Its Coming Back

The Joy of the run, purely for running. It has been a while. Between the hell of rehab and the post Marathon blues, it has been a struggle. I went for a two mile run on wednesday and a four miler on Thursday. Neither time was fast, but I did enjoy myself. There was a point where I hit the magic trip point where the run from being a slog, where each step requires effort, to an experience where I feel the sun shining, see the trees lazily blowing in the breeze and feel that little spring right at the end of toe-off. Those who understand the difference understand running for no other purpose than it feels good.

Sierra has about 3 different productions she is in over the next three days... 1 show Fri night, 2 Saturday, 2 Sunday and one on Monday. I am tired just thinking about it. This is mi vida loca!

Be well Vaya con Dios,

Curtai

Will someone please tell me why...

Why is fitness so hard to obtain and so easy to lose? I mean, just 10 weeks ago I would get up on Sunday and run 22 miles to a 6:30 AM Sunrise meeting and it was "easy". This morning I ran as straight a line as possible to the same location 5.8 miles and felt like I have been beaten with my own broken arm!

Funny, the topic at discussion at the Sunrise meeting was Love and Tolerance. While running without my walkman, which I realized I had forgotten 1/2 mile into the run duh, my mind was a little more wandering than it does when there is music. Anyhow, I was thinking about a guy that I saw yesterday and how irritated with this person I have been. I think this guy is my spiritual barometer. Every time I see him, I am reminded of what a prick I think he is. Now when I am sound footing, I can see him as a child of our creator and that he is here for a reason and his journey has dealt him a variety of things that make him the way he is. Today was not one of those days. Today I loathed him and wanted nothing more than bad things to happen for him. Funny thing is, the more I dwelled in this thinking the more tense I became. I suspect that he was warm and snuggley in his bed with no thought of ME. Sheesh, once aware that I was twisting myself around the axel, I sought a little meditation, and pretty soon was again mellowed. The funny thing is this, just like my fitness level has fallen dramatically in a short period of time, so too does my ability to accept other people with all their faults and idiosyncracies (SP). I must use muscles, physical, emotional, spiritual, social or I lose them.....
I am told to practice certain principles in all my affairs, and that love and tolerance is to be my code. Practice, practice, practice, use it or lose it truely has far reaching ramifications for this boy!

Be well, live full,

Curtai
5.8 Miles in 1:04

Six Miles

Well folks the broken arm
is slowly healing. I have been going to Physical Therapy 3 times a week now.
I
have to say that this seems like a pretty good racket. I mean I show
up,
am
doing all the work, they are sort of coaching me, but
essentially
not, do
this
then this use this machine for 4
minutes.... ETC ETC.
THey seem
to have it
pretty
easy!

Now I am not going to argue
with the results
as they have
been pretty good. I am getting better each
day!

I am
going
to try to run
6 miles tonight nice and slow....
lets see if I die!

Curtai

Two wild 7 year olds got in the way of my 6 miles but I still did 4.5 in 44:06, No pain in my arm, lots of pain in my legs, but the is just wimpy haven;t been running legs.

I will survive!
I will marathon again.
Yeah for me!

Shoes

If you put on the right pair of shoes and show up, that is half the battle. When I look through my closet I have many shoes. Shoes for all sorts of times, places and conditions. I have work shoes, hiking shoes, running shoes, former running shoes, regular cross trainers, sandals, golf shoes etc etc. Some of these show me things that I do not have time for right now some show me what I am actively engaged in at present.

As to the running shoes, I have three pair of Brooks Adrenaline. I have affectionately names them Blue Ones, Orange Ones and Yellow Ones. The blues have been with me for a few hundred miles and two marathons. The orage ones are perhaps 100 miles old and the yellow ones are probably 50 miles old. I still rotate all three, but I do not know when it is time to put blue ones out to pasture. Further, I do not know how to keep track of the miles on each pair. I suppose if I was diligent in keeping a running journal, then I could do it there. or perhaps here If I can remember.

I played Ultimate last night and made two longish throws that hurt a bit, but did not damage anything, I tumbled twice also without significant issues. I HAVE to be careful, but playing "careful" is always a way to get hurt. I have tow pair of cleats for ultimate, the old ones need to go to pasture as I wear the New ones exclusively. Shoes Shoes Shoes.

Just call me Amelda Marcos.
Curtai

Ultimate 2 hours

At the Trailhead

I ran for 35 minutes yesterday and felt like a hundred. All the little aches and pains that came with initial fitness have reappeared. My legs hurt, my feet hurt, sheesh, you'd think I was completely out of shape. Amazing what 2 months of stagnation will do. I am back and ready to run again. Slowly ramping for Something in August (maybe) or October for sure. Perhaps Disney again? What do you think Mrs. Curtai?

