I ran 20 miles this morning, after having run 5 pretty fast yesterday and having done a nice interval workout with the track group on Wednesday. However, my middle back is causing me a lot of pain.

I went to the chiropractor yesterday, on a whim. My dad swears by them, but I haven't been terribly convinced thus far. My run this morning was tough on me, and when I returned home my back was in quite a bit of pain. I decided to pay a second visit in as many days to the chiropractor. I don't feel much relief at this point.

On top of that I've been very anxious all week and sleeping pretty poorly. All of the stressors are also making their presence felt in my upper back and neck. I'm really just a tense ball in my entire back. It's not a good feeling.

I'm supposed to play a soccer game tomorrow, though I'm unsure if my back is going to allow for it. I'm also supposed to travel to Vancouver for the week. I'm not sure if I'm there mentally, or physically. We'll just have to see.

In the end, though, i was able to log my 20 miles, and I'm hoping that, despite the pain and tension, I will continue to be able to complete my workouts. As strange as it may sound and seem, they are what fuels me at the moment.

I just got an email from the Race Director of the WIREFLY NATIONAL MARATHON saying:

"We wanted to make you aware that due to a cone placement error this course was inadvertently .24 miles longer than the 13.1 official distance which race officials had mapped and USATF had certified. While your Official Time remains the same for the event, we are providing an amended section to the posted results. Click below for adjusted half marathon race results.

* Adjusted male half marathon results
http://www.nationalmarathon.com/Results/2007/mens-half-marathon.asp"

My adjusted time is 1:29:21 which translates to a 6:49 pace. It doesn't say EXACTLY where the misplaced cone was, so I'm unsure if I can just subtract 1 minute and 40 seconds from my last mile (which would put it at 5:43). I'm going to try to find out.

If what I said above stands, then my times would've been:

Mile 1 - 7:58
Mile 2 - 6:56
Mile 3 - 7:04
Mile 4 - 7:08
Mile 5 - 7:08
Mile 6 - 7:07
Mile 7 - 6:44
Mile 8 - 6:46
Mile 9 - 6:41
Mile 10 - 6:28
Mile 11 - 6:32
Mile 12 - 6:21
Mile 13 - 5:43 (was 7:23)
.1 to finish - .38

Total Time: 1:29:21 (was 1:31:01)

Saturday was one hell of a day. By the end of it I could still feel the adrenaline and endorphins rushing through my body. That morning I'd gone all out at the Wirefly National (Half) Marathon. I'd set my goal a bit high at an hour and thirty-five minutes(1:35), with the slightest suspicion that I could probably clock a 1:30 if conditions were favorable for me.

When I crossed the finish line my watch, which I'd started the moment I passed the threshold of the starting line (not when the gun fired to signify the race start), read 1:31. A few friends were there to greet me and I was really happy with my performance.

I'd had a few rough weeks leading up to the race. I traveled to Japan and back, then to Los Angeles and back and finally I spent five days in Austin, Texas, at the South by Southwest Music Conference where I slept on the floor of a hotel room and altered my running schedule to fit my social and partying schedule. I returned from Texas on the Monday before the race and tried to taper to the best of my abilities. However, as this was merely a race inserted into my marathon training schedule, I wanted to ensure that I adhered to that.

The night before the race I tried to ensure that I got to bed early, but probably didn't fall asleep until sometime after 11pm. I set the alarm for twenty past five so I would have time to get up, ensure all of my things were in order, drink a cup of coffee and be out of the house by 6am. As the race was routed through the city, I had a slight worry that I may face some road closures on the way to RFK Stadium, the site of the race start.

There was a slight drizzle when I left the house which increased as I faced a traffic jam of cars all waiting in line to enter the designated parking lot for the race. Like myself, I'm sure many of the other drivers were anxious to park and commence their pre-race routines. Nevertheless, it was frustrating to see many of these drivers battle one another for position in the slow moving line (especially at intersections where cars were turning into the line and others were forging straight ahead). I wasn't entirely sure what my pre-race warm-up would consist of, if anything, and therefore just sat back and followed the line until I was parked.

