Energy Meter

O.K. I think the energy meter is running on low. Feeling like the energizer bunny that finally ran out of batteries. My daughter says it was the double work out last week and I have not recovered, hahaha! Though it could be. I am trying to "rest" up for the big week next week. I will be starting the Leadville heavy half marathon training. I found a training program that should work with my "schedule". By schedule I mean is not too hard, does not include speed work, or anything that might get me hurt :)

I have incorporated lots of hiking into the program, hiking uphill to be exact. I will be hiking up a hill to Monte de la Cruz and hope to be able to hike all the way up by the end of the next few weeks. It will be a doozy, as my ears already pop when I start hiking up, it is steep.

It will not really satisfy my need for altitude, but that is about all I can come up with. I have been having a few anxieties about the whole 11,000-13,000 ft. elevation thingy, but hey I can always walk. That is the advantage of being on foot instead of a bike. I would die before I would ever, ever, ever walk a bike up any hill! But I am not too proud to walk when I am on foot. Sometimes I can walk faster than I can run anyway on the really steep hills.

The good news is I had a great workout, and my daughter made some most excellent granola today, four bowls later I am ready to crash.

Half Marathon

I can't believe I committed to a half marathon. Not just any half marathon, but the Leadville heavy half marathon. It actually climbs to 13,000 ft. altitude. I am going to be sucking air big time, if I even survive it. I am doing it for my brother. We will be doing it on his 50th birthday, so I relented. So far two brothers and we are still trying to talk the third brother into doing it with us. Is that the sign of one sick family that we celebrate birthdays by hurting ourselves?

There was one hitch in the whole thing. I told my brother that 15 months after we did this run he had to join me in Cozumel for the Ironman on my 50th. His excuse that he sinks just does not hold water, no pun intended. I told him he could just come and watch and eat. He was fine with it as long as he does not have to watch me puke! He did agree to bring the defribulater and we are going to talk my Dr. bro into bringing the oxygen, I should be fine.

Actually I am more worried about the half marathon than the ironman. The whole not breathing thing has me really worried. I am thinking spending the month before the run in Flagstaff might not be such a bad idea. Two of my brothers live at altitude, the other and I are about sea level. I am planning on running up in the mountain here once the volcano settles down. I can probably get to about seven thousand feet running up the mountain. Wow sounds fun.

I have decided to include some track work for this run. Not to increase my speed, though that would be nice, but to teach me how to suck air more efficiently. I am not real good at that since I usually keep my heart rate really low when I work out. In fact my coach brother has reminded me that I need to get my heart rate up while I work out, since it is going to go sky high at that altitude. Man I hope I survive without any altitude sickness!