1.5 months 'til GO-TIME!

A lot has happened since my last post. Mainly, as of September 21st, 2013, my tax filing status changed to "married."

Shout-out to my handsome Groom

While I've been absorbed in all things related to the aforementioned tax status change, I've managed to stay consistent in my running. Where there's a will, there's a way.

Atop Mt. Tam on our wedding morning (in the pouring rain)

And while I haven't exactly stuck to a strict marathon training schedule, per se, I've kept my mileage relatively high, and somehow managed to take myself to a new level in XC. 

I write this at the conclusion of a 70 mile week. A combination of hills and trails are my secret ingredient. So far this season I've run 3 XC races and demolished my old PRs. And, I'm consistently running at a pace much faster than my usual jog. 

The only thing that's changed about my training is my newfound love for trail running, which of course equates to running lots of hills. And I'm fairly certain this is what's helped me take my running to a new level.

I've spent the last few years lollygagging along the flat pavement - Chrissy Field to the GG bridge, the Berkeley marina loop, and the Mill Valley bike path. I avoided the unknown.

My transition to the trails was slow at first and started with a few Mt. Tam summits, which Travis essentially made me do with him. I was further spurred on to seek out trails by some promising results on Strava, a few new "hardcore" trailrunning friends, and Travis' 50-mile training schedule.

Mile 8 of 50; on his way to 5th place overall!

A few months back, I would have never considered doing back-to-back trail runs with over 1,000 ft of elevation change per run. Now, I seek out the elevation and recognize how strong the hills have made me. Furthermore, I believe my body has been able to handle the "stress" of the hills because of the soft-footing on the trails. Strava has made trailrunning extra, extra fun with the promise of shiny crowns at the end of every run.

So, 1.5 months out from CIM, I have not done a ton of marathon-focused workouts, but I'm feeling stronger and more confident than ever and I'm simply having fun with my running. I continue to keep my eyes on the prize (a sub-3 hour marathon) and I will continue pounding the hills and trails because it's working for me.

With the changing light of daylight savings looming in the not-to-far distance, I'll have to make some adjustments in my hill training, but I've got my headlamp and a few new running friends by my side.

Thursday AM Ninja Run