24 Weeks To Marathon Part Deux

It’s official. I’m registered for my second marathon, the Ogden Marathon, coming up on May 15th 2010. The most awesome thing is that runners of the half-marathon will include my old lady Melanie (sorry, that sounded derogatory, albeit funny. For the record, I have never called my wife “my old lady”. Even though it does sound funny.) And…….my sister Hollie, her husband Kelly, and my brother Kenny. I am really excited that they have joined the life of pleasure and pain that is running. This is very cool.

The big muscle at the top of my right leg is still acting testy. I’d smack it around and throw it in the dumpster if it wasn’t connected to me. I didn’t run for a few weeks which drove me nutz. I got antsy.

Finally on November 20th I went out for a 6 miler. My leg was a bit sore but I felt like a jungle lion that was just let out of a cage.

Tuesday, November 24th 2009: 7 miles in 1 hour & 14 minutes. I left while it was still dark outside. The temperature said 29 degrees outside. Granted, I had to fight my eyelids from freezing together. But I LOVED running in the cold. My body didn’t get tired nearly as quickly.

Thursday, November 26th 2009: 6 miles in 1 hour & 11 minutes. Mel and I went out on our own little turkey trot Thanksgiving morning. It was warmer on this morning: 33 degrees. I’d take running in that instead the 90+ degree days of southern Utah summer any day.

My leg is still sore, but back to about 70% of where it was pre-injury. I’m keeping my pace slower and not doing a ton of miles so hopefully it will continue to improve. I’m giving my leg a few more days before insisting that it stop this little temper tantrum.

Butch Cassidy 10k 2009

I ran the Butch Cassidy 10k race on Saturday with the mountains of Zion National Park on the horizon. The course started in Springdale and ended at Grafton ghost town. You could not ask for a more beautiful place to run. The leaves were changing and all the trees were glowing yellow.

I started the race running with my friends Shane and Melanie. We reached a big muther hill around mile three and I was so tired that I wanted to cry like a school girl. My friend Tom helped coordinate the race (and did a fine job by the way). I sent him a message after the race letting him know that the devil called and wanted that hill at mile 3 back.

Melanie Cowden has been a good running buddy for me in the two races we have done together. We finished in 56 minutes. At the end I gorged on bagels, a banana, and lots of cookies. I strained my right hamstring a few weeks ago, so by the end of the race my leg was really hurting.

But somehow cookies seem to ease the pain.

Dear cookies: I love you. I don't care what race you are. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, snickerdoodle - I love you all. You make me happy. You make the shooting pain in my leg go away. I love you.