Taking Stock

Well we are now down to the final few days of my "pre-training training program" for the Marine Corps Marathon, which is 120 days away. This week I got in two five mile runs and one four miler, as well as a cardio session on the elliptical machine. Right now I am very pleased with where I am. I could still stand to lose a few pounds and my one knee is stiffer than I would like, but I am running pretty fast without too much effort, so I am optimistic. I am still trying to nail down a specific training program, mainly just for direction on the long runs--I will definitely do so in the next week or so. It just seems so crazy to me to think I am about to start another marathon training program--I am super excited, but also a bit scared...

Odor Management

So I do not have anything terribly new to report from a training perspective, but I do have an exciting development in the "odor management" of my workout clothes. You see, when I run, I sweat--profusely. I have always found it kind of strange, particularly given the fact I do not perspire all that much on a regular day-to-day basis. Being a bit of a running snob, all of my workout clothes are made of synthetic fibers, which are great from a comfort/sweat wicking perspective, but unfortunately not so much in terms of odor management--after even relatively short runs, they tend to smell really awful (especially in the underarm and crotch areas). It eventually gets so bad I end up having to throw them away, even though they are usually still in pretty good shape (i.e., no holes or fading).

Years ago I read a post on the Slowtwitch discussion boards in which someone mentioned they fight odors by simply showering in their clothes after a workout. Rationally it makes sense to me--by showering right afterwards, you do not give sweat a chance to set in (as opposed to when you wait several days to wash them, as I normally do). I just started to do this myself, and so far, so good. I have showered in my workout clothes now twice at my gym, and have not even gotten a second look in the locker room. And both times my clothes smelled pretty good afterwards--I still plan to run them through the washer before wearing them again, but honestly am not sure if that is really necessary.  Anyway, just wanted to share something not directly training/racing related--hopefully this is not TMI...

One Mile At A Time

This has been a fairly good training week, with runs on Monday, Wednesday, and this morning and an elliptical machine workout on Tuesday. Yesterday I completed my second six mile run this year on the treadmill, with most of the distance at 7:30 per mile pace. I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable and easy it felt, which is a really good sign with my formal marathon training program beginning in less than a month. Overall I am really happy with where I am right now. My only complaint is my right knee has been a bit stiff for the last several weeks, but once it warms up it feels perfectly fine. I know it is still too early to even be thinking about time goals, but I just cannot get breaking 3:20 out of my head given how well training has gone thus far...