Week Ending 11/2

Week (47) Did about all I could on the IT band. I'm going to try to get a free 7 day gym membership and strengthen everything up. It seems like a good chance that my bad hamstring is causing IT band problems.

Monday- day off, knee really sore

Tuesday-7 on IF testing the knee out. Felt better than I expected. Since speed doesn't make the knee worse, I did a few 400 pick-ups until I realized that the balls totally wore through my shorts. Basically if I dropped below 6 minute pace, I'd fall out. I met a guy named Edward who was telling me about his nephew the triathlete who had a great career until "one of his balls got tangled." The speed limit imposed by my shorts and the specter of the triathlete limited me to 4 400s. I'd estimate I was running them in about 80 seconds, not a workout, but good to stretch the legs.

Wednesday-got dragged out to booze with work people

Thurs-10 ran with Dave around Shoal Creek, then as it started to get dark we moved into neighborhoods and onto the Texas Track. Really tired from the last two nights, but felt better than I expected.

Friday- 9 ran neutral colors before going to the Isbell show. Didn't feel great since I was so full that if I got stabbed candy would have come out. Probably not a good idea to do my run on the east side in this condition. IT pretty tight by the end. Did some barefoot running too.

Sat- (14) 10 in the morning with Dave and Owen. I'm getting to the point where I can basically set a watch by my IT band. Right around 9 miles it gets pretty sore. Other than that Felt pretty good on the easy run down Shoal Creek.
-4 around IF before the playing pong. I thought a double might be a good way to counteract the fact that my IT band starts killing me at 9 miles. IT felt worse than it did on the morning run.

Sun-7 hungover run on some of the fields with Dave. IT band hurting from the extra running yesterday so I cut it a bit short.

Wendesday and the weekend

wed 7 After work with Dave. Went down Shoal Creek- Dave was finishing up a 20 mile day and I was a little tired from the last two days so we took it nice and slow. Did some serious wagering on heps results.

Sat 12 did workout with Dave. We made a kind of up and over loop that ran about 2:10 with rest of 2 minutes. The loop had all different types of terrain-the kind where you have to say to yourself, "well I'm not going up the hill anymore, I can stop with the short stride." Dave did 8, I did the first 6 and the last one. I felt better on the last one than I thought, maybe I'm being a little conservative. IT band tightened up the last few minutes of the run, no big deal

Sun 13- evening run by myself as Dave fell victim to an open bar the night before. I decided to explore some new territory, so I put on green (neutral colors) and ran east looking for land for my real estate Uncle to buy. I found a great park and while the streets were really hood, I like that everyone is out and about. IT band got pretty tight about an hour into it then really tight when I took off my shoes to run the last few minutes barefoot on IF. Only really bothering me down by the knee. Not sure if I'll be able to run on Monday, thinking about coming up with a injury prevention strength routine.

Yao Ming?

8-in the dark by myself after the fantasy basketball draft. I had a great cool night to contemplate the fact that I'd chosen Yao Ming with my first pick. I ran on the 4 minute loop by Central Market until I realized that I was running it because it smelled good and I was hungry. Finished with 5 minutes barefoot on IF. Actually felt OK.

After Work Special

9- Down Shoal Creek with Owen after work. Felt really good and the knee didn't bother me until the last few minutes. I wore a shirt for the first time in months. It got dark about the middle of the run, that combined with the fall weather made me feel fast for a change.

Sunday Recovery

5 on IF alone. Back really hurts and IT band feels fine, but my knee is really bothering me (I'm sure these are related). Did a few minutes of barefoot running, I'm going to try to work some more of that in. Knee felt OK the rest of the night.

Also, I know after an 11 minute 2 mile tempo I shouldn't be thinking about races, but Welsh brought up the Austin Marathon, Dave is thinking about it and I think we could talk Ring and maybe Neal into it as well. I wouldn't be too surprised if Owen and Jordan showed up on the line. At this point not considering the marathon seems almost antisocial.

Girly Tempo

11.5. Did 2 of Dave's 4 mile tempo with him. Miles in 5:24, 5:36, unfortunately I was pretty done after that. Hopefully if I cool it a little the first mile I can do the whole 4 miles in a few weeks. Knee was really bothering me below where the IT attaches after the run. I kinda gimped around all night.

Mincy Friday 7

7 with Dave. Down upper Shoal Creek. IT band felt quite a bit better, but reined it in so that I could overdo it working out with Dave tomorrow.

A little better

5 around home and IF with Jilane. Knee progressed from Allan Houston to Amare Stoudamare condition.

A Run with Chef Rodgers

4 on Hancock golf course with Jilane. IT didn't feel as good going slowly, but I don't think I did any real damage. It was pretty sore all night, but I think it was from some aggressive rolling rather than the run. I guess today's run will tell.

