Week in Review

25 miles3 hours 45 mins. yoga7 days in Ohio2 rental cars1 fried turkeyWell, all things considered, this was a successful week. It's hard to expect much considering all the travel, sickness, post-race fatigue and family gatherings that took place. Ohio was good times, Jordan's near-death experience notwithstanding, and it was great to relax and spend time with Jordan's family. I return to Charlotte with several weeks of final papers and projects ahead of me, so now seems like a good time to focus on resting my body and healing up this nagging lower...

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Wrapping Up the Weekend

Sunday, 11/29AM: 15 mins. ping-pong35 mins. (4.5-5 miles)30 mins. yogaSaturday, 11/2844 mins. (6 miles)30-45 mins. ping-pongOnce it was affirmed that all members of our party were alive and well, the remainder of our time in Mason was passed with leisurely relaxation. We spent copious amounts of time lounging on the couch, watching football, eating leftover pie and celebrating Madison's 9th birthday. I finally managed to drag Jordan out for a run...

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Afternoon Yoga

90 mins. P90X yogaThere was no shopping and no running for this girl on Black Friday. My leg was bothering me a bit and I just felt like taking it easy...until I got bored midway through the afternoon. My solution was popping in the yoga DVD and watching it on the giant projection screen downstairs. Like I said before, the first 30 minutes moved a bit more slowly than I would like, but by now I'm familiar enough with the format that I can sort of ad lib my own killer moves when it gets stuck in a lull. This also provided entertainment for the various...

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Mini-Jordan Hits the Streets

Part 1: 24 mins. (~2-2.5 miles)Part 2: 30 mins. (4 miles)Total: 6-6.5 milesThanksgiving morning dawned cold and crisp in Mason, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit sad about missing out on the downtown race festivities. However, Jordan's survival was slightly more important, and I was immensely relieved to see that his temperature had dropped back down to normal levels over the course of the night. Still, he was in no condition to run and I wanted to put in a few miles, so the next best course of action was to enlist a (miniature) replacement....

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Too Sick For Thanksgiving?!?!

AM: 60 mins. yogaMy leg wasn't feeling that great today, but the reason I skipped the run was because I am positively, definitely sick. I'm afraid Jordan has incurred the worst of it, however, and we're almost 100% sure he has the swine flu. He spent literally all day in bed, refusing to participate in life's basic activities such as bathing and eating. Definitely not a good sign. I'm a bit apprehensive that I'll feel the same tomorrow as he feels today, which would pretty much be a catastrophic way to spend Thanksgiving. Needless to say, our plans...

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Back in Mason

AM: 4-4.5 milesPM: 45 mins. P90X yogaFor our first morning in Ohio, Jordan and I decided to enjoy an easy run through the neighborhood park. Unfortunately my left leg was hurting and Jordan yelled at me for being slow so it didn't end up being as much fun as we'd envisioned. Nonetheless, I was glad to get outside and shake the legs out after the previous day's travel.In the afternoon, I popped the P90X yoga DVD into the living room TV and went to work. The DVD came courtesy of Jilane, who slipped it into a care package of clothes I left in DC last...

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Update Soon

Yeah yeah, I know I need to update. It's been a crazy weekend and I just haven't had time. But today will be the day, my friends! I will get things caught up AS...

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Big Kids' Nationals

~3-4 milesLots of running aroundOur long day started bright and early with an 8am departure from Jennifer's house. We'd almost made a disastrous error in planning, forgetting that Terre Haute was in Eastern time instead of Central, and had we not realized this late Sunday night we would've ended up leaving too late to catch the D1 meet. Instead, we made it with just minutes to spare before the start of the men's race at noon.From the gun, we were sprinting around the course as fast as we could, weaving around people and dodging potholes in the...

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Angel Mounds Recovery

40 mins.5 milesI woke up this morning surprisingly un-sore. (That would change later, but I made sure to appreciate it for a limited time.) Coach Simmons had offered to drive everyone who was so inclined for a run (and a few people who weren't, but that's a different story for a different day). He'd tried to scope out a place ahead of time and found something that sounded promising: Angel Mounds, a park/levee system that was supposedly near our hotel. After a 15-minute drive we had reached the desired destination, and it did indeed look promising....

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NCAA DII National Championships

Early AM: 5 min. shakeoutNoon: 2.5 mile w/u + strides6k race in 22:57~1.5 mile c/dTotal: 8-8.5 milesMy littlest fan, my cousin Jennifer's daughter Jade. They live in Evansvilleand came out to watch me run.It's hard to believe that today is actually the National meet. Even harder to believe that I actually have the opportunity to run it, what with everything I've gone through this season. It hasn't been easy, but dammit, I'm here.The girls loaded...

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Nationals Course Preview

AM: 3 miles15 mins. corePM: 4-5 miles + stridesOkay I know this entry should be longer, but as you already know I'm behind on posts and have a lot to catch up on the next few days. So allow me instead to just share a few brief takeaways before moving on to tomorrow's big race:1. This was my first double since pre-injury. Granted, the two runs together add up to no more than a marginally respectable single, but don't think for a second I'm not counting it.2. The. Course. Is. HARD. There are several hills, but one in particular that is just as steep...

