The final third...

How is it already December? It’s amazing to think there are just four weeks left in 2007, and less than six weeks until the run. As expected, road tripping cut into my running last week, although I think the few days of rest was probably a good break for my body.

I did exceed my long run goal last week, and completed an 8.5 mile run. My pace was 8:46, leaving me just under 75 minutes. The run felt pretty good, although the last half mile or so I really started to feel it in my knee. Last year I made it through all of training without much knee issue, but in the past my knees have sidelined me several times. I’m hoping the days off while we trudged across the country prove to be just what the doctor ordered. I had considered trying to get out for a run while on the trip, but mother nature said otherwise…and sometimes I realize ambition needs to meet sensibility.

Upon my return to AZ tomorrow night I’ll be getting right back into my running, as I wind my way through the last third of my training. My schedule sets me to run a maximum long run of 10 miles before the race, which is just a mile and a half further than last week. It makes it seem a little less daunting when I think of it that way. I’ve put myself a half mile ahead of my schedule over the past several weeks. I’m not sure if I’ll use that to get a longer long run in, or have an extra week of tapering at the end. It’s getting pretty exciting each week as my long run climbs and I get closer to the race and meeting my long term goals.

Week 12 Summary: 8 mile long run, no distance goal. I ran 8.5 miles in 1:14:38. I only got in one other run before leaving town which left me with a total weekly distance of 14.75 miles.

Week 13 Goal: Because I won’t have the opportunity to get out for a run until Wednesday, I’m only expecting to have three runs this week. My long run goal is 9 miles. My distance goal is 20 miles.