IF Testrun Hammerfest

3.5 Hammered until my knee got sore and then I stopped. I don't think I did any damage and probably loosened it up a little. Hopefully I can go a little further tomorrow. New respect for the IT band

Not an Epic Workout

9- workout with Dave. Did 5X3 min, 2 minutes rest on the golf course. IT band really tight warming up, but didn't really bother me during the workout. It was a little too technical to go "fast" and both dave and I were not feeling great. I felt like I'd been eating Hint of lime and Hot Pockets all day...probably becasue that's what I was doing. On the warmdown IT really siezed up and probably should have walked it in. I'll need to roll it and take a couple days off.

Slow Friday

8- easy with dave. Didn't feel good thanks to Homeslice Pizza. Also, my leg is still pretty wierd from the infection. Was going to go 10 but it was hot I was full and wierd feeling. Later that night my IT band really siezed up.

Dark on the Greenbelt

8 on the greenbelt after work. I started a new book in the car and I got pretty into it so I started a little late. Heading out it was already getting dark. I decided to turn around when I fell the first time(hard guy). On the way back it was the kind of dark that made me imagine something in my peripheral vision. I'd have to do a triple take to realize there was nothing there...and by that point I'd usually fallen. Finishing up on the roads around 360 I found a quasi mythical hill--the type that has you beat before you even get to the steep part. I was tightening up like a mofo but I saw bright lights at the top. I imagined a fancy restaurant shangrala; swanky, but blue collar. When I finally got to the top I realized it wasn't La Fonda San Miguel, but a mini mall complete with a nail salon and a temp agency. Great hill though. If I can run that a couple times a week I think it will really help me. I felt surprisingly good considering my fever yesterday.

We in the business call them dead legs

8 on the IF fields. Owen ran the first half with me. We had a good heart to heart that made it go faster. Felt ok other than not having any quads so to speak. I probably ran 7:30 pace again. Last Friday I was able to workout with Dave because I was in the "out of shape, but fresh" zone. This week I'm not in shape and I'm not fresh, hopefully I'll come around enough to give him some company. Also I have to stop eating my lunch then finishing Jill's. While it is a delicious and cost effective habit, there has never been so much of me to love.

Aye Chingada

8 by myself. Wanted to run as easy as possible, but just ended up running as slowly as possible, it wasn't very easy. Feeling pretty beat up from friday night and the long run yesterday. Some aches and pains. But I'm just going to keep running 7:30 pace until it gets easier. Also, owen made dinner and wouldn't let me eat until I ran. Good man.

Don't call it a long run

12 with Dave and Steve. Ran from Steve's house to the greenbelt. It got dark just as we got into the "enchanted forest" part of the run. Good run, but my entire upper body is still sore from friday night. My ribs are pretty banged up. I think I pushed the pace a little, but it wasn't because I felt good, but because my shit hurt.

At this point it's not worth totaling up the week. I decided that come hell or high water I'm going to run 60 miles next week. If I have to do it at 8 minute pace, drunk, pregnant and at midnight I will.

Dave, Steve and I were talking about our problems with the Austin racing scene. We came up with a good solution. Unofficial $10 entry winner take all races. We'd do a series of 4 races an 800, mile, 5k and 10k. Even if you didn't win, it's cheaper than a regular road race and the competition will be better. If you're in it for the coupons and the T-Shirt you're not really racing anyway. I'm also mulling over a "no watches rule." $10 cash only winner take all. It would be everything I like about running and none of the tri-athlete Batman Equipment Belt bullshit

Not enough Runing

Thurs 5 miles first run in almost a week. Wanted to loosen up before the workout with Dave tomorrow that I'm hoping will jump start me into a routine.

Fri 9 miles workout with Dave 4X400 around IF. Had some stomach problems. I was ok on the pace and I probably could have gone a little faster. On the other hand I didn't have enough in me for another one.

Sat- Celebrating in a big way, my whole body hurts from last night. Had to skip the run.

Song of the Week

Jay-Z's Blue Magic is the lead single from the November 6 release American Gangster. The album is parallel but separate from the Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington biopic of the same name.

Jay’s last album was a glitzy, overproduced "look I'm back on top again" piece-o-crap. He knew it and his fans knew it. Thy Kingdom Come only sold 1.5million copies and Jay said, “it didn't live in Brooklyn.” In American Gangster, Jay abandons his well-worn territory for Frank Lucas’ story. It's strange, someone else's story sounds so much realer than his own.

Blue Magic is spare and old school, but with more substance than any of his recent work. The song is so good people are wondering if its really new or an unreleased track from his golden years. Owen and I were talking about the typical rap career trajectory. He had a good point, "at the end, these guys have so little to rap about that they have to retire and then come back to drum up subject material."

Jay did something different this time; how many rap concept albums are there? It is a little biography, a little history, all fire,” Blame Reagan for making me into a monster/Blame Oliver North and Iran-Contra/I ran contraband that they sponsored"

American Gangster is the story of Frank Lucas, a 70's heroin kingpin who supposedly made a million a day selling his own product on 116^th Street. He was infamous for importing raw in the caskets with Viet Nam soldiers. Lucas also ratted out over 100 law enforcement officials and drug dealers leading to an early release. He was later reconvicted on another drug charge.