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Are We There Yet?

Thursday, 11/19AM: 5.5 miles2x20 water pump extensions=80PM: TravelWednesday, 11/18AM: 6.5 miles2x20 water pump extensions=80PM: 30 mins. ellip.The countdown to Nationals is growing shorter and shorter, and by Thursday afternoon we were on our way to Indiana. The trip included a flight to Atlanta, a 3-hour layover, an hour-long flight to Evansville, and a 30 minute drive to our hotel. All in all it was close to a 12-hour adventure, considering we left school at 2:30pm and didn't make it to our hotel until 11:30 Central. Needless to say, we were...

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McAlpine Mile Repeats

AM: 30 mins. ellip.15 mins. corePM: ~3.5 mile w/u + strides3x mile w/full recovery (6:02, 5:55, 5:55)~1.5 mile c/dTotal: 8 milesChiroThough I wanted to join the team for their pre-race workout, I had to get this taken care of in time to make it to Greenapple by 5:30. So I set off for the main parking lot by myself just after 3pm to get 'er done. The workout on tap was a modification on the girls' pre-race workout, adding a few more miles but keeping the rest the same. Though Simmons suggested I take 5+ minutes of rest, I figured 3-3:30 would be...

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Busy Monday

AM: 4 milesPM: 45 mins. ellip.I took today nice and easy as recovery from last week's crazy mileage. Plus, I had to take Jordan to the airport rather early (didn't he just get back here??) so four miles was all I had time for.Three days until we leave for Nationa...

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Week in Review

45 miles2 hours 30 mins. ellip.55 mins. pool1 day off6 days til NationalsOnward and upward this week. Despite running 6 days instead of last week's 7, I still managed to log a few more miles. More importantly, three of these days were quality workout or long run efforts, which is what I need to nudge me back into respectable shape. I'm not expecting any miracles come Saturday, but it sure would be nice to finish the race feeling like I'd accomplished something despite this season's setbac...

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The Miles Just Keep On Coming

AM: 9 miles2x20 water pump extensions=80PM: 30 mins. poolThat's right, people, you read it correctly. Guess who has two thumbs and just ran NINE miles today??>>>this guy<<<So anyhow, Jordan and I met the Queens team at Old Bell for their last long-ish run before Nationals next week. (Incidentally, let me pause at this moment to acknowledge that Jordan got a job while he was in Austin this week. Though video game manufacturers around the country are no doubt cursing this development, I'm pretty darn excited. Especially since I...

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If It's Not One Thing, It's Something Else

AM: 2+ mile w/u + strides~3 miles uptempo2 mile c/d2x20 water pump extensions=80Total: 7 milesI had to get this workout taken care of before work this morning, and fortunately Jenna was game for accompanying me to McAlpine before the team's scheduled morning practice. (She would then turn around and drive the team back out there as soon as she and I got back--what a trooper.) The air was crisp and cool and the sun was shining brightly, which made for the first truly beautiful morning we've had around here in quite some time. I'll take it.The goal...

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Jogging With Jenna

AM: 15 mins. core7 miles2x20 water pump extensions=80PM: 25 mins. ellip.With the day off from work and only a small amount of homework on the docket, I was looking forward to a relaxing Friday. Meeting Jenna for an easy run seemed like the best way to start it off, so we headed out to McAlpine just after 8 to get our wog on. Though still sore, I felt markedly better than yesterday, so hopefully I didn't hold her back too much with my pedestrian pace. The air was still damp and windy but we actually detected a few rays of sunshine for the first...

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Waterworld

AM: 6-6.5 milesPM: Chiro25 mins. poolWell. I'm in a world of hurt today. My calves, my adductors, my quads, even my abs for heaven's sake--all of these areas and more are sufficiently rocked from yesterday's workout. I suppose I had it coming. As a result, I decided to ditch the watch this morning and embark on 6 of the slowest miles Freedom Park has ever seen. I simply didn't want to feel pressured to run faster than my feeble body would allow....

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12x400? Really??

AM: 30 mins. ellip.PM: 2.5 mile w/u + strides12x4002 mile c/dTotal: 7.5 milesOh, workout, how do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways. For starters, it's hard to get motivated to rip off some hard intervals when it's been pouring rain and gusting 30 mph winds for the past 36 hours. Damn you, Hurricane Ida! Throughout the day as I stared dubiously at the tropical storm-esque conditions outside, I maintained hope that Coach Simmons would come to his senses and postpone the workout until tomorrow. I was wrong.Come 4:20pm (thanks for being late, Edgar),...

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Taking a Break

AM: 45 mins. ellip.PM: 20 mins. ellip.15 mins. core2x20 water pump extensions=80After 9 (!!!) consecutive days of running, I decided to make an executive decision and take the day off. I've got a 400 workout on tap for tomorrow and I want to be as recovered as possible before I destroy myself again. The good news is the hip is still being cooperative and seems to be gaining strength every day. Things are most certainly looking ...

