Sorry it's been a while. I've been really busy getting the website for the Tri club updated and I know very little about computers. Amazing the whole thing hasn't crashed yet. This week was a very good week of training. My first real hard workouts in a while and I could tell while I was doing them. The surprising thing is that I don't feel it after the workout is over. Am I not going as hard as it feels like? Do I have it in me to go harder? Today was my long run and that is really going well. I've been able to start the last 2 weeks long runs with friends for a 10-11 mile loop and then go out alone for 6 more miles. The new part for me is picking up the pace for the last 6 miles to marathon pace + :25 and holding that steadily. It is going surprisingly well and I hope to push the pace even more as my tolerance picks up. The nice part is that I'm not really that tired at the end of these runs. I think the base mileage from Chicago is still in my legs and making it easier to go longer. Hopefully this holds true going from the marathon in the spring and into Ironman in September......