Squeezed my 9 mile run perfectly into the break in the rain. Lots of people out also taking advantage of a break in the weather. Despite a strong headwind from the north this long run felt great; hit cruise control at mile 5 and enjoyed it. Did 3 loops of my 3 mile route.

Dealing with outer bands of Hurricane Harvey. There’s a small break in the weather so I’m going to try to get in my 9 mile long run.

Should be an interesting 9 mile long run on Saturday if the forecast sticks. Rain, rain, wind, wind. I ran my last half marathon in pouring rain for miles 5 thru 10. It sucked. I now see the value in training in inclement weather.

When I trained for my first half marathon I was strict about diet. I eliminated most “treats, including beer. After a while I started to resent the training somewhat. For the marathon training I’m being careful but 🍺 is on the menu.

Extra tired this morning but got up and did my scheduled 3 mile run. Enjoyed it, too. The last mile it rained, not hard but the drops were big. I wish I could say it felt refreshing. Tomorrow is an off day before my Saturday long run.

Supposed to be only 72 degrees in the morning. A treat for summer running in Austin. And even cooler this weekend and next as the storm in the Gulf comes through.

In early 2016 I had a stress fracture on/in my right tibia. It was my first injury (chafing b/c of misapplied Body Glide doesn’t count). I resumed running after a few months. Ever since then I’ve been extremely sensitive to any tinges or anything at all in my right leg.

Today’s studio snacks. These are my snacks for the day. One challenge I’ve had since I started running 2.5 years ago is eating too much (like an entire 14” pizza). I need more calories but not unlimited. I try to eat a normal (for me) diet and save the extra calories for beer. :)

Ultimate Direction AMP handheld - I am trying this one out for my runs. I’ve previously used Amphipod and Nathan. A reviewer described it as like holding a wet baguette when it’s not completely full. I agree. I like it because it efficiently holds 17oz. amzn.to/2wnty2J

4 miles at 6 AM. Took my headlamp this time because one tree lined road I run has few street lamps. Brought along a new water bottle I’m testing. I don’t like carrying liquids but I sweat too much, even on short runs. Listened to Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography.

Tuesday morning training run. 3 miles at a comfortable pace. Felt good. Legs are fine after the long run over the weekend. Heart rate was good throughout. Got this one in before sunrise which helped (only slightly) with the heat. Ran in about 77 degrees. Still too hot!

Saturdays are long runs, starting at 6 miles and peaking at 20. Rest days are Mondays and Fridays. Tuesday-Thursday are shorter runs (3-7 miles). Because I’m in Austin, I always run in the morning so my runs need to be done before I continue my day.

My training plan is 16 weeks and started first week of August. It’s a modified version of Hal Higdon’s intermediate plan. Modified because I am adjusting it to what’s best for me and because I was at high altitude the first week. It’s 4 running days, 1 x-train day, 2 rest days.

Okay more background: I’ve done the following distances: 1x - 5k, 2x -10k, 1x - 10 mile, 2x - half marathon. I am slow and steady. Right now I value endurance (time on feet) over speed.

I started running in February 2015 a couple months before my 40th birthday (mid-life crisis much?). I joined a YMCA running class and suffered through the first couple weeks. We trained for the Cap10k (Austin’s annual 10k), which I completed a week before my birthday.

In December 2017 I will run my first marathon. This microblog will document my training and experience. I’ll start with a little background and then get into actual training stuff. Figuring this microblog out as I go so pardon my mess.