The rain had let up by the time I got out of the car. It was still dark at twenty minutes before 7am, and I was attempting to figure out what clothes were appropriate for the race. I had pinned my number to the front of my blue Adidas running shirt (which I wore at both the Marine Corps Marathon and the Outerbanks Marathon). As a half marathon participant they also required us to pin a bib which read "HALF" to the back of our shirts. The temperature was just above 50 degrees, and the debate was whether to put a longsleeve shirt under my running shirt or not. Without the numbers pinned to the running shirt it wouldn't have mattered very much; I could easily take off the longsleeve if and when it got too warm. I put it on, and even grabbed my light jacket to prevent me from being too cold on the walk from the car to the starting area.

I was able to give my jacket to CJ before the race started and just as it was time to fight my way into position for the start I decided I'd give her my long sleeve shirt too. Though I tend to have a colder body temperature than most, the humidity in the air led me to reason that I'd be plenty comfortable in just the short sleeve shirt.

I made my way into the herd of runners. I located the 3:10 marathon pace runners (1:35 half; 7:15 minutes per mile) and also bumped into Becky (full marathon participant) and Jason (half participant) from the Potomac Runners track group. Similar to the Outerbanks Marathon I did last November, I had a calm about me that was almost worrying. With most of the other things that happen in my life, I operate with a tad bit of anxiousness. It's not something I recommend, but it's how I've developed. That said, it's a bit eerie to enter into something for which I've set a goal with such an air of calm. I began second guessing myself, wondering if I should be taking things more seriously. Luckily, before I could ponder it too much, the race director and Mayor Adrian Fenty had given their motivational, thank you speeches and the race was upon us.

I made a very conscious effort to start slowly, and kept the 3:10 pace runners within sight. I felt that I was moving at a snail's pace, but reminded myself that the adrenaline pumping through my veins would get the best of me if I allowed it that opportunity. Therefore I trudged along. At most of the larger races the first mile is solely about getting out of the pack and entering into your own stride. With only 5,000 participants in the entire race it took at most half a mile to reach a spot where I would be able run my own race.

I was pleased but a bit worried when the clock set up at the first mile marker read 8:00 minutes as I passed it. I was pleased that I hadn't gone out too fast, but if I was going to average a 7:15 pace that meant I was going to have to make it up with a pretty fast mile towards the end. My game plan was to run a negative split, meaning the I would run the later half of the race faster than the first half. As I ran I wondered exactly how "slow" I wanted to run the first half; which in turn would determine how fast I needed to run the second half.

The pace group picked up their speed and I cautiously followed. My legs felt good as we made our way down East Capitol street towards the back side of the Capitol, itself. From there we cut South a short bit until we hit Independence Avenue. There's a slight downhill there and if I am recalling the route correctly we hit the second mile marker there. We had, indeed, picked up the pace a bit. The second mile was run at 6:56. I worried a bit if that was too fast, but my legs were feeling good. That is the dilemma of a long race, however. Having done a good job of tapering the previous week, my legs felt pretty fresh. It's easy to let that feeling, combined with the race day adrenaline, pump you into running a fast first half. And,if that first half is too quick, then your body crashes before you can maintain for the second half.

I consciously tried to slow down a bit, but as we crept in front of the Capitol and onto Constitution Avenue, I settled into a comfortable pace. My friends Issa, Marie, Ana and Mike Garrity were all waiting around the 3 mile marker (14th and Constitution). It's always refreshing to see familiar faces, and to hear their voices. Almost embarassingly they cheered much louder than anyone else during the day, screaming "Heja Mike, Heja Mike" a chant that Issa learned during my first marathon in Stockholm years ago.

After passing them I noticed two guys running very quickly down the opposite side of Constitution. At first I thought that maybe they'd forgotten or dropped something or were rushing back to the site of an accident or an injured friend. However, with the White House on my right I noticed that these were the front runners of the race who had already made it to the turn around a mile up the road. They were cruising very quickly, and more and more runners followed them.

