Runnin' Runnin' Run Runnin' Runnin'

Keeping the Mileage:

I am very excited. I feel like I have come up a level in my running experience. I have been running for a year and 3 months and have learned a lot. I really feel like a runner now. My legs are confident, and I am more in tune with my body and what it needs to maintain mileage.

My goal after the marathon was to maintain my mileage. Besides the two weeks of light mileage after the marathon, I have averaged about 20-25 miles a week. This is comfortable to me with a max at 30. It will keep me in half-marathon shape at all times and allow me to work on speed and increasing the consecutive running days. I have pretty much gone with every-other-day philosophy, but after this marathon I feel like my legs have moved to a new level and can handle more consecutive days of running. I plan to stick with one long run of 10-15 miles, a speed workout, and a tempo run, and two easy runs per week of 4-6 miles.

READING ABOUT RUNNING:

One thing that I wanted to improve this year was making time to read. I enjoy reading but have not made it a consistent habit since I graduated from college in 2001 (kinda was burnt out on the reading). I feel blessed to have running, and I am doubly blessed because it has brought about a passion for reading as well. I have read many training books this year and am now reading biographical running books. It's fun to have a purpose in reading.

I just finished Bart Yasso's book, My Life on the Run. It is wonderful, inspiring, and hilarious. I looked forward to reading it every night and highly recommend it. It just reminds me that life is what you make of it. Nothing if off-limits, and you can achieve your goals at any age.

I decided today to renew my subscription to Runner's World. My buddy Kim had given me the subscription for Christmas. I typically will devour the magazine in one night. Even though, the magazine is just a highlight to the awesome website and not too deep into running philosophy, it is helpful and a positive alternative to the news or gossip magazines. I have also gotten many quick exercise tips.

I have a subscription to Marathon and Beyond. Talk about about tales of running. This magazine highlights heroes of running (or crazy ultra-runners) who have gone way beyond the norm. It is very deep and written more in a journal style. I like it, but I do not plan to do an ultra any time soon....KIM P.