I really don't have a lot of time to write tonight but I can't help but comment on the weather ... just checked the 10 day outlook, we're talking 50's, mornings in the upper 30's, I can no longer complain. I knocked out 12 miles this morning before work in fairly comfortable temperatures, but still found there were some pockets of cool air. Maybe my picture here is a little too optimistic for the time of year, but it sure feels good and I know i'll find something else to complain about now.

So the coming weekend is offering rain from the reports i've seen so far, but after running in a blizzard and in freezing cold temperatures, I think I can handle some rain and temps possibly in the 50's.

In other highlights .. I also signed up for the LVRR 2010 Emmaus 4-Mile Classic on April 11th, I placed in this race last year and consider myself in better shape this year, so i'm hoping to do better. It'll throw off my hill training for the Flying Pig marathon, but its local, so I figured i'd get in now..

I also got tipped off to a June 13th marathon thats almost in my backyard that i'm considering signing up for. I'm not sure if its a loop, or point to point, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of info available about it, but it would be a welcome addition to the marathon schedule for the spring. I was looking for a June or August marathon, and didn't want to do Gods Country .. so this might be a nice one to do, i have to look at it more though..

So lastly, I got featured on the Runners Spotlight on Lehigh Valley Running Scene (thanks Jill) this week, be sure to check out my spotlight, plus Jills website (its got a lot of great stuff on it for all running levels and isn't just specific to the Lehigh Valley). I was also asked to share my thoughts on integrating speedwork into your marathon training for Melinda Heely (a fellow marathoner). Read the full article here on her website.

Thats all I have time for, larger update this weekend as we head into taper week for the Ocean Drive marathon in just over 2 weeks ... I'm just ecstatic that spring is finally here..

Its been a beautiful weekend for running and its expected to last a few more days here in the northeast (although I won't be able to enjoy it) ... it really is nice to finally have some decent weather instead of the cold weather we've been stuck with. I found that the nice forecasts can be a little deceiving though, because although the air temperature was 39 degrees this morning when I headed out, the 8-10mph wind coming from the north really did make it kind of chilly taking the wind chill down to around 25. It wouldn't be too bad normally, but i'm starting to shed some of my outer layers as the spring approaches... (which i've been waiting to do).

The nice weather, of course, brings out the recreational runners as they escape from their treadmills from the winter .. you know, the people I haven't seen out running since October of last year. Its really been pretty lonely for the past few months out there ... there are 2 women I saw outside all winter and a guy down the road who heads out every morning about the same time I do. I've managed two years without any treadmill running, and I don't miss it at all. I was in a conversation the other day about how treadmill running and road running are two different levels of training, then compared it to road bike riding vs. spinning. I then recalled when I was exchanging emails with someone who was actually training for the Ocean Drive marathon on the treadmill .. even doing 18 milers on it (his max distance run). I think I did 16 miles once on a treadmill, and it just sucked, totally. I'll have to see how he did in the race though, I can't imagine how well someone can train for a marathon on a treadmill, but I'll find out.

With just 3 weeks to the day when I run the Ocean Drive marathon, I'm left with one more 22 miler next weekend .. I did pretty good yesterday with running 22 miles for the second week in a row. I kept my pace much better than last week also. I did overdress and dehydrated by the end .. and I even stopped for a water refill this week too, and i'm thankful I did. This morning I came back with another 12.25 miles of what I called "semi-hills" .. its nothing like the Sunday workouts I had been doing because I had to stay within 2-3 miles from the house, so I couldn't do my killer hill course this week. I feel like its all coming together slowly .. the runs are continuing to get easier.

Probably the biggest struggle I'm having right now with the weather changing is finding the right set of layers to wear when I head out. I guess i've gotten so accustomed to one outfit all through the winter in the effort of staying warm, that now its time to start shedding the layers, its hard to find the right combination. I wrote above that the forecast can be deceiving this time of year, so just because its 35 degrees, you still have to consider the wind chill. I've taken off the skull cap and the gloves for two days in a row, so it might be time to just shed them totally ... but I'm not sure i'm ready yet. I then tried to look back at March of last year in my blog and realized I didn't write ONE post last March .. I think that was when I was struggling and questioning whether i'd ever marathon again, but then I came back.. anyway, I had nothing to compare it to since I hadn't been tracking my runs much because I wasn't really training for anything...

