Welcome Back Pacemaker!

The Pacemaker is back, just in time to make me feel guilty for postponing my run this morning. I woke up way tired and with a bit of a sore throat. Hoping some rest would help me recover I've decided to evaluate my status throughout the day and see how I feel at the end. If I'm up for it when I get home, I'll strap on the rubber and head out for the 5 miles I'm supposed to do.
Here's hoping Dayton is feeling better soon. I'd recommend that doctor. He'll help you get better faster, even if it is some voodoo medicine involving Fleischkaese and a scarf -- because all German remedies involve a scarf. Stretch, stretch, stretch, and never run more than is comfortable. Lots of ice might help too!!! I know it's become my wonder cure. Does it hurt? Put ice on it! That's the solution.

No run since the 12 miles on Saturday. I'm looking forward to the 14 miles this week. This will be the first time that I will run to Front Runners, do a run and then head home. Should be fun. Wish me luck!

Return of the Prodigal Son

Don's halfway there! Huzzah!
Hey glorious fellow runners:

I know I haven't posted in over a month. I haven't even made comments. But in my defense, I've been very, very drunk. As the Tramp pointed out: Being Drunk is half the equation.
My knee is getting stronger, but not many of the stretches for the IT Band have worked as well as I would like. Also, I'm not sure how to describe it, but the pain has -shifted- towards the back of my knee. I'm going to go see a doctor here pretty soon, since I'm gettin pretty stir crazy. I even had a sequence of dreams last night about running- One involved me only being able to skip, the other was like running in wet cement. Both were based upon an admittedly limited knowledge of those two endeavors, but they were still quite disconcerting. (Actually, I'm quite a good skipper, if I do say so myself.) Both also involved Don sitting in the top corner frame of the dream/screen shot in a semi-dissolved shot overlay, cackling maniacally and telling me how much faster he is than me.

I can't be having that.

Another week down

I'm 8 weeks in. That's halfway. I'm feeling good. Just ran another 12 on Saturday. I'll be bracing myself for the 14 on this coming Saturday.
My brother and sister were here this weekend. And we didn't get as much running time in as we had thought. Wayne went with me for my 8 mile run on Thursday, but as it turns out, it's not so easy running an 11 minute mile with him for 3 miles and then kicking it in at 9 minutes. So, I ended mile 4 so tight I was afraid to go on. That means only 4, not 8 miles, and a drop in 4 miles for the week. I'll make up for it, by not missing any more runs.
My 12 on Saturday was great. I had to meet Chris and Wayne at Pier 39, so I ran from home to the Golden Gate Bridge and then over to the Pier. It was a beautiful run. AGAIN, the first 4 miles were pretty tough. I'm having a hell of a time with shin stuff. I'm going to go to the doctor next week. I don't have time this week, with a big assignment due, but next week there is time. So, that will probably mean more PT. I think I'm addicted. :-)

I'm supposed to do a Fun Run the week after next, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to run a run on Angel Island. it's a 12k trail run. Looks cool.

Not much else to report. Missing you all out here in cyberspace!!!!!!!!

Stats:
Total Miles: 20.7
Overall Time: 194.28
Average Mile: 9.36
Overall Impression: Still Not Afraid To Amputate These Shins If Need Be (SNATATSINB)

Brokeback Prison Rape

Oh My God!!!!! I need to start writing the script for Prison Rape!

We were watching last night, of course, and the show was taking it's usual crazy turns. From an abusive childhood that has never been mentioned before, to a twice convicted felon striking a deal with a renegade FBI agent for information, it was a winning episode. In the middle of it all, a Kansas police chief is interviewing Prison Guard Bellick, and asks what he was doing in Kansas. He says, "You know, checking out the sites."
She says, "Let's be honest here. You're in Kansas. Now, we're both in law enforcement you can tell me the truth. I don't care if you were hooping it up with the boys. Or maybe you were going "Brokeback."" I just about dropped my knitting and spit out my Chablis while clutching my pearls.
Not only did the bitch steal my line, she made "Brokeback" a verb before I ever managed to, and I have more experience.

It's going to be a dry week for posts for me. Brother and sister in town, so won't be at the computer much. I will boast that I ran 5 miles today.

It was the tough 5 through Glen Park, basically half of it us up a pretty steep hill.

Final time: 45:06!!!!!!!
Average Mile: 9.02 minutes
Overall Impression: "You Boys Weren't Being Paid To Stem The Rose!" (YBWBPTSTR!)

Ain't nothin' gonna breaka my stride....

Almost to the end of another week here. Did two runs so far. Tuesday, 5miles, today 7 miles. Yes, it's official the weekend distance has crept its way to midweek.