I tried to take in the scenery and realized that I was hovering around a 7:05 pace (Mile 3 was 7:04 and Mile 4 was 7:08). I began to calculate exactly when and how I would make a move on the back half of the race. I contemplated keeping this pace until as late as mile 8 or 9 and then kicking it in, but once I hit the six mile marker I wasn't able to really contain myself.

I didn't kick things in to an all out sprint or anything of that nature, but did knock twenty seconds off my pace for mile 7 (6:44). By this time we were in Southwest DC on Maine Avenue, a quadrant I used to live in. As I picked it up I began passing people and feeling strong. My only worry was whether or not it was too soon, and even though I'd increased my pace I had to make sure that I wouldn't increase it so much that I would tire before the end.

We crossed South Capitol street, entering the Southeast quadrant of DC. I saw the new Washington Nationals baseball team stadium around mile 9 (6:41). We made our way North once again towards Pennsylvania Ave SE before heading South across the Anacostia River. This was the site of the split for the marathoners and the half-marathoners. The marathoners were directed up a clover leaf on ramp while those of us only going 13.1 miles were directed towards the back side of RFK. I was very happy that my race was almost finished. Though I was begin to feel the early signs of fatigue (Mile 10 was 6:28), my mental game kicked in at this point.

Once you've trained 18 miles and run 26.2 mile marathons in the past, short portions like the 3 miles that lay ahead pale in comparison. It was very easy to draw upon last Wednesday's track work out. We did mile repeats with a one lap break in between. I was running those at 5:40-5:50/mile pace. I pushed my mind back to there and thought about how the lap rest was barely enough to recover. As I was going at a slower pace than my track workout, I should be able to complete the end of this race without any problem. And, if that wasn't enough, I could easily draw into my mind the fact that I only had 20 minutes left of running.

Though I'd looked a bit at the course map for the marathon, I didn't pay much attention to the elevation graphic that was on the race's website. Almost all of the running I do in DC is on relatively flat ground, so I was a bit surprised to find the deserted streets of Southeast to be made up of rolling hills. I was still running fast and feeling good, but the headwind and the hills were really testing me. Combine that with the fact that there were almost no bystanders cheering on the runners at this point in the course and it was a trying test for the finish.

Nevertheless, I dug in and ran miles 11 and 12 quite quickly (6:32 and 6:21, respectively). With only one mile left I continued to push myself. I caught another runner who'd passed me earlier and we ran neck and neck for some time. As my lap timer eclipsed 6 minutes for mile 13 I wondered how far the mile marker could be. Ultimately that would be where the finish line was, too, and I was eager to cross it. My body was really starting to feel it. In fact, I noticed a warm sensation throughout my legs at this point. They'd overcome any small aches or pains or soreness from the previous miles. Yet, I was a bit disappointed to see the mile 13 marker still a ways off. I was a bit in shock when I noticed my mile time was 7:23. I barelled down and crossed the finish line questioning if, indeed, that mile was marked correctly.

Soon enough CJ and my cheering crowd from Miles 3 and 5 were there to greet me. I was given my finisher medal and returned my timing chip. I was happy that the race was over and glad that I'd given it my all. I felt good, yet a bit exhausted. I didn't dwell on it long, but I was still confused about the last mile. I didn't feel as if I'd slowed down at all from Mile 12 to Mile 13. In fact, I thought that I may have gone even faster. That would have been the perfect race. Had I logged that mile at 6:20 or so my time would have been right at 1:30! However, it wasn't, and I will have to learn from that in terms of how I run the marathon. Again, it's a long race and I have to run intelligently so I don't peter out before the finish line.

I took advantage of the free massage, where the therapist really focused on my lower back. Obviously it was tight because of my tight hamstrings. She also did a bit of work on my upper back, which is still showing a weird pain that developed while in Austin.

