July 23 to July 29

With quite a few work days this week, running will be done on the fly! Oooppss...bad pun!

Monday; July 23: Flying all day and in need of the day off.

Tuesday; July 24:  A good 10 miler in the steamy morning. Traysen made it for the usual 7 miles.

Wednesday; July 25:  Just call us the early birds! To the gym for shoulders, chest, and abs. Traysen then dragged ole Mom out for a good 10 miler. Oh No.....he only made the usual 7 or so but then kicked me back out the door.

Thursday: July 26: With a 630am report time for work, running was an afternoon outing. (Whoever came up with being at work that early should be popped right up side the head!!!)  As expected in the heat and with fatigue, the effort was fairly simple with some walking, some "dog stops" for Traysen, and some slow trotting; a total of 6 miles.

Friday; July 27:  An awesome 19 miler! Don't ya just love those runs that go smoothly? Almost no effort required? Just a cruiser where the miles go easy. And the recovery is equally as smooth.

Saturday; July 28: A quick 7 miler was in order with a day of work ahead.

Sunday; July 29: Slept in til 515am and with a day off, a nice 9 miler ensued. The morning seemed a bit cooler which was a good thing since today was a tempo run day. Oddly enough Traysen and I were both very toasty and worn out after this run. Running hard in this heat takes some pushing and prodding to keep it going when the body is overheated. It is always a fine line between pushing hard enough but not too much so that you have heat related issues. Not sure how others handle the heat but I always know if the pace is being pushed too hard...it starts with a headache that only gets worse as the run continues.
A good session in the gym with abs, biceps and triceps rounded out the day.

Summary: Another nice week of running is complete. Next week is a full week of work and luckily enough it is time for a sloppy week of reduced miles.
With the Summer Olympics in full swing now, another source of human inspiration has come to mind. When we consider the dedication, sacrifice, and love of their sport these athletes endure for many years, how can we not be inspired? Additionally, most to many of these athletes have an extensive support crew that keeps the rest of their lives going. These are the folks behind the scenes who make sure the athlete gets to practice when he/she cannot yet drive, they make sure the best coaches are obtained, they provide encouragement when times are tough. Often, they ensure the athlete has a dinner ready after training or there are clean clothes available when needed. Even as a "normal, everyday" athlete who loves her sport, I have my own form of support crew. The husband, Jim, has given me much of his time and energy over the years of running. There have been many a 4-6 hour run where Jim has taken care of dogs; many times where he has tiptoed around the house when the tired Badass Psycho Bunny needed the daily nap; and many times where he listened to the woes of training or where he watched some tired, sore legs wobble around the house. I am very grateful for all he has given in an effort to allow me to run many miles over the years.

Total miles for the week: 60.0  
Total miles for 2012: 1722.0