Pheidippides

Tradition, or lore, tells us that an Athenian messenger was sent to Sparta to request help for the Athenians who were gearing up to wage war against the Persian invaders, who were landing at Marathon, Greece. So Pheidippides set out on a 2 day trek, that had him run 150 miles from Marathon to Sparta and back to Marathon. The next day he ran from Marathon to Athens, to spread the news that the Persians were defeated (I guess they didn't need the Spartans, after all.) The distance from Marathon to Athens was 26 miles.

The current official marathon distance of 26 miles, 385 yards was established purely by accident at the 1908 Olympics in London. The course was originally laid out to be 26 miles long from Windsor Castle to the finish line in the stadium. However, it was then decided to add 385 yards so that the race would finish at the royal box. In 1924, Olympic officials formally adopted the distance as official.

Week 4 Review: 35.52 Miles - 5 hours - 28 minutes - 9:15min/mi average pace - 4,810 calories

This was the week of the Stones River Battlefield and Murfreesboro Greenway runs. Running inside the park or on the Greenway for me is AWESOME. I don't mind running on the roads, but in the park or GW, I don't worry anything about cars or traffic. Lots of deer and wild turkeys are always around in the park, and it's just the right distance (6 miles or so.)

On Saturday, the girls an I, got up early and went out and volunteered for the Run Chickn Run 10k. We all had a good time watching the runners. The girls manned (girled) a water-station and I stood beside a barrier to a service road leading out of the Gateway park. I mostly just was a cheerleader and offered encouragement to the many types of runners that participated. Some really fast guys and gals, and lots of everyday runners, who looked like they were having a good time.

As far as the training goes. My hip is doing much, much better. The cortisone shot has worked it's MAGIC on my bursa, but there is still a lot of tightness in my IT Band. Also, my lower quads are killing me. On my long run from Sunday, they hurt the entire time I was going, all 12.75 miles. My quads have never hurt like this, even when I was doing the bike the last few weeks. I'm thinking they are probably compensating for my bad IT Band, and possibly contracting when they should be resting.

I really though my fitness had not suffered, but the Sunday long run was very hard. I was really aiming for a 1:45 to 1:50 Murfreesboro Half Marathon in 3 weeks, but that does not seem do-able now. Not even sure about a 2 hour finish, which before my injury would have been easy to do, with energy left in "the tank."

As a matter of fact, I felt a little like Pheidippides upon announcing that Persia was defeated at Marathon.

He died.