In Training

I think that I can honestly say that I am officially back in training.  Granted this week wasn't the full on follow my half marathon training plan word for word, but it was pretty close.  I need a plan to follow, if I don't I feel confused and don't know what to do.  I should probably back track a bit and fill in some of the blanks from my last post.

Injuries
I am feeling so much better than two weeks ago.  My right foot is at about 85%, with any discomfort on the outside of the foot and the heel.  I tape it up when playing soccer and don't have to do anything to it when I am running.  My left quadriceps feels that same as it has for the past two months.  I am going to have to get to the doctor to have it checked out soon, but it isn't restricting my daily training.  It just doesn't feel "right".  My lower back is sore in the morning but not the pain I had been dealing with a month or so ago. 

I think I can blame a lot of the aches and pains I feel on the weight gain since last November, an additional 16 lbs from my race day weight.  I basically had been eating my normal diet but hadn't been able to keep my activity levels up.  Just this weekend, with the increase in running, I have seen a couple pounds drop off.  Let's' hope it happens quickly!

Training
As of Wednesday of this week I am back to training.  I say Wednesday because I had two indoor soccer games that night and considered that a solid speed work out.  I was pretty immobile on Thursday and wasn't able to get out for a run, but I did get on my bike for an hour on Friday night.  Saturday was a painful (emotionally that is) 4 mile run where I struggled to get under 8:30/mile pace.  I did though and feel good about it.  Yesterday was the big test as I tackled my longest run in over three months....8.5 miles!  The started the first mile very easy and gradually found a rhythm.  I was not blazing along the roads at all, but I did end up at around 8:35/mile pace.  I'll take it considering my lack of road running and weight gain.  My running will improve over the next few weeks as I get into a routine.

P90X
My wife and I have decided that we both need to get into shape.  Yes, I am in decent shape, but not where I want to be.  Even when I did IM Arizona back in November, I probably should have been five pounds light (or slightly more) to better handle the rigors of the day.  Looking forward to the race season that is only two or three months away, I am going to try and get my weight down and improve my strength and power.  My wife is looking to get back to the shape she was in before she had our two little girls.  With that said, we are going to give P90X a shot.  I have been told that it is really friggin' tough; I guess if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.  I'll let you all know how it goes.

Everything Else
All else is going pretty well.  My new job is going well, although the commute into Philadelphia is rough.  This will all improve once I get appointments set up and I don't have to trek in here everyday.  I managed to sell my VW Jetta this weekend, which is a huge burden gone.  Looks like we will be going car shopping this weekend for my wife!

I guess that is about it for now.  Hopefully I will be keeping up a bit better on this blog now that I am back to a structured training plan again.  Ciao!