Overdoing It? Or Losing a Step?

Did my 5k yesterday. Thought about backing out since I had to referee at 1:00 p.m. But decided to go and had intentions of "holding back" a bit to salvage my energy. Yea, that worked. I started out quickly and never looked back. Even had thoughts of a PR, but within the last half mile determined that wasn't possible. I also knew at that point I had 2nd place overall wrapped up with no chance of gaining or falling so I did pull back; but just a little. Came across in 20:52.

Not sure if it was the race or my schedule this spring or perhaps a combination. I'm also not 100% health wise as I'm battling a little congestion again. But after a very successful day working the Class AA state championship game I left feeling good but also a little concerned. I got tired. That also happened during the district tournament and prior to that the state tournament. At 37 years old and in my 13th year I may be slowing down.

I'll work hard over the summer and tinker with my skates and how they are sharpened and go into next year with a good attitude. But I finished the season yesterday feeling as if maybe for the first time in a long time I slowed as the season wore down. I also think that maybe being off for 10 days and not skating in a 3-man system for 13 days contributed.

Nevertheless I am done with another season. With 5 weeks until Frederick I will focus on running and prepping for this race. I'm definitely also going to take it easy and let my body recuperate a little bit. Wishful thinking.....

A Tune Up Race

This weekend was supposed to be my 30k tune up race, but due to being on the crew (not sure yet if I'm lining or refereeing) for the state class AA championship game held at the historic Cambria County War Memorial Arena I have 'settled' for a local 5k run. Ironically enough it was a race I had a direct hand in starting at my former job. The Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Spring to Success 5k will be held this Saturday morning and is the former Fall Frolic that was missed this past fall. They have changed the location of the course and instead of a 5k/10k choice format limited it to a 5k walk or run. So I'm not sure if you can call it formally the 3rd Annual Penn Highlands race or not, but I will. And to date it will be the only race I have run since its' inception.

With an officiating assignment during the afternoon it will be another day to remember for me since I have never run a race and then worked a game (especially of this magnitude) before. But the marathon training has suffered enough. I will run the race to see where I am. I'm feeling good about the recovery I've made in the past two weeks, and hope to continue onward strong toward Frederick.

Nemesis Wind

Easter Sunday. Sunshine soaks the sky and all of my surroundings. I venture out for my longest run of the 2008 season; a 15 miler that I must get in if I want to stay on track to go to Frederick.

As great as it looks outside, there is a nemesis that I will struggle with in battle all afternoon; the wind. I've run in harsher wind before, but this wind is biting; knifing through my layers with each subtle gust. It is a deceiving sunsoaked afternoon. But I get through it, and feel as though I'll be alright.

The hot shower never felt better.

A New Record

Well, went out on a speed work training run today that consisted of a 1.5 mile warmup, followed by an 800, 1200, mile, mile, 1200 and 800 in that order.

On my first 800 run, I did a 2:55, which was 0:02 seconds faster than my previous fast 800 run. Today was an important day for me, since I've been questioning my readiness for the marathon. This weekend was the first weekend since December that I did not have hockey games and could focus on my training exclusively.

Step 1 is in the books. If I can get through a long slow 15 miler this Sunday fairly unscathed I feel I'll be back on track for the most part and should be able to remove any self-doubt of my ability to get to and through Frederick. I should know better. My training leading up to Philadelphia was awful, and yet it is my PR and 0:04 miss on Boston.

I'll steal a phrase from Oral Roberts University, who lost horribly to Pitt (yes!) on Thursday in the NCAA tournament. "Expect a Miracle". If I qualify, it won't quite be a miracle but it will definitely be a little amazing. But I'm in the business of amazement.

Oh, Where...Oh, Where....

Have I been?

Let's see. Skating. A lot. And all over. Yes, this is a running blog. And yes, I'm preparing for a marathon that I will run in 6 1/2 weeks. But March has come in like a lion and continued to roar for me.

Officiating has taken the forefront for the past three weeks. March is usually a bit crazy but this has been really crazy. After not working on March 1 (the date of my last post and you can read what fun I had the night before), I began a string of five consecutive nights on the ice. I got the 7th of March off and then worked four more in a row. After a two day break I spent this past weekend in Indianapolis working six games in three days for the Mid-Am Districts. I finally completed my string of nightmare by going to Pittsburgh last night and worked the AA Penguin Cup Championship game between Latrobe and Franklin Regional (a 3-2 OT win for Latrobe).

