My Boston Marathon Medal

It came yesterday!

Exactly one month after the Boston Marathon, I received my finisher's medal via Fed Ex.  It was an exciting package to open! I left it on the kitchen counter yesterday to admire throughout the day, and then last night I placed it in it's home--with my other marathon and half-marathon medals--in the bottom drawer of my night stand!

I have somewhat rested from running the past month.  Somewhat.  I haven't run many miles--several 3 mile runs on my treadmill, two 9 mile runs with Leanna, and two 10K races, but I am not following any running plan right now.  That is all going to change in a couple of weeks.  I have set a new goal for myself--running a personal best in the Tupelo 14.2 Mile Race which is held on Labor Day weekend. For over two years now my running goals have been to survive marathon training, survive marathon training while undergoing and recovering from two surgeries, and finally, picking up the pace in my marathon in Boston.  For whatever reason, I am ready to set some serious time goals again.

I searched online for various half-marathon plans, and discussed them at length with Heather.  I have settled on a Bart Yasso intermediate half-marathon plan---and for the first time ever I will incorporate speed work!  Scary!  But I am also making a disclaimer.  If at any time during the summer I experience excessive knee pain, or the stress of doing speed and hill work plus running the other runs at specific paces begins to stress me out, I will just go back to getting the miles in at a leisurely pace.  But those of you who know me personally realize that if I make a running plan that has boxes to check off (especially with specific workouts and paces)--I will try my hardest to check off those boxes! My plan begins on May 27.  I welcome the challenge!