Keeping On.

I'm into week three now.

On Saturday, I ran 16 miles.  It felt... really OK.  No aching afterwards - after my last long runs, I found myself walking sideways up and down the stairs for a good 24 hours.  Not this time, which I hope is a good sign that I am getting stronger.  I'm doing the training and it's working - I hope.

This might sound really thick, but the most challenging thing now is that the runs are getting so very bloody long - in terms of time rather than distance.  I know that getting the hours and the miles under my belt is the only way forward.  But I don't want the training to eat into my entire weekend.

On Saturday morning, I made it out by eight o'clock.  I thought this was not bad going.  I was running until eleven - I am quite a slow runner.  Obviously, over the next few weeks, the runs are going to get longer.  I am just going to have to get up earlier.

This last week has been the first in which I have really struggled to fit running in around my social and work calendar.  Deadlines and meetings and lunches, as well as some really fun parties and activities.  Lucky me.  Still, on Saturday, I had barely an hour after my sixteen miles in which to get cleaned up for my dad and his girlfriend visiting; then on Sunday, I was disproportionately pleased with myself only to have two glasses of wine at my best friend's engagement party.  It's kind of my own fault, but the whole weekend felt as though it revolved around that one big run.

I love running but I like to do other things as well.  I may have to become a bit nocturnal, or at least get these long runs started while it's still dark in the morning.  It's only until April, right?