Wow…March was a FULL month of training! Yeah, I’m following a plan and know on a daily basis what’s going on, but to look at the stats in total is…wow.  This month, road running pretty much dominated the mix at 70%, with trail running at 10%, and bicycling at 20%.  I even stayed on track during my short trip to Texas, doing the first of two twenty mile long runs around Lady Bird Lake while in Austin.

As far as new equipment, a couple of things this month:

• Compression.  I’d been reading about using compression socks or sleeves and finally took the plunge in March.  I opted for sleeves and really like the way my legs feel during and after runs.  I initially bought two brands – CEP and Zensah – and have settled on CEP, because of the (at least to me) better compression.  I also tried CEP recovery compression socks and like the way my legs feel later in the day after a long run.  Both these are keepers…
• Shoes.  I’ve been wearing Saucony Kinvara 3s for a while and added a new pair to the rotation (as well as another pair on the shelf for later [REI dividend!].)  I also bought a pair of Saucony Type A5s for my shorter runs.  I LOVE THEM!  They are light, comfortable, and, based on the sole wear after 54 miles, I actually seem to be doing better at mid-foot-strike running while wearing them.  I think that is transferring to my Kinvara 3s as well.

With Big Sur less than a month away, April will be all about staying healthy and keeping on track with the training plan…including the taper.  I’m really looking forward to April 28th and running my second full marathon – plus, my next goal in running!

Anyway, here are the stats for the month that was March 2013:

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I got this in my Inbox today…

OK, I’m not completely like Mr. Gump. Just partially in the sense that, once I started running, I haven’t stopped and have no plans to…ya know, like he did…

Where’s my box of chocolates Swedish Fish!

Training Journal – 3/8/13:

• Current plan: Big Sur Marathon Training Plan – W11/D5
• Today’s session: 10 mile easy run @ 8:27-9:28 pace
• Comments: I did 10.3 @ 8:36

February was another great month of training!  Road running pretty much dominated the mix at 75%, with trail running at 8%, and bicycling at 17%.  Our lives are still churning after my Father-in-law’s passing last December and my Mother-in-Law had some health issues this month as well.  Running seems to be my therapy right now.

The high point of the training month was gritting out a new half marathon PR (1:44:45) at the KP San Francisco Half Marathon by 2:36 – BOOYAH!

As far as new equipment, none this month – though I did try the lemon flavor of GU Chomps and like them.

With Big Sur less than two months away, I’ve started some focused training (including a Hurricane Point sim) and have made some pacing goal refinements (using a great BSIM-specific spreadsheet from mymarathonpace.com.)

Anyway, here are the stats for the month that was February 2013:

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January was a good month of training consisting of a mix of road running (67%), trail running (11%), and cycling sessions (22%.)  I seem to be in a funk lately and the runs and rides always provide a great opportunity to clear my mind.

I made a 3-day trip to Chicago; but stayed on track, logging 28.7 miles along the Lakefront Trail (12.27, 10.38, & 6.04)…chilly miles to boot (at least for this Northern Californian.)

As far as new equipment, zip.  Though I did buy a new pair of Kinvara 3s to have in the queue.  It’s hard to pass up “20% off sale price” offer from Road Runner Sports and the four pair of road shoes in my rotation are in various stages of “maturity.”

Anyway, here are the stats for the month that was January 2013:

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December…where didst thou go?

This was a pretty tough month on the home front, but still a solid month of training and the milestone of my first FULL MARATHON! Training consisted of a mix of road running (36%), trail running (28%), and cycling sessions (36%.) My job shut down for the holidays, so I took advantage of that to squeeze in some additional trail runs and cycling.

As far as new equipment, I bought some winter-weather running tights, some fenders for my bike, and added SaltStick to my pre/mid-race routine (after learning the hard way during the marathon.) I went back & forth on buying a trainer for winter cycle training, but opted for the fenders – I may still splurge, but the fenders do work pretty good…

Anyway, here are the stats for the month that was December 2012:

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In November, my wife and I drove the course so I could gather some INTEL.

Yikes, Yippee, & 18 weeks ’til I GIDDY UP!

Training Journal – 12/24/12:

• Current plan: Big Sur Marathon Training Plan – W1/D1
• Today’s session:Cross Train: 60 minute bike ride
• Comments: I rode 95 minutes for 25.65 miles @ 16.1 mph avg.