Getting the Miles Back Up

This represents the start of my run, up the hill, to meet up with Vince.

This represents basically an out and back juant with Vince plus a solo loop at the end.

Because I'm still learning my new GPS tracking software, I accidentally stopped it when I met up with Vince, who ran the middle 5 miles with me. Hence, the top route and graph are the first 2.5 miles, and the bottom, the final miles.

11.7 miles
2000' elevation gain.
Briones Regional Park - Trails.
2 hours: 10 minutes

After running 20 miles a few weeks back, this seemed like a short and frustratingly difficult run.

But my knee is not swelling, nor am I in any sort of pain at this particular moment.
I preceded the run with 4 cups of coffee, 2 slices of toast and a banana at 6:30am. I started running the hills in Briones at 8:30. All of that in an attempt to mimic the approximate conditions of my upcoming marathon.

Obviously I didn't run a marathon today, nor am I ready to run one. The 3 weeks off my feet took more of a toll than I had thought. The 2 previous short runs, 5 miles and 4.7 miles, were a great success with little pain and no subsequent swelling. The most recent 4.7 mile run, this past Wednesday, was accomplished at a rate of just under a 7 minute mile. I was thrilled - in between gasps - sucking wind.

But I have obviously lost some endurance. I was plagued by the recurring "home stretch lethargy" which is a poor indicator of how much I really have left in the tank, but even in the absence of that phenomenon, I suspect I was within a few miles of a crash.

So what's next? More training. As long as my knee and The Almighty allow, I will continue to press toward my goal: The Golden Gate Headlands Marathon - less than a month away.

And then? Get a professional bike fit, and start training seriously on the bikes.

Wow, I miss the bikes, but I dare not risk the swelling that those rides had initiated previously.

Words that mean more to me now: Patience, Endurance, Contentment.