No pain and crazy ideas...

In the last 5 runs I’ve had no lower legs pain!
I was going to say it yesterday, but then wanted to make sure, and also not to jinx it. And today I decided I need to share this wonderful news - so now you all have to knock on wood 3 times, then turn your head over left shoulder and spit 3 times (that last part is Russian, sorry, you've got to do it!).
After the weekend runs I went for a first run last morning, local roads, hard pace. After obligatory 3 min walk (on a out-of-house slope) I slowly test my legs. Nothing. In 10 min I begin to pick up pace. Nothing. No, not nothing - feeling to have a lighter step, and even my chest breathes easier and feels more open up. So I cruise. And I cruise! It was such a happy emotion, and the legs just kept turning, and I kept smiling...last 4-5 miles must have been at 8s pace as I did 10M in 1:25 - and don’t tell me anything, it’s a smokin’ pace for me! I don’t think I averaged this for that long since my short road days...what was over 3 years ago?
My second run yesterday was at Tryon park, and even though I felt tired from the morning workout, I was still able to push the effort those 10M - no pain, indeed, is a wonderful thing. Well, there were achink knees and hip joints, tight hamstrings and pain in a tail bone, and I wonder if it is all due to that “realigning” of muscles after Rolfing.
This morning was a tad slower 10, the legs were somewhat heavy, and I didn’t want to kill myself before afternoon Marquam hills, but still - not a sign of compartment! If this is the way I feel after one session of Rolfing and this is going to only improve - hey, I can get naked as many times as necessary! As long as it leads to good results...man, I really am tired of dealing with chronic injury...

The spring is definitely in the air. The sun is out for many hours, and lately it’s a real sun! I am able to wear short sleeves for day-runs and only one layer in the darkness of mornings. Of course, coming Friday the rain will be back, just in time for my mile repeats, but oh, well...I am not supposed to move workouts around:)
It even smells spring nowadays. All the cherry trees, apple trees, pear trees and whatever-else-I-don’t-know-the-name-of are blooming, and you start feeling better...and a little crazier...

On 4/11/06, Rick wrote:
So the Diablo 50M was rescheduled because of rain. The new date is the day after
Miwok 100k to accommodate those who didn't get in. Guess what some people are thinking?
100k/50m back to back. How awesome would that be. Unfortunately I have a race in June
that I have to focus on, otherwise....damn

On 4/11/06 5:42 PM, Jason wrote:
You are a sick sick man.....sick I tell you.

On 4/11/06, Rick wrote:
So Jason, remember our conversation about Diablo being rescheduled and how some people are thinking of doing Miwok and Diablo back to back and you called me sick because I was tempted? Guess who wrote me an email inquiring how far Diablo is from San Francisco, guess....you know her. That's right OLGA!

Damn girl you are crazy! Especially with Zane Gray the weekend before. I heard ZG is even tougher than Miwok. But hey far be it from me to try and talk another ultra runner out of their craziness. Mt. Diablo is only 35-40 minutes. Not too far at all.

On 4/12/06 Olga wrote:
It is very tempting...and by the way, Lisa is always fine with race alignment, she likes to race. I have one big concern - Monday morning I am leaving for Russia, so it would be nice to show up at home Sunday earlier than midnight...but it's very tempting.
I am still thinking, though a common sense in me says I should go home and pack and spend time with a family.
And crazy trail junkie in me says - it's such an opportunity to run Diablo that I wanted to anyway...
I am torn. Better go run:) I also already have a flight lined up...may be next time...but it's such a crazy opportunity!!!


p.s. Can somebody stop the itching and spreading of my Poison Oak thingy??!! What had began as a few spots now covers...well, nothing comparing to what *tc had, but lots and lots of fields and doesn't seem to slow down, and it drives me nuts, especially at night!

p.p.s.

Somebody didn’t spit over the left shoulder!!!

OK, so this Marquam trail is really crazy, and I only go for it once in awhile, and don’t attempt the whole length of it until I am further into training, kinda judging my fitness level by how it would go. As soon as I leave my work at OHSU and drop first 0.2 miles down the bottom, I have to go up for about 2.2M with steep pitches, gaining somewhere over 1000 feet. Then I (mostly) go down, crossing road intersection in the middle, for about 2 miles. Eventually I turn around at Hwy 26 and retreat the steps. All the distances are quite approximate (it’s trail, you know), and I guesstimated them by time vs effort vs our-and-back terrain. I am probably a tad overestimating, bringing total to about 8.5M, but I always bill this one as 9M, the only one route I allow myself to get credit for more – that’s how crazy I consider this one for a “simple” training run. Because whether I go easy or push it, this trail always kicks my butt.

So as soon as I step on it (can you believe? I have trails right at the doorsteps of my job!), the pressure in my right compartment started to build up, not to horrible, but it continued for all 30 min as I trotted uphill. Then it took 20 min to have it released. But in general I felt great, the weather was gorgeous, the trails fantastic, and I was rather pleased with my overall effort (“push it” requirement for the day) and final time.

By the way, no wonder Oleg could just show up at SOB 50k and, without water or drinks, starting 10 min later, easily finish it in 5:20, not doing any serious long runs prior – he trains on these Marquam trail at least 4 times a week, and his route has 3 extra miles! Here, honey, I’ve heard you finally visited me here today

On completely different note, I was visiting with my friend Maura on Monday, and she mentioned how she and her husband are puzzled with the name of my blog. Because if you know me (or even just come by to read), “talk less” doesn’t describe me at all!! Yeah, I don’t know how it happened, just first thing that popped to my mind. That said, and after discussing a couple of things with Craig – The Mental Runner and Gail, and thinking of all the wonderful friends I inquired by becoming a part of ultra community, so tight and so helpful (Glenn, insert your favorite word here), I figured a topic I would like to extend my writing thoughts on. I just need a good long run by myself to put all the ideas into words, hopefully resembling English.


Last thing - no, rob, I won't do this stunt, as much as I want to. I did look at the later flights out of SF, and considering how tired I'll be by Diablo, I am pushing the last one, as well as if I get on it, I'll be home at 1am, pack, go to work by 6am so I can leave and catch my next flight at 11 am. Crazy, man. Next year, though! Because as soon as I wrapped my mind around this task, I am sure body will follow.