The first week

This first week of training I'm discovering just how challenging it's going to be to find a balance between life, weather and the time I need to spend on the trails.

What the hail?!

If I wanted to artificially inflate my weekly miles, I'd include the Mesquite Canyon 50k last Sunday...but I won't. Reality can be cruel.

If my week goes from Monday to Sunday - then I logged 35.81 miles (24.13 running, 11.68 cycling). Had I gotten in my long run yesterday, my total running miles would be closer to 37. Mother nature wasn't having it though. As you can see, hail combined with rain and wind pretty much crushed any hope of making it outside.

The silver-lining of the week is that I dusted off the road bike, laced up my new shoes and started riding again.

Hello, cross-training.

Let's hope Week 2 stays on track.

Week 2 expected miles = 54

Starting at square one

It has got to be one of the most frustrating elements of training for me - being sick. Going long distances, trying different nutrition...those are easy compared to getting sick and salvaging training after the body has been beat down with some sort of virus or infection.

This week's spotlight sickness - strep throat!! Awesome.

It's been about 4 days now on antibiotics - which means I'm feeling better but still have some lingering fatigue and muscle soreness.

There are about 6 weeks until my first race and I already know what to expect for it...pain. There is no way I can fulfill my marathon training in 6 weeks. If I push, I might be able to max out my long run at 20 miles...maybe. Either way, it's going to be a long 50k...

The only piece of awesomeness that has happened in the last week is that it looks like summer in Arizona is finally over. Daytime temps are under 100 and the evening/morning temps are back in the 70's (and yes, they're a bit chilly compared to the mid-80's I've been running in!)

I'm looking forward to some long morning runs in the cool Arizona desert. Wish me luck.

A great time in AZ

For those of you following that don't live in Arizona, you should know that as of last week, summer has finally 'turned off' and the temperatures are hovering around 80 pretty consistently. It really is a fantastic place to be this time of year. Close to what Arizonans call chilly. Laugh if you want but after 3.5 months of 110+ temperatures, 75 feels cool. In fact today was the first day the kids wore jeans and long-sleeved shirts to school.

This last week has seen a slight shift in training given the change in temperatures as well as my glorious rebound from a sinus infection that plagued me last week. For the past 4 months, long-runs were done in the morning well before the sun had come up - and even then, by the time you were done, the temperature bordered on 90+. Between now and race-day, all runs will be done in the afternoon under the warm and glorious Arizona sun. I'll leave the swimming for the early mornings...

Though last week looked pretty dark relative to the time left until race-day, I have successfully pulled out of the funk and focused on the quality of my workouts rather than the volume...I have to say, damn I feel good.

I was supposed to hit my long-run this morning but guess what? It was raining. Hard. I resolved to find time during the day to get in my 2 hours of running. I managed to break free of the desk around 11:30 knowing there were calls pending back at the office around 1. Although I accepted the fact that I would not get in a 2-hour run, I resolved to sacrifice the distance for speed.

I'll be the first to tell you - this is not my race pace. In fact, not even close. But again, quality not quantity right? I ran a solid hour at a pace that was challenging but not drop-dead hard. Check it out. It even felt like I was flying around the neighborhood. I can only imagine what Ryan Hall feels like running a 5-minute mile.

I'm looking forward to amping up my mileage on the bike this weekend. I may even throw in a short run after the bike just to make up for the distance lost today. The way I feel right now, I could take on the world.

Look out. I'm back. Ironman Arizona is going to be glorious.

Some like it HOT

Coming back to the Northwest for some business has been a clear validation of our decision to move away several years ago - they've had a run of grey, cold rainy weather that would even make a snowman say, "WTF?" Since I arrived on Tuesday, it's been raining and cool...not unexpected for this time of year but nonetheless, a pain in the ass for me and my fellow co-workers who have been trying to train for upcoming races. It puts into perspective that I'm not fighting as many weather-related elements in Arizona - if I were, I don't know that I'd have the discipline or desire to do long rides/runs in the pouring rain.

On the polar opposite end of that spectrum is Arizona. This is the time of year when the low temps only get down to 86 and you pack the oven mitts in the glove box to make sure you can actually drive your car after it's been sitting in the sun for a couple hours. Water bottles get frozen, the tri-tanks get washed every night and the sunblock is applied every day...

So while I can certainly appreciate (and respect) the heat of Arizona, being back in Washington takes me back to those marathon training days when we did get up at 4:30 am to run in the miserable rain. Those days when the weather was a perfectly cool 55 degrees. Those are great memories - one of which I relived on a run today with my co-worker who got us all started on this 'running' thing. The rain actually stopped long enough for us to get in a quick 4 miles near the office. Ah...dodging oncoming traffic, sucking in exhaust fumes and avoiding the slugs...those are good times :)

if I'm being honest, there is no way I could come back and be covered in clouds for 9 months out of the year - this is no way to live...in fear of rain. So next Saturday when it's 115 and we've fried some eggs on the sidewalk and peeled the soles of my shoes from the road, check back in and see which climate I prefer. I may have changed my mind ;)

I changed my mind

After some careful consideration, I've decided that this is the week I will start running again. Given my schedule in June and July, I felt that putting it off another couple weeks just didn't make sense. After all, I am still signed up to do the Lake Steven's 70.3 in August as my first race of the season. I need to get crack-a-lackin' for that...

Believe it or not, this is a big deal for me for several reasons - primarily, I'm afraid of what will happen when I start running again. Plantar faciitis is not just something that 'goes away'...I still feel the tightness in my arches every once and a while just walking up the stairs. So I'm not even sure if you'd classify this week's activities as even running but rather, a-very-tentative-and-cautious-attempt-at-jogging-at-a-faster-than-normal-pace-in-the-hopes-I-don't-hurt-myself...

Also, I am going to start using my new Newton shoes. Because I haven't run in over 6 months, I figured it was as good a time as any to re-invent my running technique and form. Newtons encourage mid-strike running which takes all the pressure off the heel and therefore should prevent any future flare-ups or pain because of my normal heel-striking. But then again, with all the pressure on the ball of your foot, you are still stretching the plantar facii area out which I'm sure is going to aggravate it. Which will then aggravate me.

Got back on the bike this morning which felt really good. First time in a week since "The Incident". I'm glad that the temps are going to start warming up again - I've been wearing my ear covers, arm warmers and gloves for rides the last couple week. Any time you produce more phlegm than sweat (like this morning), you know it's a chilly ride.

20 miles in 1:06 - a good start to a great week.