On the 'Mill

Getting back on the treadmill after not having used one for a long time felt to me like crawling back to an old friend after having deserted them for something bigger and better (in this case, the outdoors!). Good thing inademate objects are so understanding! After a few easy minutes, I gave the treadmill much love by ramping up the speed to my planned marathon pace and clipped away for 4 miles. I slowed things down for a mile or so and then finished with some treadmill strides at about 6-minute pace. I hope to have a good chili-bowl 5K next weekend and will need to squeeze in a few speedwork sessions in the meantime.

I'm really leaning towards running the Cleveland Marathon this spring. I ran the last 10 miles of it last year with a friend and feel it a good course to PR on (assuming no gail force winds at the end). Plus, it'll be a lot easier for my family and friends to come cheer me on. I'm going to focus on both the quality and quantity of my training runs from now until then. The FIRST program is big on the quality of each run whereas other traditional programs are more about the quantity (i.e. just getting the miles in). I'm going to blend the two together and see what happens. My mileage buildup might look similar to the chart below.

Too Cold to Run!!

I wish I could think of a way to describe how cold it's been of late. My dogs can attest to the bone-chilling temps as they have been reluctant to step outside for more than 30 seconds. Who can blame them? I've decided to run indoors (treadmill) until the temps get above 20-25°F. Two years ago while preparing for Boston, I practically did the entire training program on a treadmill (including the 20-milers). I don't remember it being too bad except for how hot it can get without proper circulation. Plus, it's so much easier to test food and fluid consumption while on a treadmill. I tend to feel like a lab rat trying all these different concoctions! 2 parts gatorade to 1 part water, 1 part GU to 2 parts water, 3 parts water to 1 part sweat (Yuck!).