Blogs : Koepsell

"Down" week done...

August 10 - 16:

Sun - 8 on Phil Eight Me route (Phil was our big half-miler in college...raised on a farm on goat's milk...always told us to eat something)

Mon - 10 on Michigan (named after the route on which I lost my Michigan baseball hat one fated winter run) with Cam....last run in Milwaukee and in regular fashion Cam hauled us around at a quick pace

   *left WI around 4pm in the afternoon

Tues - 4 in Colorado at grandparent's place (good to get some of grandma's cookin' and a nap as well)

   *arrived here after 23 hours of driving/gas stops/bano stops/staying awake stops

Wed - 7 in Reno (was going to do an old high school route through hills behind high school but everyone is building something crazy so I ended up running UP and then UP some more)

   *pulled into town after another 11 hours from CO to NV

Thur - 9 on Geoff's Helly Hill (went to high school with Geoff...ran to his neighborhood and then UP for an entire mile and change...I stopped at the very top so my lungs wouldn't explode)

Fri - Gimpy 7 (ran from Micah's house....he got hit by an SUV on his bike a few weeks ago and is now two weeks away from getting out of his wheelchair and onto crutches)

Sat - 9.5 at Galena Creek Park with Roanld and Brian who are my coach's oldest and youngest sons (the park starts at 6,000 feet and then climbs UP...Ron has a few years on me and is rolling 100 mile weeks right now so I was afraid he was going to roll me...we just ran normal but the consistent UP of the run killed me)

WEEK: Miles at 54.5.  The goal was 50-55 with the travels so that turned out just fine plus I got in a double digit run as well.  The reentry to Reno running has proved tough.  I am living behind my old high school (props to the Geib family for opening their door!) and forgot how HILLY every run turns out.  If I want a flat run I drive somewhere.  I also forgot how bumpy the trails run.  It will be some time for my ankle and feet muscles to adjust.  In the mean time I need to work on my balance and use bocce balls (it is a secret I got from an Irishman...just ask).  Never really felt good on any run, but I am just chalking that up to the transitioning.

A LARGE thanks to Neal for driving back with me.  Although at 4am on Tuesday Neal downed caffeine pills using Coke.  A few hours later we were stopped at McDonalds with Neal shaking and trying to get some food in his stomach to settle things.  Besides this small incident Neal proved an excellent copilot.  Within three hours we were not on the mapped course and as we proceeded through Illinois Neal used an Iowa map to chart our course.  I'm also pretty sure that around midnight on Monday I thought I went past a semi, but as I checked in my review mirror a few seconds later it did not appear.  Not sure if that Monsoon energy drink was a good idea. 

UP NEXT: more running.  I just need to run and get the legs/lungs adjusted to the UP and lack of O2.  Also need to find a job.  Domingo (coach) and I are also working out a time to sit down and chart out the fall's training plan.  More on that once things are set.

*Neal motions to a truck driver to honk: "No, don't scratch your nose!"