The run on Tuesday was pretty good. Ran the Ohlone Greenway after Dayton crapped out whining something about his ITB blahblahblah.... So, it was by myself. Overall a pretty good run. Tight shins again, so not as pleasant feeling as I'd like. I have noticed that the shins do seem to coincide wih pace. If I'm trying to push it a bit they act up. I ran today with no problem. Maybe somewhere in there is the answer to the problem.

Today's run was gorgeous. I did the Glen Park Monster and kicked it's ass. I felt great the whole time, and clocked a 7 mile at 65:25. Not bad.

Sure wish I could have run with Dayton. I didn't get to say anything about how he couldn't quit me, or where he had left his tackle box, or nothing like that. Instead, I had to dodge a woman with flowers, almost having to dive into the bushes to avoid knocking her over.

Alas, Dayton has returned to Germany and it will be May before we meet again. How about we all go out for a jog in London before the wedding?

The stats:
Distance: 12.2 miles
Time: 109:30
Average: 8:57
Overall Impression: If I Can Keep On Keepin On, I Just May Do This Thing. I Swear! (IICKOKOIJMDTT.IS!)

Just Another Manic Run Day!

It's official. I will soon be renaming myself Sybil. My running life has come to resemble this famous 1976 made for TV movie starring Sally Fields and Joanne Woodward. One day, I'm feeling like it's all suicide and a waste of time. The next, I'm Lance Armstrong meets Will Shorter meets Joan Benoit Samuelson. And today was one of those days.
You'll remember that I was waylayed by delirium and dizzyness on Thursday due to the meds. So today, against Dr. advice, I decided to not take my meds before the run. Went to Golden Gate Park and ran 5 miles before the gay boys got there. 5-mile Split? 43:00. That's 8:36 a mile. WooHoo!!! It was a good run, but I must confess I still felt a little disoriented from the drugs. Kind of dizzy, kind of confused, but the legs felt strong, so I kept it going. The shin issue is still working itself out. I'm figuring out how to loosen it up while running instead of having to stop. It looks like we won't have to amputate after all.
Then I had a few minutes to cool off and get some fluids before we headed off to do it again. The second 5 seemed to go much slower than the first. After all, this time I was being passed by men on their first 5 miles not their last. The miles did slow down a bit, but after mile 2 I felt great. Like I could run for another 10. I didn't, but I felt like I could have. Times did slow on the last five, but I ended with an 8:46 mile average for the day, which I couldn't be happier about.
The real question for me is where are these times coming from? After all, I took two months off, and expected to have lost more fitness than this. In fact, the times I'm turning in now are faster than those we were doing during the 1/2 marathon training. I truly think the gels and the fuel belt are helping. There were a few runs last summer when I stopped sweating, which all say is a bad thing. So, the fact that I stay hydrated is surely helping. The 10 minute break in the middle is probably helping as well.
The times I've been putting in, put me on track for a 4:05 marathon in January. Cross your fingers. That means I'll only have to cut another 50 minutes off to qualify for Boston. Oh, you forgot we were trying to qualify for Boston didn't you!!!! Get your asses out there, we've got work to do!!!!

Weeks Results:
Total miles: 14.8
Total Time: 132 minutes
Average: 8:57/mile
Overall Impression: It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood And Sibyl's On A Roll! (IABDITNASOAR)

Yay!

I hereby second the motion to make Antonia blabideeblabla Henderlee an official Drunk Runner. For years of dedicated service watching the pacemaker kill himself on these various continents, I vote we honor her with membership among our clan!

Petition to get Tessa added as an Official Drunk Runner Supporter

With this blog I hereby suggest that Antonia (Can't remember all the middle names) Lee (soon to be Henderlee or Leehender) be officially added as a blog member! If the girl can ride by DJ's side and watch him barf, and if she can take amazing action shots at marathons then I believe she should be a full-fledged contributor to the blog (not just via the Pacemaker). All in favor, say "YAY!"

Dayton and his Snobby Euro Server

Jules - Your posts get tomorrow's date, because our snobby friend has set the server time for the Blog as Cologne time. Therefore, unless you are on psychotically early in the day, it get's tomorrow's date, because it's always tomorrow in Köln.

Keepin' on Keepin' on.

[For some reason, my posts get dated a day later than I write & post them. Can't figure it out, sorry!]

Here is a brief update of this week's runs so far.

Tuesday was a really good run. I couldn't feel my legs by the end, and I actually wish I had kept running. They weren't tired, I just couldn't feel them! I had a decent pace, just barely under 9 min/mile.

