Back on the Rhode

I ran 20 miles on the nose this week.

And 65 miles in November. And 27 miles in October.

Dare I say I am back?

I still don't have a specific training plan or target race, but I am starting to think about races again. My ankle, while still not 100%, is getting better. No more just tolerating not getting worse. Actually getting better. There is a different feeling when you are healing. Almost like the injured part is letting you know it's there. But it definitely isn't pain, more like a slight discomfort or itchy feel. That's where I am.

My paces are well within my normal range, if not faster. Some runs bring me back to the peak of Shamrock training where I was easily running fast paces and building confidence in my mind and body. Today's run was a perfect example. I had a couple of sub-8 miles in the middle of my run. I didn't even know I ran that fast until I looked at my Garmin data at home. That did not happen when I was training for Boston about a year ago. I really struggled to maintain my normal pace. So what's different? I think I eased back into running more slowly. I don't have the pressure of a non-refundable race that I need to train for. I learned more about my body.