Week in Review

46 miles1 BMX bike5 runs with Jordan1 chocolate pecan pieLooking back on this week, I'm pretty pleased with upping the ante to 46 miles (Jordan and I counted 50 when we were adding it up in our heads, but what can I say, neither of us were math majors). I had a great time visiting my parents and spending the week with Jordan, and I'm pretty excited for the White Rock relay and surrounding festivities coming up in a few weeks. Having just received a winter training schedule from Jeff, I'm hoping to get into some consistent mileage in the coming...

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Running the Rock

72-73 mins.10 milesSince Team OK Runner Elite has a title to capture in exactly two weeks at the Dallas White Rock Marathon, Jordan and I decided it would be prudent to take in a jog at White Rock Lake and strategize over part of the race course. To the best of my recollection (having run this relay three times previously), the exchanges between legs 2 and 3 and legs 3 and 4 both occur on the lake; as a result, legs 2, 3 and 4 run part or all of...

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Adios, Mt. Pleasant

60 mins.8 milesFor our last jaunt in Mt. Pleasant, Jordan and I stuck to the newly-paved and low-traffic country roads we'd grown accustomed to during the trip. First we took a spin over to the park adjacent to my parents' house so we could measure the distance of the walking path for my mom with Jordan's GPS. She has been known to take in a power walk after work on occasion and wanted to be sure she wasn't giving herself more credit than she deserved on the distance. Anyway, after looping the concrete path we headed back to the roads for the remainder...

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Black Friday

30 mins.4 milesAfter a Thanksgiving day filled with food, napping, food, football, food and an early bedtime, Jordan and I awoke before 5am on Black Friday to help fulfill a Christmas wish. You see, my mom is participating in an angel tree at work, and the 8-year-old boy whose name she drew really wanted a bicycle. We found a sweet bike advertised in the Wal-Mart newspaper insert on Thursday, naturally with the catch being that the sale only lasted from 5-11am, and Jordan took the liberty of volunteering both of us to get up before the crack of...

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Turkey Day

~60 mins.8 milesJordan and I slept in and enjoyed a leisurely morning of coffee drinking before venturing out around 11 for this run. The running in my parents' small town is less than ideal, as there are no trails or bike paths to speak of, but fortunately they live in a nice neighborhood with a variety of country roads within easy reach. Today we set out from their house and meandered out and back on one of these aforementioned roads for a bit....

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Cowtown Jaunt

~57 mins.8 milesThis morning I awoke at 5am (that's 4am Central, for anyone who can't do the math) and immediately headed to the airport. I had no idea how busy things were going to be on the morning before Thanksgiving--the busiest travel day of the year at one of the biggest airports in the country--and I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to spare before my 7:30am flight. To my pleasant surprise, everything went incredibly smoothly, and...

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Chilly Morning at the River

60 mins.8 milesWhen I woke up at 6:15 this morning to meet Jim and Meredith at the river, my first thought was: "Yeah, getting up this early definitely sucks." This was immediately followed by: "Well you better suck it up, because this time tomorrow you'll already be at the airport." So, without further grumbling, I got suited up and hopped in the car to meet them at the river.The air was quite chilly on the heels of a cold front after yesterday's rain, and the coolness was even more accentuated by our proximity to the river. Nonetheless, we had...

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Owen is Old and I am Lazy

In honor of Owen's birthday and because it's raining and because I'm lazy, I didn't run today. The foot is almost 100% so I'm using injury recovery as my legitimate excuse for taking a pass. Tomorrow is a new d...

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Week in Review

~31-32 miles3 elliptical sessions5 AFDsWell, this week certainly wasn't much better than last in terms of running. 30 miles?? That's embarrassing. Even Mike DeCoste is running that much. At least I exercised every single day and, more importantly, am finally (fingers crossed) getting rid of my foot pain once and for all. I still feel a few occasional twinges but for the most part things are back to normal. I'm trying to be overly cautious by continuing my icing regimen and jumping on softer surfaces when possible, so hopefully that will be enough...

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I'm Quitting Running and Joining a Band

AM: 63 mins.8-8.5 milesPM: Rock Band 2I met Jim and Meredith at the river late in the morning for an easy run. The problem is, none of my runs seem very easy these days. Today I was severely sore/fatigued in the hamstring and quad area, and my legs never really felt like they loosened up. I was grateful for the company, as I would've probably turned around at 10 minutes if I were solo, but I continue to grow frustrated with how slow and out of shape I feel.In the afternoon I joined in on a marathon session of Rock Band 2 at Jeff's house. I've played...

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72 Minutes of Glory

72 mins.10 milesI woke up this morning in Brooke's pajama bottoms at her parents' house in Woodstock. We had intended to come downtown and go out last night after I took her to pick up her car from the shop, but then her dad Doug E Fresh (who has beaten Jordan in pickleball like a million times, incidentally) offered to take us out to dinner. Fast forward to 10pm, at which point we were still hanging out with the Starrs and just decided to stay there for the evening.So yeah, we woke up around 7:30 and spent a few hours lounging around and drinking...

