Back to a Starting Point

It's May. My spring season is past. Time to get back to a starting point. Last week was a recovery week(much needed) so I only got in 31 miles last week. I was pretty shot after the spring racing season but am happy with the level I have gotten to as a runner. I am now ready for a new starting point to aim for the next level.

For me, a big thing about running has been about constantly getting to new levels. As I keep getting faster, I only look ahead on what I can do next. I get excited. It's exhilarating, this sport. For me, it's about pushing my limits to see what I am fully capable of. You can compare yourself to other runners-faster or not, but in the end it's the most rewarding to push past your own limitations. There is nothing more satisfying than running a new personal best.

I ran 12 miles today at the Capital Crescent Trail around 4:30 after work. I started off slow and comfortable and ran to the towpath and proceeded until turning around and coming back faster. I ran faster the way back(42min out/38 min back) and felt pretty damn awesome. No question I am fit. But now is a good time to start raising the mileage again. I want to run some high miles this summer, and really need to if I ultimately want to run a good marathon. My mileage just hasn't been high enough to run what I want to in the 26.2. Certainly, I was averaging 70mpw for a while, which was great for 10K-13.1 training. I think one of the biggest things I learned from this Spring is that being in shape for 26.2 is a lot different than being in shape for 10k/13.1. So I am aiming for that higher mileage, but at the same time to not overtrain. May is a non-racing month-and most of the summer is going to be just training with a few short races thrown in for good workouts. Feeling more fresh this week!