Bunchgrasser’s quote of the day

“I can resist everything except temptation.”

-Oscar Wilde

13.2 mile training run

My training mileage has been all over the place the last few weeks (as usual). My busy schedule (and occasionally my sore muscles) dictate when, and how long I run. I’ve stayed pretty steady with my mid-week runs of 5-6 miles each and then a long run on the weekend. I recognize that I’m not where I need to be considering the Eugene Marathon is only a month away.

On Sunday I got up, had coffee and a bagel, dressed, stretched and then went for a 13.2 mile run. My previous long runs had been around 10-12 miles each so this wasn’t much of a stretch. I’ve been trying not to push the mileage too high, too fast because injuries happen when I do that. My base won’t be high enough come marathon time on May 3rd, but I’m looking at this race as a benchmark on the way to the Portland Marathon in October.

The last couple of miles were tough. My right knee was aching and my hamstrings were both letting me know they weren’t happy. I really need to do more crosstraining, and better yet, some lower-body weight training like squats & lunges. I’ll add that to my list…

When I got home, I immediately downed a recovery shake, orange & peanut butter bagel. I tried to stay moving so my muscles wouldn’t stiffen up too badly. Later I did some light stretching which helped some. My daughter must have been impressed with my distance because she surprized me with a wonderful foot massage. In fact, part way through she disappeared into the kitchen and then reappeared with a cold beer for me. Ahh, now I remember why I had kids…(jk)

Later that evening I watched my daughter’s soccer game (I stood for the entire 1.5 hours) with no discomfort. So, it seems like my body handled the distance pretty well – so I’m thinking of running the Vernonia Half Marathon this weekend. I won’t push the pace too hard – but the Vernonia Half seems like a nice course and I need another running shirt.

Cheers

Bunchgrasser’s quote of the day

“A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.”

-John Barrymore

10 miler on Sunday – Ouch

The weather cleared on Sunday morning – giving me a window to complete my long run without getting rained on. It was a welcome change as the weather has not been very cooperative lately. I ran one of my regular out-and-back courses through mostly residential neighborhoods. I like the quietness and lack of traffic, although I did have my Ipod Nano blasting techno music throughout the entire run.

My legs and feet felt great for the first 5 miles. As expected though, my right heel and right knee started complaining a little at about mile 7. I cruised back home without any serious pains though, but my body definitely felt the extra couple of miles. According to my Garmin 205 – I maintained an 8:45 per minute pace through the entire 10 miles. As I usually say, not very impressive to others – but for me it is pushing it pretty fast for that length of a run.

I ended the month of February with 70 miles total. Still a little under my goal of 85 miles per month. I am hopeful that I will hit 85 in March and continue to hold at that level.

Cheers

THUSC Sodium sweeps Blue Mountain Exchange!

Wow, talk about a powerful presence! Two-time Oregon state champs – THUSC Sodium (my daughter’s U13 team) traveled to Tri-Cities WA for the Blue Mountain Exchange Tournament this weekend. This tournament attracts some of the strongest, most physical soccer teams from the region, including teams from Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana.

Sodium hasn’t fared well at this tournament in the past, so it is understandable that the Lady Warriors rolled into town on Friday looking to even the score. As it turns out, the Sodium girls wanted (and got) much more than that. Over the course of the weekend, Sodium swept all four of their games…AND…all four games were shut-outs (3-0, 3-0, 2-0, 1-0).

In the final game, Sodium defeated 2-time defending champs TRSC Rage in a hard fought 1-0 battle for 1st place honors. I doubt that the TRSC Rage team took the field expecting such a tough fight from an opponent. Sodium has proven time and again that they can play tough under extreme pressure. The Lady Warriors have that special ability to execute with intensity, and with a laser-like focus on the objective when the stakes are high. These are the true characteristics of a championship team.

Congratulations ladies. You’ve once again rightfully earned a highly coveted victory – as well as the gratitude and respect of your fans. Check out the Sodium team blog for a more detailed summary of the games.

Cheers