4 months, 4 trips to AZ.
Dad was scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery on Wednesday the 13th. I had just enough time to head out for a few miles in the 80 degree sun before taking him to said surgery, and when I came back he wore an interesting smile and mom was fit to be tied. Surgery postponed until Friday (yesterday). So we hit the links instead and played a cool little course that was made up of 14 par 3's and 4 par 4's. I didn't not play all that hot but the weather was great and Dad eagled the very first hole!
Came back A.B.C.D. (At the Butt Crack of Dawn) Thursday morning on Alaskan so I flew into Seattle, and then over to Tri-Cities. I swear I was sitting next to the Cialis guy from Phoenix to Seattle and from Seattle to Pasco, I was sitting directly behind a couple that kissed WELL over 100 times. I know. I was counting. I was so nauseated and all I could think about was barfing all over them. They kissed 28 times before the plane took off!!!! Get a room for the love of Christ!
So..... One week out from my 2nd race of the year (that is far to few!) and I'm feeling pretty good. This week was a bit of a taper. Got 25 miles in and I had a twinge in my left hammie that has all but subsided due to less miles I believe. Very excited about this race even if I get poured on the entire time. The cool, rainy, Pacific Northwest air is gonna feel great in my lungs!
Cheers to a healthy week and a solid race! I will blog again after I cross the tape!
Train on!
The Luke
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Run...Think...Run
Had a nice week of running despite the ridiculous wind and cold front that moved in the last 4-5 days. Got just under 40 miles in and I'm pretty excited for the race coming up in a couple weeks. Given that its a small fundraiser I may be up there with some of the stronger runners and I may go for a fast time and see if I can't place in a respectable spot. I'd like to roll in under 1:40 and it's a pretty flat course so it's possible.
Lots on the mind right now so my hamster in the wheel is working overtime. Finally got the Arizona job offer and now it's time to put all the pieces of this move together. It's a very stressful situation even though it's really where I want to be. Nothing better than a long run to work out the logistics of a move like this and I hope to make this as smooth as transition as possible. (if that's possible)
Change in life is inevitable and this is definitely gonna be one of those changes that I'll be looking back on with a whole different perspective several years from now. Things will just remain tumultuous for the next few months as I will be turning 30 (holy crap), personal relationships will be changing, my job will likely present a new set of stressful situations, and my parents may be back in my life in a way they haven't been for over 10 years now.
Ah well, when everything else is in a state of change, at the very least one thing remains the same. I can always get out, breath some fresh air, and just run.
Arizona tomorrow, trip to the west side in 12 days, half marathon in 13 days :-) Plenty to be happy about....
Train on my friends.... I mean, my friend (Ryan)
The Luke
Lots on the mind right now so my hamster in the wheel is working overtime. Finally got the Arizona job offer and now it's time to put all the pieces of this move together. It's a very stressful situation even though it's really where I want to be. Nothing better than a long run to work out the logistics of a move like this and I hope to make this as smooth as transition as possible. (if that's possible)
Change in life is inevitable and this is definitely gonna be one of those changes that I'll be looking back on with a whole different perspective several years from now. Things will just remain tumultuous for the next few months as I will be turning 30 (holy crap), personal relationships will be changing, my job will likely present a new set of stressful situations, and my parents may be back in my life in a way they haven't been for over 10 years now.
Ah well, when everything else is in a state of change, at the very least one thing remains the same. I can always get out, breath some fresh air, and just run.
Arizona tomorrow, trip to the west side in 12 days, half marathon in 13 days :-) Plenty to be happy about....
Train on my friends.... I mean, my friend (Ryan)
The Luke
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Ramping it up --- Running for Risa
Nothing altogether exciting about this week of running except I hit two new highs. Ran an 18 miler on a day that was windy as hell (25mph), and tallied 38 miles for the week. Still feeling very strong and my soreness after these longer runs is fading. Was having some issues after a couple of my 15 milers but I have upped my protein intake and this is doing the trick for now.
On a sad note:
To recap, I'm doing a half in a few weeks (Running for Risa) that is a fundraiser for a 17 year old (Risa Whitaker) who has been battling cancer that her insurance has deemed a pre-existing condition. Thus, nothing is covered and the family is taking on all of her medical bills. I'm working on collecting some cash to take as a donation on race day. The sad thing is that she lost her life on Thursday after her liver shut down. She went to the emergency room and they more or less found out that her body was done. She lasted a few days and then they let her go. I don't know this girl and I'm not all that emotionally zapped by this, but it's a harsh reminder of how lucky we are to have our health. I'm enjoying every day that I get to run using this generally healthy body and I'll continue to do my best at not taking a single day for granted.
It's because of my long-standing and continually growing enthusiasm for being outside and the satisfaction I get from a good workout that make me shake my head at the thought of people who are content to sit inside, day after day, and limit their exposure to the great outdoors. Too much is missed while sitting in front of a TV, computer, or an X-Box... Of course our obesity epidemic has deep roots in fast food and lazy diets but lazy people and technology play important roles in this mess as well... I'm on a rant now but thinking about this girl passing at 17 makes me think about how short life can be...
Train on,
Luke
On a sad note:
To recap, I'm doing a half in a few weeks (Running for Risa) that is a fundraiser for a 17 year old (Risa Whitaker) who has been battling cancer that her insurance has deemed a pre-existing condition. Thus, nothing is covered and the family is taking on all of her medical bills. I'm working on collecting some cash to take as a donation on race day. The sad thing is that she lost her life on Thursday after her liver shut down. She went to the emergency room and they more or less found out that her body was done. She lasted a few days and then they let her go. I don't know this girl and I'm not all that emotionally zapped by this, but it's a harsh reminder of how lucky we are to have our health. I'm enjoying every day that I get to run using this generally healthy body and I'll continue to do my best at not taking a single day for granted.
It's because of my long-standing and continually growing enthusiasm for being outside and the satisfaction I get from a good workout that make me shake my head at the thought of people who are content to sit inside, day after day, and limit their exposure to the great outdoors. Too much is missed while sitting in front of a TV, computer, or an X-Box... Of course our obesity epidemic has deep roots in fast food and lazy diets but lazy people and technology play important roles in this mess as well... I'm on a rant now but thinking about this girl passing at 17 makes me think about how short life can be...
Train on,
Luke
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