I'm prepping for abdominal surgery tomorrow and to be sidelined from running for a couple months.  This has been a while coming so I think I'm ready.  


I tweeted this earlier this year. 

Just a few short months after I'd posted it, I realized it might not happen.  :\  That age old passage came to mind.

"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, 

spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' 

 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  
What is your life? 

You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  

Instead, you ought to say, 

'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that'.” 

-James 4:13-15

This passage always gets me thinking and challenges me to be open to the many detours life has to offer.

This year is not the year of my first ultra after all.  It stinks but it really is ok.  When asking me about my surgery and impending time off, a friend asked me whether not being able to run would make me depressed.  I don't think so.  

I learned this lesson from my previous injury; a closed door doesn't always stay closed and can even be a catalyst to some serious growth if you're open.  The silver lining with surgery is that there is usually a clear prognosis from the beginning.  I've been given a 6-8 week recovery time.  That puts a light at the end of the tunnel to run towards (pun?).  In 6-8 weeks I can start trying to be active again!  Running will be there.  The fact of the matter is I feel awful now and surgery is supposed to help.

I believe there is a purpose in everything.  God's purpose.  It's gonna be good. 

August Run Streak
So... in my preparation for surgery I wanted to do one last epic thing.  Originally, I thought the TARC Summer Classic 50k ultra marathon would be it, but there was no way I would be in shape in time.  I settled on a month-long run streak.

"Streaking" is running every day at least 1 mile a day.

I set out to run every day in the month of August but started a little early, July 23rd to be exact.  I made it 34 days of running before I skipped.  It was awesome. 

Before this, my longest streak only last 5 days.  I just happened to be feeling good that week and things worked out for me to get that 5th day. This 34 day streak really surprised me.  I was surprised how long my body held up.  I took each run easy so as not to strain myself too early.  But even with a few long-ish runs thrown in there, I still managed to be recovered and ready for the next day.  I started to feel tired around day 24/25 but that's to be expected.  I ended the streak on August 26th.  It was a hectic day and I wasn't feeling too well.  

It was a really good streak.  34 days for a total of 147.1 miles.  I'm proud!


Favorite pictures from the summer
Here are a few of my faves from my running adventures this summer.  Enjoy them until I'm back out there snapping fall foliage shots!   

Reservoir trail!  I've hit the trails more this summer than ever.  My goal was to get out there once a week but it ended up being more like twice a month. :P

Me and Lize on the Resevoir trail

No love for geese.  This was taken on my new favorite route to run home.  It's about 7 miles with this little mile stretch along the river.

I love this picture because it was taken on an impromptu explore run with Liza after work.  I've been in Boston for 14 years or so and I'm amazed how there are still places I have been and views I haven't seen.

Pic from one of the tougher 10 miles I've done this summer.  Don't let the peaceful lake scene fool you.  This was hard from beginning to end.

Copley sparkle

Saturday long runs with my running club were clutch this year.

Pictures of the Charles never get old.

 

Run collage from my last long run of the summer.  I crossed through 6 towns on this 10 mile run..  Boston is such a little big town.

Game Plan

I'll be down but not out. :)  I'm thinking of this as an extended rest time.  After all, forced rest is still rest.  I will try to enjoy all the free time, give my foot a much needed break from all the pounding, and finally get some consistent practice on my guitar (after i'm feeling a bit better that is).

Happy running, all!

 

Have you ever had that kind of run that keeps you up at night?  Makes you want to go back because you know you can do better?  That's how I felt about the Reservoir trail run I did with my friend Liza earlier this month. 

It was rough.  Took me out for a week but I really wanted to do it again.

The Reservoir trail really is a beautiful trail in the Middlesex Fells Reservation.  It's about a 6 mile loop around 3 reservoirs; South Reservoir, Middle Reservoir, and North Reservoir.  The trail crosses two towns, Medford and Winchester and is marked with orange markers.  It can be hilly but it's not very technical.  It has a lot of little nuisances in the many rocks and roots waiting to trip you up.  The Skyline trail (white markers) also circles the reservoirs as well as some access roads and smaller unmarked paths.

This weekend was the Vermont 100.
  
I went up this year as a volunteer with a couple of folks from my road running group, Adena and Shaun.  

The Vermont 100 Endurance Race is one of the oldest in the US and one of the only races that still have horse race.  I got turned onto this race a few years ago when I started following ultrarunning.  It is a part of the Grand Slam Series which attracts some fast people.  Some of these folks can run 100 miles at a faster overall pace than I can run a 5k!  Really exciting.  The race is put on by and supports the Vermont Adaptive, a local conservancy group.

Two weekends ago my friend Liza and I attended the TARC Trail Running Camp held at the Hale Reservation in Westwood, MA.  

TARC (Trail Animals Running Club) is a local trail running group with active members mostly in New England but in other states as well.  I have been interested in running with them for quite some time but haven't up until now. 

I raced both Saturday and Sunday this weekend.  Who am I?

This weekend was perfect, weather-wise...for sitting in the shade on the beach.  

It was a little hot for running.   

Thankfully both races started early and were short.  Saturday morning was my club's relay challenge which began at 8:30am.  I only had to run 1600 meters.  Sunday was a 10k starting at 8am.  Having run a 10k before, I was much more nervous about the 1600.  Running a mile on a track is hard and everyone is watching.  It was okay though. Everyone was so supportive and I beat my goal at both races!