Oh, Teresa, I'm sorry. Yes, chocolate will help. Also remember that a week of rest beats six weeks of it if you let it get too bad. You know, tendinitis is what my ortho told me is what's wrong with my knees, so we can commiserate together as we work past it. I hope your achilles will cooperate and rehabilitate quickly after your forced rest. It's hard to be on the bench. I'll be thinking of you! Cheffy, good job on your mileage. I'm trying to get my runs in early too--it's just too hot otherwise. Hey, of course you're a runner. "Runners run." Mark I hope you get good news from the MRI. I hear you about not wanting to give up your bike. Let us know what you hear. Hey, good goal for your half. Is it your first? MrPH, your advice is always so good. I'm trying to improve my 5k time as well (though mine is nowhere near Larry's), so I'm glad to hear you say you think keeping mileage up is important (though mine is nowhere near yours), though I was keeping mine up just for fitness (and to be able to eat the way I do!). If the knee holds up, I'd love to get my long runs up to 15 or 16 miles this summer. This is my first summer running and my pace so far is anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds slower than in cooler weather too. I read on the forums that it doesn't affect some people after they've given themselves time to acclimate, but it doesn't seem true for me. Marsha, definitely hydrate lots; let us know how your race goes. I'm cheering for you from here! I'm glued to the beachfront road for now for long runs and staying close to water fountains for even short runs. Those with hydration aids--which ones do you have, and how do you like them? I'm worried about balance and bounce. Is that stupid?

Teresa-- sorry to hear about the injury!! You have plenty of time until the HM, so focus on being healthy and you'll be back soon enough. Chris

Good job on the PR, Chris! I think I will be like you, better at 5 miles than 5k, because my pace doesn't change that much! Vixi, I know you're right! I hope your knees get better quickly, also. Thanks for the good thoughts, everyone. Cheffy, my ankle hurt every time I landed on it during the last couple of miles of my run on Thursday. Then when I got home, I couldn't walk without limping. It was the BACK of my ankle, so I guessed it was the achilles. It really wasn't terribly painful, but I've learned enough on RA that I knew I should get it checked out. It was just different from being sore after a long run. Larry, I'm going to my regular Y class on Monday, if the regular teacher is back, and we'll do stretching and strength stuff. I will just skip the lunges or other exercises involving the ankle. I may also try pool running, because the doctor mentioned it. DS15 had his state meet today. His 4x800 relay team won the championship in 8:15, and he came in 2nd in the 3200 (two mile). He came in "only" 6th in the 1600 (mile), but he got a PR of 4:32, so he was very happy. His relay team will go to New Englands next week, which will be tough because it's the weekend before finals. It was fun seeing him race, and then driving home and having him chatter away the entire time. Larry, we will be out of town the weekend of Junior Olympics, but I think I will ask his coach about it for next year, when he's a junior. Off to make supper for the hungry crew and watch my son smile!

