"A" for effort...

Compared to last year, this year's training program for the Tely 10 has been, well, horrific.

Today was the last 'long run' before next Sunday's 10 mile race and all told, I haven't run more than 4 miles during any training session this season. I think it's safe to say that I am ill-prepared for next week's event, and a run-walk strategy will be in place.

Looking over last year's journal, I started very weak and got a lot stronger as race day approached; this year, my journal tells the exact opposite tale. Starting in late April, I didn't miss a day for the first few weeks, completed the distances, and even worked on pace until a recurring achilles problem struck me down, just as core mileage was being built. Those few weeks have really cost me. I noted in my journal today, "...looking for divine intervention."

Still, though, I can take pride in the fact that I stuck it out and while I might not have run as often or as long as I would have liked to, the effort was there evidenced by the frequent training sessions starting soon after getting out of bed just after 5:30 on a number of mornings. While I don't expect to be faster than last year, I look forward to the event and sharing the experience once again with family and friends.

And really, my result next Sunday probably won't affect the world rankings.