Back on the Schedule

I had to stop for ten days from my acute tendinitis on both Achilles a few weeks ago. With trepidation, I have tried to keep with the schedule of the runs needed in preparation for the marathon. Saturday at the Moraga Commons run, was a great back and forth 11 miles or so. It felt good to be able to run without concern- and I turned it on for about 4 miles on the way back. I considered it my workout for the week- running at 7 per mile on those 4 and slowed down the last mile in. I am training my body so that when I run the marathon- the pace I am shooting for will feel comfortable to halfway point. Today I ran 9 miles, there was a soft rain and it looked threatening but it didn't start coming down until I reached my doorway. There was a cool breeze early in the morning but I was able to run in a long sleeve shirt and shorts- that is why I moved out west from Miami- the temperate weather, but today there were very few people around the lake and it felt like it was totally mine. I will miss this freedom to run in the mornings whenever I get a job but I have to say that when I am feeling really positive in one area in my life it slowly saturates to other places as well (let's hope it floods the job outlook for me). I am back to running in the Nike Air shoes as I was first thinking that was the cause of the Achilles strain- (not much cushioning- but great racing flat) but I now know it was the lack of stretching the calf/Achilles and concentration on the hamstrings. Since then, I have been stretching those muscles/tendons and did get another pair of shoes (Asic's) but did run in the Air's yesterday (9 miles) with no Achilles problems.
I think this will be one of the few 40 plus mile weeks that I have done- and I have run them well below my expected running pace so I feel good about that. I am imagining I will feel comfortable in the first 16- miles and then it will take a tremendous amount of effort to continue at my pace and run faster IF I have the gas in the tank at mile 20. This weekend is the 20 miler which runs most of the course- it will be nice to know where the finish line is because I know that all parts of me are going to have to be working together in order to find the finish line. I distinctly remember the feeling of numbness from my knees down from mile 18 in the 1985 SF Marathon- that is fine with me- better that then feeling a blister coming on for the last 10 miles. I have learned from my most recent injury that the body has the ability to repair itself most of the time- if one takes the right steps, is patient, and of course has the belief in the healing process. Now it is time for me to suit up and hit the mileage road again.