Every Mile Earned

ADDITIONAL MARATHON NOTES If you read my post, Philadelphia Marathon Recap , then you saw that I did a few things different this cycle.  I forgot to include two of the changes I have made. I bought an Orange Mud Hydraquiver this summer and have been using that with handheld water bottles, when they are needed.  I have a bladder that I've never fully enjoyed using. The hydraquiver works perfectly for me. Most of the time I forget that I'm even carrying all that fluid on my back. I'm super thrilled with this purchase. The biggest change I made this cycle has to do with my footwear. Anyone who has known me for 5 minutes, knows I wear VibramFiveFingers . They are what I started running on the road with in 2009, and except for when I sprained my foot in 2015, they are all I have ever run with. I have tried Merrill Gloves but they just don't work for me as well as I'd like.  This cycle I an old injury in my big toe joint, on my right foot, started acting up. On the...

Training Cycle Recap Very late in the spring I hired a coach. Very shortly after that I registered for the Philadelphia Marathon. My poor Musician finally broke down and agreed to the race. He knew first hand from drying my tears, how badly marathon training had gone for me in the past.  It wasn't my original intention. I didn't like the marathon distance. I had two very rough training cycles, struggled with the long runs and was injured by the time I got to the start line of both of them. After I finished Philly in 2015, I swore I would never run another one. I thought I hated the distance. Coach Silver Fox gave me some pretty tough workouts but the hardest thing he asked of me was to slow down . I know the training methodology, I've used it with my athletes but I never applied it to myself.  I never wanted to. I liked running hard, all the time.  It seriously was THE HARDEST thing to run the easy paces he assigned.  But I did it. I knew I had to be all in ...