Still Making Progress...in Alaska

I'm a week into a 4-week stint in Alaska for work. Pretty cool to get a chance to be here (at least during the Summer), but I was afraid it would disrupt my training schedule. On the contrary, I actually have more time and freedom to workout; not to mention a chance to take better control of diet and nutrition.

Thirteen weeks 'til marathon just seems like too little time left, but I'm at the threshold now of "long run" distance where my feet and ankles, in the past, have started to feel the stress. I'm running in Hoka shoes, which despite being ugly (IMO) seem to be helping reduce strain. Plus, the Galloway walk-run has been great, requiring less recovery after each increase in distance.

I have a 12-mile run tomorrow. I've mapped out a 6-mile loop which I'll run twice, which means I won't have to carry too much water. The weather's been cool and overcast, so hoping that will last until tomorrow.

Also need to carry my little air horn just in case I see a bear. I've seen moose (from the car), but so far no bears.

I can't see it in the mirror, but I can feel I'm a little more lean. The combination of good food, no junk snacking and cross training during my non-run days has made a difference. Sleep, too: I normally only sleep about 6 hours a night, but here I've gotten closer to 8 a night. It takes some getting used to since it doesn't get really dark at night.

So things are going well and I'm feeling very positive about reaching the goal. I think it helps me to have a mindset to just finish the marathon and not worry about a time goal. And now I can see that the training is working. Feels good.