Happy Monday! Can't wait to hear about Steve's first day! from yesterday... Teresa- that bowling outing sounded like a lot of fun! And any run over 3 miles, I'll bet you'd be leaving your husband in the dust. charleygross- I remember you saying your daughter plays lacrosse. I hope your daughter is doing ok today. What a great experience for her to be travelling to England! Will they need you as a chaperone? Sorry to hear about your bothersome toe, I had no idea you had those issues. BCMorant- you weather is like a broken record. Nice day all around for you. eliz- thanks for checking in from the shore! I'm glad you had a nice weekend there. hallar- head back over the the team amy thread and pick a mile for yourself please! WTG on your distance PR yesterday! How is the calf today? perch- nice idea to dedicate your race to Tory, the wonder dog! evryday- there you go chasing tornados again. CMom- phew, what a day it was for you! I'm glad you didn't let your friend back down, now she'll have that feeling of accomplishment, thanks to you. Good news about the foot holding up, and no sfx. enke- I like your method of how to select your running route! Well done on your run, it sounded beautiful! dromedary- I still crack up at your avatar! That picture was breathtaking! I wouldn't want to stop running with scenery like that. Thanks for sharing it with us. biketm- you are a pretty amazing athlete. I'll bet you slept very well last night. Steve- what a great post from you yesterday. Thanks very much for that Steve. You're an incredible guy! vista- did you melt? evanflein- again, I'm amazed at the conditions you endure for your runs. Great job getting it done! And great job to your son for getting his job done too! Paul- a 10k hard race after a 20 miler! It sounds like you had good reason to get out there and do it! lyndenrunner- You've been really consistent with your running, a few more tempo runs between now and your race will get you tuned and ready. JJJ- yeah, interesting angle on your avatar picture! from today... Holly- toe update please! Jeanne- it's up to you to set the standard for your friends to follow. Keep at it! You are doing really well! CNY- I really am impressed with your dedication and preparations. You really are an inspiration here, we are lucky to have you. Sue- Great to hear you getting some really nice runs in. Was this the chicken you saw? http://www.subservientchicken.com/ That "cow tracks" sounds terrible, you'd better send it to me for proper disposal. Peter- yeah, you're a real slacker. NOT! Jeanne- like I told Sue, you'd better send that awful sounding ice cream my way for proper disposal. TomS- lot's of travelling around for you over the weekend, but well worth it! hopeful4ever- way to take the plunge with the hotel reservation! Twocat- I KNOW you will be fine for Boston! Stay focused on the final goal, not the current situation. dg- welcome to gym world! Keep at it, we can compare elliptical notes. anachrotech- why the string of not so good runs? What's going on? deez4boyz- I was wondering how you and your butt were holding up this weekend. I see it was not so good. A sport massage is probably a great idea, please make sure you get to do it. Hang in there, and feel better. Mr. Tetsujin- from the team Amy thread. You are really quite the gentleman and thoughtful person such as I've rarely, if ever, met. Well, you haven't met me yet, so hold your assesment of me till then. I'm sure there are more than a few people who have met me that would totally disagree with your statement. Mile 5 for Amy it is then, thank you again for your note to her. Of course she wouldn't mind walking! In fact, that's most likely what I'll be doing out there. Any tips from you, the master, would be appreciated. Tammy- looking for an update from you as to how you're doing. Your blog is a couple of days behind. I too was wondering about Craneium and Soundrunner. Got out for a hike with the pooch late yesterday, I needed to do something. There is a nice preserve nearby called Fort Corchaug with trails that go through an old indian fort from the 1600's. Some of the structures still remain, and there are awesome views of the surrounding water and vineyards. Lot's of wildlife too. A really nice walk, unfortunately my ankle did not think so, but I didn't care. Hit the gym for more elliptical stuff this AM, as well as the proprioceptive stuff and stretching. Holly, I used your idea of putting paper towels in the footpods. Thanks! I have a theory as to the cause of my ankle woes, and am gonna make a doctor appointment to get that theory checked out. I'm thinking there may be a cyst in there. Thank you again to everyone for all the incredible, generous, heartfelt support for both Amy and her family, and myself. I owe you all a huge debt of gratitude. Why can't I get the thought of ice cream out of my head today?