I attempted to rest after getting home, which involved parking the car at 11th and Girard as Harvard Street was impassable because the full marathon route ran along it. However, my adrenaline was still flowing through my veins and rendered it impossible to fully relax. Eventually, CJ and I grabbed lunch with my friends Matt and Megah before I drove up to Philly for a dinner meeting.

I drove back to DC that night, leaving Philly around 10pm. Usually I am exhausted by that point, especially given the day(s) that I'd just had. Nevertheless, I was still pumped and had no problems making it home safely. Even once I got home I had trouble relaxing and transitioning into sleep. It was one of those days that makes me feel great about all the miles I've logged and the hours I work.

All of that said, it's now Wedensday morning and I have been exhausted the past three days. I biked on Sunday with Audu and crashed out pretty early that night. Monday I got up and ran 8 miles (the first 6 felt good but the last two I could tell I was tired) and had trouble staying up past 9:30pm. Yesterday I went for a slow 5 and felt exhausted at night once again. Allergies combined with the hectic life I've been living have been catching up to me. It's tough to admit that rest is a considerable part of the training formula. I read about avid trainers who sleep anywhere from 10 to 12 hours per day. That is never going to make it's way into my current lifestyle, but I would love to consistently get eight hours of sleep. I was able to get that last night, but it required going to bed by 10:30pm.

Tonight is a fartlek workout with the track group and then I begin to prepare for the longest run of the season. Yes sir, my first 20 miler is going to happen on Saturday morning, followed by my first soccer game of the season on Sunday. I'm excited about the prospects of running Vancouver in 3:10. With the race I just ran I'm confident that I should be able to tackle that.

Below are the mile splits for the National Half Marathon:

Mile 1 - 7:58
Mile 2 - 6:56
Mile 3 - 7:04
Mile 4 - 7:08
Mile 5 - 7:08
Mile 6 - 7:07
Mile 7 - 6:44
Mile 8 - 6:46
Mile 9 - 6:41
Mile 10 - 6:28
Mile 11 - 6:32
Mile 12 - 6:21
Mile 13 - 7:23
.1 to finish - .38

Total Time: 1:31:02

Today might be the last day that I have to wear tights while running for quite some time. The weather in Washington, DC, in March likes to play tricks on us. Though I was gone this past week, it did snow on Wednesday, and the temperature when I got up to run on Friday morning was below freezing. This morning at 7am when I set out for 17 miles, weather.com had the temperature at 35F; 30F with the windchill.

The high this afternoon will be in the 60s, but March will probably remind us once or twice more before month's end that Mother Earth is in control of when winter ends and spring begins. That is, no matter how many plus 60 degree days we get between now and the end of the month, there are likely to be a few more brisk ones slipped in there, too.

I spent the past week in Los Angeles visiting my buddies in the (International) Noise Conspiracy. I had a 9am flight on Monday so I woke up around 5:30 and headed out for an 8 mile run. I ran my normal Capital route but added in a mile long jaunt into the Southwest quadrant of DC. It worked out perfectly and I ended at Sherman and Park Streets Northwest having run just over 8.2 miles. That was a cold, early morning run, but reminded me of why I love getting up before sunrise; I was able to watch the crisp, clear sky turn from the dark of night to the blue of day. The sun rises in our nation's capital are something I will always treasure.

5am on the east coast is 2am in Los Angeles and by the time I lay my head on the pillow Tuesday morning at 2am I'd been up 24 hours. Travel is exhausting, especially when I need to hang out and enterntain. Nevertheless, I woke up around 8am and waited for Inge, the bass player of the band I was staying with, to show me into the gym at the corporate apartments they were housed in. I ran a slow 5 miles, hoping to use the run as recovery. I could see out the window, past the pool, and onto the streets of Los Angeles. I wondered why I decided to run inside when I could've been out in the warm air.

Wednesday I decided to take advantage of the great weather. I was going to miss my track workout in DC, so I decided that after a 10 minute warm up I would run an interval run. I ran 5 minutes on with 3 minutes off. I was able to perform 6 of the intervals and leave a bit of time for cool down during the 8 miles I was out. It felt good to log those miles in the warm, west coast air. I ran early enough to avoid a ton of traffic, and had made a point to get a decent nights sleep the night before.