Needless to say I've been extremely stretched to the limits of my abilities and fatigue has been a major factor. I have questioned my health, but write it off as simply insanity times ten and I just need time off. Time off is what I have taken. Because of multiple game tournaments I have not had either speedwork or long runs the past couple of weekends in preparing for my marathon. I remember now why I said I wouldn't do a spring marathon again. I have thought about backing out, but with 6 1/2 weeks to go I will not make that decision until I see how training rebounds over the next two weeks. I am scheduled for the state championship on 3/29, but do not lace up skates until then. Now I should be able to focus for the next ten days and gauge where I am physically. If I am not up to par, I will make a tough decision on April 1. But until then, I press on.

Since I like to have fun with numbers. A quick summary of the first 18 days of March, 2008:

• worked 13 of 17 nights (March 2 through March 18)
• 20 games in those 13 nights
• 9 different rinks

No wonder I'm tired. Also posting a pic or two from Indianapolis. Overall, a fun trip and would do it again.

Coffee Anyone?

After yesterday I am glad that Leap Year comes only once every four years. Asked to work Game 1 of the College Hockey East Championship Series at Airport Ice Arena in Coraopolis, PA (out by Pittsburgh International Airport...duh) I reluctantly agreed to go. I have issues saying no when asked to do hockey games, but that's another topic for another day. So why the pic of the Dunkin Donuts? I left work at 3:30 p.m. yesterday to leave plenty of time to make it to the Airport for the 7:30 p.m. game. With college games you have to be ready to go on the ice 45 minutes prior to the start time so I needed to be there by 6:30 p.m. at the latest. With an oncoming snowstorm (which will forever be known to me as the 2008 Leap Day Snowstorm), I figured three hours was plenty of time.

With speeds going down as low as 35 mph on the PA Turnpike it was slow going. Driving right into the heart of the storm I figured traffic wouldn't be an issue once I got to the Parkway, but I knew I'd have to battle outgoing traffic through the Fort Pitt Tunnels and down 279 South. Still, I slowly made my way to the Parkway where traffic was backed up as if there were a Steelers or Penguins home game (notice I didn't mention the Pirates). Crawling through the first set of tunnels, I thought I would have plenty of time to get to the Motel 6 by the rink to check in (got a cheap rate on Orbitz for 39 bucks) and get to the rink. Luckily as I got to within about 200 yards of the turnoff to go over the Fort Pitt Bridge and through the tunnels into snarled Friday afternoon traffic my cell phone rang. It ws the CHE Commissioner notifying me that he reluctantly was canceling the game.

Angry? Sure. But I suppose a couple of years ago I would have been livid. I understood having just traveled through hell. And I actually felt fortunate that I got the call "just in time". Had I made the left, I would have had to battle the traffic and then find a way to get turned around. As it was I was able to head over to the North Shore and formulate a plan. Having spoken with Becky about an hour earlier her report to me was that from Blairsville home was a nightmare. I had taken 2 hours and 25 minutes to travel what normally would have taken me 1 hour 15 minutes so I knew I had a tough call. But first, call Motel 6. They understood and canceled my reservation.

I figured I'd drive out of the city and head to an outlying area (Murrysville, Delmont) to a Holiday Inn Express or Days Inn to shore up for the night. But the snow continued to fall and the traffic I saw on the way in made me less than ecstatic to head back out of town. So I reluctantly went over to the Springhill Suites next door to PNC Park where I have stayed before and am a Marriott Rewards member. Between that and my AAA I got a decent rate and spent the night in downtown Pittsburgh to avoid any further nightmare.

Waking this morning I headed out in much better weather and 1000% better road conditions. Loving Dunkin Donuts (my new favorite with Sheetz a close second), I stopped in Murrysville and picked up another needed pound of coffee. Over Christmas I saw the mugs as well and have been wanting to get one. Bottom line, I went to Pittsburgh in a snowstorm for coffee and a mug. That and I suppose a few tax breaks on next year's taxes. Perhaps I'll get reimbursed for some of my expenses and possibly even some hazard pay for the game. Time will tell.

Oh, and the adventure was not over when I arrived back home at 10:30 this morning. With most of the 6 inches that fell in the Pittsburgh area nearly gone by this morning, I drove home to the following 1 foot plus of snow that fell back here. The pics are AFTER I shoveled out the sidewalks. Becky did a great job of setting me up and handled it last night so a big thanks to her. Still, several additional inches fell overnight and made my arrival home a treat.