9/27/14. Saturday. The last 2 miles...

Well, that's it. I ran my last 2 miles. That's as far as Hal will get me. The rest of the way, I am on my own.

There was a breakfast run from the castle to the Olympic stadium this morning with a breakfast provided. But it was longer than my plan called for, and would have left me about 10km from the hotel. Nothing insurmountable, but I felt it wasn't worth it. I have done too much walking around and exploring the last few days and my legs are already knotted up and sore. Best to stick to the plan and run my short last run.

The roads near the marathon route are closed off this morning because they are having an in-line skating version of the marathon today. I guess it's a big deal, but not quite as big as the marathon itself. So I ran a very scenic river walk path along the river Spree. It was a beautiful morning, sunny and cool, maybe 55 degrees at most.  Just fantastic conditions. Not crowded at all.  I just wanted to keep on going and see what was around the next bend. Over and over. When I hit the 1 mile mark, it was difficult to turn back. I know I will likely never have the chance to see what was around the next curve in the river. Such is life.

I felt pretty good running.  Winded myself a little, but I think I was running too fast. The excitement and the taper made me just want to go go go. I should have no trouble with this tomorrow though.  With 40000 people running, probably 30000 of them in front of me, I will have no chance to burn up out of the gate.  I anticipate at least 15-20 km of elbow to elbow crowd.  I hope it moves along at a pace faster than a walk. I really do so much better on my own.

This is the last entry in my training journal, before then hammer comes down.  This has been an incredible experience, and the last 11 months have just rocketed by. I can't believe I'm here, and I can't believe it's come down to this.  Less than 24 hours until I give it my all.

Part animal, part machine, remain calm, prepare to destroy.

Just a wake-up. 0 miles to the start line.

9/24/14. 4 miles in germany.

Yeah, 4 miles. That only counts the run. Then I walked and walked and walked. I couldnt help myself. I would see something cool ahead I wanted to see and start walking. And then something else. And again. And again. Berlin is such a bizarre mix of building and architecture. Crazy 60s Bauhaus apartment complex next to a castle? Brand new high tech glass and steel sprouting out of the top of a huge old stone building. The Brandenburg gate. The victory statue, which brought tears to my eyes when I ran past it. I probably walked 15 miles, which was a mistake. I'm tired and my legs/back/knees are sore. No more siteseeing. It's only Wednesday. I can still recover.  Although its Wednesday night, and I haven't slept since Monday night back in mukilteo. I'm about to collapse. 

Tomorrow is the expo. I'll learn to take the subway. Then no extra walking and seeing things. Friday I have no plans. That could be a problem. Then Saturday, 2 mile run. 

3 and a wake up. 2 more miles to the start line. 

9/23/14. last 4 miles on US soil.

that's it.  i ran my last 4 miles on US soil.  this is about to get very real, very quickly.  like when i roll out in about 30 minutes, that kind of real.

got a lot on my mind.
1) goddam root canal.  i thought i was done, and last night's appnt was just a check up.  when i sat down, i said "so what are we in for today?".  to my dismay, the answer was "the 2nd half of the procedure, so prepare to get numbed up".  that was hell. 8 shots of novacain. more drilling, scraping, packing, filling.  another Rx for antibiotics and pain-killers.  head and tooth are throbbing again. how can i relax and taper and prep and recover when my body keep getting this dental trauma.  argh!
2) my best friend in the world is in the hospital with a pulmonary embolism, related to a sports injury a few weeks back.  that's serious, but i know he's in the right place.  hey, i know you probably won't be reading this, but if you do, you know that I did all of this, in fact i did any any of this, because you asked me to.  thanks for the USMC Mud Run. 

oh well.  the cards are dealt, now i play my hand.  off on an adventure, on foreign soil, running solo. 

4 and a wake-up. 6 miles to the start line.

9/20-21/14. my last weekend at home. my final race prep has begun.

