Aesthete Runner

Well you wouldn't know it, but it is officially fall. The temps are back in the 90's and it is just plain hot outside, but mother nature is still starting to put on a fall show despite the heat. Here's hoping we have some autumnal weather soon (and just in time for the marathon)!

Two weeks!! I am both excited and relieved to be over with the heaviest portion of training. It feels really great to be in the "taper" phase. There is no doubt that the warmer weather has brought about a lot of struggles in training, but I have my fingers crossed that it will be nice and cool on race day. While my overall mileage hasn't dropped significantly, I did make several adjustments to the plan to accommodate the Ragnar Trail Relay I was participating in.

Well actually it's Trail Wednesday, but that just doesn't sound as good! This week I have a mixture of some sunrise/sky pictures, birds, and fall foliage. As much as I dislike the sun coming up later in the morning, it does make it easier to catch a sunrise, and the birds love it too.

...and that's a wrap on Week 13, the highest mileage week of Chicago marathon training. There are only three weeks to go, and that means it is finally time to ease into a taper. I can't believe I used to hate tapers.

This week I have some more pictures of the beautiful late-summer flowers that are blooming. I love all of the yellow, gold, and reds that have started to pop up along the trails. This is also the time of year where I see the herons and egrets out and active, so I am happy to see my "birds" every day during my runs.

Yesterday I ran the Naperville Trails half marathon in Wheaton, IL. It was a great day for a race...and a PR! Almost a year and a half since my last PR, I finally set a new personal best for the half marathon.

I can't believe the marathon is a month away! A few weeks ago it felt like there was still a lot of time to train, but suddenly I look at my training schedule and see that it is almost time to taper. Fall is my favorite time of year, and now that the weather has started to cool off and all things pumpkin have popped up, I am ready to run in my favorite season.

You might remember a Trail Tuesday a few month's ago where I posted some pictures of a running adventure I went on that ran near a heron preserve - Lake Renwick. At that time the public access was closed for nesting season, but a few week's ago the trail was back open and I enjoyed seeing all of the herons from a safe distance. I saw a few other animals as well as beautiful scenery, and I have no doubt I'll be back to run here again soon.

I survived peak week! While there are still many more weeks of hard training, it feels good to put my biggest mileage week behind me and finish my first 20 miler of the training plan. One of the coaches notes this week was  Repeat after me: "I can do it. I will do it. I can do it. I will do it. I can do it. I will do it." Say it rhythmically and often. I sure did say this often and this was definitely a week of doing hard things and succeeding.