All that Glitters is Golden

As I was running the 2.02 miles to the Start line of the Koala Houston Half this morning, I was dealing with the knee. Yes it was bothering me, but I trudged on through the dark, dodging the few vagrants on the street that early, and carefully hopping from curb to curb.

As I even left the quiet East End I could hear the band that was obviously playing there at SHP. I thought back to last year when this was my target race, never even contemplating that I would be doing the full marathon just a couple of months later. This year an injury kept me from PR'ing at the distance and the race itself.

As I got closer, maybe 1/2 mile away I heard a shot ring through the dark and I knew that the race had started. I knew in advance I wasn't going to make it for the beginning but I had promised GID that I would be there before he finished that first loop. And sure enough I made it with plenty of time to spare. I got to yell and cheer on some of my favorite runner friends who were all leading in the pack and that was indeed great. I stood with Jaclyn as she wasnt running this year either but was there supporting her husband. Her and I finished close together last year as we leap frogged the entire 13.1 miles.

It was indeed cold out there for those that weren't running and maybe that cold made my knee stop hurting, as it never hurt again. Even as I sit here now its not hurting, not even like it was when I woke up this morning. Weird.

I made it over to the Finish a good 5 minutes before the lead guy came in, and then one by one they trickled in.

I kept getting colder and colder, as the temp seemed to drop and the sun was nowhere in sight, having to push its way over the buildings of downtown and it became unbearable even. I managed to hang around for a while, but eventually just decided to leave when GID did, as a ride home instead of running the mileage back seemed to be a much better idea.

So after coming home I hit the gym, with 30 min of maniac on the elliptical and then another 45 minutes on weights, all upper body.

I figure if I can keep the fitness level up, heck even increase it with the weights, then if in 2 weeks I am still not up to the 15.5 miles I am supposed to be at by that time, then it will become apparent that I will have to drop to the half and bail on the full marathon this year. Next weekend is supposed to be a cut back week but not for me. I will shoot for 13-14, some of those with KW on Saturday and tacking on the rest at the end.

Here's to hoping that somehow I can overcome this injury and keep on track for what I have worked so hard for all this year.