9/20-22/14. my last weekend at home.  my final race prep has begun.

had a sports massage thurs night, really working the legs and feet.  I feel pretty loose and limber, thanks to Mel.  saturday morning, got the pre-race haircut and shave.  high speed, low drag.  then i ran an easy 3 miles.  this was my first run since my emergency root canal, and i took it easy.  T ran with me, so we ran at her pace.  just putting in a few miles on a beautiful sunny day.  it felt fine, and no pain or throbbing in my tooth. 

sunday was my last Long Run, but it was only 8 miles.  knocked those 8 miles out, didn't feel too terrible, kept a pretty smooth pace and a decent time.  the weather was beautiful, and it was kind of cool to take a last long run over the route i have run so many times in the last 11 months.  i feel like i know every stretch of road and sidewalk over that route.  took it fairly easy, pushed a little, but i was certainly not trying to break any speed records.

monday. hit the gym for my last marathon plan bodyweight workout.  6 rounds: 5 strict pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 GHD sit ups.  felt a little slow and tired.  but that was it.  no more work outs planned.

i got a nice write-up and some awesome encouragement from my friends at my gym, with an awesome slideshow of support signs.  i'm lucky to have the support and the friendship.  i'll try hard not to fuck this up.  http://www.crossfiteverett.com/get-it-joe/

5 and a wake-up.  10 miles to the start line.

Friday. 9/19/14. now i need to get back in control.

all right.  the emergency root canal is behind me.  i can truly say that was one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life.  the pain in my tooth prior to the procedure was excrutiating.  i couldn't sleep, i couldn't eat, and i couldn't live my life.  there was no way to make the throbbing aching and pain stop.  it was truly enough to make somebody go crazy.  but i hope its sortet out now.  seriously, this was the best time this could have happened.  if it had happened a few weeks ago, and messed up my high mileage week, i would have been extremely concerned about how it affected the peak of my training. if it happened a week from now, i would have been searching for a endodontist in germany (and all the associated issues of pain and needing medical care in a foreign country) and it would have impacted the actual race.  having this happen in a taper week sucked, but it was the best possible way this could have gone down.  I'm still not out of the woods yet.  things are not 100%.  there is still some discomfort, and i still can't eat on that side of my mouth and it still feels like my bite is uneven (the affected tooth is hitting early when i close my teeth).  so i still have plenty to worry about, but at least i could sleep last night.  first solid night of sleep since sunday night.

now i need to get back on top.  get back in the game.  this was just a 2 day time out, it was not quitting.  with 11 months in, and over 1000 miles run, i am conditioned.  i just need my tooth to heal and my body to get race ready.  i have 8 more days to be the tip of the spear.  part animal, part machine.  i missed a 4 mile run, during my taper week.  its no big deal.  i still have 15 training miles left to run in the USA, 6 training miles to run on german soil, then the marathon.

8 and a wake-up. 21 more miles to the start line.

catastrophe. doom and gloom. 5 miles.

so things were going so well,  it was time for a catastrophe.

i had an incredibly bad toothache.  it started maybe monday, i ignored it and hoped it would go away.  got worse yesterday, i could only chew food on one side of my mouth.  when my lower teeth touched my upper left molar, its like a bolt of lightening and pain.  last night it ached so bad i couldn't sleep.  this is no way to start my taper and recovery.  it hurts so bad i couldn't concentrate.  sleep loss sucks.  i had intended to run in the afternoon today, but i was up anyways and couldn't sleep, so i ran my 5 miles anyways.  every step sent a jarring through my jaw and made my tooth ache/hurt.  this is so bad.

so i got an appnt with my dentist for 2pm. i explained about the pain.  and the trip.  i leave on tues.  marathon in 10 days.  i need to get this figured out ASAP.  and seriously, it took a lot for me to admit something hurt.  hell, i've been running on what is probably plantar fasciitis, but i won't go to the dr in case he tells me to stop.  endurance training increases your pain threshold because you just live with it.  but this is different.  it hurts a lot.  and doesn't fade or ebb with no load. its constant.

they took an xray,and immediately sent me to a specialist. another xray, and i am scheduled for an emergency root canal tomorrow.  complicated by the fact that it will be drilled through an existing crown. i asked if i could just live with it and address the pain with drugs until after berlin.  he said no, the pressure change of flight would make the fluid in the abcess unbearable.  i also asked if you could just pull the tooth out and be done with it, but he preferred not to. thought i was crazy for even suggesting it.  now i'm worried about recovery, possible complications, the impact this could have on my body and my taper and recovery.  i'm just feeling depressed about the whole situation.

but what can you do?  pick up the pieces and move on.  best case scenario is all i can hope for.  easy procedure tomorrow. quick recovery.  pain free tooth/jaw. finish taper. travel. kick ass.  its all i can do now.

funny aside.  the doctor, looking at my xray, said "wow, that looks pretty bad. i bet that hurts a whole lot, i'm surprised you're up and walking around".  i neglected to tell him about the fact i ran 5 miles at 5am this morning, through the pain and jarring and throbbing. 

