T-Minus 81 Days and Counting. . .

Recovered well from the 10 miles on Saturday and hit the road Sunday night for an easy 10 miles on the bike. Threw in a few hills to stretch things out but averaged about 15 mph for a good cross-training pace. Nothing taxing but a decent aerobic workout.

Back at the running today with 10 x 400 on the Y track, due to the rain. Hit them all at faster than pace, between 1:57 and 2:00 and even cranked out the last quarter in a solid 1:51. Hit the weight room for some lower body work afterward and felt strong the whole time.

With four solid weeks of marathon-specific training under my belt, I'm starting to see some progress. Cardio's up, strength is up, body fat has again dropped a bit and overall energy level during the runs is staying high. And, my heart rate is dropping quickly after workouts, another sign that the running-specific fitness is having an impact.

We're only one quarter of the way there but it's encouraging to see some early progress. As in the past, I know there's going to be rough days ahead. Days when I'm going to feel like crap. Runs where I'm just not going to have it. However, it nice to savor small bits of progress when you can and use them as stepping stones to the next level.

Have 5 miles at tempo pace on Thursday, as we gear up for Saturday's 14 miles.