My last run in Maine for awhile - 5 miles with my running partner. 30 degrees and sunny - nice! I MADE myself go slowly - 10:48 pace. I've run 11 out of the last 12 days, so it will be good to take a break for a day or two. Now I have to start steeling myself for the Texas heat and food! I'd better wear SPF 100! My packing list is mostly running stuff now. Very different from a couple of years ago. Enjoy the warmer temps! We're getting there, slowly... Teresa

Jeanne - the half marathon sounds wonderful - I would love to run in the Packers stadium. My DH did the Sunburst marathon a couple of years ago when I was injured. The finish was on the 50 yard line of Notre Dame Stadium. I thought that was impressive as well. That ice cream doesn't sound disgusting at all - I would definitely try it. Yes, I do run so I can indulge without feeling the guilt. I had my bloodwork done this morning, and my cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose levels are stellar, so I don't the indulgences are a problem. Perch - I love Caribou caramel ice cream - how about sharing? Twocat - no, it really is "cow tracks". The ice cream barn makes their own ice creams, so I think they probably call it that to avoid copyright/logo right issues. I do like Moose Tracks as well. Actually, I don't think I've met an ice cream flavor I haven't liked........ dg - aquajogging has gotten me through more than one running injury. It can be boring, but I enjoy it in the long run. I wish I still had easy pool access - it's a great cross-training activity. btb - love your chicken, but that would have scared me witless if I ran into on the trail. Clever ploy, but you're not getting my ice cream. Fort Corchaug sounds like a great place to hike. Take care of that ankle!

{{{{ Denise! }}}} So far, just over 6 months. I'm not better, but am a lot better than I was. That doesn't mean that's what's in store for you!! I hope not. There were complications. I wish I could go back & do a few things over. I would have treated it much more aggressively at first. (aggressive resting) Tough with working, I know. Are getting any time off after 3 12 hr. days? or, could you? And more frequent icing, but there are variables in that area that I don't know enough about. http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/hamstring-rehab.html-- that's for hamstrings, but is an example. Do you have access to a good sports medicine doctor? I wish I'd gotten a better diagnosis, maybe even an MRI, along with better oversight. my 2nd PT was good, but she wasn't sure how much was hammie, pirif. or s/i.... so that muddied the treatment. Then, treating one aspect can hurt another one. I'm so sorry you're miserable. Anachrotec, hard to call it sometimes, isn't it. Hi Gordon. I've been missing/wondering about Soundie too. wow, Steve. 7 deer. I have't caught up on the weekend yet. Twocat, how was your run? I also am having mysterious thoughts of ice cream, as I eat my grapefruit.... btb, I thought about you as I looked at my footpads this morning. they had holes. good luck with your ankle appt. thanks Holly. Sue, any tips for a beginner? SR, speaking of diagnosis issues... good luck with your new one. Vista, I used to be like that with mint chocolate chip.