10 and a wake-up. 25 miles to the start line.  but its feeling like so many more right now.

9/15-16/14. monday/tues. bodyweight workout. 4 miles at 0500.

9/15/14. Monday. all in all, it was a pretty easy workout.  as my mileage goes back down, i feel like i have a little more energy.  i hit the gym at 5:30am, and did 6 rounds of a modified Cindy: 5 strict pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 GHD sit-ups.  took it pretty slow, more into how much to get done, rather than how fast i can do it.  i did some light stretching, some sun salutations.  just sticking to my plan, and getting some work done.

9/16/14. Tuesday. up at 0445, out the door by 0500, ran my 4 miles.  it was nice to cut back to 4 miles.  i was still tempted by the 3 mile turn around point, but i was happy not to keep going towards the 5 mile turn around.  it was pitch black, not too cold (about 58 degrees), and a cool breeze was blowing.  body felt pretty good, and i ran like a ghost.  i passed 3 other runners on my way.  couldn't help myself.  as i slowly started to overtake them, one after another, i just thought I ought to take them.  i didn't have to push too hard, so it was ok.  no sprinting, just let my pace gradually overtake and then pass them. maintained an avg pace of 8:21 min/mile.  it was a stiff pace, but not too bad.

11 and a wake-up. 30 miles to the start line.

9/13-14/14. sat/sun. yoga, 4 miles, yoga. 12 miles.

process check.  after last week, i have more than 1000 miles in the bank.  since saturday, nov 2, 2013, when i stepped out the door and ran my first 5k in several years, i have put down 1000 miles.  not a step on a treadmill.  i ran in all kinds of weather, from below freezing and in the snow, to driving rain, to mid 80s with 80 percent humidity.  i have run on all sorts of surfaces.  the track. the trails in the woods. and the road.  so much time on the road. i have run on the beach of both coasts of the USA.  i have worn out 2 pairs of running shoes.  i have run through pain, through uncertainty, through adversity. through days when i wanted to quit.  through days when i felt weak.  1000 miles done.  and i have only 34 more miles to go, before i line up at the start line.

9/13/14. Saturday. 2 yogas and 4 fast miles.
T is trying teaching another class at another gym in everett, and i went to support her.  so i did 8am yoga.  then i went straight into my fast 4 mile run.  i ran through everett, but i ran N/S on the east side of colby, rather than my typical west side of colby.  fast and flat, i averaged 7:30 min/mile.  finished 4 miles in under 30 minutes, and felt good doing it.  had a big leisurely breakfast with T at the New Mexicans (the stacker = homefries, biscuit with sausage gravy, sausage patty, 3 fried eggs), then hit Crossfit Everett for a second hour of yoga.  came out of saturday feeling better than how i went into it.

9/14/14. sunday.  The Long Run.  12 miles.
i hate running more than 9 or 10 miles in mukilteo.  i end up running in loops through neighborhoods or i end up out on the speedway (lots of traffic, exhaust, exposed to the sun, etc).  so i started in old town mukilteo and ran out the mukilteo blvd towards Everett.  ended up all the way out in everett before i turned back.  although i drive this road 3-4 times a week, its been several years since i ran it.  i forgot how bad it sucked to run those hills.  up from harborview park to howarth, then up to forest park, then through forest park.  it was approx 1100 ft of elevation gain in my 12 miles.  compare that to my 12 mile loop in mukilteo 2 weeks ago, which had 350 feet of elevation gain.  but its done and i'm better for it.  my long runs will not see the double digit mileage again.   good ridance.  bring on the taper.

12 and a wake-up.  34 miles before i line up.