I am not taking myself too seriously, I am just ready for another fitness goal to focus (obsess) on!

Be well, live full.

Curtai

Therabands....

According to the Physical Therapist I am doing OK. I am wishing the whole process was faster, but I am healing as fast as possible. It is amazing how much I feel the improvement each day in my shoulder. I have moved to the next level of stretch cord which means I am getting stronger. There is still a little bit of pain associated with certain directions of lifting my arm, but slowly it is getting better. I started throwing a little yesterday and running in the sand. My quads feel it today. I did no road running.

If it all works out, I am hoping to do a trail run next Sunday.

I plan on a Run tonight while Sierra is in Theatre. 6:30 – 7:30

I will report how that goes.

The Boston Marathon was run today. I can not fathom how fast these humans are. I fantasize about breaking 20 minutes in a 5 K and these folks are running 14 and change. Hats off to spectacular athletes. The great thing I just realized, It will be MUCH easier for me to shave time of my marathon pace than for them! (Laughing)
4:21 - I have a goal of 2:56, but I think that may be too ambitious, I think that 4:11 is a better goal for Hartford. We'll see. I still wanna get a coach.
Curtai

How can this be?

It is April, the middle of April. How can the time from February 12 to April 16th result in such a dramatic loss in fitness level. I went for 2 miles yesterday and I swear it is all I can run. The idea of going (Woo) long, 4.5 miles seems positively daunting. 8 weeks is an eternity I guess. I will say that I suspect that like my shoulder, the return trip will not be as difficult as the initial journey. October 14 is 6 months away, a mere 24 weeks. I would sure like to run under 4 hours, make that 3:56 to beat my PR set in Los Angeles in 1990. That is one minute per mile reduction in my time. Now I will say this, At Disney I was about the experience and stopped and photo'd and goofy'd off (sorry) and in B'ham I had the minor case of Montezuma's revenge, both of which probably cost me 10 minues in each race. So, make that 4:21 a 4:11 and I need only cut 15 minutes off.

This raises another question, how. I am not sure what to do next and how to properly train to reduce the time. I know just slogging the miles will get me to the finish line, however, not with the desired speed. How do I do that? I need a coach perhaps. Someone to show me what a "tempo" workout is, to determine how many intervals are enough etc.... SO how does one find a coach? The local running club does not have one. I could approach the local High School Coaches and see if any of them are interested. I could see if an Internet coach would help. That may actually be the "Modern" way to approach it, and it might be kind of fun. I welcome any input here.

I talked to Mrs. Curtai this AM and told her of my plan to run the Greater Hartford Marathon in October. She seems OK with that and Babysitters figured in, she will perhaps even join me if I can find a great Bed and Breakfast. I will look because it is always more fun to have her along.

The only thing that might mess with this plan seems to be the unknown (of course) and Ultimate. Our Team may try to field a Sectionals team and as such the weekend my be close to this Marathon. We'll See.

2 miles 19:54

Da News from Da Doc

Well here it is. The Doctor has advised that I should not play Ultimate and that I will be in rehab for 6 weeks. I am not sure how but I sure would like to play.... Perhaps there is a possibility, if I work my butt off in Rehab. It is about strength training for the shoulder.

Anyhow she is still not a big fan of running so I will keep to very short just break a sweat and be smooth outings for the next little while.

Rehab starts Friday afternoon, GUH, I have heard scary stories about big East German military types who are rehabilitation techs........

The canyon picture does not really have anything to do with today's post but I liked the shot so enjoy!

2 miles ~ 20 minutes or so.

How fast the fitness level declines!

I ran for two miles today at a reasonable pace. at about 9:30 pace. OMG I have to say it felt good to be running, however, I can not fathom running 6 miles at this point, let alone a marathon! It has only been 8 weeks since Birmingham! Perhaps it is just cobwebs, but sheesh, my lungs hurt, my legs felt like lead. The nice thing was that the shoulder did not seem to bother me at all. I had full swing motion for my running stride. I will say that I kept it slower intentionally so as to not put more strain on the shoulder. I do not know what the doc is gonna say tomorrow, but I hope I get to start Physical Therapy.

More tomorrow.

2 miles 19:38, at this rate I will never have to buy running shoes again! BTW, I have given up the search for the MP3 player and found one on ebay for $34. I will take my loss and continue on, but it does kinda irritate me.

Be well,

Curtai

Running Thursday and Saturday

Ok there were two miles on Thursday at lunch and there will be two more tonight with Joshua in the stroller. I have to run, I just have to.... It has been six weeks since the shoulder went south. I go back to the Doctor on Tuesday, I hope I get to begin PT at that point. I have to say that I have been gently flexing a little and I fear that the Chip has moved in my shoulder to the point where there is an impingement

lets hope that is not the case.

Curtai