I started off my day today with a good 20.25 miler .. yep, a GOOD long run. Its been awhile since I can say i’ve had a good long run, its taken a lot of work to get here. I classify it is as a GOOD long run because:

1. It wasn’t freezing cold out (nor was it snowing), I actually stripped off some layers by the end of the run

2. I kept my pace exactly where I wanted it, a 9:00/min mile .. I had checkpoints on my course at every 5 miles and I was just about perfect each time, I can’t ask for more than that.

3. I finished the run strong, I actually did the last 1/4 mile at an increased pace by forcing myself to push it.

4. I went out on my favorite course, it gets me out on a different set of roads that I haven’t been on in quite sometime (due to the weather).

Maybe kicking it up a notch and focusing on “Quality over Quantity” which includes forcing the long hill workouts and the focused speedwork is really making the difference. In comparison to the 20 miler I did last week, I wasn’t totally dead at the end of it, I was actually yearning for more mileage and could’ve probably done a few more miles if I had the time. My motto of “No Excuses” that I put in place last weekend is definitely working since its got me to get my butt out of bed and train hard each day .. plus I think the better weather is helping my spirits as well.

I got a little nervous along my course today though because there are still some high piles of snow along the sides of some of the roads, which is why I didn’t do this route last week. The course is a nice mix of back country roads, and some main roads and then some not-so-main roads (but not country roads) which helped to keep it interesting. I know now that its okay to do these roads or this course again as long as we don’t get anymore snow. I still had the moron drivers who don’t cut the lane at all and forced me into the slush/snow on the side of the road when there was no traffic coming the other way … I never get them sometimes, but its part of the challenge of the run.

So I managed to get to about mile 17 until I started to strip off layers, including my hat (skull cap), I just couldn’t take the heat anymore … I found that as soon as I turned back into the wind in the last mile, I kind of regretted it (since I was pretty wet with sweat by then). I intended to stop and get water in my bottle at the outside water dispenser at the local supermarket I ran by, but some grumpy old man was filling (8) 1-gallon bottles of water. I asked him if I could just fill my 22oz bottle up and he could keep my change, he muttered some words to me and continued to fill his bottles up acting like I wasn’t there .. oh well. I got through the run without it, but could’ve used that extra water..

Seems they’re predicting a wintery mess Monday night into Tuesday, but it appears to be mostly rain and sleet, with a little snow (maybe) … I can handle that for my Tuesday morning 10-miler.. tomorrow i’ve got 12 miles of hills scheduled, 2 loops on my favorite Sunday hill course. The weather for tomorrow appears like its going to be the same as today, so I might dress a little lighter in the anticipation that i’ll be sweating my butt of on the hills, I found myself sweating terribly even when it was 15 degrees a few weeks back doing this course ..

So overall a good day I guess … my hope is that it won’t be long until I’m in shorts again, just 5 weeks until the Ocean Drive marathon..