365me: July 2011

Oh yeah, Brett Rivers, showing off his new Western States buckle. The dude ran a 17:38! This was at a wedding a couple weeks after WS.

Okay maybe a little more than a month. Long time no see kids! There wasn't much to write, do you really want to hear me whine and bitch about the aches and pains and why the recovery is taking so long. Naw, you don't want that and there was a lot of bitching and complaining. I'm quite the potty mouth after these big races:)

The initial recovery was longer than usual but faster than I expected. Let me explain. Usually I'm back out at the end of the week after these 100s shuffling about and working my legs back to normal. The year I ran Kettle Moraine 100 and Tahoe Rim Trail 100 (6 weeks apart) I was back out doing long runs the following weekend. This time no such foolishness. The posterior tibial tendon strain kept me from running even 7 days after the race. The way I could feel it "bite" when I jogged for reached for things in the cupboard really had me worried that I tore it. Fortunately I did not do anything major and by the following week I was able to do a workout on the spin bike and do some light jogging. Five weeks later I am feeling very, very good although I don't have all of my speed back yet. I have been taking it easy so that's probably why. I ran real trails for the first time yesterday morning with my Thursday morning group and felt great - two hours in the Marin Headlands. So yeah I'm back, mostly here than there.

Enjoy more pictures from the event. If you are a Facebook friend you've seen these already. I have no concrete racing plans for the rest of the year except that I want to do well at the Quad Dipsea again but that isn't until November. I'm already booked for three pacing duties, one next weekend at Headlands Hundred, the second at Javelina and the last one at the Northface 50-mile. I have more pacing events than running events right now! Depending on how the early part of August goes I may run the Headlands 50k. It is hosted by my running club (Tamalpa) and is back on the scene after being cancelled the last three years. I will be there running or volunteering but I really want to run it. It was my first ultra so many years ago and I know the course like the back of my hand. I'd like to run it again even though I may not necessarily race it. I also may be running the San Francisco Marathon this weekend, all depends if a friend can get me a free pass to run it with her. We shall see.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

For the photoset click here. Special thanks to Steven Bin who took pictures with my camera while I was running. Here's a few images from the set.

Stan Jensen, faster on the draw with his camera. Friday at race check in.

Larissa Polischuk, Brett River's main squeeze and one of my training partners. She's sporting her new San Diego 100 buckle and a shirt I designed for Brett's race. Brett did tear up the course like a monster, his first time too.