So I've got 2 marathons scheduled for the fall now ... I'll do the Lehigh Valley Vealth Vetwork marathon again in September, just because. And I'll also do the Chicago marathon, which i'll register for bother of them next weekend. I registered for the New York City marathon lottery the other day, it seems they are doing the lottery MUCH earlier this year (late March instead of late May). It caused me to look back to last year to make sure I didn't miss something, but it was June 4th last year that i got the notification from them that I wasn't selected. If that falls through, we'll do something else ... and then maybe even find another for the late fall since i'll probably be in optimal marathon shape by then.. who knows.

So with 3 weeks to go until the first spring marathon, this is the last real hard week before I start to taper .. it won't be long though until I'm back pushing it again for the Flying Pig marathon on May 2nd, that'll be here before I know it!

And to those SPAMMERS out there .. stop spamming my blog, now I have to find yet another way to keep you away. Ugh, don't you have something better to do with your time?

How quickly another week of training goes by .. just 3 weeks from today i'll be in Wildwood, NJ vacationing awaiting the Ocean Drive marathon (if you can actually enjoy the beach in March). Its hard to believe the first spring marathon is just about here. All the cold runs, the snow, the wind ... its all pretty much behind me for now I hope (based on the upcoming temperatures).

So knowing how close I am to the marathon, i'm safe in saying that the week has gone quite well with my training, and i'm optimistic for another good weekend .. I'm feeling a bit of pain in my right foot though, near the little toes (tendinitis-like). It really feels like an overuse type of pain, so the fact I didn't run today did help it somewhat, its not bothering me as bad .. I've been doing a better job of doing general stretching so that I don't flare up my hip and back like I did last fall .. plus i'm capping the miles at 66 right now, no more. It was when I started pushing the miles over 72 for consecutive weeks that I really started to cripple up with soreness.

Some highlights from my training this week so far include really kicking up the tempo on my speed workout on Thursday .. I knocked off all my 800's at a faster pace than i've been doing and completed them at the same pace. I was really wiped out afterward, but it was what I consider a 'good wiped out' ... it felt like a good workout. Another highlight (worth noting) is that my Tuesday and Wednesday morning "mid-long" runs (10.5 and 12.25 miles) are becoming nothing for me to complete now .. i'm just falling right into my pace and my body is doing the rest. Its a good feeling to knock off 12 miles and not even feel it, thats the feeling of being "fine tuned".

With everything going well for now ... its time to think about the fall, and what will I run this year? I checked for a September marathon, and nothing but the Lehigh Valley Health Network marathon came up that looked interesting (but I can look again). I hate to do the same marathon for a third straight year, but its right in my own backyard, how can I skip it? The starting line is about 5 miles from my house... so we can chalk that one up. I'm considering doing the Chicago marathon on Columbus Day weekend this year, and then finding one more for the month of November .. haven't decided on one yet (anyone have a suggestion?) I'm not sure if I want to try the New York City marathon lottery this year again .. i'm not sure if its worth it (based on some of the stories i've read about it). LATE EDIT: I just registered for the lottery, got an email telling me that time is running out to get into the lottery. I'm number 557582 (does that mean there are 557581 other people in the lottery????? thats NUTS!)

So during this hectic week, I was asked to write a commentary on the benefits of adding speedwork to marathon training by a marathon runner (who is also a published writer). You can see my write up this coming Monday 3/8 on Melinda Hinson Neely's website by clicking here.

Hoping for 22 miles again tomorrow and then a hill workout again on Sunday (maybe 12 miles?) ... but the weekend could be cut short for reasons out of my control, but we'll see what happens.

I'm thankful it was a short run today, I really needed it .. I always seem to find new ways to kick my own butt in my training (and then somehow refer to it as 'pushing it'). After doing 22 miles on Saturday, I managed to add steeper hills over a shorter distance to my Sunday 12 mile hill workout. I got home and was literally wiped out, I mean totally. My legs were burning so bad after I stopped moving, I actually thought I injured myself .. I seemed to have just got real caught up in the workout because the weather was decent and I had good music playing, which is a good recipe for a great workout.

