One Month To Go

Saturday I ran around Burke Lake 4 times.  (18 miles as the Garmin flies.)  It took me 2 hours and 38 minutes.  It was probably a mistake to run the last 2 miles, but when you feel good, you have to get in the miles.  And the obsessive-compulsive part of me couldn't simply turn around in the middle -- I had to run the final fourth loop, even though my left knee registered a new protest.

Every once in a while I have the fantasy that I can focus on running for a year and qualify for the Boston Marathon.  But every time, and I mean EVERY time I run past about 16 miles, I remember why I hate training for Marathons so much.  Running is fun and exciting and free for about 10 miles.  Anything after that is a war of attrition.

And speaking of miles, I just completed my 11th month of training for IM Florida.

September was supposed to be my "peak" month.  And while I didn't hit my highest totals in any single category, I hit my longest distances, highest total hours, and actually felt very good through it all.  I have been very lucky so far with injuries and motivation.

My yearly totals for swimming and running are the highest ever for me (and biking is probably a close second).

Swim: 126.94 mi
Bike: 3293.10 mi
Run: 680.28 mi

Am I ready for this race?  Not really.  Am I ready to be done with this training schedule? Absolutely.