Aug Roll Call - GPS

Greetings Life Runners!

August has been a good month for my training. I'm finally staring to feel like a runner again. My weight is dropping nicely, and my pace is picking up as well.

I experienced my first Pikes Peak Ascent a couple weeks ago with much drama and fan fair. I reached the halfway point at 2hrs 10min's which was quite a bit ahead of where I thought I would be (remember Clydesdale + flat lander climbing a mountain). I made it about 4 miles from the summit when runners started coming back down with news they were closing the summit. Admittedly I was slowing in my pace and starting to feel the effects of the altitude (little cobwebs here and there).

My half marathon adventure quickly turned into a 18ish mile ASCENTATHON! Needless to say, my ankles and quads were completely thrashed the next day (could hardly get out of bed, swollen ankles). I am still feeling the effects of the mountain with a mild right Achilles strain. I have trained through this type of injury before, so it should be fun.

Next weekend I will be running the "Run for HIS Glory" 5k as part of the largest outdoor free Christian music festival in the country right here in Sioux Falls, SD - Life Light Festival. Check it out at http://www.lifelight.org/festival.

I will then being doing a bit of a warm up for the Marathon the first weekend of September when I'm scheduled to run the Sioux Falls Half Marathon. It is a beautiful, flat, fast course on our bike trails that hug the Sioux River that runs around Sioux Falls. I always look forward to this race. We'll see how I'm feeling, but I'd love to get close to 1hr 45 min.'s.

I put in my first 20 mile run yesterday. The first 16 were slow and easy, but the last 4 were grueling. I didn't feel very good the rest of Sunday either. I hydrated well, used goo packs (normal regimen), and the weather was beautiful (cool, with slight breeze), so I really can't put my finger on it. My Achilles bothered me the first 20ish minutes or so, but eventually loosened up. However, it is soar today. I'll have to see how it recovers this week.

I hope all is well with everyone's training - happy and safe training for all!

Romans 12:12