One One One

Last April, I ran 111km in 30 days as I trained for my half marathon. A combination of long runs, easy runs, mid-week runs and the odd hill training thrown in for fun.

This fall, I've been training for my second half marathon of 2012 (oh, and the Medtronic Twin Cities 10-miler which I am SO excited for!!). After Saturday's 20k, I entered the run into my spreadsheet and the grand total for the month popped up.

111km.

Despite skipping a long run to complete a triathlon. Despite missing a few mid-week runs in favour of resting my legs. No hill training either.

I like numbers and I love patterns.

I think it's pretty cool that two very different training months with two very different approaches to running and recovery can end up, essentially, identical.

At least on paper.

April - I was recovered from my injury and fresh after three months off and a few months of rebuilding my mileage. I was fast and frisky and ready to run.

September - I am wrapping up six months of non-stop training. I feel strong and confident - a solid runner. But I don't feel quite as fast as I did in the spring. Nor do I feel quite as bouncy. I feel like I've had a good season and I'm ready for a bit of a rest.

So, in the past few weeks, I've eased up on the number of runs as well as the distance I ran during the week - saving it for the long runs on the weekends.

I think it worked. My legs still feel good and I have no nagging aches or pains.

And apparently I still got a lot of mileage in.

One one one.

I like that number.