Cha-ch-ch-Changes!

200!

Thats the number of days until the marathon...haven't decided if I want a countdown just yet, but just seeing that nice round number is pretty cool. It says "wow, you've got less than two thirds of a year left!" and "its still pretty far off, better keep things slow and steady" at the same time -- good to plan by.

Last week I did wind up running every day except Sunday for the 33 minutes i had hoped to, but it started to hurt. I went up both in frequency and time thinking it was still a reasonable thing to do, but already I'm starting to see the signs that could lead to injury if they aren't given enough attention.

By Wednesday or Thursday I experienced some discomfort in the arch on my left foot, and immediately switched to slower running in the grass and mulchy areas of the road and trails. It got me through the runs alright, but I really need to be careful about stretching my feet pre-and-post run and not going too fast when I do. Never having experience in cross country or track shows itself pretty quick once you get into semi-decent mileage I guess.

So, with my physical durability in mind, I've decided to cut back a bit this week while still progressing forward. I took Sunday and Monday off to recuperate from the long week, then ran yesterday and this afternoon for 36 minutes; a new high. Tomorrow I will take off just to make sure I don't overdo it going three days straight.

Down the road, 3 to 6 days in a row will be a requirement in training. But, it's still early, and as funny as it sounds, I'm still learning how to run. Almost anyone can pick up and knock out a few miles right off the couch, but there really is a certain technique to consistently running at high mileages non-runners like me (hopefully not for long!) don't quite understand.

The next run should be Friday for another 36 min. and again on Saturday before moving on to 39 next week. I think my April end goal is to be able to run for 45 minutes at least 3 days out of the week with little to no heavy breathing and no injuries. (Since April ends on a Wednesday, we'll amend the 3 per week goal to include May 3rd too)

Lots of other stuff has been going on as well. Kansas broke my heart for the 2nd time in the 2007-08 Collegiate sporting season, I got to see a bunch of good friends new and old at my fraternity's annual Alumni banquet this past weekend, and just recently embarked on an attempt to budget my monthly earnings and expenses for my first move!

Details to follow as I continue to learn...

P&L,
B.Easy