Back to Work

I've been easing into training for one month. I'm back on the Wednesday night track horse. In terms of fitness lost, it could be a lot worse: I'm fairly pleased with how my body has responded to five weeks of no running.

Training ever day. Doing strength work at gym.

Spring racing season is a bust, though I do believe I will return to action at the Broad Street 10-Miler, a super fast race, the first Sunday in May, which will be a year since the 2009 Frederick Marathon. Last Saturday I got up early and walked from my apartment to 5th and E. Capitol streets to watch friends and teammates in the National Half Marathon. I ran 1:11.52 there last year during a 100-mile training week. This year it was a 63-mile week with a 13-mile long run and two quality days. On Wednesday, I enjoyed helping Jake Marren, who has been working really hard and is super fit, get through the classic 4 by 2-mile workout. He nailed it -- that's a good sign for Boston.

My plan: To gradually increase my training until I am putting in more volume than I ever have.

The race: 2010 Chicago Marathon. GRC is sending more than a dozen.

Pretty soon I will blog about recent sightings, recent thoughts ... But right now I need to finish my coffee and head out to run before work. I will run about 70 miles this week with a tempo run, 15-mile long run and something else.