity increasing, half of hammer gel at mile 5 (47:51) and humidity getting to me.  I always feel great when I pass mile 7 (it’s more than halfway, yay!), took other half of hammer gel, but the humidity is making it such an effort and wondering if it’s the reason why I am feeling some fatigue or is it from my HM two weeks ago, or both.  What kept me motivated was the lively bands and excitement of spectator support throughout the course!! I’m balancing out my hydration between my own gatorade and water stations, but somewhere between mile 9.5 and 10, two things happened.

One:  pace is getting slower due to increasing humidity and slowing down at ALL THOSE DARN CROWDED TURNS AT CORNERS AND TURNAROUNDS especially between miles 8 and 10!!  There’s so many!!  I knew I was barely gonna make sub 2:00, so need to go stronger last 3 miles.

Two:  as I looked up from my garmin, the female runner in front of me just STOPPED, and I saw a small pot hole/uneven area at the same time to the left of me.  I tried to avoid plowing her down. It happened so quickly.  I ran into her, but I (we) didn't fall but the male runner in back of me pushed me just enough that my left ankle 'kinda' turned into the pot hole.  Another reason why I hate road races.  At least on trail courses, it is ‘expected’ from the various terrain.  The female runner is apologizing but damage done. I went to the side and stretched out my ankle, turning it round and round, walking on it slowly.  The male runner was NOT happy and said a few choice words under his breath to the female runner who is walking away.

Didn’t want to waste my energy on her so I ‘walked it off’ for about 2-3 minutes, started slow again getting to steady pace of about 9:40, but had to take a 30 second walk break at mile 12, stretch out my ankle.  I could see the dome, time to suck it up and picked up my pace to about 8:40.   I didn’t know the FINISH is INSIDE the dome so I’m wondering where the heck is the FINISH BANNER as I'm passing tired runners.  I know it’s gotta be close so kept increasing my pace as I threw my rain jacket to a spectator along the course, and sprinted the last ½ mile.  Ankle is numb but I knew I was gonna feel it later.

Finish time:  2:04:37, average pace: 9:31; overall:  2210 out of 4428 HM runners,; overall female, 1006 out of 3428; came in 44^th out of 200 female runners in 50-54 AG!!  The male runner recognized me after going through the post-race food line, and asked how I was.  That was very thoughtful of him.  Picked up my bag, and rain jacket outside from the nice spectator, found DH in dome and sat a few minutes as I ate and drank chocolate milk. We left to get some ice for my ankle.  Overall, despite the high humidity and increasing temps, I was happy with my finish considering the circumstances.  Yeah, it happens.  AT least it was not HILLY as it was in Austin!!  Had a delicious steak lunch with a glass of red wine, drove 3 hrs back home, and had beef teriyaki dinner with chocolate peanut M&Ms for dessert with another glass of wine while I R-I-C-E!! This is why I run, LOL!!

AZ~WHAT --she just stopped???  I've come to expect that from young kids running in a 5k fun run, but not from someone who should know better.  Just another example of folks in their own little bubble. So sorry that happened to you.  As always I truly enjoyed reading your RR, and awesome job dealing with the all the obstacles in the race.  The sweltering humidity you dealt with is now hanging over SE WI, and you are one strong cookie to have raced in it!

Dan~Nice job on the extended run!  I get you on the "math" thing.  I have that problem whenever I double-back in the middle of a route.  Do you and DW enjoy Indian food?  That was the only part of the trip DN was not prepared for.  We love to go out for it occasionally, but the dishes she's had in the States didn't come close to the "heat" of the food there.  What an adventure you'll have!

Got in a brief 2 mile recovery run yesterday between church, retirement picnic, concert and trip planning dinner with DN.  Early morning 4 mile walk today.  Didn't need an ipod since the songbirds were my music, lovely!  As mentioned, the humidity is here - yuck!  Storm systems to blow through the area all week, so I'll have to fit running in where and when I safely can.

Enjoy the week, and run strong friends!