Timberman #1031 DNS

I'd be lying if I said Timberman wasn't on my mind this weekend. This would have been vacation/travel week.
I didn't take my $75 rebate by pulling my name out back on June 30th. I kept wondering if I would change my mind, or find some way to actually get up there in time to do this race. As it turns out, I'm fine with not racing next weekend. My bike and swim mileage was better when I was training for my Olympic distance races back in May/June. Sure, if I knew I was going to Timberman, I would have made sure I put the time in but it's just been an odd summer of training for both Genine and I. I'm definitely not in race mode.
All the 90 degree days certainly didn't help. Yes, perhaps it would have been excellent heat training... If I were going to Kona, I would be thinking this has been the perfect summer. (by the way, last year was all rain and I'm sure I complained that I never got to test out training in the heat with salt tabs to try and manage the cramping on long events.)
Also because of the heat, I bailed on an abs challenge online. It was just too hot in the house to do 15-20 minutes of core. The problem wasn't the workout, it was that I then had to try and cool down and then get a shower before going to bed because I'd be soaked. That 15-20 minutes turned into an hour.
Also I think the pool crowd grew as a result of the high temps. People took the family over to escape the heat. There were a couple times that we went to the pool and there were people just bobbing down the lap lanes. All of them. I wonder if that was part of the reason for the new signs at the end of the lanes indicating classes, lap lane or family swim.
Anyhow, one thing is certain. Having a "goal race" in mind seems to be key to my focus. Which brings me to, marathon training.

As I mentioned in my previous post, my back revolted a bit last weekend, the result. I missed my 14 miler last Sunday and my 3s on Tuesday and Thursday. I did the 7 miler on Wednesday. My back seems better but my left hamstring and glute issue has returned. I will probably schedule a massage this week and if that doesn't help. I'll go to a chiropractor I haven't been to in awhile because it's not convenient, he's not cheap but he's really good when he's focused.
I ran my 7 mile pace run Saturday, (pace being 8:20). It was an odd run. The first 4 miles felt like it was harder than it should be to hold 8:20. Then the last 3, it was hard to slow myself to 8:20. I'll admit I spent some time thinking about Jim's half marathon last weekend. He knocked that out on a 7 min/mile pace. I haven't even come close to that on the 3-5 mile races I've done this year. Awesome.
I ran my 10 miles easy on a flat trail today. I had hoped to run it on hills but I took it easy because of the hamstring. It went well, although I am now running into chaffing issues and blisters. My zoot tri-shorts are off the list for running. Next up the 2xu, also I plan on ordering a variety of running socks and trying out this vaseline on my toes thing. I'm also back to the night splint for my left heel.
I know, it sounds like a whole mess of problems, hopefully it sounds worse than it is. Because if I'm going to miss the marathon, I want to know right now. The training schedule starts to get tough starting this week, this week is a 40 miler. I can safely say I've never run that many miles in a week before. I'm ready for it.