Marathon training time--again!

The time has come to register for my second marathon.  Joe and I are going to run the Detroit Free Press Marathon together in October!  The timing for me couldn't be better--school's out for summer and I am finally back to feeling great after running in the morning.  I've felt lately that I need to register for Detroit ASAP to motivate me to run a little harder.  No more procrastinating for me, as this coming Sunday marks 18 weeks from October 21st.  Here we go!

For the few days after Glass City, although I was stiff, I was energized almost enough to register to run Cleveland a month later in May.  At the advice of my friends, I didn't do it, and about a week after Glass City, I was glad that I had swallowed my pride.  For about a month, either my IT band or my hamstring was hurting like the dickens, but generally while walking and not running.  I kept pretty quiet about it--I didn't want anyone to worry about me and I was kinda in denial.  I have been pain-free for several weeks now.  That should have gotten me back into kicking ass and taking names on the pavement, right?  Well, it didn't.

As the school year neared its end and my leg returned to its good health, I noticed I was a bit irritable.  Always on my mind was, "It's time to run more!"  I was frequently struggling to get up early enough to run before school and on the days that I was awake early enough, I couldn't get in more than 4 miles (my running group wouldn't compromise to start 10 to 15 minutes earlier).  I could have run after school, but with no "tangible" goal (not yet registered for another long race), I found myself happier to come home to clean, cook dinner, and relax.  Each day I'd inevitably and regretfully think, "I should have run instead."  It's totally true what "they" say: a runner who isn't running is a crab.  That's not any fancy saying, but you get the gist.  Wouldn't it be fun to see me transform into a crustacean, though?  I pinch.

My last day of work was last Monday.  I looked forward to using the week as my first 30+-mile week since the marathon.  I was heading down to South Carolina to visit my parents for Tuesday through Saturday, so my mom and I had planned to run each morning together.  My plan was to do 6 miles Wednesday and Thursday, 8 on Friday (20 miles), travel on Saturday, then do 10 or more on Sunday morning.  I did well Wednesday and Thursday, including one strong run in the heat and sunlight on the bridge to the right.  Friday morning came and I reluctantly did four miles--we had waited, in my opinion, too long to get out and run, and I don't so much enjoy running in heat and humidity.  When Sunday came, I was too beat from traveling and drinking beer the night before, so I figured I'd run that evening as the sun went down; that plan was shot when 8:00PM rolled around and it was still 90 degrees outside.  So I didn't get my 30-mile week.

This week, I am liberated from any restrictions.  I have no obligation to be anywhere other than home each morning, so I can take my time after our group runs and even tack on some extra miles afterwards.  This Sunday, Joe and I have a 5K at Cedar Point.  I still haven't decided what that means for the long run on Saturday morning.  Maybe I'll do it on Friday morning instead.

Beginning next Monday, it's training time for Detroit.  For Glass City, I loosely followed Hal Higdon's Intermediate 1.  I'm feelin' Intermediate 2 this time around.  Maybe I can get Joe to follow it with me.

Can you recommend a training plan for an intermediate runner like me?  Any big races on the docket for you in 2012?  Experience a post-race slump like I did?