Let the beards begin.

This coming weekend is January 1st. 2011. Yeah it's the new year and no I am not going to go into new years resolutions. I don't do them. But what this Janurary 1st is for me is technically the first day of training for Pine to Palm 100 mile race next September. Everything in my running will point towards this race.
As an outward commitment to this task I will no longer be shaving my face. That's right, from this Saturday until next September. Do I look forward to this? Nope. But I am not alone as misery loves company. Derek is also not shaving. No, not a beard for him. Just a mustache! I personally think that is worse but he looks good with a mustache. I on the other hand do not. I have never grown a full on beard my whole life. So I look at this as an opportunity to grow one for the first time and probably the last.
I know it seems silly but there is something primal about not shaving. In order to win Pine to Palm 100 I am going to need every bit of animal that still beats deep inside of my soul. I mean really we all have an animal in us. It has been stilled by the modern way. But if you push hard enough, consistently looking it is still found in all of us.
So to recap the last day or two. I ran two days in a row. Once on trail and once on road. Proved too much for my achilles tendon. It's not fully injured again but its more tender than before. So I have found for now I can run slowly for about 5 to 7 miles at most every other day. I will take that. Hopefully as the coming weeks pass this will begin to unfold into every day easy then every day as hard as I want.
I am still lifting weights pretty much 6 days a week. I did so this am. I hope to post up some videos of what I do in the gym but normally am so short on time while there I don't have a moment to tape anything. I promise I will eventually get some video. I will be at the gym this evening. Changing things up a little. Doing 40 minutes on the stair climber. Running on it when my achilles allows. I am up to 4 minutes running in a 50 minute session. Then I will switch to elliptical for 10 minutes. Elliptical is more like running than the stair climber. I am finding when I do run my calves are sore at the lower section of muscle. Apparently I do not use this part of the muscle while stair climbing but DO when on the elliptical.
To celebrate the coming years racing goal Derek is making his way down for a 5 to 7 mile trail run. I am leading a group of about 5 or 6 then having homemade brownies and coffee at the end for some good community with other great running people.
Cheers all,
Jess