Thursday was another recovery run, and it was actually a tad chilly when I set out at 8am. I brought my hat, gloves and various long sleeve running shirts and fleeces with me to LA. Nevertheless, I didn't think I'd need it seeing as the previous days had been so mild. It wasn't uncomfortably cold, but it was probably 10 degrees cooler than the day before. Neverthless, I logged over 6 miles, when I'd intended to go only five. However, I found myself on Santa Monica Boulevard near the Troubadour night club and wanted to jaunt up to Sunset before heading back to Fairfax and 3rd where the band's apartment was. That added an additional mile, half up hill to get to Sunset, and half downhill to head further south on Fairfax. I like running on Sunset, having done it countless times on tours when we'd stayed at either the Best Western or the Grafton.

I was utterly annhilated by the time I got back to DC Thursday night. I have a tendency to really wear myself thin when I'm traveling. I want to stay out and have a good time, which often involves drinking, and then I don't compromise on getting my early morning runs in. Tokyo combined with this trip to LA have made 2007 start to feel a bit too much like 2006, and I'm wondering how next week in Austin, Texas, for South by Southwest will be. It could prove to be another week of exhaustion, especially as I'm staying with a friend as opposed to a hotel. We'll just have to see.

I had no desire to run Friday morning, especially since the temperature was back below freezing. I woke up still pretty beat, but made myself go. As always, i just KNOW I will feel better following a good run. I've been using my Monday, Wednesday and Fridays to do long(er) pacing/interval/fartlek/track runs. Friday was no exception and I found myself cruising along. I still have yet to calibrate my iPod + Nike device, and I'm convinced that this particular run probably had me averaging right around 7 minute miles. I was tired, but felt good when the 8 miles were said and done. However, this is the first time that I haven't taken a mild/rest day prior to my long runs. And, given the pace I blitzed through this run, combined with the great interval run I had Wednesday, I wasn't sure what to expect of my body for Saturday's long run.

I made a point to skip the engagement I had Friday night, knowing it would knock me on my ass. I always prioritize my Saturday runs when I can. I know that if I can get up early and feel good about it then I will be happier to have the run finished as early as possible. I woke up at 6:30am this morning and brewed a quick cup of coffee. I took off by 10 minutes after 7am, and headed on the Rock Creek Parkway towards Georgetown. This route would expire 4.5 miles by the time I made it to the start of the C&O Canal trail, and then I'd plan to do another 4.5 miles out on that. That would leave me at 9miles and knowing I was going to stop at the grocery store about half a mile shy of my house. I wanted to ensure I logged 17 without having to add any additional miles at the end - I always hate that.

The first 9 felt great, and I picked it up a bit on the backend. However, by about mile 14 my mind was longing for the run's end. My legs were the nemesis encouraging my mind, but I endured and finished in about 2h 13m (7:49 pace). I feel that I was probably running a 7:30 pace, all in, and that will leave me in good shape to run a sub 1h35m half marathon two weeks from now.

This coming week is going to be a challenge, and I can't say I'm entirely elated about trying to run 18 on Saturday at South by Southwest. However, I've been able to achieve harder in recent times, and I've vowed to not let the music industry obligations and trips detract me from my running. I just don't think that's acceptable. I am happy, however, that I won't have to run in tights while there. And, by the time I'm back here a week from Monday, the trickery of March's hold on winter.

March is a funny and frustrating month. It has the tendency to show signs of Spring, like it did on Saturday by gracing us with near 60 degree temperatures, and then quickly remind us that winter doesn't even officially end until the solstice three quarters of the way through the month.

