Rob and I finished our fifth week of training strong last night, running for more than 40 miles and recording personal best distances just six days apart (13 miles last Sunday, 14 miles Saturday morning.) The 14 miler was a great run that took just over two hours to complete. We started on Poplar behind Eastern State Penitentiary, ran Kelly Drive past the Falls Bridge, finally making a right into Wissahickon Creek Park. We turned around just as we reached the first milemarker on the Forbidden Drive trail and then ran back to Fairmount.
How am I doing? My right ankle’s taking it badly and I’m treating the soreness, bruising and swelling with a regular icing regimen. Stretching has become a regular part of my routine as well, both before and after running. I think that I still need to find a way to lose another 20 pounds if my legs are going to hold up to this abuse. I’ve been stuck at 190 for what feels like forever now, even as I’m going on longer runs. That 14 mile run burned over 2000 calories! I want to see results!
I’m looking forward to Week 6 of training. It’s a step-back week, which means shorter runs and a chance for my body to recover a bit. It’s a funny thing to say, but I breathe a sigh of relief when the longest run of the week is 10 miles.