MOMENTUM SHIFT

It would appear I am back in the game.

After months of being unable to actually pull the trigger on signing up for Trieste and Prague marathons in May, and three weeks of injury-caused non-running and recovery, "Mr. Mo" is back on my side as of the just-concluded weekend.

I committed to doing the marathons in Italy and the Czech Republic last fall, based on the assumption that I'd have enough credit card miles to earn another free ticket to London on Virgin Atlantic. This is how I work my travelling magic. I was a few thousand points short until VA so kindly sent me an email on February 1st alerting me to the fact they'd reduced the required number by 5K. Hallelujah! Tickets to LHR acquired this morning, along with tickets on Ryan Air from London to Venice. I then perused my hostel options in London and gleefully discovered my favourite YHA Hostel, St. Pancras, is only 20 quid a night. Now that's booked! Yahoo. Since wrapping up the 12/12 last December in Santa Barbara, I have needed to lock this stuff down for my own daily version of sanity. Done. Dusted.

I have not been utterly goal-less since December, however. I have paid my big bucks to run the new Los Angeles Marathon course on my birthday weekend (3/21). I am looking very much forward to doing that one and staying in the YHA Hostel in Santa Monica. This puppy's just a couple of blocks from the beach-end of the course, a few more blocks from a big 24 Hour Fitness Club that has whirlpool and saunas, and only costs about $25 a night.

I got a fright 3 weeks ago, though, when I suffered my first ever running injury while attempting 8 miles in my VFF's. Stress fractured my 3rd metatarsyl in my right foot. I was seriously concerned that recovery would not happen fast enough for me to see LA through. However, thanks to friends' suggestions that I try a Chinese herb concoction they had found to be effective, I have now been pain free for 3 days. Did a treadmill test run of 3 miles yesterday and officially declared the foot good to go. So, it looks like LA is on.

I have also been seriously considering signing up for the inaugural Oakland Marathon, just down the road a piece, the week after LA. Sadly, I am leaning now toward pulling out of that one in an effort to be kind to my foot, with races in Europe in mind. Also, the Oakland event entrance fee is over $100 now, and I'm thinking I would do better having that cash on hand, again, for Europe. Also, since Oakland is my hometown area, I can run these streets anytime I want to...for free. I know some folks will be dissappointed that I am not going to partake in all that Oakland has to offer (some serious hill work!!), but I plan on being on the sidelines and the finish for them that day. I will be springing for some congratulatory brews at Quinn's Lighthouse, people.

All in all, I'm thinking things are looking up. I am feeling good feeling good. Ready to kick up the training again (slowly but surely). Hoping to get back up to at least a 15-16 mile long run before LA...and then fully train for the back-to-backs across the Pond. Big thanks to everyone on Twitter, Daily Mile, Just Finish, and Facebook who sent me encouragement and support during the healing process. Your kind thoughts were little treasures. A special thanks also goes out to my wife. She put up with 3 weeks of "whining", she claims. Hmm. Really? Serious?

Oh, by the way. In case you missed it. By way of tooting my horn, which I am not fond of doing, a delightful article was written about my 12/12 and posted on Examiner.com. Here's the link to that. Check it out a couple of times, if you could. The writer gets paid based on hits (I think). Thanks, Mira, for your nice work. Check her other stuff out here.

Meanwhile....

Gotta run!