So its the start of the last week of racing for the season … I hope to appear for the 98th annual Run for the Diamonds in Berwick on Thanksgiving morning. The reason I say that I hope is because I feel a slight bit of pain in my right hammy after my run today. I cut todays run a little short from 10 miles to 8 miles because of the snow and cold (yep, I said it, SNOW!) I’m thankful my training is over and feel I can easily get through the Diamond run without having a distance run this weekend, I’m just too tired.

I think my hammy is bothering me because for some reason i’ve really been hitting the runs this weekend, running an almost 8 minute mile over the whole distance. Its good, but its also bad .. I hope I didn’t hurt myself, although if I did, now is the time for it to happen, at the end of the season.

So the title of this post if ‘time to consider the off-season’, well, I am planning on 5 weeks of recovery to let my body heal a little bit since I’ve worked it so hard in the last 6 months. That doesn’t mean we don’t do anything, we just ramp the miles back a little bit and add some cross-training. I’m hoping to get into a swim class if I have enough guys to get into one (like I said i have), but also include some elliptical and bike riding to change things up a bit. I want to work some weights on my legs, along with working on my core strength again. The important thing is to keep the weight off. I worked hard to get down my weight and don’t want to put it back on … After those 5 weeks, I intend to base-build for another 4 weeks in prep to start training again during the first week of February .. that’ll mean my first 20 miler won’t be until mid to late March, which is much better than last year (remember trying to get 20 miles in during the SNOW????)

As for racing next year, I have to rethink what my plan might be … I may still do NJ regardless of what i’ve heard. I have to remember to take each opinion with a grain of salt, and until I see it for myself, Its not fair to not do something… I was considering running the Flying Pig in Cincinnati that same weekend, but I’d have to fly there since its a 9+ hour drive from where i’m at .. so that makes the cost a little higher (we’re talking about $350 for a flight, plus 2 nights in a hotel, we’re up to $600 or so). We’ll have to think about it ..

Anyway, we’re back in the gym now .. hitting the treadmill. I have to heal my ear infection and my body and get a change of pace as we head into recovery time. I have to adjust my schedule a bit, but I can do it.