9/11/14. 5 miles in everett.

sometimes i get this cause/effect syndrome where i might associate two completely unrelated events, and stick with it.  sometimes i can seem unreasonable, but its just an idiosyncrasy.  the last 2 times i had a big flare-up of my heel/instep pain, i was wearing my blue adidas supernova glides (which i have already noted that the foam/cushioning is shot).  my foot was nagging me throughout the day, i even iced it and rolled it on and off all day at work.  i have convinced myself that my worn out shoes are contributing to the problem.  the one day i wore my new shoes from MB, my foot was bad and got much worse.  so when i started getting ready for my run, i put on the new shoes i bought in MB.  1 trial lap around the cul-de-sac, and they felt horrible too.  so i dug deep, deep into the shoe pile in teh closet.  out came my old adidas supernova sequences.  seriously, these are old.  i ran my marathon PR at the tunnel in these shoes.  i put them on, and it was like heaven.  so good.  my feet felt so wrapped and cushioned and protected.  they look terrible - like a homeless person.  and they smell bad, like a hobo peed in them (not far off the truth, if you know what it means to run a marathon for time).  but they felt great.  and my foot felt better after my run than it did before i started. 

so that's it.  i'm convinced my training shoes are hurting me.  the (2) pairs of glides are going to the knacker.  the shoes from MB are going back on the shelf.  i'm going to wear the ancient adidas sequences for now.  and i ordered a new pair of sequences last night.  the sequence 7's just came out, and running warehouse had a single pair of the sequence 6's in my size for like $70.  score.  and they have free 2 day shipping.  double score.  i'm so excited.  not the color i would have chosen, but i hope they feel/fit good...

but the run through everett, from the gym?  it was awesome.  weather was perfect.  mid 60s, cool breeze, sunny. great views along grand view, as always. the port of everett, the sound, the mountains.  it invigorates me to run this route.  and its so flat, my time always looks good.  i ran the 5 in under 40 min, avg pace of 7:57 min/mile.  and the really old shoes felt good.  just shoes, shorts, ipod, GPS watch, and me.  it was a good one.

16 and a wake-up.

9/10/14. wed. The mid-week Longish run, 6 miles.

did this run after work so i could enjoy some sunshine.  but maybe not worth it, considering i had to deal with the traffic and congestion and exhaust fumes.  i had to wait at every red light.  i think my 6 mile route was not thought out too well, its actually the route i used for my 10k runs, with extra distance for a cool down walk after.  so i ended up running the 6, then walking another mile or so to get home.  but it was nice reducing my mid-week longish run down to 6.  i felt like it was short enough i was ok not to have a snack first, but i started to feel a little weak halfway through.  turns out i was running a little fast also, not sure how that happened.  it just did.  the right heel/instep is really flared up right now.  the tightness makes it feel like i am running on the outside edge of my foot, and i think this out of the ordinary stride is maybe what's causing my right knee to feel a little funny.  i plan on doing some icing and rolling of the foot tomorrow while i sit at my desk.  it's worrisome.  the miles are starting to reduce. berlin is coming close.  i need to get to 100%, and i need this pain to go away.  i am afraid that my upcoming runs, although shorter, could cause more problems.  I am kind of convincing myself that the heel/instep issue is plantar fasciitis and is increasing due to the wear and tear on my shoes and the lack of foam support.  my remaining miles are just so low, relatively, its hard to think about trying to get/wear new shoes right now.

17 and a wake-up.

9/9/14. tues. 5 miles at 0500

nothing too incredible about getting up at 0445 and slogging through another 5 miles in the dark.  set the alarm for 0435, but couldn't drag myself out of bed for 10 more minutes.  slothful.  i was a little stiff and sore, and my right heel/arch was acting up.  even though i was feeling tired and a little sore, it was actually a fast pace for a tues AM 5 miles - it was 5 miles in 42:11, avg pace of 8:26 min/mile.  really felt like fall out there - its getting cooler, and staying dark longer.  i like the coolness, mid to upper 50s is the perfect temp for running.  somedays i wish i had somebody running with me, to help with motivation to just get going.  but running alone in the dark is cool, and the fact is nobody is going to hold my hand through this.  this week is my last 5 mile tues/thurs.  next week will be down to 4 each, then the week after is full on taper.  the end is in sight.  in fact, after my 12 on sunday, its all downhill to Berlin.

