As we move into March, the slow rebuilding of my running endurance and speed continues to go well. In February I completed 2 runs of 15-miles, and had a great, hilly 12-mile race-pace workout with my group that was a big confidence builder. I’ve still got a long way to go, but I continue to see small improvements each week.
Tomorrow will be a big step for the NEXT Chapter, as I attempt my first race in over 13 months at the Tom King Classic Half Marathon. I know my finish time will be a far-cry from what I’ve done in the recent past, but I’m looking forward to feeling the excitement of race day! Also, I’ve been stuck on 13 marathons and 13 half-marathons for quite a while, and I really want to complete another one to prove to myself that I’m still in the game. No real goals tomorrow other than to finish without injury!
At the beginning of the year, I decided that I was going to take it month-to-month with my goals, and try not to get too far ahead of myself. Here is a quick review of my February goals:
(1) Complete at least 110 total miles running
Missing the first Saturday of February due to illness really hurt me here, but I still managed to complete 105.5-miles during the month. If you expand that by only 1 day to March 1, then the total would be 120-miles. Not bad considering February only has 28 days. I’ll consider this an overall Win.
(2) Complete at least 2 trail runs and 2 road runs with over 1,000 ft. of elevation gain (strength)
I ended up with 3 road runs with over 1,600 ft. of elevation gain, and 1 trail run (1,550 ft) for the month. Not precisely the mix I was shooting for, but I still think the overall result was consistent with my objective. This is another Win!
(3) Complete at least 2 track workouts and 2 race pace workouts (speed)
Similar to #2, my mix was a bit off, but I did 3 track workouts and 1 race pace workout. Still think this is a Win!
(4) Complete at least 4 leg workouts (strength)
Everything related to cross-training has been terrible so far this year. I just can’t seem to get motivated. Only did 1 leg workout in February. FAIL!
(5) Complete at least 4 abdominal workouts (strength)
No ab workouts in march. Another big FAIL!
(6) Lose at least 3 pounds
After losing 8.5 pounds in January, I lost another 2.5 in February. A tad short of 3, but I’m still on the right track. Consider this a Win!
Here’s a rundown of my March goals:
- Finish the Tom King Classic Half Marathon WITHOUT Injury!
- Complete at least 110 total miles (Not pushing this much since we have a week-long spring break vacation)
- Complete at least 4 leg workouts (let’s try this again!)
- Complete at least 4 abdominal workouts (need more discipline)
- Lose at least 2 pounds
Well, there you have it! Wish me luck for the race tomorrow!