I'm Not Dead

No, not yet.

Though, for the first time in my life, running has not been a priority for me. I'm usually good at balancing life, work and running, but lately I've been distracted by figuring out where I am going to live, which largely depends where I end up scoring a job. I've been in between work since, what feels like, 1987. Normally, with all this free time, I would double down on training, but having just finished an intense marathon cycle (and succumbing to a knee niggle in late February/early March that wouldn't get right) I've been treading lightly.

By mid-February, I worked back up to almost 80 miles per week and ran my first workout since Phoenix and even got in a hard 20 (the last 10 in 57:00 including a 5:15 all out mile to catch Texas Paul)...but then I got some weird knee pain (as if I had bruised it) which took nearly two weeks to shake - I took 4 days off and started up, but it didn't go away, then I took another 4 days off. During that hiatus, I found myself back in Los Angeles searching for a job. The weather here sure is nice and while I enjoy running in the cold, and even snow, I do prefer a warmer climate as spring slowly dawns.

In Santa Monica, which is specifically where I am, I've been training with folks from the LA Speed Project, a group similar to the GRC in terms of cohesiveness, though this team is far more marathon-centric (their spring goal race, the LA Marathon, is less than two weeks away) than GRC (track, road racing and marathon). I started running again - easily - last Saturday. In the past 7 days I've accrued 56 miles, but after a *true* week (ending this Sunday) I should be back close to 70. The important thing is that my knee feels swell. Yesterday, I ran a 2 x 2 mile tempo-like cut-down along the Pacific Ocean. The path is concrete, unfortunately, so today it felt as if my legs took an extra pounding. I dipped down to 5:0x pace...realizing that was once a pace I could hold for ten miles. 

I am working for the NYRR during the New York Half next week, which means I'll be doing a lot of runs in Central Park, IF I find the time to get runs in. I must!

I am signed up for Cherry Blossom, but who know how great of shape I will be in by then. I really need to get some more speed work in...perhaps that means two workouts per week. My arch-nemesis, the kitten killing Bert Rodriguez, and I spoke not too long ago about making an all-out assault at the 50:00 barrier. Once again, that goal will need to be tabled...at least for me.

As a non sequitur, it's kind of bizarre to see celebrities in one's day-to-day movements: Ben Affleck at a road race, Don Cheadle at a farmer's market and Mike Tyson at a coffee shop.