Although my training hasn't gone as planned due to some laziness, busy-ness, and sickness, I think I might be getting back on track. I had a nice run this AM in the pouring rain, and I was quite comfortable thanks to my fancy Brooks jacket. I blew off yesterday, but I ran a moderately hilly hour on Monday.

Apparently, my first planned race on March 4, a 10-miler, is a very hilly course. Then two weeks after that I am planning to run another hilly course, this one a 12k. I think that will be a good month to do the Lydiard hill phase. Although my base phase has been spottier than I would have liked due to aforementioned issues, I think I will be ready to do a hill phase in March. That gives me 5 more weeks of base training. I think the 10 miler will be a little slow, since I will have run nothing fast, but I'm not too concerned about that. I ran that Thanksgiving 5k on nothing fast, and while it wasn't much of a time for me, I felt it was acceptable. Now I will have many more miles under my belt, and I will be running a longer course, so I should be somewhat closer to my ability.

The tentative training plan continues with some fast V02 max work in April, and an early peak in May for a 5k and a 10k. After that, I'm not so sure. I'm considering hitting the base phase again to build up to a marathon in December, Cal International in Sacramento.