Training complete! Here’s what I’ve done the past 2 weeks:
Week 15
Monday – 6 miles easy
Tuesday – rest
Wednesday – 5 miles easy
Thursday – 5 miles easy with strides
Friday – 12 miles LSD
Saturday – 4 miles easy
Sunday – rest
Total: 32 miles
Week 16
Monday – Mile time trial (with 1 mile each warmup and cool down)
Tuesday – rest
Wednesday – 5 miles easy
Thursday – rest
Friday – rest
Saturday – 3 miles easy
Total: 11 miles
The time trial showed considerable progress even over the last 4 weeks. The funny thing is that running calculators predict a finishing time far faster than I expect, and for a change, I’m listening to my body, my gut, and my training data more than calculators that would feed grandiose race goals (likely followed by a mid-race crash and disappointment). This in itself is great progress.
I’m still nowhere near where I was 2 years ago before stepping on the acorn that changed my life…but I’m getting stronger physically and more importantly, I’m far stronger spiritually than I was then. Even physically, it’s all about perspective. If I compare to 2 years ago, yes, I still have a ways to go to come back. But I am incredibly grateful when I look back and remember all that I’ve overcome: Asthma. Being 100 lbs overweight. Four foot surgeries. A heart murmur and malformed valve. And yet, I’m about to run my fifth marathon!