I should quit worrying so much about travel, so i can concentrate on the run.  i got an email reply from Henry Rollins yesterday.  he told me "most everyone in germany speaks english, just be polite, and germany will be easier to navigate than arkansas".  right on, Henry. thank you.

18 and a wake-up.

9/8/14. monday. body weight workout.

i was feeling a little stiff/sore from the Last Long Run, but really not too bad.  got up and hit the gym at 5:30am to get some work done.  6 rounds: 5 strict pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 GHD sit ups.  it might have been 7 rounds, i got my chips messed up.  i was very slow, but i got it done. 

i was looking at my training shoes.  I had bought 3 pairs of shoes last year, (2) identical pairs of adidas supernova glides (diff colors) and (1) pair of adidas energy boosts.  I have been training in the glides, only wearing the boosts on "race" days.  well, they say you need to replace shoes after about 300-500 miles.  as of Sunday, i was sitting at 973 total miles.  take off maybe 30 miles for "races" and divide by two.  i have run approx 475 miles in each pair of glides.  the foam is completely shot.  they are permanently crushed, and have no spring-back.  but I've only got 56 more training miles, call it 30 miles per pair.  the choice is to keep running the glides (risk injury and foot pain due to crushed foam) or try to break in a new pair (risk injury and foot pain due to brand new shoes).  i'm thinking that with such short mileage left, i will keep running the glides, with my fingers crossed.  But don't worry, I have the Energy Boosts for race day, practically fresh, with only 30 miles or so on the soles...

you can see in the pics that the permanent "creases" in the foam sole are from repetitive compression, and it will not longer spring back.  These trainers just have to last 2 more weeks, until i leave for berlin.

19 and a wake-up.

9/6-7/14. 5 fast Sat, 20 slow sunday.

9/6-7/14. 5 fast Sat, 20 slow sunday.

9/6/14. Saturday.  5 mile pace run.  i don't do these right.  you're supposed to run this mileage holding the pace you need/want to maintain for your marathon.  i guess you get you body used to that pace, you know what it feels like, you should have an easy time of running at that pace.  instead, i tend to just run fast.  go as fast as i can, and try to do better than the last time.  probably not helping me the way it should.  i ran my 5 miles at an average moving pace of 7:30 min/mile.  felt blazing, felt like a cheetah, felt like i was running to beat the devil.  it was awesome weather, high 50s, and the sun was shining.  everything came together and it was a good run.  after my run, i hit T's yoga class.  i noticed that my heel/arch that hurts me made some poses very difficult.  it was hard to put all my weight on that foot and balance, etc.  but in general, i felt much better after yoga than i did before.  Starting next saturday, she is going to pick an additional time slot at another crossfit gym earlier sat morning.  start for a month, see if there is enough interest to keep doing it there.  of course I'll support her as best as i can.  this coming saturday will be a 4 mile pace run.  so i can envision 8am yoga, 4 mile run in everett as fast as i can, maybe breakfast, then 12:30 yoga at CFE.  so next saturday should be a good morning.

9/7/14.  the big one.  My last really Long Run.  20 miles.  I did this on the centennial trail, and it was hot as hell (just over 80 degrees, but at least it was low humidity, maybe 45%).  parked at the Machias station and struck out headed north.  dress rehearsal of the clothes I plan for Berlin: nike raceday shorts, north face singlet.  i maintained approx the same pace as my 20 mile run 2 weeks ago (avg moving pace 8:42 min/mile as opposed to 8:49 last time).  but here is the thing.  when i hit that brutal point after mile 17, it seemed a little better than last time.  it still sucked, but maybe not as bad.  I ran out of water at mile 17, but had to keep going.

