Good 4

i did the 4 miles on my plan tonight to try and get back on schedule. for the first mile and a half i felt as good and as strong running as i ever have. once again i did the hilly route, so by the end i was coming back down to earth. i bought a few new energy snacks to try until the marathon so i can hopefully find something that works that i can get down my throat that will not cramp my stomach. i ate a few of the sports beans before i left just to try the taste and they were pretty good. as i started running, i tried to eat a few gu chomps. they were ok but were a little tough to get down as i was running. neither of them seemed to hurt my stomach as i was running. i also ordered some running tights and a long sleeved compression running shirt today. i am excited about trying them. figured i had to get clothes to help me run in the cold if i plan on running through the winter. if my brother would just donate his treadmill to me i wouldn't have to worry about running in the cold:).

here are the splits for tonight's run:

0.5= 4:52 154
1.0= 9:42 4:49 165
1.5= 14:16 4:34 166
2.0= 19:09 4:52 166
2.5= 23:58 4:49 168
3.0= 28:58 4:59 174
3.5= 33:55 4:56 175
4.0= 38:37 4:42 173

overall, this was a very good run. i felt good, breathing was good, and i feel good now.

thought of the day:"I just kept on doing what everyone starts out doing. The real question is, why did other people stop?" William Stafford. this is not directed to a certain brother, but i did think about him and laugh when i read it. it is really about all the things i have accomplished in life and the things i didn't that i wished i did. now that the marathon is getting closer and more people are asking me about it, i keep hearing, "i don't know how you do it, i never could." so far it really hasn't been that hard (i still haven't finished a marathon yet). i guess it may be easier for me than some because in life i like to have a plan to follow, a map to guide me. when i do, i know that all i have to do is follow the directions, and sometimes they may take some effort or i may have to overcome obstacles or stop for directions, but i will get there. but if you work up to the runs, anyone can do it. for real, i am 25 pounds overweight, old, work long hours, i just make it a priority (most of the time) because i have a short term goal (marathon) and a long term goal (health). and i know if i put it off when i am older, it will be even harder.