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Long Run Monday

You know your marathon training has officially begun when you start turning down activities because you need to get a run in that night.

If I am being completely honest, there were other factors in my decision to pass up a night of birthday bowling (not my birthday). But in the back of my mind, I also knew the 8 miles waiting for me on the treadmill would be more likely to happen tonight if I stick to my normal routine: dinner by 6, girls in the bath and to bed by 7, running my heart out by 8.

I am keeping my training schedule flexible as far as which days I do my runs. This means I am scheduling my long runs early in the week when possible so they are less likely to get shortened or skipped. This week's long run is tonight's 8 miles.

My other two runs this week are a 6 mile (2 easy, 2 tempo, 2 easy) and speedwork (10 min warm, 6 x 1 min fast + 3 min recovery, 10 min cool).

This marathon training is helping me keep two of my 2010 goals: to run more and to write more. I also plan to read more this year. In one of my favorite books about writing, Stephen King's On Writing, he says a good writer is always reading. I'm not claiming to be a good writer, but I am a dang good reader. And normally I start a new book within a day or two of finishing the last one. Somehow that stopped happening in 2009. I'm not even sure I read one book per month last year, which is pathetic for me. So I have renewed my commitment to reading and cracked open a new book last night. And I picked up two more today after my biggest little midge requested a trip to library the moment she got out of bed.

To summarize, this year will be about reading more, writing more, and running more. Apparently I have tricked myself into believing there are more hours in the day in 2010.

And while I am on the subjects of reading, writing, and running, I must thank Felice, my holiday gift exchange partner. She sent me a journal, which I have already put to good use making notes for future blog topics, and an awesome bookmark, which is currently hanging out in my latest read.

Happy Monday and happy running!

Comments

  1. those are all great goals though! An editor friend of mine always says to try and write a little something, anything, every day, and you'll be surprised at how much you can put down.

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  2. Best of luck with your reading goals! You can do it!!

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  3. Reading contest - go!


    Oh yeah, you are a better reader than I. Sigh...

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  4. loooove to read! My hubs thinks I'm nuts for all the books I go through

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  5. I hope your run tonight goes well. King's book on writing is awesome! I'm not a good writer, but I certainly love my reading.

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  6. I have passed up evenings out on more than one occasion to fit my runs in. Your evening sound pretty much like what goes on in my house. Hope the run goes well!

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  7. I am the same way!! I need to stick to my schedule to really help me during the training. I also love to read. I would love to write a children's book, when I get them time :-)

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  8. Running, writing and reading are the three things that keep me sane!

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  9. I read that Stephen King book for my writing class in college and i really liked it. I try to start a new book as soon as I finish one but sometimes its hard! That is a good new years resolution!

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  10. Those are great resolutions. I love reading too, and if reading can turn me into a writer, I love it even more.

    Do you have a treadmill in your house, you run on in the evenings? Because I've always been wondering if it's possible to read a book while running on a treadmill. Wouldn't that be a wonderful way of multitasking?!

    http://www.momshomerun.blogspot.com

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  11. Sounds like great goals. I love to read and wish I could do more of it. I have a friend who reads on the TM all the time.

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  12. Reading is so very important, especially when writing. Great gift from Felice!

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  13. I too am working some on writing. Not that I'm a writer but I enjoy it just the same. I'm signed up for a creative writing class the end of January and I'm looking forward to it.

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  14. What kind of books do you read?

    I have the SK book on Writing too...well I think I have every book by SK.

    Good luck finding that elusive 25! hours in a day!

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