40 and Loving It!

I finished 40 miles this week! I had a week of highs and lows, but finished strong. Last Sunday, I did 10 miles with an average of 7:45 minute per mile pace. Then, Monday I got up and really struggled with my knee (and my attitude). I went to physical therapy on Tuesday and got it electrocuted again. My PT hooked me up and then went to consult with the PA about me. She talked with me and decided that I needed a steroid shot to help with the inflammation. So, I went back Wednesday to get my shot. Well, it is a good thing she didn't tell me the day before that the shot was actually two shots, one in the butt and one in my quad! You can imagine the one in my leg was really bad. That said, what a difference! I ran 8 miles that day and then did 10 on Friday (yesterday). Today I did another 11 with Shelley. I can feel my knee a bit and this afternoon I will be sure to ice it and stretch, but the difference is amazing. I do like running every other day and running longer. We have had beautiful weather, so it is nice to be out and taking full advantage of it. If it holds, I will follow this plan for another week. We are down to 2 weeks before Paris. I am not going to race that one. My plan is to run with Shelley and enjoy it. Two weeks later is Prague and all bets are off. I want to be able to run 7:30 miles, which has me finishing in 1:38 and that should be good enough to place in the the top 3-5 women age 40-44. I am getting nervous. I have trained hard, but I have not met all of my training goals. I wish I had more speed work under my feet. I am comfortable with the distance and I have had some great times, but my finish goals are ambitious and although a 1:38 is competitive and would have been a successful time last year, you never know who will show up this year. The fastest I have run a half-marathon was 1:42, but it was in the box of Hohenfels which is famous for the hilliest half-marathon course in Europe. I am warning you now...if you think I have been neurotic in the past, as we get closer to this race I will not be fit to live with. Pray for my family.