Running Thoughts: 11 miles

Our coaching staff during final marathon prep:  Coach Bill (in yellow hat), Asst. Coach Pattie (purple singlet), Asst. Coach Ken (purple T-shirt), and A, B, and C-Team Captains.  All wonderful people, very professional, encouraging and fun.  

Alisa relaxing during the TEAM mission moment.

After our big 20 mile run last week, 11 miles was a breeze this week.  We're officially in "taper" mode which basically means we don't push as hard any more, and let our bodies recover and build up strength and energy for the big 26.2 marathon in just two weeks.  Two weeks, people!  Fourteen days.  Crazy.  

My running partner Alisa got a very cool mother's day gift: a Garmin GPS watch (the Forerunner 405 - excuse me if I drool on your keyboard a little.  Such cute little piece of black plastic).  So we have official data supporting my claim that I ran 11 (actually 11.16) miles yesterday.    Tada!  Is that cool or what?  I especially like how you can use the "Player" (upper right corner) and see the elevation and "play" our route and speeds.  

I'm nervous that we won't be able to "happily finish" in 5 hours, so I'm shootin' for 5.5 hours now.  I want to be a happy finisher.  Happy happy happy.

We ran in Escondido (Kit Carson Park near the Wild Animal Park), it was perfect cool overcast running weather.    It was a trail run with time spent near Lake Hodges.  Our shoes, socks and ankles were covered in gritty grime afterwards.  

14 days... it's almost here!

Alisa and me on our 20 mile run last week.  (Thanks Deborah for snapping this shot!)