searching for answers-will the harrisburg marathon provide them?

yanni in the background playing reflections of passion- nice soft background music-

ran track this morning just trying to put some life back into the legs and knowing i would take lots of time off this week to do basically a one week taper rather than my usual three weeks. but i usually train right also and didn't this time. though i did put in lots of miles and a little speedwork and some hills-

short workout working on leg turnover --- 20 x 100 and 3 x 200 (48's- still some leg speed despite the pain and torn muscle) it is easy to forget the muscle is still torn as it doesn't bother me when i walk or run no matter how hard- but later today i accidentally caught it on the edge of the door and the leg turned around d the groin didn't and it was like being stabbed really deeply- i know what that feels like also)

but the workout went well and i came home and had a nice pancake breakfast and then worked on the new rock garden for shade container plants i am creating- using a 160 pound rock as a center piece; should be nice if it works out like i want.

the rest of the day was pretty typical- gail went off to ride and i went to practice some short game and hit some balls- then back home to paint and do laundry and deal with house stuff- this week and the next one will be spent on getting the house back in some sort of order and maybe, just maybe, someone will show up and finish the work on it they started -hahaha i am sure-

and then to figure out what is next. am very disappointed in myself and how things are working out or not as they say- seem to be caught in the middle of several things right now and have to work them out- will see how the week plays out...

will be curious to see how harrisburg goes- not the race itself, but the experience. with 184 marathons behind me and maybe another 30 ultras or more, i used to really enjoy going to races and seeing old friends and then racing and also seeing the sights where we were. will see how this one goes. time to make some new friends; will get into the running club when we get back. maybe...... it does seem fruitless right now as i am barely a runner despite the miles. i can live with being slower; there are no more sub 3 hour marathons in me or 4 or probably 5 hours, but figuring out a way to train and eat and live somewhat in balance has been a challenge i am failing at. need the guidebook for old athlete wannabees..

2140's;;; got a pair of new 2140's and they are great; without looking up the stats i can just say that they feel a little lighter than the 2130's but just as stable and i always liked that i could take a pair of asics out of the box and just go run in them.

the running list is into one of the usual threads that come up about who is and isn't a runner. the young guns think they have the answers, but they don't - a few will be proven to be genetically gifted and slow down more slowly than most; but most will get slow and tight and sore and stiff and just old. they won't be able to do the middle mileage hard runs that really keep you in shape. everyone can go long and slow, and maybe short and fast, but not in a decent training program. and then one day suddenly you are old with tight hip flexors and piriformis muscles and quads and ,,,, why bother.. stretch and lift seem to be the answers and control the weight and keep racing. instead of going longer go shorter and faster. maybe that is the answer- but everyone needs to find out what will work for them. they should save their comments and re-read them in 25 years.

i can remember running fast also. and the pace i ran a 6 hour race at i cannot do now for 4 miles. so what? i ran 2970 miles last year and most people on my running list would say i was not a runner because i ran so slow. but i also have 50 marathons under 3:10 so was i just a runner then? i digress i know- i become a bigger believer in the bell curve everyday- i must learn to live with and somehow enjoy getting old -ha on that, but i will seek a peace with it that i just don't have yet..

still searching for answers..............

congrats to paula radcliffe for another nyc marathon win!