Time: 47:30
Distance: 5.3 mi
Overall Impression: Hmmm, what are those funny stick-like things? Are they attached to my torso? So they are. Run on! (H,WATFSLT? ATATMT? STA. RO!)

I planned Wednesday to be a shorter run, about 3 miles. Again, I ran a new route to check things out. Ended up running an extra half mile, which was fine with me. Pace was faster (just slightly faster than 8:30min/mile), which was good but could have been better. I probably would have been able to finish it a little faster had I not been "fogged" by the Mosquito Truck(by the way, this is EXACTLY what it looked like, bastards!).

That really can't be good for your lungs or respiratory system, can it? However, I have come to realize the wisdom of the Mosquito Truck.

See exhibit A).

God only knows whose blood ol' Drakul the Mosquito sucked! (Yeah, I know I need to change my fingernail polish. Thanks, Don.)

Time: 30
Distance: 3.5 mi
Overall Impression: Decent run but will probably have 3 headed babies someday. (DRBWPH3HBS).

Onto today's run. I set out with high hopes and dillusions of grandeur today. I had planned to run 7 miles for the first time since that glorious 9 mi. run in Berkeley. However, Gulf Coast weather had different plans for me. It looked like it was going to rain all day, but it never did. Humidity was high, breeze was non-existent. The short of the long of it was that I ran a course that I didn't know the exact distance. I even pushed it to get in an extra 0.5 mi. thinking that it would most certainly put me at 7miles. Nope. The barf-o-meter was on atomic red from about mile 3 onward. Stupid daylight savings! Sure I get an extra hour of sleep, but by the time it cools down sufficiently enough to run, it is 5:30 and there is only a half hour of light. Apparently Texans prize their freedom to not have streetlights, which makes it practically impossible to run without braking an ankle. Wow! I just managed to blame my crappy run on the weather, barfiness, and Texans in general. SWEET. I have just taken hatin' to a whole new level.

Running Conditions: 80 degrees. 81% humidity. Is it really almost mid-November????
Time: 60 mins.
Distance: 6.3mi
Overall Impression: Disappointing but better than nothing. (DBBTN)

I'm planning for at least another 5 miles before Sunday. That will put me at 20 for the week.
I need to find a plan on runner's world that I can actually understand. I need a mathematician to decypher all those cryptic formulas!

Well, I'm off to barf. Check in with you guys later! Enjoy your runs together next week!!!!

Poison Oak and a new Drug!

First, congrats to Hater for getting out and running. We're all behind you! I wish I could come down for the race in Houston, it sounds like a great one. 26 miles on a beach? What could be better. Alas, with a marathon in January, I'm not sure I would be ready in time for another one a month later. Someday.

My running is moving along. On Tuesday I ran a 5 mile run, up and over the Glen Park Monster and did it in record time:
Although I was able to run with poison oak, I found myself unable to run yesterday because of the drugs I was on. As I described the side-effects to JB, he said, "Sounds like something I'd take for recreation!" And yes, there were times when it was awesome.
You see, the Prednisone Side Effects can be quite interesting. At the Pet Shop Boys concert on Tuesday (Oh how I wish this Blog would let me tell you how awesome the show was) I was absolutely euphoric. It was something similar to what I imagine ecstasy with a touch of coke might feel like. I was wired for sound, dancing, screaming and had a great time. Then Wednesday morning I could hardly concentrate, and started going through waves of intense activity followed by waves of an inability to complete the simplest task. It was a crazy roller coaster. I saw the doctor and I have to taper off it, so I will have at least minor symptoms for the next week, but I'm hoping they'll be very minor. They were so severe I missed classes on Wednesday and Thursday. Thank God it's a 3-day weekend.
This all means that I missed my 7-mile run yesterday. I was a bit disappointed because this was the first run where Saturday moved to Thursday. It's a big milestone when your long run becomes the medium run, and now it's been postponed for a week. I'll do the 10 miles tomorrow that I'm supposed to do and can't wait to do it. This will be the first 10 miler in awhile. I think I'll attack it like I did the last long run. I'll go to FrontRunners and run 5 before everyone gets there and then run another 5 with the gang. This way it breaks it up and provides some company on the run.
I'll be looking for some kick ass times, and will beat Pacemaker into the ground on the Nimmitz on Tuesday. Look back here for announcements of the pounding taken!!!!!

What are you doing February 10th?

While trying to find a local running store that would help fit me for shoes, I came across a site posting Houston area races ;) (I know what you are thinking: it took me long enough!) Anyways, I was looking over the various options and saw this unusually challenging marathon/half-marathon.