So speaking of workouts, I pulled up my training and did the math on my workouts so far this year and found that I've run just over 500 miles already and spent 72 hours doing it .. pretty good for it being just March 1st. If thats only two months, maybe i'm on target for 3000 miles this year??? Wow.

I can only figure that good things are in the horizon with my training schedule ... in looking at the calendar and the date, I figure that the worst part of the winter is over already since the temperatures seem to be moderating somewhat ... the only downfall right now is that in less than 2 weeks we set the clocks ahead (3/14), which means my morning runs are entirely in the dark again for another month or so.. but i'll take the warmer temperatures vs. the daylight anytime.

Lastly .. its National Pig Day according to the folks at the Flying Pig marathon. So Happy Pig Day!

I seem to be scattered in my thoughts tonight ... better wrap it up ..

I get a good deal of motivation from reading about other runners long run experiences on facebook and twitter each week. It reminds me that i'm not the only one training for the spring marathon season, and of course depending on where you are in the country, it could be great weather right now for a long run, and in other places it isn't so great. I do hope that if you did a long run .. or any run for that matter, that it was a good one!

Well, in my part of the country, it isn't so great right now weatherwise. We avoided a major snowstorm on Thursday and Friday (in my opinion), and although we got some snow in my area (6" or so), it was nothing like they had predicated (12"-18") and it actually cleared up much faster than anyone expected (which is a good thing). The snow that did fall forced me to revert to a safer running course today as I headed out for my first 22 miler of the season... but when I got up this morning, we were in a pretty significant snow squall that I thought would never end. It kind of effects your motivation somewhat when you're gearing up for a long run with snow falling .. but I always tell myself, NO EXCUSES!

I waited long enough to see the squall eventually pass and then headed out on the road, but what I didn't count on was that 10 minutes into the run, the snow picked up once again. It wasn't so bad overall, since i've run in snow before without issue, but it was beating off my face really hard since the winds were pretty intense, and the worst part was that I ended up getting a little more wet overall than I wanted to since it was sticking to me for a few miles. After about a half hour, it finally slowed down to a flurry, which continued for another hour when the sun finally came out. That wasn't the end of the snow though ... it picked up again towards the end of my run and really stuck to me since I was wet and when I really wasn't looking forward to it, but I managed to get through somehow.

I knocked off the 22 miler in 3:12, which was about 5 minutes faster than I would have liked to .. but i'm doing better with pace. I only have 4 weeks to go until the Ocean Drive marathon, so i'm really running out of time to get it under control.. I have 2 more 20+ mile runs left before this race..

One unfortunate part that didn't help the run at all was that I ended up dehydrating as well at around mile 20, but there is a story to go along with why it happened. I always take money with me, wrapped in a baggy, in case I need to stop for additional water along the way, so early in the run (about mile 3), I had a dog running after me out of someone's yard (aren't there leash laws?) .. it was just a little kick-me dog, but I reached in my pocket for my pepper spray anyway in case I needed it (if kicking the dog didn't work). I didn't have to kick or spray the dog since it went away on its own, but my money fell out of the pocket during it, so I had to make the whole 22 miles with just 26oz of water. I don't want anyone to think that I hate dogs, I just don't like when people leave their dogs to run around without leashes.

I had been struggling with some left hip pain on Friday and felt it starting to bother me around mile 12 today. I do think its related to my left quadriceps being tight, because when that started to tighten up and ache, my hip started bothering me too.

So the week has been a good one, my confidence for the marathon next month is increasing after yet another good week of training. My mid week long runs went well, and although I struggled to do real well on Thursday with my speedwork (in the snow again), I got it in. It was crazy on Thursday morning how bad it was snowing when I headed out, but it didn't stick to the roads hardly at all, but did slow me down.

Tomorrow is another 12 miler of hills .. i'm thinking of mixing up the course a bit, but we'll see. Its been a week since my major wipeout where I ripped up my knee however its healing up good .. doesn't need to be wrapped anymore and doesn't effect my running at all (which is really all that matters)... Hopefully another post tomorrow!