bumpity bump bump...bump

The road has been bumpy! What a december, between the exams, getting sick, going home(and nearly dying on the drive), december has been a rough one for training. I suspected this would be the case and didn't fight it! I have one week before school starts and I have virtually no responsibilities so if this isnt the key to a proper start to training, i don't know what is. Unfortunately the weather is pretty crap, well actually its the leftover snow that is making the running a bit difficult. Since when are the running conditions worse in Vancouver than in Kitimat? Hopefully we'll get more rain and wash all this away, I really want to get training again here, full tilt. I am definitely ready to get healthy, fit, and feeling like a specialized animal again, its about damn time.

I finally have my class schedule and it isnt too bad, but will force me to workout on tuesday mornings, so I might try to tie in with the SFU group again, which is alright, hopefully Dylan will be there. Thursday is open and I will be able to meet up with someone to do thursday's focus session. So its really not too bad, other than my 830 am class on wednesday which is horrific, I don't even want to think about it right now aaah. The good thing about the schedule is it leaves a few evenings open so i'll be able to work a bit more, and attend functions in the community and what not. All in all, it is not an ideal schedule but I think it will work out fine. I am a bit nervous about my classes but excited as well. It is going to be a great semester and a great year I am certain of it, virtually everything in life is on the up and up, so here's hoping I can keep a good balance.

mmmm Soda Crackers

Pretty solid week last week. I would call last week the first official week of training. I ran 65miles in 6 runs: 4 - 10milers, one workout of 8k in 26:04, and a solid long run of 15miles. My calf problem is slowing going away and I am feeling OK. Right now I am just focusing on studying but as of today classes are over and it should be easy enough to get into things running wise. Unfortunately i won't know my class schedule for next semester until I get my marks from this semester and get admitted to the classes I need next semester and so I don't know who I will be training with during the week come January, if anyone at all.

This week I'll continue to do easy 10milers in the mornings, however I am going to do a workout Richard prescribed tomorrow and the same on saturday after my first exam, and again another long run, but probably bump it up to 18miles, so the structure is slowly forming. I think it is going to be very important for me to slowly work in more structure because in the past I have often gone from no structure to highly structured and had to sacrifice many things in the rest of my life, so a low integration is probably the best plan to increase the chances of consistency and success. The next race will be an 8k in Saanich on January 11th I think, and it will for the most part be a barometer on the way to the "First Half" which I am really excited about. It is 10 or 11 weeks away, just enough time to get in real good shape I figure. Not sure what i'll run but if the conditions are good I expect to run a PB, it can be a very fast course if the conditions are good.

Well, back to the books.