A couple years ago, it was very easy to see improvement – a 7-minute PR in the Osterville Road Race was a definite milestone in my progression as a runner.

Now, I’m finding it harder to see improvement.  As a matter of fact, my speed has plateaued, in some cases it’s decreased.

So, I’m looking for improvement in other areas of my running:

Improved Area #1 – Longer Runs and more mileage
In the past, my long run was 5 miles.  I gradually worked up to 7 miles, and had three routes that I’d run – a 3-mile, a 5-mile and a 7-mile.  Now, a regular run will be 7 miles, and long runs are between 12 and 15.  Physical fatigue is rarely an issue.  Mental fatigue generally occurs before physical @ this point.  My weekly average mileage has increased from 15-25 to 40-50.

Improved Area #2 – Rest Days
I wrote about this last week.  Accepting  rest days into my training has been a significant mental breakthrough.

Improved Area #3 – A better diet
I still eat a lot of garbage, but I’m definitely more aware of what I’m putting into my body and how it will impact my running.  I have a long way to go with maintaining a better diet, but running has improved how I look at food.

Improved Area #4 – Better Pacing
Laps @ the track have helped get a better understanding of pacing.  I used to hit the road and run everything @ the same pace – whatever I could manage that day.  Now, I enjoy mixing up paces – warmups @ 9:00, tempo @ 8:00 … etc.  I used to hear other runners talk about pace and wonder how in the hell they could figure that out.  Now, I know.