First half plus

Thanks to my running buddy, I continued to run through the winter months. I took about three weeks off after last year's Chicago Marathon to simply recover and allow for a little rest after the grueling training and marathon final.

Over the winter, I ran on the treadmill a lot, but it was so mild for the most part that we ran outside nearly every other day! While we stuck to 3-4 miles, it was still great running and something I had never attempted before.

Thanks to this extra time hitting the road, I've become a stronger runner and my lack of a winter break from running is now paying dividends on my current training. I started my training very early this year, while most training programs begin this next week. I just finished my first half marathon run (actually 14.2 miles) tonight and I feel great. Others are striving for 5 or 6 on their first long runs, but this was a strong motivator for me!

I am not sore in this run, but my nutrition and hydration intervals need to be synched to the marathon course. I love a couple if podcasts as of late:
1-Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me
2-Car Talk
3-The Dan Patrick Show
4-RunRun Live

All of these keep my mind focused and move at a refreshingly quick pace. I just realized that if I played one of each consecutively, it would last the duration of my marathon run...hmmm.

Anyway, the run tonight was great. I started before sunset and got to watch the sky darken and the moon rise. There is something great about running during the transitions of the day, whether it be from night to morning or evening to night. I felt strong, and could have done more, but after 14, I want to really watch myself and not do too much this early into training. It is just pleasing to finish this so much earlier than last year and to also f eel the confidence with successfully completing more than half of a marathon.