Its funny the difference a day makes .. just yesterday I was complaining of knee pain and a day later its not even an issue. Not to say that it won’t reappear again in the next few days, but I would have thought that after 11.2 miles at an 8:00/mile would bring out the soreness again. The course today that I ran was pretty hilly as well and it was really humid when I went out. It rained pretty hard over night, along with thunderstorms, so I thought the humidity would have dropped, but it actually was so warm, I shed my shirt for the first time this year. I’m not one who likes to run around town without a shirt on, but i’m at a point where staying cool is a little more important. I also don’t really know anybody around here either, so i don’t have much to worry about.

I have to make a confession that I have basically abandoned the Wii Active for now .. I was pretty faithful for awhile there, but just lost interest. I shouldn’t say I lost interest, but during the summer months, its so much better to get out and actually do something outside instead of just doing the Wii .. not to say I won’t go back to it, but for now it seems to be off my plan.

So i’m halfway through training for the first fall marathon, and as I look back, I think its been a pretty successful stretch so far. I do think you have to look back at how far you’ve come when you train as long as I do, it reminds me of the hard work i’ve done but reminds me there is more to do yet … so lets note my accomplishments so far:

• added 15 more miles per week average
• upped my long run from 14 miles to 20+ miles
• increased my tempo run from 8:40/mile to 8:00/mile
• Added speed work 800m/3:35 and actually kept it up, it might actually be getting easier

Enough patting myself on the back, lets list out what I need to work on:

• lose some more weight, it’ll make me faster. I’m still at 197/198
• run a better 20 miler
• increase my speed work (number of 800’s I do)
• Begin mental prep for the fall season

I don’t think its too much to expect of myself, at this point i’m feeling pretty good, so only good things can come out of it.

So I expect to cut the miles back starting next week when we goto the beach, just because its hard to get a lot of miles in while vacationing (plus I don’t want to abandon my family, although they understand my addiction to running). The best part of running in Wildwood is the flashback I get of when I run the Ocean Drive 10-miler, and remembering how COLD it is, and just brutal the weather is .. and then comparing it to now…

Anyway, enough is enough, gotta get ready for the morning run … it’ll be here before I know it!