Catching Up

Happy New Year!
My last post was in mid December while I was recovering from my torn calf muscle.  I was able to close 2010 out with my first post injury run on December 30th.  I started back with 2 mile runs the first week, upping my mileage by a mile each week for the first 4 weeks.  I ran 4 days every week for the first 4 weeks.  Cold weather and back pain hit and my weekly run total dropped to twice a week.  I have made it to 6 miles on a single run.  Back pain at bay now and warmer weather, I will attempt to run an easy 10 miles tomorrow at Huntsville State Park. This will be my first run in Huntsville since early September.  I signed up for the Austin 1/2 marathon February 20th before my injury last year.  This will be a slow run/walk race for me.

Lottery Luck
I was notified in December that my lottery entry into the NYC 1/2 marathon on March 20th was successful.  My lottery luck continued this month as I was informed that my application to take part in the 2011 Bupa Great North Run via the general ballot was successful. So September 18th I will be running my first international event in Newcastle Upon Tynes, England.  This will be my first trip to England. 

I learned of the Great North Run in October last year on a flight from New Orleans to Houston after running the Jazz Half Marathon.  The guy sitting next to me in the plane was returning to England after a vacation in New Orleans.  I had my race shirt on and we got to talking about running and he told me about this half marathon in northern England with 54,000 runners.  I looked it up online when I got home and made a note to enter the general ballot when the application window opened.  With over 100,000 applicants and some (not sure how many but quite a few I believe) of the 54,000 slots going to charity fundraisers and other specific lotteries I didn't think my chances of getting in were very good.  But I'm in so am now planning a fall trip to England.  At least the language barrier should be manageable.

Two lotteries and I'm out big bucks.  I think I need to try PowerBall to actually win a lottery and have money coming in!!!!!!