Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Marathon Training Update

I'm over 250 miles into my training, but have 600 more miles to go including MCM. These days, I've been having difficulty getting and staying motivated and I find it tough to get myself out of the house for most runs. The weekend runs are a bit easier and are more critical to my training, so I just get up and do it. And, I always feel so good on my long runs that I don't have much trouble getting started. It is the midweek workouts that bore the crap out of me. 4 miles here, 8 miles there...5:30AM on a Wednesday or 6PM on a Thursday just isn't inspiring or exciting. I'm also having trouble with my diet, or whatever you can call it. I can't figure out what I should really be eating and when and I seem to be stuck around 175 lbs. Yes, that is my goal weight, so I should be happy, but I was hoping that I could drop some more weight through this training program. Another 10 pounds would make a big difference in my speed and endurance and would help a great deal in meeting my marathon goal. And, as if motivation and food aren't enough to complain about, I'm still a bit sore from my long run this past Sunday. My left foot didn't feel that great afterwards, nor did my knees, but I can't tell if this is just soreness from hard training or a larger issue. My knees are fine, I think. They usually get sore at the end of a long run and only at the end of the long runs and they usually feel fine by the time I go for my next run. But, the pain in my left foot is similar to the pain I had last November, which ultimately required a visit to the podiatrist, prescription anti-inflammatory drugs, and ten days off from running. My training plan can accomodate a layoff like that, particularly since I am in a "rest" week at the moment, but I'd prefer to not go back to a doctor if I can help it. Foot feels better today, but I should go for a 4 mile run this evening. I think I'll take it easy, maybe a light jog to test the foot, and we'll see what happens. If it hurts, I'll go see a doctor.

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