back at it again in Colorado Springs

Well, I’m back where I started training in October of last year. I’ve been away for about 3 months racing and trying to get use to being back on the track in meets. 

I’ve been trying to find a place this past week which has been kind of stressful.  I’ve already started to train moderately and tomorrow it will get tough again.  I will run 60 x 100m with 15 sec rest between each one, 4 minutes rest between each set of 10.  I will be hitting them in 15-16 pace, although I’ll try to go faster. Doesn’t seem real fast, but at altitude with short rest, by the third set you are looking to see how close the trash can is, just in case you need to go barf.  I’m super sore as I lifted weights last night on my legs for the first time in two months. I was racing way too much to be able to lift and then go race, so I stopped. I did plenty of lifting in the fall and winter.  Now, I start back up again and everything is hurting (just for the time being). 

It snowed yesterday and I did a tempo run in it…thought I was going to die after two miles, but tomorrow it will be 60 degrees…go figure.  Training here has got me looking at the weather channel everyday. 

I will contact Coach Brooks today and talk to him about this coming season. I’m really hoping to use the Olympic Training Center’s sports medicine while I’m here.   I understand many runners are in Chula Vista, but I’m here in the Springs and I like it..for now, so I want to be able to use what is available.  I’m waiting to hear back from Duffy Mahoney (I called him on Wednesday and have yet heard from him and I know they are back from Worlds now).  I’ve heard a lot of bad things about the management of USATF and I hope that I will not be encountering it because I’m quite vocal.  I’ve already been through hell and I’m back and won’t be going anyway anytime soon.   People should be nice to me, but I’m totally prepared for them NOT to be.  Either way, it will not deter me from what I’m getting ready to do.

On a great note, I called the photographer friend of mine who shot the pictures for the cover of my new book. I had not been able to get a hold of him since the summer of last year.  I had a feeling he was not well and I was right. Thankfully he is recovered and is feeling better. He mentioned something funny about having illness and it becoming a tool that prepares you for the next step in life. He said he wasn’t ready for the success and from being ill, he feels like his journey/life/attitude/etc. has made it possible for him to accept it.  Needless to say, he’s an amazing photographer and I think those pictures we took are going to be AWESOME!