Getting stronger

As I get a little further removed from running the Chicago marathon, I can definitely tell that I'm starting to get stronger during my runs. The 12-miler I did last Sunday wasn't bad, but I didn't feel that great throughout. This past Sunday, I felt much better during a 14-mile jaunt with my new running mate, Kevin.

I think it helps that he's a bit faster than I am. Although, we'll be having a conversation and at times he'll be talking normal and I feel like I'm fighting to get words out because I feel like I'm about to die! But, on this last long run, I averaged 8:20 per mile (8:26 per for the first seven and 8:15 per for the last seven).

So we finished the 14 miles in 1:56:52, which would put me on pace for a 3:38:42 marathon finish, if I was able to keep that pace. That would be a time I'd be THRILLED with. I think I'm going to set my sights on finishing under 4 hours at the Walt Disney marathon, and anything I do beyond that will be icing on the cake.

I learned that I probably set too lofty a goal for my first marathon -- not really knowing what to expect and all. This time, I would still love to finish around 3:30, but I'm setting my goal as four hours, because I believe that's attainable and, if I finish faster, then that's just a bonus. I think that's a better way to set my goal this time around.

I'm kind of bummed, though. I signed up to run a half marathon in Las Vegas in early December, thinking that I'd be there for this offseason's baseball Winter Meetings. It turns out that our company if cutting back on travel costs where it can (thanks economy!), so not every reporter (I unfortunately landed in this group) is making the journey this winter.

Ah, well. I'll just keep training in Toronto and this now means I get to stay home with the Wife more this offseason. Being away from home for six weeks for Spring Training can be tough, so I'll take any extra days with the family that I can get! Maybe I'll look into the Las Vegas marathon next winter, who knows?

I'm glued to the ol' TV today watching the election coverage, but at some point I have to break away and run an easy nine miles. The cold weather has eased some over the past few days, so I think I'll be able to run in a t-shirt and shorts today! We'll see how long this keeps up. It'll be nice to leave the long sleeves at the condo, though.

Congrats to my fellow MLBdotcomers who completed this year's New York City marathon this past Sunday. I had fun tracking you guys online and rooting you on. Once you've run a marathon, you can see those times and understand just how hard it is and just how satisfying it is to cross that finish line. I can't wait to do it again in January.

I ran a personal-high 39 miles this past week and am down to set a new personal best with 41 this week. I've been dealing with some very minor discomfort in my left knee for the past few days, but have been able to run without any pain. I've been icing it and resting when it's bothering me, so I'm not overdoing it. I'm not going to take any risks if it really starts hurting.

So, hopefully that starts to feel better so I can continue with my training without any hiccups. So far, so good. Catch you all a few miles down the road...