First 5 weeks of training for Austin

Over the last 5 weeks, I've averaged exactly 50 miles/week. This is uncharted territory for me. For 16 weeks, leading up to Missoula, I averaged about 30 miles/week; for 12 weeks, leading up to Green Mountain, I averaged about 40 miles/week.

I've been handling the volume well. My only complaint is some diffuse (Jess taught me this word) right knee achiness, which started after a bumpy trail run two Sunday's ago. The achiness comes and goes. I'm not too worried about it, but I would like it to just go away already.

On Sunday, I did 19ish miles in 2:40 over a pretty hilly route. I took the first half easy and then picked up the pace. The faster pace felt very comforable, and I was easily able to finish strongly. I wish every run could feel like that.

I plan on doing 20 this Sunday and 22 next Sunday. I've built three 22-milers into this training. They're late enough in the training that by the time I get to them, the time it will take me to cover 22 miles will be about the same time that it took me to cover 20 miles. Twenty miles is usually sufficient, but as you become fitter, you cover the distance in less time. In order to get the time in (which is much more important than the distance), one must go longer. About three weeks ago, I did 20ish miles in 2:50. In some of my earlier training, I was doing 19 miles in 3:00-3:10. I'll take anything over 2:30, as that's when major improvements in endurance occur, but I also want to pscyhologically prepare myself for 3+ hour runs.