Half Way Mark

This week marks the half way point of my 18 week 50k training plan.  I thought I'd give a little half way point update and reflect on what's going on now and how the last nine weeks have gone.  Over all, I'd say I've been happy with my training.  I've certainly felt okay being more flexible with time and distance, running more or less as permitted by time or other factors. Of course, pain has been a factor to skipping some runs.  Realizing that sometimes if things hurt too much a day off doesn't kill my training.  I feel mentally tough enough to do a 50k and having run the race course now, I feel even more confident.  I know what's ahead.

At this very moment I'm having a little pain struggle.  Last night was the second night (recently) that I've been in a lot of pain in the night.  I was sleeping just fine until my four year old began screaming for me at the top of her lungs.  However, once awake, I was hurting. My right hip was screaming at me!  Keep in mind that I have a history of bad hip pain associated with Celiac Disease (CD) and have been having some other CD related problems lately so I'm not sure how much of this pain is running related.  However, I can't help but wonder if any of this is being caused by my increased mileage.  By morning I was feeling fine, which is the part that makes me think it's CD related.  I'm just hoping it won't effect (or is it affect?  I can never remember which one to use!) my training.

I've also decided that Fall races are the way to go.  As much as I enjoy a nice snowy trail run and the beauty of winter, training through winter is hard work.  Not only that, but it really eats into my family time.  In the summer I can get up before sunrise and be back from a long run well before lunch time.  Now that it's 0º and pitch black at 7:00am I just can't get out of the house that early.  Forget the snow and ice covered roads.  So, maybe I'll pick another race in the Fall and then relax next winter.  Sounds good, don't you think?

Half way.  In a long run, that is a miraculous phrase.  Once I hit half way I know I can make it.  I'm on my way to being done!  Here I come 50k!