Three months since this crazy ride started...

Can you believe it has been three months since I started this blog? We are definitely more than halfway through the training schedule now. It is 73 days until the race, and soon we will hit the 10-week mark.

This afternoon, the weather improved just enough to remind me that there won't be snow on the ground forever. The sky turned that odd blue color we rarely see during the winter, and this strange bright light was shining in the sky. I could feel it heating the side of my face like a giant Easy-Bake oven lightbulb while I was out with the dogs.

Today was a cross-training day, so I don't have any amazing run times to report. I did, however, have a very nice Pilates class with Kim. I can follow the moves a lot better when I sit in front.

Here's an update of my progress by the numbers:

• Number of runs since December 4: 47
  
• Number of runs I have missed since December 4: 9
  
• Number of miles run since December 4: 144.75
  
• Highest weekly mileage so far: 17 (week of February 23)
  
• Longest run so far: 6.09 miles on February 19 and February 28
  
• Fastest training run pace so far: 10:01/mile on January 30
  

I am thinking about running a five-mile race next Saturday just to see how I'm doing and pick up a little more start-line experience. If I decide to do it, I will tell you more than you could possibly want to know about it.

If I had stuck with the run-five-days-a-week program, my mileage would be a lot higher, but I wonder if I'd still be running at all. I am now "missing" a four-mile run every week, but hopefully I'm still getting in enough time on my feet to ensure I can complete the race in an upright position. Hopefully.