I'm feeling good and healthy. I've been at 50mpw average for most of the last two months, and did a tempo run at 6:40 for 4 miles and wasn't breathing hard. But, we still have two feet of snow on the ground and are 8 hours from the nearist big city. There won't be any races until late Spring. So I must be patient.

These are tough times. The weather has, of course, been frigid. I'm certain all of the runners here in Timmins would love to get outside for a nice long run but the roads are snow-covered and the temps have averaged around 0 degrees for the last two weeks. So...I've still got the treadmill blues.

Now there are a lot of TM workouts one can do, and I do them each week: VO2, Tempo, hills and fartlek. The long run isn't one of them, due to the monotony factor. I could imagine a 10 miles out/8 miles on the TM workout, but never an 18-miler on the TM. I'm simply too aware of time passing on the TM; none of those "zones" where you go 8 miles and don't notice. Additionaly, the TM makes my knee sore...I believe it's due to trying to stay balanced and stable. Outdoor running tends to fall into YOUR pace. The TM forces you to keep at IT'S pace.

Well, there will be a break in two months. H and I are going to a nice hotel in Panama to get warm and sunburnt. I'll get in some warm-weather runs there, I'm sure. Just as I did in Guam.

But for the spring, it's going to be HM only. A full marathon awaits for the Fall.

Goals? For the ING Ottawa HM, sub 1:25. For the Niagra Falls full, 3:05. We'll see...

Things are getting better with training. That nagging knee tightness that seems to hit on the treadmill after 45 minutes has abated. One thing I'm starting to do is to diversify pace and hills even more when running on the TM. Today for example, I started at 10:00/mile, worked up to 8:10/mile during the first 4 miles. After that, I did a kind of tempo run, going from 7:30 to 6:50 pace up a 3% grade for three miles. The steady hill adds intensity to MP runs so they don't feel harried on the TM as a 6:30 flat TM run often does. Easier on the legs and back as well.

They are still showing that annoying Cialis commercial where the 40ish couple lie to their poor parents so they can get nasty together (see Dec.).

The Pack lost what seemed to be the longest, most advertised game in playoff history. I mean, come on. One play...Driver's slow getting up--commercial...next play...official review of the catch...commercial...I no longer cared who won at hour four.

But hey! Those Badgers male hoopsters are up to 11 in the polls. Nice for future seading at the NCAAs.

It was -26 this morning and my car wouldn't start. But once it "warmed up" to 3F, I got it to start, then drove aimlessly around to rev up the battery. You gotta love the weather up here...

There hasn't been much to add to RWW blog since much of December and January weather has been too cold for outdoor training. I've been averaging around 47 miles a week for the past two months, with one or two "quality" workouts(tempo, speed, or fartlek).
This week has been warm for Timmins in January, with highs in the mid 30s. So I've been able to take two consecutive runs outdoors. It's still snow covered in places, but it's important for me to get in actual running which feels different from treadmill running.
I've got the Pfitzinger book now and will do the 18/70 program, but only for the fall marathon season. Right now, it's impossible to do the proper long runs outside, and the treadmill is tolerable for shorter runs--up to 60 minutes or so--but dreadful beyond that. Also, my left knee stiffens up after an hour or so.
My racing plans will be the ING half marathon target for May where I'll try to go under my 1:26 PB and a full in the fall. Of course this could change. There aren't many races around here so we'll see how it plays out.