The fastest training run pace I've ever done at any distance, 2 miles or more, was done today, on an 8 mile run. 52:16, 6:32 pace. My fastest pace had been 6:34 for a 3 mile run. I ran faster today, on a run that was more than twice as far. Now either this woods 8 is not a full 8, or my body just told me that all the work I've been doing for the past several months has finally come around to something.

Looking at my running log, I see a 12 mile September, an October spent trying to get some fitness back after spending a summer dealing with the worst injury of my life. This leads into a November in which I got to running consistently throughout the week. December and January were the coldest months of my life. I remember each and every run being a battle not only to adjust to running twice a day, and get past the 30-40mpw stage, but a battle against freezing temperatures, asshole-wind, and snow. I ran 48 times in January. I continued my double schedule all the way through February, feeling the weather warm a little while I reached 60 miles in a week for the first time in my life. In March I ran the best race of my life, which proved that I was in better shape than I'd ever been yet still not in the shape I want to be.

Last Friday was one of the greatest days in my life to this point. It was the day Coach Gary Gardner told me I could start coming to track practice with the UMass-Lowell Riverhawks, something I've been aiming towards for much more than a year. One part of my dream has come true; I am here with the team. The next step is getting the White and Red uniform, and finally, racing in it. That part I aim at doing in the fall cross country season.

Over the past week I've done some of the best training of my life. There have been relatively fast regular runs, but I've also done a 24x200 workout, a 12.5mi long run, and 14 miles in one day. I had done 80 miles from last Wednesday to this past Tuesday. Yesterday I was humbled to a 6 mile jog, hoping that I might just be able to continue until Sunday, when I can take a day off for the first time in 12 days.

Coach Gary told me it would be best for me to stop doing morning runs for now. This was good news to me, as I am now able to get sleep and also space my runs, allowing me to put more into each, and likely, lower injury risk.

Today I went for 8 miles with Carlos. Throughout the run I felt that the pace was nice. Fast, but not hard. I felt comfortable. When we got out of the woods, we picked it up to come back home with a good mile and a half. I knew we were going pretty good, and I felt absolutely amazing. When I glanced at my watch after the finish, I knew we had got some good time in. Then when I started to calculate it, I determined that 52 minutes meant 6-something pace. Shortly after I thanked the good Lord for giving me the ability to come as far as I have to this point. I am proud of this breakthrough but I am much more eager to cause another one.