Though my fast 11 miles on Saturday was done in great running weather, at 7am it was still a bit colder than I'd hoped for. Nevertheless, I was able to run in shorts, my fleece, a hat and my gardening gloves (my hands were definitely the coldest part). Yesterday I ended up going on a 20+ mile bike ride in the just-above-freezing temperatures, which prepared me a bit for the cold of this morning. Because I am on my way to Los Angeles this week (where it will definitely feel like spring!) and had a 9:25am flight out of National I wanted to log my 8 miles for the day before boarding.

I set my alarm for 5:20am and was out the door by 5:35am. Weather.com indicated the temperature was 28 and the stiff breeze dropped the wind chill to 22. I threw on my tights, undershirt, longsleeve shirt, fleece, windbreaker, hat and winter gloves. Though last week was supposed to be a recovery week, i didn't do a great job of taking advantage of it. Instead I ran my shorter distances faster than I normally would. Combining that with the bike ride yesterday, my legs started today's run at a distinct disadvantage.

The early morning was cold and as I jaunted down Sherman Avenue towards downtown the wind was blasting my face. I started relatively slowly, but was still probably under an 8 minute mile pace. As I neared the 2 mile mark of the run I could tell I was running quickly. I kept the pace up through the third mile, just near the Capitol. Unlike my 7 mile route where I head from the road immediately fronting the Capitol to the pebble covered paths of the National Mall, I cut south on 3rd street and went into Southwest DC. I struggled as I hit the halfway point just before turning onto Maine Avenue.

The fish market was not booming at all and I was glad to pass it on my way to the tidal basin, just opposite the Jefferson Memorial. The pedometer indicated I'd gone about 5 miles in that time and I continued on passing in front of the Washington Monument before being dumped onto 15th Street heading North. By this time my legs were really showing signs of frustration from last week's workouts. However, my mind was able to convince me that the sooner I got home the sooner I'd be warm, so I pushed myself up the small incline before I (Eye) Street.

At Scott Circle I ended up back on 14th Street, which is how I've finished my 7 mile route so many times before. Though it was still a bit anguishing to have to mentally push myself on, I did what I needed to do and eventually crossed U Street. From there it's a relatively steep 5 blocks uphill. I took the hill a tad slowly and was glad to finally level off at the top - the beginning to Columbia Heights. By now the sun was rising and the crystal clear blue sky of the morning was a great reward.

My run actually logged 8.3 miles by the time I returned to Sherman Ave at Park Ave (just north of my house on Morton Street). According to my Nike + iPod pedometer I ran the distance in 1h 3m with an average pace in the ball park of 7:30. I'm still convinced that upon proper calibration I'll find out I've been running both further and faster than I'd anticipated.

It was nice to try to get a quick stretch, especially in the sore area of my right hip. I then rushed through my morning routine so I would have enough time to wolf down some breakfast, pack for my trip and move out. The run was good, but not great. I need to concentrate on running more slowly tomorrow, as recovery is going to be key if I want to get in 8 miles Friday and the 17 miler on Saturday.

With each passing week I've attempted to write about my running from the previous week. Some of them, I find myself in a familiar position that I am right now - I've already completed my post run shower and am about to get started on some of the week's unfinished work while sitting at my desk in my room. Others, rather last week specificially, I found myself in Japan having run a strong five miles in Osaka. Nevertheless, I just haven't been able to complete any writing about my running. Distractions are one thing, but there must be a lack of motivation somewhere within that's prevented me.

I won't be able to go back through the past two weeks worth of running. However, I will say that I am feeling pretty confident about my training. This morning was an 11 miler and I completed that quite quickly. I kept the National Half Marathon in my mind as I pushed myself on a run that's only two miles shy of what I'll need to run on March 24th. I haven't quite figured out what I'd like to run it in, but my gut tells me anything under 1 hour and 35 minutes will be a success.

Two weeks ago I had a strong running week, and then I was in Japan last Thursday through Tuesday. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up with my training schedule while there, but I sacrificed a lot of sleep and ran at least one run with more alcohol in my system than I'd have liked. However, it was a test of my will to run and my ability to convince my aching body (lungs, legs, brain, etc) that if I WANT to run something, I CAN.