Carbohydrates that a person eats are converted by the liver and muscles into glycogen for storage. Glycogen burns rapidly to provide quick energy. Runners can store about 8 MJ or 2,000 kcal worth of glycogen in their bodies, enough for about 18–20 miles of running. Many runners report that running becomes noticeably more difficult at that point. When glycogen runs low, the body must then obtain energy by burning stored fat, which does not burn as readily. When this happens, the runner will experience dramatic fatigue and is said to "hit the wall".

for me this tend to be around mile 17-18.  then it gets bad.  bad enough i want to quit and walk.  bad enough that every step is a conscious decision to take the next one.  but here's the thing.  there is a simple fact.  i think i knew it once, and i forgot it.  time heals all wounds, and you forget the painful memories.  but i learned it again yesterday, and it was a relief.  in fact, i think it was the whole point of my long run.  here it is - it won't get any worse.  that's it.  its that simple.  after hitting the wall, when every step sucks, you want to quit. it hurts.  your body says stop.  it feels terrible.  but here it is again - it won't get any worse.  just keep going.  as bad as it is, it won't get any worse.  just do it.  it took me almost a 1000 miles to get to this realization.  to remember what i had already learned once and forgotten.  but it was worth it.  when it gets bad in Berlin, and i want quit, i need to just keep going.  it won't get any worse.  so the long run was almost 3 hours.  but it was 2.5 hours of warm-up, 2.5 hours of prep to get me to the point where i could run those last 3 miles and learn something.  and it was worth it.

20 and a wake-up.

9/5/14. thurs. 5 miles in the sun. short bodyweight workout.

last big mileage week.  i pushed this run to later in the day (after work, as opposed to before).  i really wanted to maximize my recovery time this week.  although it was only in the mid 60s, it was sunny with no clouds.  it felt hot, and it was a struggle.  again, i hit every red light and lost several minutes just waiting for traffic.  right foot bothered me, and my right knee still doesn't feel perfect.  just trying to keep the machine running.  also, since the kids are back in school and i was running in the early afternoon, i had to take a different route back (couldn't cut through school grounds).  so i normally have a real steep set of hills to get out of my neighborhood, then a long gradual slope towards the midpoint, then a mostly level trip home.  i had to skip the mostly level part, turn back, and run back up the long gradual slope.  it was a new experience for my to run back up the long hill, and it was a little extra effort. 

took E to the gym for crossfit teens, and so i finally had time to get my workout in.  it was close on the heels of the run, and i was tired.  6 rounds of: 5 strict pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 GHD sit ups.  I haven't worked out in a while, but it was still hard.  my arms/shoulders felt tired and weak during pull ups.  i guess even with running (mostly working the legs hard), the effort of holding things tight and neutral uses your upper body muscles.  it was cool seeing friends and talking to people in the gym though.  at approx 8:30 min/mile, with 43 miles this week, that's more than 6 hours alone in the pain cave, running with with nothing but my own thoughts.  it was just nice to be around other people.

weighed in before work, its been a while.  like since the end of July.  i was curious what the weight would be, seeing as i am eating for 3.  seriously, i have moved from seconds at dinner to having thirds.  sometimes i steal food off of my kid's plates (and then they have to go get more).  i am thankful that its all home cooked and healthy.  i really appreciate my wife's efforts for my whole family - its like I have a personal dietician and chef and yoga instructor and more.  but the results are that i am down approx 2 pounds from july.  with the number of miles i am running and the number of calories i am burning, that just shows how much i have been eating.  I realize this isn't a "true" weight, but i try to normalize it between all readings.  same time of day, hold as many variables steady as possible (before work, before eating or drinking, after shower, before getting dressed, etc).  so by holding as much constant as possible, and taking periodic readings, i can watch trends and act appropriately.  and my current weight trend is "holding steady with a slight downhill slope".  but there are sometimes outliers in the data.  a few more readings over the next week or so with give a better picture.

9/3/14. wed. 8 miles in the sun.

this is practically the last mid-week longish run.  8 this wed, 6 next wed, 5 the wed after, then 4 the final wed.  honestly, this didn't feel too terrible.  the sun was shining, it was mid 60's (maybe 65 degrees) and it was pleasant weather (maybe a little too hot).  but it was a bad time to run and it was crowded.  i hit every red light with people getting off from work, and there were tons of people on the sidewalks in harbor point (first day of school, with lots of after school activities).  it was congested and not as good as a solitary path.  after factoring out the forced stops (red lights/traffic) my pace was pretty fast for a mid-week run, about 8:14 min/mile avg moving pace.  I ran in my northface "better than naked" shorts.  they were pretty light and fairly breathable, but i really don't have enough data to determine if they are actually better than naked. 

for tomorrow, I normally like to run early thursday mornings, but with this being a big mileage week i will wait until thurs afternoon to give myself the most recovery allowed while still staying on plan.