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Coldest Run Ever

52-53 mins.7 milesFor the second week in a row, Jennie and I met at Ashley's apartment for a run. Today we were joined by a fourth, our friend Kate who works at Big Peach. It was markedly colder today than it has been on any run so far this year, and I (over)dressed like a hobo to compensate. I wore the shirt that earned me the famous Green Lightning moniker, a top that we at Brooks affectionately refer to as the "Old 98er" because it costs 98 bucks. I even committed to gloves and a headband around my ears, as the wind chill had temps in the low...

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Frostbitten

AM: 50 mins.6+ milesPM: ~30 min. walkAfter arriving home quite late from sales meeting last night, I was content to sit around in my pajamas until roughly noon this morning. At that point I decided to try out a little tester jog on my foot. It's definitely been feeling better with the time off, but I was nervous about how it would feel while running. I decided to set out for a "40 to 45, up to but not over 50" minute run (you Oklahomans will appreciate...

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It's Better Than Nothing

Monday: 50 mins. ellipticalTuesday: 45 mins. ellipticalWednesday: 60 mins. ellipticalSo, as much as I'm sure you'd enjoy reading three separate posts detailing my elliptical workouts in real time, I've decided to consolidate them into one posting. After all, there's really only so much that can be said about stumbling bleary-eyed into the workout room at 6am in an attempt to simultaneously wake up and rid oneself of a raging hangover while straining...

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Week in Review

~30 miles3 days off1 day of elliptical8 hours of flying4 time zonesSo, 30 miles. Definitely the lowest since I've started blogging. I gotta be honest, I know it's good for my body, but not so much for my self-esteem. It doesn't help when tards like Jordan are posting a 97-mile week. Oh, and speaking of Jordan, if you haven't heard by now I definitely lost our bet. Check out his related post to see the options he is considering as his payment. Sigh.Mike Tyson tattoos notwithstanding, this was a pretty solid week for me in areas unrelated to running,...

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Let the Cross-Training Begin

60 mins. elliptical15 mins. abs/coreChelsea got up pretty early to head out to her flight instructor certification class, so I decided to get up as well and make my way over to the Westin Bellevue, my home for the majority of the week. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to check in at 9am, but thought at the very least I could stow my bags and grab a workout in their fitness center in the interim. Turns out not only did they have a room available, but they gave me a free upgrade. Mountain view AND water view, bitches. I changed clothes and headed down...

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Coast to Coast

46 mins.6 milesSo despite my better judgment, I went out for a wog today. To be honest I was just feeling lazy and gross and notso hotso about myself after the two days off. Stupid? Perhaps. Reality? Absolutely. At any rate, I wanted to get in a preemptive jaunt before heading off to Seattle for a solid week of excessive eating and drinking (and meetings too).To be honest, this run was about as underwhelming as I expected. In an effort to not stress my foot, I somehow tweaked my calf muscle. So, pro: the foot felt decent. Con: I'm now limping due...

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Day Off #2

I didn't run again today. What's worse is I didn't even shower. My foot situation better be improving, because my quality of life on all other fronts is declining dramatically.And does anyone else find it a tad ironic that I'm about to lose a bet to Jordan about him getting injured while I'm the one who's injured instead?? Yeah. I thought ...

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Day Off

I didn't run today. It was wei...

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Will Run for Breakfast

56 mins.~8 milesSo, after talking with Coach Jeff, we decided it would be advisable for me to take a few days completely off in hopes of healing up the foot. I'm pretty sure that was discussed with the implication that those days off would begin today. However, that was before I got an offer I could not refuse: a run AND breakfast with other people! And, even better, this run would occur within steps of my own neighborhood, meaning it wouldn't be...

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Recovery Wog

40 mins.5 miles15 mins. core/absI woke up way earlier than I would've liked to get this run taken care of before commencing the longest day ever. I ended up heading out to the same greenway I visited last time I was in town. My legs are quite sore from basically three days of hard running (two of those three on trails) and my foot is still bothering me, so I was content to take things very easy today.The nice part about the greenway is that, in addition...

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Percy Warner Park

74 mins.10+ milesI woke up relatively early to meet Ryan, a guy who works at Fleet Feet Nashville, out at Percy Warner Park for a trail run. A quick check of weather.com before getting dressed told me that it was a warm 27 degrees outside. 27 degrees in November is no joke. Vest, check. Gloves, check.View of Belle Meade Boulevard from the top of the front steps at Percy WarnerAt any rate, the sun was already shining brightly by the time we parked...

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Week in Review

~63 miles1 elliptical session1 day in Central Time Zone2 bags of frozen vegetablesWell, I suppose this was my first week back in the metaphorical saddle. Given that I only ran six days and did zero doubles, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I hit the 60-mile mark. And I gotta be honest, as much as I enjoyed my lackadaisical down week last week, it feels pretty good to reestablish some semblance of a routine. I know I have a long way to go in terms of fitness, and I'm actually starting to feel excited about running again.That said, there are...

