Yesturday I again completed the mile test which is completed as part of Phase 1, Week 12 and I shaved 43 seconds from my initial test completed before I began the Strategic Running Foundation as outlined in TCI.

I ran my initial mile test 11 weeks ago in 7.57 (rounded down to 7.55 for the speed zone calculations) with me running 7.14 this time that I will round up to 7.15 so I can adjust my speed zones accordingly.

My average HR for the test fell 10 BPM from 169 to 159 and my…

It’s 3:10am. 24 hours ago I was chasing the moon up the steep GA mountains. It seems a bit surreal...until I doze off and somewhere between consciousness and deep sleep I start dreaming. I see my feet in my headlamp and about 6ft of rocky, rooty, wet trail in front of me. I’m on the Notorious “Dragon Spine” of the Cruel Jewel course. I’m…

I had heard him coming before I saw him.  Huffing and puffing, rhythmically out of breath and out of sight, but nearing me as he ran to the top of the ridge.  It was hard to tell what kind of runner he was, as his breathing provided no clue. The trail was so steep that his slow speed presented his silhouette like a rapid sunrise against the ridge line.  First his head, ear…

Wow it was nice to sweat today.  Got in the first 'dry' trail run of the year and boy did it feel great.  My early Spring strength running really paid off as I put in 2,000 feet of climbing in 6.5 miles.  I really was curious to see how I would feel on this climbs and felt in mid-summer form, which is really exciting and motivating now that the trails are melting…

Yesterday was one of my planned races before my current goal of a half-marathon this year. This particular 10k race is in my hometown and draws about 5000 people every year so it's equal parts race and festivities. 

As the course is rather flat and I've now spent 4 months working on running form and transitioning to minimalist shoes, I was hoping to be able to get close to my personal best from 4 years ago (which was the last time I did some serious…

That’s it.  Swift, strong, smart. My mantra for running Cruel Jewel next week. If you’ve kept up any with my endless blogging, you will learn that I am quite creative and visual. I am also Cherokee, and as I grow older I am finding great joy in learning more about my heritage and our native…

Just ran a 4:32 mile. My training has been going great and nearly all of my injuries and pains have gone away. I have been able to step up my training dramatically and have dropped time very quickly. I started about a year ago with this program, and now I have noticed how much better my form is. Thanks for this great program!