Training

I'm through 3 weeks of my training program for the LA Marathon-- 51, 55, and 51 miles respectively. It's been tougher than i'd hoped, mostly because my hip bursitis has been hurting worse than normal. It's going to be hard to get through another 15 weeks, especially as the mileage and pace ramp up. Fortunately, daylight savings time finally ended so it's not dark until 6:30 in the morning any more, at least until mid-December. It will start getting colder though.

This is the 3rd time in 4 years that i'll be training through the holidays. It's brutal, because well-meaning people inundate your home and workplace with high-calorie, low-nutrient food; and being hungry most of the time it's too convenient to grab a couple of cookies rather than something more healthful. It also means lots of cold mornings in my case; and my brain resists getting out from under the covers on those chilly dark mornings. I do however enjoy the feeling of running into the dawn. The light at dawn, in that brief transition between night and day, is almost mystical. I always try to get up for it when i'm camping, but it's even more satisfying when you're running because you feel more like part of that outdoor world.