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Stones River Greenway Long Run

1 hour 50 mins.~15 milesI woke up this morning in Knoxville, Tennessee. Good times. After fulfilling my various work duties I got in the car to drive toward Nashville, my home away from home for the next few nights. I texted my friend Taylor, who lives in the Nashville 'burb of Murfreesboro, to see what she was up to for the day. Much to my surprise, she was on board with doing a long run with me, so I headed straight over to her house at the end of my three-hour drive and prepared for our outing.Taylor planned a scenic route for us that started...

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Solo Trail Run

83 mins.10.5-11.5 milesAfter a fun night out and sleepover with Brooke, I woke up pleasantly surprised that my foot actually felt a bit better. That said, I still wanted to be cautious. So, although I didn't have plans to meet anyone, I hopped in the car and drove out to the river for the second day in a row to put in some miles. After two miles around the flat loop I headed up into the trails for the majority of the run. Last night's rain had packed...

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Lions and Coyotes and Foxes, Oh My

60 mins.8 milesI woke up early this morning and met Jim and Meredith at the river for one of our standard runs through the trails. I haven't seen them since before I left for DC, so it was great to catch up and spend some time together. They're definitely some of my favorite peeps in Atlanta. Also, have I mentioned how beautiful the trees are right now? Yup, they still are. It sure makes running more enjoyable when the scenery feels like something from a postcard.Also of note, Jim mentioned that he heard recently on the news about coyotes that...

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The AO Owns Me

20 min. w/u (2.5 miles)Target: 6xmile @6:10 and cut down w/3 min. restActual: 6:08, 6:05, 6:04, 6:04, 6:0520 min. c/d (2.5 miles)Total: 11 milesWell, I wish I could say my first workout back was a rousing success, but it pretty much wasn't. I was glad to be out there and at least get the legs turning over at a decent clip, but it's definitely depressing to see how quickly one can lose fitness. Especially since it takes so long to gain said fitness in the first place.Since I had a work event all day I had to get started with this workout around...

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Realizing the Audacity of Hope

75 mins.10 milesI woke up this morning feeling like I was ten years old and it was Christmas morning. The happiness, excitement and almost surreal disbelief of having experienced a moment unlike any other in United States history is difficult to put into words. While I wasn't as fortunate enough to experience things firsthand like Jilane did on Tuesday night, it's still amazing to know that I will forever be able to look back on this as one of the...

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Vote and Run

59 mins.8 milesI woke up fairly early this morning after a restless evening (due in no small part to the complete lack of air flow through my nostrils) and was eager to get out the door before a morning of conference calls and other office work. I also planned on allotting most of the afternoon for standing in line at the polls, since I've read so many horror stories the past few days of people waiting hours in line to cast their ballot. In a flash...

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Fun Times on the Elliptical

60 mins. elliptical15 mins. pushup/core/absI realize I sound like a broken record every time I say something along the lines of "so I woke up and my cold was worse." But guess what, I woke up and my cold was worse. Soooo annoying. This was coupled with a nagging pain I've been experiencing in my right foot for the past few weeks. I think the first time it started bothering me was a week out from the marathon, but nothing serious. Then it didn't bother me at all during MCM so I sort of forgot about it, until late last week when I felt it again....

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Week in Review

41 miles3 AFD1 birthday (geez I'm old)278 tissuesSo, this week obviously wasn't anything to write home about (blog home about?) in terms of mileage. Obviously it was a recovery week from my hard (albeit abbreviated) effort at MCM, not to mention that my burgeoning malaria has put a damper on things as well. My goals for the next few days include trying to shake this sickness, helping elect a Democrat to the White House and trying not to continue eating as though I'm running 90 miles a week.Like Jilane said in her weekly wrap-up, the latter part...

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Sick on Sunday

45 mins.6 milesI think it's safe to classify today as one of the most unproductive days of my entire life. I woke up around 7:30 to find that my cold was raging at an unprecedented level. After messing around on the computer for a few hours and trying unsuccessfully to load the NYC Marathon feed, I decided to settle in for a nap around 9:30. Yes, I took a nap at 9:30 in the morning. I didn't head out the door to run until after 3pm, which was actually...

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Afternoon Trail Run

60 mins.8 milesAfter spending a few hours working at Finish Line this afternoon (I heart my job), I detoured to the river on my way home for an easy run in the trails. I've never been out there in the middle of a weekend afternoon, and there were tons of walkers/joggers/bikers (and one guy doing something jujitsu-like) enjoying the beautiful fall afternoon.I started the run with two miles on the flat dirt loop, then headed up into the trails that I've run so often with Meredith, Jim and Jeff. This was my first time to run up there alone, and I...

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