Vegans

Dan, Just out of curiosity: How did your third marathon training cycle feel compared to your first two, now that you've been a vegan for at least a year (as far as I know)? How do you feel energy-wise? Have you lost any muscle? How much do you eat; what do you eat?

Admittedly, I'm struggling as a vegan. It's not that I crave animal foods; it's a matter of consuming enough and the right combination of plant foods. I'm down to 142 pounds. When I was running 40-mile weeks, my average weight was at least 5 pounds heavier. I became a vegan about two-thirds of the way through that training for the 2007 Hartford Marathon.

Let's talk about this.

Dogs

I was chased by a large German Shepard this afternoon. It was going after a UPS truck and then went after me as the truck passed me. I stopped running and confronted the dog as I figured it would just keep chasing and most likely outrun me (I didn't get a pair of the Nike Free's yet). It started coming at me and I lunged at it and waived my arms, and it backed off some. The owner (female) was yelling for the dog to come back, and the dog wasn't listening. I yelled at the dog a couple times and it backed off a bit more. Then the owner (male) came out and gave one yell to the dog and it went running back. Two lessons learned:

1.) Confront the dog if you get the chance
2.) Both man and wife should be involved in training and disciplining the family dog

Tough Long Run

I did my last long run today before the marathon in Jan. The last 5 miles might have been the most unpleasant running experience I've ever had. I was soaked with sweat and melted snow and then the temperature quickly dropped and the wind picked up. My hair and beard froze instantly and my clothes were like cardboard. At around mile 18 I took refuge in the parking garage and did loops in there for about 10 mins and then headed back toward the car.

I ran around UConn as that is the only place that has sidewalks around here. I figured it would not be wise to be running around on snowy roads with no sidewalks. For the most part all the sidewalks and roads had been plowed at least once, and the plow guys were patient and courteous. Probably because they are getting paid by the hour.

For traction I put a couple screws into the bottom of each shoe. I got the idea from this guy: www.skyrunner.com/screwshoe.htm. It worked pretty well, especially going down hill and in areas with a light snow/ice cover. In deep snow and going uphill I still had a hard time getting traction, but I think it would be better with more screws, particularly in the toe area.

To add insult to injury, upon getting home and looking forward to a nice hot shower I discovered my water is not working. And it still isn't.

Kara Goucher to Run Boston

She joins previously announced Ryan Hall as part of the John Hancock Elite Team at the 113th Boston Marathon on April 20. Goucher, whose public profile and media presence have been raised significantly since she won a bronze medal in the 10,000-meter race at the 2007 World Championships, was a 2008 Olympian in the 5000 and 10,000 and then had great success with her 26.2-mile debut at the ING New York City Marathon on November 2. Goucher's third-place 2:25:53 is the fastest American women's marathon debut in history, the fastest time by an American woman in the New York City, and the best time by an American in 2008. She's already the third-fastest U.S. woman of all time in the marathon, behind Deena Kastor and Joan Benoit Samuelson. “I could not be more excited to participate in the 2009 Boston Marathon on the John Hancock Elite Team,” says Goucher. “As an American, Boston is an incredible opportunity to run a major marathon. The race has a history like no other and its legacy spans generations. I am so thankful to continue my journey toward my goal of becoming the best runner in the world here in the United States.” Goucher is coached by Alberto Salazar, who won a legendary duel with Dick Beardsley in Boston in 1982. “Coach Salazar will guide me to be ready to tackle the course, and the infamous Heartbreak Hill,” states Goucher. The last American woman to win the Boston Marathon was Lisa Larsen Weidenbach (now Rainsberger) in 1985.

I'm back after a short hiatus

I had the three stitches removed from my foot today. My doc gave me the green light to resume activity. We talked about running shoes. He told me not to obsess about shoes and that, because my biomechanics are good, I should consider less shoe. I purchased a pair of Nike Free 3.0, the least supportive of the product line, and ran in them today. No aches, no pains.

Cost of Healthcare

I spent some time reviewing the insurance claims for my two surgeries. Here are the totals:

Surgery to reconstruct spring ligament: $16,165.50

Surgery to remove hardware: $9,419.57

These totals do not reflect the initial visit to Dr. Jokl's office, numerous visits to Dr. Reach's office and physical therapy following my first surgery.

I had this removed from my foot this morning:

There was a question as to whether the surgery would go forward this morning, as I have a slight cold. I received a general anesthetic (i.e., knocked the eff out), and I think that an oxygen tube was used (hot doctor said might be necessary due to cold. anything you say!), because my mouth is ripped up. The surgery was successful. Yet again, I have no pain (albeit, surgeon used a nerve block, again) with prescriptions for enough Oxycontin and Oxycodone to numb the population of a small country. I'll be back on the road in no time. Look out Boston. Peace out.