Slows me down.  And parents frown on it when you leapfrog their kids.  Go figure.

I found that out this morning, when I dragged my behind out at 6:15 for a 10 mile run.  I finished up just as the kids were walking to a school close to the new temporary house.

So the taper for Big D has started.  I didn't actually run the 15 miles I had planned to this past Sunday.... family time contstraints and all.  So I am adding a few easy miles to this week's regiment to keep the legs sharp.  My 10 miler this morning was good.  Got it done in 1:20:09, with a negative split for the last 5.

Funny part about this morning, was that yesterday's rain softened up a part of my route that doesn't have a sidewalk yet... and with the traffic I couldn't jump onto the street for this 50 yards worth of off road training.  By the time I made it back onto cement, both soles of my shoes were covered in mud, and completely uneven.  The mud caked on the sides of my shoes to enlarge my overall footprint to about the about the size of a Yeti.  Took me a few minutes to find a puddle to drag my feet through to even up my running surface, and then I kicked mud at myself for the next quarter of a mile.  Suffice to say, this pair of shoes are reaching their last few miles, and probably won't be able to migrate into gym shoes.  I think they are done.

Had a great training weekend, run wise.  I was thinking of doing some biking, but it was a bit too cold.  So I am hoping to get out with Coco this weekend, as the marathon taper starts, to give the knees a break from the pounding.

I may have said this already, but I made it to the gym on Friday, for 25 minutes of stationary bike (hills setting, level 15) and 1000 yards in the pool.  I figured I would be moving like an elephant in the water, but it went suprisingly well.  I had been doing enough arm exercises with dumbells in the garage that I did a good swim, and wasn't sore the next day.

My goal for the running only weekend, was to do speedwork on Saturday and a long run on Sunday.  Saturday was a 10k worth of running through Frisco, that I knocked out in 44:00 flat (7:06/mile).  Then I took my littler brother Daniel to the track for a workout (track season, and he runs the mile.... with a PR of 4:37 for the mile) and got in a 800 repeat, or two..... at his pace.  I have to admit that he swallowed me up on the end of the repeats....... the boy is fast!!!

Then Sunday, I got up and knocked out a 22 mile run at 8:11/mile.  Daniel finished the last five with me, so it was good to a have partner.

Today is an off day.  Though I got up at 5:15 to take Daniel to track to work on some 800 meter repeats with him and a teammate of his.  His motivation to knock out a new PR this year, is motivating me.

I'm looking forward to the Big D.

WE CLOSED!!!!!  What seemed like a never ending saga in selling our house, is now done.  We are out, and living with the in-laws for the time being.  This past weekend was filled with moving, but we closed on Monday, got a phat check on Tuesday and I headed down to the Plano Cycling for a new tri bike on Wednesday.  Ok, I didn't go to get a tri bike, but the rest is true.

The weather in DFW sucks right now, cold and rainy for the past few days.  I got 6 miles done on the treadmill Wednesday morning (my first workout since closing) and IT WAS GREAT!  I typically hate stationary training devices (treadmill, bike trainer, etc...) but Wednesday morning, I was on fire.  Cruising at a (uncalibrated, mind you) 7:30 pace and it felt like nothing.  I anticipate how much better my body would perform with the stress of the house sale gone... but that seems to be the case.  If I can extend that feeling into my restored available time for training, I am hoping to put some workouts in before April 5... and maybe kick a little ass at the Big D Marathon.

Disregard that bare bones workout schedule for that week.  For the past 3 weeks, if I've been able to get two runs in, then it's been a good week.  This week.... I might get 3.

I hit the pavement for 18 miles this morning and took a pretty good beating.  I got those done in 2:30:12, which comes out to 8:20/mile... not too bad for a training run.  I hit the wall at mile 16 and finished the last two in 18:24 (9:12 each).

I'm adjusting the training plan to only have a 2 week taper for this marathon.  Monday will mark 4 weeks to go, so I am planning on long runs of 22, 18, and 12 leading up to race day.  It's going to be a tough 22 miles next weekend.  Though, hopefully the stress of moving will be done by then, as we are scheduled to vacate next Tuesday.

For this weekend, tomorrow will be an off day for all of the moving we are doing.  I'm hoping to get one hour of running on Sunday.