Workout: 4 mi. Easy

Time: 59:00

Temp: 38˚F

I returned to the place that I used for the first time yesterday, which I’ve decided to call “the Yard”. I’m not really sure who owns that piece of land or if they’d care that I run on it, but until someone catches me and complains, I’m going to use it. Even though it’s just going in laps, I already prefer it to the usual neighborhood circuit I’m used to running, because it’s flat and soft. This is particularly important to me right now because I’m still worried about my right knee. It’s no more boring than the neighborhood route has become, and my iPod helps with that. A standard running safety tip is that you shouldn’t run with headphones so that you can be more aware of potential dangers like traffic or…I don’t know…maybe lions. The Yard has no traffic, and I haven’t seen any lion tracks yet, so I don’t have to feel guilty about listening to my iPod while I run, like I usually do when I listen during neighborhood runs.

I ran most of the first two miles today, but felt another knee twinge. Instead of just walking home at that point like I did yesterday, I decided that run or walk, I’m going to go the full distance for the workouts, because if I end up not being able to run the whole time during the marathon, I’m not planning on quitting. The pain is pretty sharp, but fortunately, it also stops as soon as I stop running. It doesn’t hurt to keep walking, and it doesn’t hurt during regular use throughout the day. I sometimes feel like it’s not quite right, most often if my right foot is planted as I change direction, but the only time I get that painful twinge is after running a bit. Naturally, I don’t want to make it worse, but I’m not sure what to make of it yet, so I plan to ask the Team in Training coaches for their opinions and advice at the first group run this Saturday.