i have about 4-5 Berlin tour books sitting on the shelf.  i checked them out from the library about 4 months ago, then i have tried to ignore them since.  i just keep renewing them and then trying not to look at them.  I cracked them open after dinner, and they just increased my stress/anxiety level.  getting around, getting Euros, buses/trains/taxis, restaurants, sights, finding the expo, getting the race start on time, all that is now creeping into my mind.  i need to just push that all out.  this is not a pleasure trip, i need to concentrate on the essentials and keep it about the run.  get there, adjust to time zone, get to expo, get to race, run my ass off.  that's all i should be worried about.  let the rest come as it may.

24 and a wake-up.

9/1-2/14. mon. no workout. tues. 5 miles. the end is nigh.

9/1/14. mon.  missed my workout.  monday is the day after a long run, start of the week, with a couple of shorter runs on subsequent days, so its the best work out day.  but at the last minute the gym closed, and since it was labor day even the y was closed.  i can't make it tues (taking A to his fist CAP mtg), can't make it wed (8 mile run after work), maybe thurs?

9/2/14. tues.  5 mile run.  a long way for a tuesday.  i knew i had to home from work early, so the alarm went off at 0435.  out the door by 0446, knocked out 5 miles.  it was really dark, and there was a chilly breeze.  it stayed chilly the entire run.  it really feels like fall.  same issues with the right foot, and the right knee felt a little twitchy.  nothing too bad, just something to keep an eye on.

got my official race registration and bib number via email.  bib number 8086. its gonna go off.  its getting real.  i feel like i need more time.  it feels impossible to explain to someone that hasn't trained for this amount of time, to the the exclusion of so much else, for an event this important.  I know i can run 26.2 miles, i've been there before.  my long runs aren't going to get any longer.  i could drop everything today and go out and do it.  but i don't feel ready to make a run at the prize.  i don't feel like i'm at a point in my conditioning that i can perform as well as i want to.  if i had more time, and i could run more miles, and if i could run faster, and and and... and so on.  nothing i can do now but finish the plan.  it would be disastrous to try and vary from the plan, to try and add more miles, to try and do speedwork now.  its too late.  with the end of this week's long run, i will consider my conditioning as good as its going to get.  no amount of doing things differently, at this point, will help.  its time to think about the end game.  its time to buckle down, finish up, and do my best.  finish the hard week (43 miles), enjoy an easier week (32 miles), then 2 weeks of ramp down (taper).  after sunday, the next 3 weeks are a mental game until race day.

24 and a wake-up.

8/30-31/14. 8 miles sat, 12 miles sun. easy weekend.

8/30/14. sat. 8 miles.  nothing too special, just another 8 mile saturday.  trying to take these 2 runs easy this weekend, and prepare for a major mileage week next week.  i ran at what felt like a good smooth pace, averaged 8:24 min/mile moving pace.  it was cool enough (just under 60 degrees) so that i made this run without carrying any water, and it felt pretty good.  went to T's yoga class afterwards, tried to relax and get some stretching in.  i notice that my painful heel/instep on my right foot makes some yoga poses really difficult.  the whole underside of my foot felt tight/sore . trying to stand on one foot was pretty hard, not due to balance, but because of how stiff/tight my foot was.  otherwise, i felt pretty good.

8/31/14. sun. 12 miles. the weather was fantastic, absolutely the best running weather.  mid 50's possibly up to 60 degrees, fluffy white clouds and patches of beautiful blue sky.  felt great.  this is pretty far to run through mukilteo, though.  i end up making extra loops and detours to add some miles to my regular routes.  that's frustrating, i'm much happier running straight out and back, or even better yet, 1 big loop.  kept a decent pace, 8:32 min/mile, didn't feel like i was straining too hard.  really ironing out my long run strategy - hydration, fueling, gear management.  i'm pretty used to running with the Nathan pack on, no surprises there.  just another training run, 12 more miles under my feet.  after the run, we hit the farmer's market and then spent a little time down at the beach.  although puget sound is icy cold, not my idea of water I want to go in, i did stand with my feet submerged until they went numb.  i figured maybe an icy soak would help my feet and toes feel better.

27 and a wake-up.