Final Approach

Race weekend is just about here … I’m as good now as I’m going to get. This is a shame; since April has pretty much gone down the pipes.

I woke up Palm Sunday with some odd patellar dysfunction [hadn't even run in the new shoes I’d gotten that Friday yet]. I had 8 on my schedule, but turned around for home at the 2½ mile marker, when my right knee felt like someone had whacked just below the kneecap with a red-hot ball-peen hammer.

Fudge.

I wrapped it in a neoprene knee sleevie for a couple of days and it was fine enough to put a few miles down on Holy Saturday.

Easter Sunday, I woke up with that annoying toothache and weird sore-throat that prequels a sinus infection coming on. I fought it back as best as I could through three days of rain that washed out half of my Easter Break home with Mariel. There was no getting outside for laps on the track, as we do when we’re home together on days when Mom’s working and I’ve missed my morning run.

That Thursday though was clear and dry … the skies and my head. I put in a trip to the lake when D’Wife got home work, to shake things out. I felt little bit of a ping in the hams, but the knee was fine. I rested up, and stretched the legs out for another couple of days, then went back into my usual “run pretty much every day, because it’s what you do” routine.

The only thing that stayed true to plan for April, was that I consistently took Monday off. I didn’t get in any runs longer than 5 miles [although I’d done 7 and 8 in two days, way back in March] which worries me, but I guess if I can get through 8 okay on Sunday; I can “fake it” the rest of the way in.

My coach has great faith in me though, in spite of totally fucking up our plan:

“You will do awesome, Randy. Most importantly ... just have fun.”

“XOXO”