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Jordan is an Idiot

AM: 30 mins. ellip.PM: 55 mins. (7.5 miles)2x20 water pump extensions=80Wow. My legs were absolutely, positively trashed on today's run. I can only assume this is some cruel punishment for attempting to run somewhat fast on Saturday. Despite the gorgeous weather and scintillating compay from Jordan and Jenna, I found myself completely unable to fall into a rhythm despite my best efforts. The last few miles I was all the way in the hurt tank, to the point where despite my compulsive tendencies I was uninterested in tacking on a few minutes at the...

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Week in Review

41 miles2 hours 50 mins. ellip.20 mins. pool2 teams bound for Nationals5 AFDsAlmost a real runner aga...

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Enjoying the Sunshine

AM: 6.5 miles2x20 water pump extensions=8020 mins. poolI slept amazingly last night and woke up eager to see how my body felt after yesterday's shenanigans. To my surprise, the hip felt fine and the rest of me only exhibited a little bit of soreness. With the green light from Simmons to attempt an easy run, I hit Tanya up to meet me and Jordan at McAlpine.By the time we all arrived it was late morning and the park was packed. For good reason too, as the weather was absolutely spectacular. The three of us set off from Old Bell together, each with...

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Southeast Regional Championships

Early AM: 1/2 mile shakeoutAM: 2.5 mile w/u + strides6k race1+ mile c/dTotal: 8 milesThe morning of my first and possibly last XC meet started bright and early--literally. It started early because the entire team woke up for a 7:15 am shakeout prior to getting the day started. This consisted of me waking up just in time to throw on a pair of shoes and walk out the door. I was immediately greeted by the 31-degree chill that permeated the air, and...

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Hotel, Motel...Knight's Inn

AM: 45 mins. ellip.15 mins. corePM: 4-4.5 miles2x20 water pump extensions=80This afternoon I joined the team and headed to Wingate, NC, home of Wingate University and the site of tomorrow's XC Regionals. My plan was to take it nice and easy while running the course this afternoon, then evaluate how my hip felt for tomorrow. To my pleasant surprise, it was a complete non-issue, virtually night and day from yesterday morning. Not sure what happened in the last 36 hours but I seem to have dodged a bullet there. At any rate, things feel good to go...

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One Day at a Time

Thursday, 11/55.5 miles2x20 water pump extensions=80Wednesday, 11/4AM: 45 mins. ellip.PM: 3-3.5 miles2x20 water pump extensions=80As of Thursday, the hip seems to have taken a slight step back in terms of the way it feels, no doubt because of Tuesday's workout. Jordan all but forced me not to cross-train on Thursday afternoon, so hopefully this will make a difference in the way I feel come Regiona...

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Let's Do This

AM: 30 mins. ellip.15 mins. corePM: 3.5 mile w/u6x800m @ 2:56, 2:55, 2:56, 2:58, 3:02, 2:551.5 mile c/dTotal: 8 milesToday's workout was the first I've done with the other girls on the team. They had a pre-race of 3x800, 2x400 on tap, while I was planning to keep the 800s going. Coach Simmons planned for us to run this workout on the third mile of the Footlocker course, which is mostly wooded and slightly rolling. My main goal was just to tuck in behind the lead girls (Maraya, Holly and Jess, with Jenna setting the pace) and try not to die.After...

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Monday From Boyce

AM: 50 mins. ellip. incl. 6x3 mins. on, 2 mins. off2x20 water pump extensions=80PM: ~5.5 milesThis was a great start to the week, as everything felt good after my "long run" yesterday. Jordan picked me up from work at 3 and we pretty much headed straight to McAlpine to meet Tanya and Sean. Too bad Sean doesn't live here anymore, because I think the four of us would make a sweet little training group. Anyhow, we met at Boyce for the second day in a row, which I'm always a fan of. It allows for a mile and a half each way on the back trails, plus...

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Week in Review

28 miles3 hours 50 mins. elliptical30 mins. pool27 years4 AFDsThis week was action-packed on all fronts, and though I spent much of it exhausted I feel great about what I accomplished. My road to recovery finally feels smooth, and I'm growing increasingly excited about racing with the team at Regionals next weekend. The women have set their sights on making it to Nationals as a team, and if I can even play the smallest part in making that happen then I will be satisfied with my performance.Also, this week has reaffirmed to me how wonderful my friends...

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Meb Is Awesome and I Am Old

AM: NYC MarathonPM: 8 miles2x20 water pump extensions=80So, today I turned 27. This is significant, as I believe it officially marks the end of my mid-20s and the beginning of my late-20s. Essentially, I am almost 30. While this thought is not one I greet with any particular enthusiasm, I do have to say that as far as birthdays go this one was pretty great. Though I didn't do anything super spectacular or exciting, after a crazy week of work and...

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