OK, here it is....my first HM race report!!! I was not ready!! I was not ready to be sick in bed for 3 days of race week. I was not ready for 90 degrees and humid. Seriously...I thought I was ready. The race is billed as "WV's fastest HM" because it drops 800 feet over 10 miles. There were no uphills, but the drop was so gradual. The first 10 miles I was there, it was hot, but I was drinking at every water stop, pouring the last inch of every water cup on my head. But I was in a pace, joking with the policeman, talking with other racers, thinking "ok, the last 3 miles is like a run through town after work, you've got this". Here's the thing. The trail itself was crushed limestone and you ran in and out of shade and there was an occasional light breeze. The creek it followed was beautiful with waterfalls and babbling just in earshot at all times. THEN you hit town, the trail became asphalt and was surrounded by buildings instead of trees/water. The sun was intense, the heat rising off the asphalt was brutal. I was watching those ahead of me and followed them when we ran in the shade of a building (the shade was about 2 ft wide, lol). There was a nursery that had 2 hoses stuck in their chain-link fence that you could run through and one man standing with his garden hose who was happy to spray me from my head down my back. That last 3 miles was like a death march. It was run, walk, run, walk, walk, walk, run....you get the picture. Up until the last 3 miles my miles had been anywhere from 10:38 to 12:02. I finished as strongly as I could with my daughter and running partner yelling at the finish line. My original goal had been < 2:30. my friend did it in 2:31 and my time was 2:41:39. i was not last (although they were given a red caboose!!). i was not last in my age group. i guess now i have a time to beat. some things i wish i had done, other than be healthy that week, was to take something i could wet and wear around my neck, like a bandana. i'm not a hat girl, they seem to hold the heat, but something to keep the sun off my face, like a visor, might have been okay. i wish i had frozen a bottle of gatorade to keep with me, because later, the 2 miles between water stops seemed forever. the next day, calves kinda tight, but thought "if i wanted to, i bet i could run one or two miles". so i have my first hm under my belt with lessons learned. it wasn't the time i wanted but i'm pretty happy!! here's to a recovery week and happy running to you all!! 2:30.="" my="" friend="" did="" it="" in="" 2:31="" and="" my="" time="" was="" 2:41:39.="" i="" was="" not="" last="" (although="" they="" were="" given="" a="" red="" caboose!!).="" i="" was="" not="" last="" in="" my="" age="" group.="" i="" guess="" now="" i="" have="" a="" time="" to="" beat.="" some="" things="" i="" wish="" i="" had="" done,="" other="" than="" be="" healthy="" that="" week,="" was="" to="" take="" something="" i="" could="" wet="" and="" wear="" around="" my="" neck,="" like="" a="" bandana.="" i'm="" not="" a="" hat="" girl,="" they="" seem="" to="" hold="" the="" heat,="" but="" something="" to="" keep="" the="" sun="" off="" my="" face,="" like="" a="" visor,="" might="" have="" been="" okay.="" i="" wish="" i="" had="" frozen="" a="" bottle="" of="" gatorade="" to="" keep="" with="" me,="" because="" later,="" the="" 2="" miles="" between="" water="" stops="" seemed="" forever.="" the="" next="" day,="" calves="" kinda="" tight,="" but="" thought="" "if="" i="" wanted="" to,="" i="" bet="" i="" could="" run="" one="" or="" two="" miles".="" so="" i="" have="" my="" first="" hm="" under="" my="" belt="" with="" lessons="" learned.="" it="" wasn't="" the="" time="" i="" wanted="" but="" i'm="" pretty="" happy!!="" here's="" to="" a="" recovery="" week="" and="" happy="" running="" to="" you=""></ 2:30. my friend did it in 2:31 and my time was 2:41:39. i was not last (although they were given a red caboose!!). i was not last in my age group. i guess now i have a time to beat. some things i wish i had done, other than be healthy that week, was to take something i could wet and wear around my neck, like a bandana. i'm not a hat girl, they seem to hold the heat, but something to keep the sun off my face, like a visor, might have been okay. i wish i had frozen a bottle of gatorade to keep with me, because later, the 2 miles between water stops seemed forever. the next day, calves kinda tight, but thought "if i wanted to, i bet i could run one or two miles". so i have my first hm under my belt with lessons learned. it wasn't the time i wanted but i'm pretty happy!! here's to a recovery week and happy running to you all!!>

Well weather certainly has taken a turn here in CT, as well as other places I'm sure. Weather is super hot and humid for this time of the year. I had a real light week on running last week as we were staying at our daughters watching the grand children. I ran 5 miles on Thursday and Friday, didn't run on Sat and went out for a run last evening. I was planning on doing three laps around a 5K course. I have to report, that I totally wimped out. I actually had to walk going up a short hill just over a mile into the course and was just dying the rest of the way. I ended up only doing 3.2 miles and was totally wiped out. Definitely my worst run of the year. I've been off schedule for my training routine for the past couple of weeks and now for last week, my total mileage was half of what I've been running. So I'm through with a lot of the family stuff and race stuff (except I have a mid-week 5K next week), so back to my regular training, which is Monday and Friday off and cut back my long run on Sundays a little bit but add in some speedwork to get ready for my 5Ks and 5Ms. June should be a light race month now for the rest of the month. I think other than my 5K next week, I don't have anything else planned for the month and only have one 5K scheduled for July on 4th of July weekend. Then 2 or 3 planned a month after that including some 10Ks and another HM. Stay cool everyone (or as cool as possible) Larry

Hey, Larry, my sister in CT was just telling me how hot it is up there . . . she's in Avon. I guess it just hit all of a sudden. She was looking for sweatshirts last week. It's been infernal here for a while so we've had more time to get used to it. I'm sorry the misery is finidng its way north . . . Marsha, I hope you're proud of yourself for gutting your way through difficult conditions, both health-wise and weather-wise. You weren't far off from your goal time, and that's being sick! I'm glad there were people there to hose you down. When I ran my half in Ft Lauderdale it was 70 at the 6am start, and no one was out there hosing us down--what's up with that? Anyway, congrats on a good race. You got pics of your bling? Did 12 on Saturday. When the heat first arrived in FL I started taking lots (and lots) of walk breaks, but I'm taking less now. My pace is still slower, but running. Knee pain still shows up like clockwork at mile 8. Gotta start doing the leg strengthening exercises the ortho suggested more regularly and get past this tendinitis. Hard to get up to run on Mondays. Did 6 tempo miles on the dreadmill instead. Happy running week, everyone!

Thanks for the kind words folks! I was completely wrong about the hills on my HM ... it was hilly for sure! There was one that I got to the top of and let out a "holy s**t!" Still, somehow managed to run really hard and pulled out a new PR: 2:05:30, a full 3 minutes faster than my last PR!! I am very satisfied with the results. It was a beautiful course, ran through some awesome forest and coastal areas. I'll have to DEVELOP some pictures as I forgot to bring our little digital and had to buy a disposable to bring along! More later. Very tired from travelling back today.