Surfside Beach Marathon and Half Marathon

Wouldn't this be interesting? You are both more than welcome to stay with us :) :) :) We are just about 15 minutes from the beach.

Before I get too ahead of myself, here is a brief update on my running.

I have taken it outdoors, but I refuse to give up my title as "Treadmill Tramp." I just completed my third run outdoors (hey! I really have been busy.) It had been a week since I last run, but I went further than I had anticipated, given my shin splits and the fact that I twisted my knee playing fetch with the dog (lame, so lame - but I think it is the meniscus. It feels just like it felt when I tore it on the other knee years ago.) Anywho, the magic 20 mins. kicked in and the pain was bearable/hardly present for the rest of the run. The only challenge to these runs are the slanted sidewalks. No uphill or downhill, just F-L-A-T. I ran this same 5 mile course last week in a stunning 45 mins. Today, I was not so speedy, but I'll take what I can get at this point. I came in just under 50 mins. for the 5 miles and had a pleasant 1 mile walk home. However, I have already found that I am tiring of the scenery and might branch out and find a new route.

While looking for shoes I also discovered that there is a running group in my tiny ol' town. Who knew? They are the local chapter of the "Road Runners" - which I am pretty sure is not even close to as cool as the "Front Runners." I am considering checking them out after I buy my new shoes and get some more miles in. I don't wanna be the "slow girl" in the group ;)

Can running get any worse?

I've reached a new low. Everything I wrote last week about addiction? Scrap it. I was high. And clearly not on running. Only a blast of the worst green could have induced that crap. OK, I'm exagerating, but just take a listen to this weeks running.

Last Saturday I was in Indianapolis and had a great run. 9 miles on a chilly fall day. Not so cold I couldn't bear it, but not so warm that my long sleeves and long running tights were too much. It was gorgeous really. Sunny, a flat course that took me 4.5 miles from my hotel through the countryside and then back. Yes, we were about a mile from the edge of town, and this is a big town. Think being in a hotel in the Dahlem area of Berlin. I mean way the fuck out there. Which was really only a nice thing when I needed to go for the run. Anyway, it was gorgeous.

Then I was given two days off and relaxed a little bit. I mean, as much as I could. While in Indiana, we encountered Indiana's first Daylight savings time ever. They were all confused. I had only one problem with it. That being all the time changes. Friday night: 3 hours forward, from PST to EST. Saturday: Back One hour to CST. Sunday: back to Cal, which is another 3 hours back from the one on Saturday. Needless to say, yours truly was up at 4:30 a.m. Monday and couldn't figure out why. It took me a few days to recover.

Tuesday went for my run over Twin Peaks, 4 miles total, and had a pretty good run. Still having shin troubles at mile 2 and can't figure out how to get rid of them. I'm going to have to go back into therapy, I think. So I stretched and ran and had a great run, really. Record time of under 36 minutes. I was stoked.

Wednesday, my leg itched, but hadn't shaved in awhile so I was thinking that was not so strange. Thursday, I've developed serious rash on my right leg, i.e. curbside. I'm not sure exactly what it is and don't have time to go to the Tang center until Friday. So, I go to RSF and try to do the 4 I'm scheduled for. I then suffer the curse of the Physical Therapist. I occasionally run into my PT at the RSF. First off, Kudos to him for being the first "DR." to practice what he preaches. He's there stretching like a fiend. I stretch and then try to do the treadmill, and this has happened once before. I see him and I can't do it. A mile into my run and my shin is so tight I feel again like Quasimodo on some Foucauldian torture device. I give up at a mile and go home.

Today, I call the Tang Center at 8 a.m. and get an appointment for 1:15. The rash on my leg now measures 6"x5" and is "weeping." I think that's the technical term. Well, as it turns out, and I knew this, I'm incredibly allergic to Poison Oak. It also turns out that evidently, this run, which I've done no less that 100 times over the past 10 years, has some poison oak along it's course. It's the only explanation. I'm not thinking it's very plausible, but having had poison oak before and actually missed work as a result. Yes, it's that bad. I'm pretty sure Poison Oak, whereever I found it, is what I have.

To make a short story long. This week of running has sucked ass. I'm going to try again tomorrow with the gay boys and see what happens. I'm slated to do a 5K and there isn't one in the area, so I'll just try the 3 mile really fast. I'll let you know how it goes. In the meantime here are the stats:

Total DIstance: 14 miles
Total Time: 129 minutes
Average: 9:15
Overall Impression: Don't Tell Them, But If They Don't Start Behavin' I'll Amputate (DTT,BITDSB'IA)

Update soon. And y'all owe some posts. What up Hater? Pacemaker? Don't leave me hangin' on this Marathon alone.