Hello 2009!

Just back from a fabulous 8-day vacation in sunny Florida...talk about great running weather down there, Wow! Even though we had a busy schedule with a dozen family members on the trip (and 6 days of Disney parks and Sea World visits), I was able to stick to my training schedule with some early wake-up calls. Since I took so much time off to start December, I'm definitely behind the ball in terms of getting in top shape for the Iron Horse 100 in February, but I'm not too worried since I have a solid month in January to get some quality work done.

Here I am getting ready to run on a sunny 70 degree day in Orlando - Elizabeth is holding a Disney brochure to help differentiate this photo from the many other 'Dan stretching to run on vacation' shots to come in the future.
One decision I've made for 2009 is to move my daily loop away from the 8.5 mile Hains Point course to a 10 mile out-and-back along the Mt. Vernon Trail. After my Hains Point overkill last fall while training for Ultra Centric, I really really really got sick of running around that loop. It'll be a while before I'll be excited to head back that way - I'm thinking maybe 2010 or so. The other bonus of my new daily loop is the additional 1.5 miles I'll tally every day. Not a huge difference, but a necessary start to the overall increase in weekly miles I now see necessary for reaching a higher bar in terms of performance in 100 mile and 24 hour races. I'm not someone who runs a high amount of miles to begin with, mostly because I try to keep a balance between running and family/work life, so I think this little increase is a fine compromise.

For now, it's back to the frosty running weather and double-loads of laundry with all the extra hats and gloves and tights...I was definitely spoiled in Florida! January should be a big (and cold!) month out there on the training trails for me!

Week Training Log:
Monday - 10 Miles - Florida Loop
Tuesday - Off Day
Wednesday - 10 Miles - Florida Loop
Thursday - 10 Miles - Florida Loop
Friday - 10 Miles - Florida Loop
Saturday - 10 Miles - Florida Loop
Sunday - 30 Miles - Mt. Vernon Trail (40 degrees colder than Saturday's run!)

Total Miles: 80 Miles