Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello all! I'm in Minnesota, hooray!

I love to come up here and run and was looking forward to the cool weather for some of these long runs - but it is downright cold! Today I ran around Lake Harriet twice (about 5 miles??) and it was a wee bit chilly (29 degrees) and toward the end of the run I felt quite the hip twinge.

Have I told you all about my troublesome hip? It's been slightly bothersome on a few runs but has not given me much trouble for the last few weeks. Suddenly, today, I felt it again except today it was worse. A decidedly sharp pain in the area of the hip flexor, so I stopped running immediately and walked the rest of the way to the car, stretching out carefully when I returned. Strangely, it has been fine since then, not the achiness I was feeling before, so I guess I'll just wait to see what happens.

Tomorrow is the Turkey Trot. I was enormously lazy and didn't sign up for it early so it's going to cost me an extra 5 bucks - or whatever... There's also something going on at Lake Harriet - a 6 miler (really, more my speed), so maybe I should do that instead? That's a "Drumstick Dash." Don'tcha just love the holidays?

The long run this week will be something like 12 miles (I'm going to attempt some kind of Lake-of-the-Isles/Calhoun/Harriet combo), just mapping something out. I wanted to run with the MN TNT group, but that sort of fell through last weekend. Actually, that's a something of a story...

So, there I was at Lake Calhoun, searching in vain for the TNT group when I approached a man who looked like he was gathering runners - perhaps he was the coach? I asked him if he was with Team-in-Training and he harumphed! An actual harumph followed by a dismissive wave of the hand and a "They're afraid of the snow." (!) This was my first experience with runners snobbery and I did not deal well. Not to mention the fact that I currently live in Texas and I was running in the snow! Anyway, the guy irritated me so much (and I still couldn't find the TNT folks) that I just went out on my own. The good news is that my anger sustained me for the first 3 miles or so, when I'm normally irriatable and sluggish. Only problem was, I was not prepared and had no water, so I spent the first little bit just running around looking for a convenience store (finally found one somewhere off of Lyndale). Not a bad run, all in all, I think I ended up doing something a bit over 11 miles, though it's hard to say 'cause I hadn't mapped the course. Longest distance yet, though somehow I just wasn't that pumped. I wonder why?

Okay, must dash. Holiday preperations have us all on the hop. Happy Thanksgiving everyone and I will give you feedback from my first road race sometime in the next few days!

An Update (Finally!)

Okay, first let me apologize for being so remiss in updating this blog. I've had hardware issues with my home computer which has made it difficult to do any updates. Basically, the power cord is fraying and I need to hold it with one hand while I navigate with the other -- needless to say, it makes typing rather difficult. I've ordered a new one so I hope this will mean that I will be a better blogger once it arrives...

So, on to some training news! First off, I need to be honest and tell all of you that I have had some pretty lackluster runs of late, which has made me generally cranky and difficult to be around. (Since I live alone and have no social life, this has not been too rough on anyone in particular. My poor work colleague, I suppose, bear the brunt of this!) But, yeah. Bad runs of late. I mean, I've been doing them, but I feel constantly out of breath and leaden for so much of the run. I'm totally bummed that I have never experienced the runners "high" (somehow I feel like I deserve it). Even my mantra of "better than chemo" does not appear to be helping me much, which makes me feel endlessly ashamed. I mean, the short distances have been simply horrid, horrid, horrid... The long runs, hilly and difficult. I might chalk it up to the freakishly warm weather, but shouldn't I be able to handle that somewhat?

Good news is that it is cooling down and I'm heading back to Minnesota on Friday. I'm very excited to go, in part to see my family, and in part because the MN TNT group has agreed to let me run with them. Hooray! (Though, I will give a shout out to my own Coach Carole and her husband who have been great!) I'm mostly just happy to run with a team for the long runs so that I can benefit from the water provisions. That's what I find difficult about mapping my routes here - making sure that I'm finding a convenience store for my water needs. Anyway...

So yes, to sum up: lousy runs lately, not feeling motivated (shamed), and running in MN

More updates later (or should I say sooner?)...

What a week...

Wow, so much has happened this week. Get ready. First of all, I've decided to switch my training toward the Austin marathon, rather than Walt Disney World. This is totally cool with me as it just means one more month of training and I kind of like the training. Kathleen and I took the decision right up to the wire and she decided, in the end, that the trip to Disney World would wait until the whole family (including little Snapkos) could go. Furthermore, Sage would not have to push her exhausted Auntie Deirdre around the park in a wheelchair, so that was cool for everyone. So, mark your calendars folks! February 17, 2008! Austin Marathon

How's everyone doing? Well, McKenna had a rough day today, but it looks like she's doing okay now. McKenna is actually an honored hero for TNT in Minnesota, so she's got a lot of marathoners working for her. I've met this little girl (last year, the day after Sean died) and I just have to tell you that this is a great kid with some cool parents. Just talking to them that night meant so much to all of us and my heart just aches for them. Keep thinking positive for McKenna.

Ann is a trooper. One of the loveliest girls I've ever seen and - like I said before - rockin' the chemo! Both Ann and McKenna are just beautiful, as was Sean, and it really seems that as unfair as it is that anyone must go through this dreadful, dreadful disease, and as much as it takes away from its victims and all the people that love them, it just cannot beat them. Not really. We lost Sean, but the cancer never stole his spirit. And he won. We lost, but he still won.

Anyway, I think I mentioned a mileage update, but I forgot to add things up before I started writing, so I don't have it. What I can tell you about is the running for the week. Both Monday and Tuesday I ran on the treadmill at the gym, which I think that I mentioned. Tuesday I was in a rush and didn't have time to do the whole run (only something like 2.8 miles, rather than 3). Likewise, I attempted to run on the treadmill when I had to go to Dallas on Thursday night (stayed in a hotel for a meeting), but it just did NOT work out. Seriously. I don't know why, but I just did not have it with me. Perhaps it was the late hour, or the not-so-great treadmill. But whatever it was, it was the first time that my workout really kicked my butt. Made me pretty cranky. Furthermore, I didn't get to train with the team on Saturday, so I had to run on my own this morning. I went about 10 miles (instead of the 13 that was supposed to happen), but I figured it was okay since I changed my race. Nevertheless... One new thing of note, tried a PowerGel today. I seriously have no idea if it worked. But it was worth a try.

So, now I'm a bit tired and sore. But hey, like I say when things are getting tough, it's better than chemo. Way better than the BMT.