Three months

Three months from today I will start out on my run to Michigan. Time's a flyin'!
Thinking forward 3 months got me thinking backwards in time as well...
One year ago today, I was hard at work as an IT project manager at CU. Looking at my calendar for the week of March 6, 2006, I see I had nine meetings, one presentation and two runs scheduled on my work calendar. Meanwhile my 2006 running log shows all of 2 miles run on March 6, with 47.5 miles logged for the week including a long run of 14.5 miles. Two of the week's runs were from office to home. Once again I say, there is no way I could attempt this run to Michigan if I were still working. Whew!

Looking at the present, today is day 2 of the 110/180/110-mile week cycle. What did I learn today?

• I learned I can do things right! I had a scant single serving of oatmeal, then ran 13 miles, then stretched, then had a snack (chocolate soy milk and fig bars which my most excellent massage therapist reports as being proven to be the perfect post-workout food), then sat in a tub of ice water (gulping hot coffee), then showered, then checked email, then went out for my next run. Run #2 felt pretty darned good after doing everything right after run #1!
• I learned that if one wants to do everything right after a run, one should allow for at least two hours between the end of the run and heading off for the next activity.
• I learned that if one eats lunch between runs #2 and #3, and run #3 immediately follows lunch, do not expect run #3 to be very fast.
• I learned that my feet seem to be very sensitive to ice water at the end of the day. Don't know why. Because they were already iced once (in the full ice bath)? Because they've been cold so much of the winter with all the snow? Because they were cold today from running through mud? All I know is I attempted to sit with my feet in a bucket of ice water three times and they weren't happy any of those times even though the water was a tad warmer with each attempt. There weren't even any ice cubes left in the water by the third try, but it was still a very quick dip.
• I learned that I might want to consider getting more sleep. I seem to be nodding off and it's not even 6 p.m. yet.
  
• I learned (re-affirmed) that I do love a day full of running. Good thing!