12 more days

We're just shy of two weeks away from race day on 4/27! It's been a bit of a rocky road for me since March. First, the good news (for me at least): a 1:55:26 at my first half marathon. That was about 5 minutes faster than my goal pace. I paid dearly for it with a bout of tendonitis in my right ankle that has kept me almost completely off of running since then. I'm hoping to get a couple 30 minute runs in before we head down to St. Anthony's. It should make things interesting on race day, to say the least, but hopefully not too painful.

In other injury news I somehow strained/partially dislocated my left side sternoclavicular joint in what my ortho described as a very freakish occurrence. I did it pushing off of the wall while swimming and felt it pop. Yes, that was pushing off of the wall with my feet, hands outstretched over my head. Guess it just rotated the wrong way. Doctor says I have some "instability" issues with my shoulders that could have contributed. That kept me out of the pool for a few weeks, but I'm back to swimming with no pain and haven't lost much in the way of swim fitness that I can tell. I'm hoping that taking 4 weeks off from running goes as well, but I'm not holding out hope.

The swim waves were announced and I'm pretty relieved to be the first non-pro group into the water at 7:05. Last year we were the last wave (9:10). Instead of passing a bunch of people on the bike this year I'll be the one getting passed. Those that don't catch me on the bike will probably do it on the run. Being done before 10:00 will sure beat being out on the run course in the heat close to noon, and I'll get to watch everybody else come in. My goal this year was to break 2:40 (I did 2:36:xx at Annapolis, but that bike was maybe a mile short. I'm not counting it in my book!). Even after my injuries I think it's still possible depending on how my bike goes and if I can keep a halfway decent pace on the run.

15 day forecast says it looks like a great day to race!!