Speed

We're four months into the 2009.  Racing season has begun, and instead of already being in shape, I'm starting over. I was a little behind in my training anyway because of the unusually long cold spell we had this winter. But then pneumonia hit. . .

Today's goal was three miles of speed work ending in a one-mile timed run. I did 4x400 at an average of about 1:58, which is very close to normal for me.  But then I bogged down -- whether because of post-race exhaustion, the 88 degree heat, or the pneumonia, I'm not sure.  I did 2x800 at 10 minute mile pace--one at 4:21 and one at 5:21 (I had to walk some). I did the one-mile in about 12 minutes; I walked half a lap.  

That's this year's base numbers, as it's been too cold on training days to do any speed work yet this year. I hope to do a couple more of these before the Senior Games the first of May.  And this weekend I am going to try running a six-mile race.

From there my goal is to build the miles back up to 10 by the end of May, when I'm hoping to run a 10-miler. Then I'll be basically be in pre-pneumonia shape.  (Though I've run two and missed one half marathon, no other 13-milers were on my schedule.  So 10 miles is enough for now and where I wanted to be at this point.)  

I'm tempted to get discouraged. Starting over is always hard work. But I'm still running. And that's a blessing. So I choose to be thankful and tell discouragement to leave me alone.  Setbacks aren't failure. Giving up is.

Race Day

Yesterday's 5K was in memory of an area educator, Sherry Anderson, who was killed in a hit and run accident. The driver allegedly was drunk. About 400 turned out for the run walk in Anderson's memory and to benefit education.

The course was the same one as the Harrisonburg New Year's Eve race, Anderson's last race. On New Year's Eve the temperature was in the 30s and the wind was blowing. Yesterday the temp was in the high 70s and the sun was blazing. I had the privilege of running both races -- yesterday's at 29:20 (a 9:30 mile pace) and on New Year's Eve I ran the course in 30:15 (a 9:45 mile pace).  With a one-mile warm-up, I ran a total of 4.1 miles, which is the longest and the hardest post-pneumonia run yet.

Track club members Marlin Yoder and Carmin Green were at the finish line with plenty of praise and encouragement.  I asked Carmin how she did, and she said, "Pretty good." 

I then said, "You always say "pretty good" and then later I find out you won. How did you do?"

She then admitted to being the first female overall winner.  

Three Mile Run Today

I haven't worn my watch since I got home from the hospital two weeks ago today. A bright red line across a page of my running journal marks the date of this setback and the beginning of my recovery. I have gone a bit further and a bit harder each day. Today I ran three miles, which is the distance of my pre-pneumonia easy runs. Having reached that distance, I'll pull out my watch and start working on speed again. 

James Monroe's Home

Scenes from James Monroe's Home near Charlottesville 

The overseer's cabin.
The original back part of Monroe's home.
This is the front half of Monroe's home, rebuilt after a fire destroyed the original. The tour guide explained that a "fire wall" of sorts prevented the back part of the house from also being destroyed.

Birds

On the way home from a hike at Lost River, we interrupted this vulture's road kill feast. 
The peacock was one of several critters living at James Monroe's home near Charlottesville. We stopped there on our way back from the Charlottesville Half Marathon.

First Post-Pneumonia Run

I did a two-mile run-walk this morning, my first attempt at running since being diagnosed and hospitalized with pneumonia a little more than a week ago.  Obviously the Charlottesville Half on Saturday is no longer on my running list, but I'll have the chance to cheer for Butch, Steve (my New York virtual running partner), and a couple of my Charlottesville friends. 

That's what running and life is about -- wins and losses, progress and setbacks.  Having friends nearby makes wins a bit sweeter and the losses much more bearable.

Thaddeus Charles Updyke

A recent photo my daughter sent me. Thaddeus now scooches/crawls the length of his blankets and eats everything he can get in his mouth.

Reunited

Eliza awakened at 6:30 a.m. Monday morning. She and her daddy are telling each other what happened during the weekend while Mom and Dad were away, and the girls were, primarily, with Gramma Nete.   

Girls in Curls

The girls enjoy getting their hair curled when I'm on watch. On Sunday morning I pulled their curls up into messy, curly buns and they looked like prom queens. Eliza decided that they should practice perfect posture by walking with books on their heads, as she had read in a book.

First Bike Ride of the Season

The New Market (VA) Airport as we visited it on our first bike ride of the year, somewhere around the middle of March.

We had a picnic on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River.