A Brief Fall Update

The weather has finally started to turn cooler this week and we are supposed to get our first frost in the next few days. This means it is time to plant my garlic bulbs and I am hoping to get those in the ground in the next couple of days. I will also bring in my first year asparagus plants into the garage soon before they get permanently planted in the ground next spring. I will also be harvesting two very small cabbage heads soon, and the leaves can probably just go into a salad. It is a time of the year that is welcome as much as it is dreaded. I love the warmer weather and summer, but at the same time realize that the colder seasons are needed for nature and for new growth that will come again next year.

In other news, marathon training is going well. A couple of weeks ago, I did my longest long-run at 22 miles and felt great about it. I ended the last six miles or so at around 8:10 pace I believe, so I should be able to hit my goal of 3:45 and if I am feeling good, possibly under 3:40. I have to thank my wife for riding the bike with me the whole time and having gels, gus, water and Body Armor to keep me fueled and hydrated! That makes a huge difference. I did a 15 mile long run last week, but now for these last three weeks, I am officially tapering, which is needed.

I have noticed since completing it that my body has felt pretty exhausted and needs to recover. I am trying to sleep as much as I can and have been getting a lot of deep sleep and my resting heart rate has temporarily gone up.

Overall though, I feel really good about going into this year's marathon!