TNT Week #2 Recap & Ultra Training Update

If it weren't for the view of the Pacific Ocean, the palm trees and the million-dollar apartments along our route, I'd think we were Team In Training Nova Scotia. Man, it was cold this morning! Okay, 39 degrees isn't even freezing. But SoCal residents, a group to which I am now (mentally) half-committed, have waif-thin blood a little tolerance for the chill that has blanketed the city.

Okay, enough about the weather. It was cold. But sunny! And about 60 people came out for week two of Training. Four miles up Pacific Palisades Park and San Vicente Boulevard in Santa Monica. Before we got started, one of our Honored Teammates, Laura Maloney, spoke to us about her battle with cancer. As if 3 years of remission isn't enough of an acheivement, Laura is going for her Triple Crown (Marathon, Triathlon, Century Ride) with Team - and the marathon is the final event on her list!

The four miles went by quickly. Some groups may have sped up a little too much for a LSD run (not a drug-fueled run, a Long Slow Distance run), but I think overall it went well.


Poor, poor posture


The Group Along the Boardwalk


California at its Nicest


Go Team!

Some shots from week one courtesy of web captain Marvin.

Although I am there to support, encourage and help the participants, I needed my own help this morning. About half a mile into the run I slipped off the sidewalk and faceplanted. The first fall of the season, I knew it was coming! I scraped my knee very superficially. What hurt, and continues to hurt, is smacking my kneecaps on the concrete. Yeah ouch. I didn't hurt too much at the time, nor did it set in until I got home after breakfast. I'm sort of limping around this afternoon and evening. Its probably a combination of lots of miles (see below) and falling. Either way. I'm happy that I get off work tomorrow!

Post-run breakfast was also well-attended. And I'd liken the pace with which I ate my breakfast sandwich a sprint. Three bites, and I was done! But it was all with reason...

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End of Week 9 Ultra Training. This week was a tough one. The first of the build/peak phase. Saturday's 27 miles was a personal best for distance for me. I have never run that for intentionally. After the last two Disney Marathons, Mom and I did walk 3-4 miles around the parks, so technically I have been that far. But to run until the watch hit 27.00 was pretty cool.

I was moderately hungry all day and treated myself to drunken noodles and two sushi rolls for dinner. I may have burned my taste buds off after the noddle dish, but like the run, the pain was worth it.

This morning the alarm went off around 4am once again. Kelley and I met up to run before practice. We were shooting for about 3 hours today (or 18 miles). We ran 10.5 before practice, going along our usual route which, in the past month, we have traversed enough times that I feel like I know every crack in the sidewalk. I logged about 4 miles at practice, and then Kelley and I ran to breakfast to get another mile in. My friend Liz, who also ran Alaska last summer (and ran a 3:50!) jogged back with my from breakfast to the cars, just over a mile. So by noon I tallied 17.3 miles in about 3 hours.

I've iced my knees, taken Motrin and snuck in a 2 hour nap that was way over due. I was considering some Chinese food or Pizza for dinner, but I think I am going to find something better to eat my fridge. Maybe some takeout tomorrow. Tomorrow's easy bike ride is also up in the air pending how my knees heal after the fall. I would love to do some cycling just to give my legs a break from running (sub biking out as crosstraining for a run this week), but I'll see how I sleep tonight.

And the best news as this week winds to a close, I'm sleeping in tomorrow! No 4am or 5:15am wake up call. I think I'll snooze until 7!