Catch Up time

Things are starting to get back to normal. I'm back to work, survived my first club meeting as well as the Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon! Whew! The meeting was well attended, about 25 members so that was a record I think. That followed with a great turn-out for the Saturday group run. We are definitely making a lot of headway in encouraging all level of runners to come out. Work is going okay and fortunately it's not really too busy right now so I haven't had to do too many back to back (no pun intended) massages. My pinky is still tender but everyday it gets better. The Half Marathon was a struggle and I certainly learned that I'm not in all that great shape. I still have a tendency to think that going out to run 15, 20 or even 30 miles is no big deal but it is when you haven't done it for a long time. I'm having difficulty figuring out where to focus. I'd like to get a little faster, thus run some road races and do speed work but then I think about how much I enjoy trail running and long days spent in the woods and think I should just do that. I'm sure that there is a way to have the best of both worlds and I just need to work that out. Lots of possible races on my races for 2009 but none have really grabbed me as THE ONE to focus on for a good race. I'm signed up to do the Umstead Trail Marathon on March 7 and am certainly not ready to run a marathon, especially that one. I think I will still do it but find a way to turn it into a 20 miler or something. There is a 6 hour cutoff and to be honest I'm not sure I could do 26.2 in under 6! It'll just be another "training run"!
I'm also wanting to get in really good (at least good for a 58 year old) and I know I need to do resistance training for that. I've decided to try P90X which is an extreme workout training that's claim to fame is "muscle confusion". I've started doing it and am enjoying it. It does mix everything up. The thing I'm not clear about is how to fit running and other workouts in. I'll just play it by ear I guess. Today I did Plymetrics and then arms and shoulders and felt great although I didn't get a run in. Tomorrow I will run and do the P90X Yoga!

I started a swim class last night and i think it will be fun. A couple of the Striders are in the class. I didn't know that anyone I knew was signed up but it was nice to see a couple of familiar faces. Hopefully it'll get me ready for the Woodlake Tri in May! It's such a close-knit community here that you can't really go anywhere or do anything without seeing someone you know. I really love that about this area. It feels so friendly and welcoming although most are must acquaintances.

I've got to get back to working on the club stuff. I have to write up the minutes from the meeting as well as order the new shirts. Once that is done, I need to schedule an officers meetings and get ready for the next club meeting. That will be here before we know it. I haven't firmed up a guest speaker yet but have a couple of suggestions. I also think I'll start a blog for the club. I think it will be a lot easier that to constantly send emails to the webmaster to update the website and also a lot more user friendly that a newsletter. That reminds be, I also need to remove non-paid members from our Yahoo group. Power!

Gotta Run!

Another setback

Geez, it's been almost a year since I've been painfree/injury-free! What is going on? I haven't even writen about my broken pinky and now I broke (well, okay injured my back!) First things first, I broke and dislocated my pinky and sprained the ring finger of my right hand. Being a massage therapist, this was not a good thing although two weeks of an unscheduled vacation was not all bad. At least I could continue to run run but spinning, yoga and weights were pretty much out of the question. I'm planning on going back to work next Monday and my finger is much better although still pretty stiff. So, I've been running and yesterday decided to take a day off from running (it snowed again) and resume my weight training. I even lowered my weights figuring I had lost some strength but managed to pull something in my back and bamm I was done! I could barely walk and it's still pretty sore. I went to the chiro today and apparantly strained my lower back muscles and it will take up to a week to heal. Problem is I don't really have a week so I'm hoping to get a long slow run in Sunday. We'll see. The Myrtle Beach Half Marathon is the following week and I'd like to at least have a respectable time and more important, is the Umstead Trail Marathon coming up on March 7 that Elsa decided to run with me. Now the pressure is on to do that one. Frank won't be doing it as he's still having problems but it just didn't dawn on me that perhaps I should pass on it as well as I haven't been training and it's hilly and was the beginning of my hamstring problems last year. Do we runners ever learn? Elsa and I have vowed to run/walk it as a training run but Elsa just qualified for Boston at the Disney Marathon so she's faster and in better shape than I. Oh well, I hope she is serious about run/walking the race and just having fun. We'll see.
I've been running a lot more lately (well until my recent setback) with a women Ellen that I met and Elsa so it's been really fun. We're all in our 50s so have really bonded. I was beginning to feel either younger or older than most that I met and hadn't met anyone that I could run with and now I've met two people! We meet at 9:00 and run 6 almost daily so it's very cool and I relly look forward to it!
Tonight is the running club meeting, the first one that I will be chairing. I've been working really hard and think it should go well. I have lots of ideas for 2009 and most will be thrilled but the core group may not be as thrilled as I'm not so sure that they want to the club to grow. They're pretty happy with the click that they're established. I guess we'll just be a club of various clicks! Probably based on pace!
I've spent a lot of time recreating the website and I'm very happy with it although I'm sure we'll be making changes throughout the year. Check it out. www.sandhillsstriders.org.
Looks like we're going to go to Florida in March to hook up with Tate and his family. He'll be much better than going to Ohio! It'll be even warmer than here although it isn't too bad here. Much better than the NE.
Better get ready for the meeting! Wish me luck!!!!:)