Training is Going Well!

Despite the heat, my training is going really well. I am feeling fit and handling the mileage nicely. I have already run 58 miles for the past 4 days and am probably going to be around 100 or more miles this week(a record high for me). On Monday, I ran 10 miles starting from Swains Lock working down towards Old Anglers Inn and back around the dirt road loop I usually run. Tuesday morning I ran with the Sunrays for about 8 miles in Needwood. We actually ran around a lake which was next to Lake Needwood(a new run!) that had some pretty nice trails going around it and that I will have to explore more of on my own. Tuesday afternoon it was scorching hot and I ran 6.5 miles at the canal-just trying to get through another run. Wednesday morning I ran only 3.5 to get in a shakeout run at 8AM but it was already brutal out. Disgusting weather. But it does toughen me up, and I think I have been handling the heat well. Wednesday afternoon I drove out to Duel Ferries and did One Loop and added on a little after to make it 11. I started around 6:30 and finished around 7:45 and the shade really made a difference(10 degrees I would say). The gradual cooling of the evening always psychologically is nice in my opinion. I find that in the evening runs I feel better towards the end whereas the morning runs I just gradually feel worse as it gets hotter. After the run Wed evening I didn't feel that great and hydrated a lot(which felt better). Thursday morning I ran 7 miles with the Sunrays and felt OK. In the evening I met Lucinda at Old Anglers Inn and we did a nice loop of 10 miles before adding on afterwards to make it around 12 miles total. We started on the Canal heading South and ran for about 5 before crossing a bridge that led to MacArthur Blvd and back. It was a pretty nice run and I felt good in the later miles as we picked up the pace a bit. Luci is definitely getting strong as I think she will run a very good debut Marathon this fall. I will do a pretty good long run this Saturday and try to run it moderately fast. Overall, feeling fit, and happy with where my training is right now. The one "race" I will actually semi-race this summer will be the Rockville Twilighter but it certainly isn't a concentration. After that the slate is blank between then and Chicago in Oct. I really may not do any other races until Chicago(not even a half as of right now)....which is good since I like to race a lot. If I do a half it will be a "training run" and not a race. But you gotta tame the horse. I feel like I am doing a good job taming thus far, but at the same time getting very fit! All I know is I'm feeling good.