'Grey's Not On TV'

Lisa wasn't happy last night. There was a tornado warning in some far flung corner of North Carolina and the local news channel took over the network to show us pretty red patterns on the screen for the entire hour while Grey's Anatomy was meant to be on. I do love the obsession with the weather here. Our news channel has a feature called 'Weather on the Ones'. It took me a while to work out that that meant they show the weather forecast every ten minutes (.11,.21,.31, etc.) 24 hours a day!

At least Jason Castro finally got voted off Idol the other night. As you can see Lisa and I spend lots of time engaging in deep and meaningful conversation once the kids have finally got off to sleep!

So we're having a few storms here lately and the humidity is hanging over us like a cloak. After a day off yesterday to rest the legs up I headed out this morning at 5.45 for a shake out run before tonight's race. The run went fine, the legs felt they had a bit of snap back in them and I'm intrigued to see how the last couple of weeks hard training affect my race tonight. However, it was in the 60s with 93% humidity. I was drenched before I even left our neighbourhood.Tonight's race is downtown so you get the nice fumes, etc. from the traffic and it will be 20 degrees warmer than it is currently. Lovely. I have run this race twice and both times it has been a death march for the last uphill mile.

On the positive side, I had a poor showing at this race last year after a great race two weeks previously, and a great showing at this race two years ago after a poor performance at the race two weeks before. Following that logic I am due a good race this time after my last race two weeks ago!

Runners, yeah, we're different

Was sent this link yesterday. Had never seen the campaign before so found it amusing!

Got today's run out of the way already. Met up with the "5.30 am Dowd YMCA crew" for a nice run around some of the nicer neighbourhoods of Charlotte. Ran further than had originally planned (11.7) but with company and the slower pace it was fine. Getting some new flats for Friday's race later. Have decided to take tomorrow off and do an am shake out run on Friday instead. Hoping I will have some snap back in the legs for Friday as I think I'm coming into pretty good shape and only two races left in this cycle...

Heavy legged

Tough workout tonight. Goal was 20 minutes at 5.30 pace, mile jog, 5 * 400 with 400 jog recovery in 70 seconds or less. Managed just over 20 minutes at 5.26 pace and then 69,71,70,71,70 for the 400s.

Tempo section was very smooth, felt pretty good despite the heat. Trying to pick it up for the 400s was hard though. Legs felt heavy from the tempo run and no doubt all the past few days' efforts. Need to do some shorter interval work to get the speed back in the legs. Chill out now until race Friday night. Hopefully legs will bounce back by then because I was tired after this!

Elsewhere Obama got the nod in North Carolina. Will you guys ever finalize who goes up against McCain? An interesting (so to speak) first experience of a Presidential election in the States for me!

Saw the doc too today. Confirmed it's not pf, I've got some minor issues going on a bit behind that area but he recklons I should be able to nip it in the bud with a couple more sessions. Got a bit of laser treatment on it and was advised to soak my foot in warm water and epsom salts for 20 minutes every night. Anyone had any experience of this before??

Oh and my f*cking Garmin has broken down on me so I need to send it back which is a pain!

FDA approval?

Here is this week's lunch menu at our office canteen.....

Lunch menu for the week of 5-5-08:

Monday: Hamburgers / Cheeseburgers, Baked Beans, Deviled Eggs, Strawberry & Rhubarb Cobbler

Tuesday: Chicken & Dumplings, Corn Bread, Squash Casserole, Choc. Coconut Cake

Wednesday: Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Lemon Goody Bars

Thursday: Stuffed Pork Chops, Parsley Potatoes, Red Velvet Cake

Friday: No Lunch

The arteries get a break on Friday..... (I take leftovers in most days...)

While my colleagues were eating burgers washed down with cobbler I was out in the beautiful May sunshine doing my usual short and easy Monday run. Inside of my groin is still stiff from the weekend's exertions but other than that no dramas. Should be able to hit the track as usual tomorrow night.

Elsewhere Chelsea were beating Newcastle to take the Premier League Championship into the last game next Sunday. We are level on points but Utd have the better goal difference so a victory at Wigan will seal the deal. Defeat or a draw will open the door for Chelsea who have a home game against Bolton. On paper their game is far easier......

working hard

not much to report today. beautiful weather here- 80s and sunny- I fear that is it till November folks! spent the whole day running errands and putting my planned workout off as long as possible. back garden resembles the Amazon at the moment so went out and bought a lawnmower. got a bargain at Walmart then realized why. had to take it back, get another one, waste of a day!

eventually headed out while the kids were having dinner. didn't feel like it at all. Groin was (is) sore from yesterday's run. was meant to be doing a workout but headed out in my flats not knowing whether I was going to or not. Felt okay after a couple of miles and decided to give it a go.

workout was 3 mile tempo (goal 17:30), 3 minute jog, mile (goal 5:15), 2 minute jog, half mile (goal 2.24).

Tempo ended up being 16:46 (5.40,5.35,5.31), mile 5.16 and half mile 2.31. The tempo was very smooth and the mile was solid but I couldn't get my pace down to 3k pace for the half mile. I was holding back a little to nurse the groin but the workout basically told me what I already knew, I'm strong but not fast!

Groin a little stiff still so may push next workout back to Wednesday

may also go and see my physio this week as well. the pf that aggravated me last summer is showing some possible indications of flaring back up. I'm not too concerned and it is in a different place to last year but will hopefully nip it in the bud anyway

Going to the well

Did my longest run since training for the marathon in 2006 today

Swapped my planned days around as Lisa said she wanted to lie in tomorrow and not today. So I'll have to do my workout now tomorrow on tired legs!

Goal for the run was to get two hours in and the run went well. First hour I did a road loop and covered 8.87 miles(6.45). Second hour I hit Mcalpine and covered 9.2 miles (6.31). was feeling it after 15 miles but as I hit 15 miles in exactly 1.40 I set myself the challenge of covering 3 more miles before the 2 hour mark

We'll see how the legs respond tomorrow now!

Weighed myself before and after run to see how much fluid I lost- 5.5 lbs! Summer is creeping in on us here!

And what a difference a week makes. Last Saturday I was down after a disappointing race and that late Chelsea goal, today I've got 18 miles inside me and Man U thrashed West Ham 4-1 in their penultimate game. If Chelsea lose up at Newcastle on Monday the title is ours...

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60 up

A 60 plus mile week for me for the first time since October! It was a long winter of discontent through various injuries but things are coming around at last. My legs were pretty fried after the workout and long run within 12 hours on Tuesday/Wednesday but nice easy runs of 6.25 and 8.3 miles yesterday and today have brought them round again and I'm feeling ready for a workout tomorrow and a 2 hour run on Sunday. Feels good to be back in the groove again- hard workout/recover/hard workout, build it up,break it down, build it up higher, etc.

We have our departmental 'day out' later today here. Should be fun!