Confidence

With six weeks to go from tomorrow, I finally found something I've been missing for the last four weeks. Confidence.
I didn't realize how important it was to have a completely solid long run until I had one. On the heels of a successful 18.6 mile run a week and a half ago, I find myself thinking about my running differently. It's not about can I finish 16 or 18; it's about what should I run and how should I pace it. It's not about being nervous about an upcoming 20; it's about whether I'll be able to do some strides in the last mile of that run. It's all about confidence.

That said, the last few weeks haven't been without challenges. Some observations from the training (and fundraising) trail.

10. What a day for fundraising! On the heels of my latest email update, I raised about $800 in the last 24 hours. Wow! Just when I thought I couldn't be more amazed at my friends and family's generosity, I have a day like today. Thanks all!

9. Strangely, as resistant as I was to switch from shorts to runners tights (or whatever you call them) when the temps started dropping last fall, I find myself bizarrely reluctant to make the switch back to shorts now that spring is near.

8. Colds suck. Luckily, mine hit hardest on my first scheduled off day in a week. Unfortunately, that became three days off as the cold knocked me out.

7. Still, better to get the cold now, then a week before the marathon.

6. After an easy 10 mile run today, I was feeling a bit guilty for not running more -- so I jumped on the exercise bike for six miles at the end. It was like a biathlon -- except without the cross country skiing and the shooting.

5. And now for the hard stuff. Next three weeks will include two 20-mile runs sandwiching a 14-miler with my friend John on the Newton Hills. After that, it will be April and time to taper down and get the body rested and ready for the 19th.

4. The Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge singlets arrived. They are, in a word: Bright. And in another word: Cool.

3. I still think four hours may be a bit beyond my reach, but I'm not ruling it out.

2.  So my plan has been to keep the left foot rested by running only on the weekends, with the weekday workouts being restricted to arc strider workouts. Is it working? Well, I was a bit annoyed the other night when I was about 10 minutes into my arc strider workout and my foot started hurting. Damn, I thought. Until I realized... it was my RIGHT foot that hurt.  Nothing serious at all.

1. Oh, and the left foot? Fine, thank you.

Happy running!