This thread makes me reiterate: Emack & Bolio's--ice cream shop on Newbury, very close to Mass Ave, in Boston. Y'all who are running Boston have to go there, perhaps after watching the women's trials, as it's close to Mass & Marlborough. And then figure out a way (dry ice) to send some out to the rest of the folks here. I used to dream of getting locked in Emack's (the first store was around the corner from my grad school apartment in Brookline) with my long handled silver iced tea spoon, and I got to taste every flavor. They made Kahlua Sombero, Mexican Vanilla Bean, Grasshopper Pie, etc. Here's a quote: "Emack & Bolio's is part of Boston history. Its health-conscious fare, recalls the heyday of both Boston's ice cream and music scenes in the mid-1970s." - The Boston Globe I think the healthy is relative, as in, no grwoth hormone. Here's a recent list of flavors, if you still need convincing: Vanilla Bean Speck - A triple fold Madagascan Vanilla with marinated Vanilla Beans in an egg custard base Chocolate Moose - Chocolate Liqueur, Cocoa and imported chocolate blended to make a distinct, rich chocolate ice cream Trippin' On Espresso - Deep roasted full-bodied espresso ice cream "The Original" Oreo Cookie - Invented by us in 1975. The most popular flavor of the 80s with chunks of Oreo cookie in a vanilla/Oreo base Strawberry - Strawberries, strawberries, and more strawberries Chocolate Flake - Our Vanilla ice cream with flakes of chocolate mixed in Cookie Monster - Cookie dough ice cream with chunks of Oreo cookies mixed in Grasshopper Pie - Crème de Menthe Liqueur with Oreos and chocolate flakes Caramel Moose Prints - Butterscotch ice cream, a caramel swirl and chocolate peanut buttercups blended in Heaven - Vanilla ice cream, marshmallow swirl and white chocolate chips Raspberry Truffle - Vanilla ice cream, raspberry swirl, and raspberry truffles mixed in Serious Chocolate Addiction - Our Chocolate Moose ice cream with fudge chunks and chocolate flakes mixed in Mud Pie - Java ice cream with Oreos and chocolate flakes mixed in Pistachio Nut - White pistachio ice cream with pistachio nuts Peanut Butter Cup - Chocolate ice cream with large chunks of chocolate peanut butter cups Cosmic Crunch - Vanilla ice cream, caramel swirl, chocolate chips, walnuts, and cookies White Mint Chip - White mint ice cream with chocolate flakes mixed in Deep Purple Cow - Black Raspberry ice cream with white and dark chocolate chips and blueberries Pumpkin - Pumpkin, molasses, and spices (Seasonal) Butterscotch Toasted Coconut - Butterscotch ice cream with toasted coconut mixed in Almond Joy - Coconut ice cream with almonds and chocolate flakes mixed in Myer's Rum Raisin - Myer's Rum ice cream with raisins that have been marinated in rum Banana - Bananas, bananas and more bananas Peach - Ripe summer peaches in a vanilla base Butter Pecan - Butterscotch ice cream with plump roasted pecan halves Maple Walnut - Vermont maple syrup ice cream with walnut halves Big Brown Cow - Chocolate Moose ice cream with white and dark chocolate chips Cookie Dough - Cookie dough ice cream with cookie dough mixed in grins, A

STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my goodness Aamos...you're killing me. In addition to obsessive taper madness reading of my running journals and the constant refolding of what I'll wear in a race, I start doodling pictures of all the food items I have eliminated while my body tries to be a temple. Goodness.!....I am so grateful I am heading to the airport in about 30 minutes and won't be able to gnaw on much but the inside of my cheek. She is so right folks..Emack & Bolios is more than amazing. After you have a bowl there, head here to the Pioneer Valley and have some Barts peppermint stick with me and then we can go to the original Friendlys and then...and then.....and then

Mariposai - thanks! No ultra planned, but I have a half marathon around the first of May and a full marathon towards the end of May. My DH wants to do an ultra sometime this year, but he trains from one injury to another, so I'm not sure it will happen. Vista - I have a friend just like you. Well maybe a little worse. She peruses all of the wonderful flavors and then gets vanilla. I don't have anything against chocolate or vanilla, but I like to have something crunchy or chewy in my ice cream. dg - check out this water running program http://www.pfitzinger.com/labreports/water.shtml on the Pfitzinger site. Doing intervals and ladders keeps the water running interesting. The long runs are tough - I've done up to 4 hours in the pool - I was a little tipsy after the 4 hour ordeal. Some people tether themselves to the side and do the workout in place, but I went up and down the lane. Amy - I'm drooling all over my keyboard! Shame on you!