Race Training

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Many of you (okay, one of you) have asked how my race training is going. It made me realize I haven't said much about running since I posted this whiny entry back in June. 

The good news is the sore ankles went away, as did the heavy legs. I've still got the right hamstring/glute issue but I've been dealing wtih that for the last four years, so it's more of a white noise pain at this point. 

I'm wrapping up week 6 of training (10 weeks still to go) and just came off an awesome 20 mile run this morning. I got to mile 16 and was like, "What up? That's all you've got?" and pushed out 8 minute miles for the last four. Hell yeah. 

That being said, I struggled through a 17-mile run a couple of weeks ago and had a COMPLETE meltdown this week on a tempo run.

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Ignite Charlotte 5

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Mark your calendars! Tuesday, September 25th is the 5th annual Ignite Charlotte series and yours truly is one of the 15 speakers presenting.

What is Ignite Charlotte? From their website:

"Enlighten us, but make it quick” is the mantra for [worldwide] Ignite talks. During Ignite Charlotte, members from the community will share their personal or professional passions using 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds for a total talk time of 5 minutes.  

How did I become involved? Apparently I decided that having a book due to my editor, traveling to Italy, doing client work and training for a marathon wasn't enough to keep me busy. My friend David Horne sent me a link to the Ignite Charlotte website and--on a whim--I sent in an application. I was equal parts pleased and horrified when I found out I'd been selected. 

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Still In Health Limbo

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My body apparently can't decide if it wants to be sick or night. Mornings and evenings are unpleasant (except for the sexy raspy voice I've been rockin'), days are pretty good. 

What's not helping is Blair's reaction to my possible sickness. The very model of love, support and encouragement in every other situation, Blair turns into a jumpy house cat at the thought of being sick. To wit: We had just gone to bed Thursday night and turned off the light. I'd mentioned that I wasn't feeling well.

Me: "Goodnight. I (cough, cough) lov--"

Blair: "Oh my God. Are you going to cough like that all night?"

Me (strangling back another cough): "No. I just--"

Blair: "I can't be sick." 

Me: "Do you want me to sleep upstairs?" (Tiniest little cough slips out.)

Blair: "Aaaugh! You're coughing right in my face! Stop it! Are you trying to make me sick? I can't be sick."

Me: "Why don't I sleep upstairs?"

Silence from Blair.

Me: "Do you want me to go?" More coughing. I can't help it.

Blair leaps from the bed. "I'll go up." He grabs his pillow and heads upstairs.

"You suck," I call out.

"I can't be sick!" he calls back.

Oh, the romance. ;)

Cheers,

Dena 

Health or The Real Housewives? Decisions, Decisions...

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So I may be getting sick. I've got that almost-but-not-quite-fully-developed itchy throat, coughing, stuffy head thing going on. It's at the critical turning point where more then likely I will wake up tomorrow with either a full-blown head cold or it will have gone away. 

The thing is, I know my body and I have some control over which direction this goes. In the last 6 years (which is exactly when I started running), I've been sick for perhaps three days.  Caught a cold a year or two ago and it took me down. Other than that, I've been at where I am now... almost sick but never really crossing the line. The difference--and I know it sounds odd--is that I can make the mental decision whether to allow myself to be sick or not and my body almost always follows suit. 

The trick of it is...

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