Training Update

Just a quick note to update my training the past 2 weeks. Overall, it's been going extremely well. I've also been on the Paleo Diet now for 18 days now and that's been great. I feel like I have more energy, stamina, and strength, and it's been showing on my runs. Here's a quick recap:

Wed, Feb. 25: 12 miles in 2:04:00. Night run on icy sidewalks. I felt pretty good most of the night, but started to fade at about 10 miles. No water or food on this one and my

Sun, Mar. 1: 16 miles in 2:42:00. My right calf/achilles/peronal was extremely tight and sore from getting thrashed a week earlier at The Murph on really icy and rugged trails for over 4 hours. Nonetheless, I maintained a decent pace, running from my house out to The Murph, doing a 2-mile loop there, and then returning home.

Tues, Mar. 3: Primal Challenge - 20 minutes of full squats. I did 386 on my first attempt. Not too bad for a newbie! My legs were just shaking at the end of this and were sore for about 3 days. This is a much more efficient way to strengthen your legs than hillwork. Of course, I'm not going to stop running hills, but this challenge really kicks some ass.

Thurs, Mar. 5: 10 miles at night. Finally, some decent conditions. I felt really smooth and strong. The right leg problem is long gone!

Sunday, Mar. 8: 10 laps at Lake Harriet. Wow, what can I say. I intended to just make this a slow and easy run, but I felt so strong! I got a "Keep it going!" from a runner who noticed I was out there for quite some time. I came through 20 miles at 3:12:00 with absolutely no effort at all. I started to cramp up in my calves and hammies around 22 miles due to dehydration (gotta get better with the Nathan hydration pack). Instead of digging myself in a hole, I walked for 15 minutes, rehydrated, refueled, and ran very strong the last 3 miles to a 4:21:00 marathon finish. I capped off the day with a nice 2 mile cooldown. Strangest thing was after the run I still had a ton of energy and absolutely no stiffness or soreness!! And that was run completely on paved paths!! Great way to finish the week.

Overall, I'm really pleased with my training lately. I've not run any distance less than 10 miles and my pace is starting to pick up, not that I'm concerned about running fast times this year. My goal is to finish 100 miles, so speed is not a top priority. Most importantly, my stamina and recovery seem better than ever. I can't explain it, but perhaps it's the training and possibly some of the new diet. Whatever it is, I'm going to keep on doing what I'm doing because it's working!!