I've been reading a book by David MacGillivray, the race director of the Boston Marathon. He's consistently challenged himself throughout his life, long before Dean Karnazes (ultramarathon man). Both men have been an inspiration. Having read accounts of people running very long mileage (40+) day after day allows one to really push himself on comparatively short 10 to 15 mile runs.

Running in Japan was fun, though my 15 mile run in Tokyo was a tad frustrating. I'd hoped to retrace the route our car drove to our hotel the day before. That would have taken me by the Imperial Palace in the center of Tokyo. However, I missed a turn somewhere and then couldn't ever get my bearings straight. Tokyo is a monstrous city, with more high buildings than I've ever seen. They never eased enough along my route to allow for an analysis of where I was in comparison to where I wanted to be. Having very little familiarity with the city to begin with also added to that disappointment. Nevertheless, I ran in circles and made random turns in the 35 degree Farenheit weather. It was chilly, but in the end I was happy that I'd logged the miles.

In fact, in my 5 days in Japan I was able to push through a 10 mile run in Osaka, a 5 mile recovery run, the 15 mile Tokyo run, a much needed day off (after the 15 mile run I spent the rest of the day on my feet sight seeing) and then a 7 mile run the day we left. 37 miles on less than 24 hours of sleep in 5 nights once again made me feel that I can do whatever my mind wants me to. That said, I do need some recovery after that.

That's what this week was supposed to be. I did my long run in Tokyo on Sunday there, and the 7 mile pace run was done Tuesday morning Tokyo time. I was finished by 7am, which would have been 5pm in Washington, DC. Therefore after a morning of last minute shopping and a 12 and a half hour plane ride from Tokyo's Narita airport back to Washington Dulles I felt okay about lacing up my shoes for a quick four mile, sunset jaunt Tuesday evening back in DC. The runs were 24 hours apart on the world clock, but both were done Tuesday in their respective locations. That's about as close to a two-a-day as I've ever come.

Wednesday I was glad to return to the track. The workout called for the über-ladder (800-1200-1600-2000-1600-1200-800, all with 400m recovery periods). As always, we were encouraged to modify the training according to our individual training schedules. Though this was a recovery week, I felt as if I wanted to challenge myself with the über ladder. I ended up running it quite well, though my hips were quite tight. Nevertheless, I feel myself getting stronger and stronger with each run.

By and large I completely avoided jet-lag on my trip to Japan. I guess not sleeping for more than 5 hours per night is one of taking care of that, but I was surprised. My trip back from Africa had devastated me and I was sure that Japan would leave me with some astounding sleep deprivation as well. Maybe I've commandeered control of my anxious?! However, after that track workout Wednesday night I was sufficiently wiped, and my body attested to that. I hardly ever set my alarm clock unless I must be up before 7am. My body's natural sleep cycle usually wakes me before that magic hour. Much to my surprise I slept straight through until 8:30am on Thursday morning. I was happy. I was also still beat, and my hips, legs and left foot (my big toe hurts and I'm not 100% confident that I don't have a stress fracture) all were pleading with me to take a day off. Therefore I skipped the easy 4 mile recovery run I would have normally run.

I was actually still tired Friday (two beers from 9 to 11pm at the local bar with friends probably didn't help), but made myself run my 7 mile Capitol route. I really like that route and it was the first warm morning of the year. It was already 50 degrees when I left the house and I ran in only shorts, a base t-shirt and a longsleeve over that. The run itself wasn't bad, and like this morning's long run I pushed myself when I felt I could. I don't know if my iPod pedometer is calibrated the way it should be, but I do know that I'm running faster than I did, whether it's precise or not.

I'm headed to Los Angeles this week, but should be able to get 8 miles in Monday morning before I leave. I'll be back in time for my 17 mile run next Saturday. It's really the following weekend I am worried about - 18 miles in the Austin, Texas, heat at the South by Southwest Music Conference. Nevertheless, I am feeling strong and confident and am sure I'll find a way to not only complete the runs, but continue to improve my times!