Fall is Here

I apologize in advance for the randomness of this post. Its not really organized at all. Usually I plan what I'm going to write but now I'm just writing.

Fall is definitely here in the pacific northwest. Its rainy, windy and getting colder. That being said, I'm still running in shorts so its not that cold. This morning I put in a nice 7 mile run along the river. My legs definitely appreciated that flat route. The last two runs I did (Friday and Saturday) were at my fiancee's university which is very hilly.

I am very happy with how my running is progressing. I put in 21 miles last week, which is less than the 26 from the week before, but it was much faster. I think all of my runs were under 8 minute pace. I feel that I am recovered from the marathon and am going to start building my mileage up again. I'm thinking somewhere in the 30's for a couple of weeks and then kicking it up to the 40's around Thanksgiving.

I had an amazing weekend! My fiancee and I are at different universities for grad school. Last year we were able to see each other once a month. This year, we haven't done that. Before this weekend I hadn't seen her since Labor Day! Luckily, her school gets the whole week off for Thanksgiving so she will be coming here in two short weeks :)

I also added a few races to my schedule. I'll be doing another 5K with the club on Dec 5th and a 10K on Dec 18th. I was planning on a 10K near my hometown, but switched to a different one, about an hour away. The one I had planned on is designed to be a two-person relay. The race does allow one-person "teams" but it would mean doing an out-and-back 5K route twice...not my idea of a good race for my first 10K. Instead I'll be hitting up the event where I ran my first two half marathons. During my second half marathon, a friend of mine actually won the 10K. Maybe I'll follow in his footsteps...

On a sad note, the great Haile Gebrselassie announced his retirement yesterday after dropping out of the NYC Marathon. He had been having knee problems but wanted to run anyway. The day before, an MRI showed fluid building up in his right knee. He said that he doesn't want to complain anymore and it is "better to stop here". He is arguably the best distance runner of all time. His career spans over 17 years. His first gold medal came in the 1993 World Championships at the 10,000m distance. Since then, he has won numerous medals and set an astonishing 27 world records. He will truly be missed by the sport he has given so much to.

(Image from BBC News UK)

(Haile setting the Marathon World Record, 2:03:59)