Crossing my fingers and knocking on wood

I think that maybe, just maybe, my shin splints are going away. It looks like whatever I've been doing is helping. Could be the new shoes, the treadmill running, the stretching and strengthening, the break or a combination of them all...I'm not sure and I really don't care. I'm just itching to get back out there. I'm actually looking forward to my long run this weekend...and I rarely look forward to long runs. Sure I love them when they're over, but the thought of getting up at 5:30 or 6:00 am on a Saturday morning to run 2 or 3 hours isn't always my favorite thing. Oh, the sacrifices we make as runners!

I felt so much better during the end of last week, but I still decided to cross-train rather than run over the weekend...just to be on the safe side. But last night, I ran a few, quick miles and felt even better than I had last week. So please, please, please cross your fingers with me that shin splints are in my past. I really don't have any more time for these annoying injuries!

So I've been looking at the Marine Corps Marathon's website in search of an elevation map, but all I can find is just a regular course map. It says that the elevation map is "coming soon," but I'm a little nervous about that. The Country Music Marathon had what runners described as "gentle, rolling hills" and some thought it was tougher than that. But you know, I never even really noticed the hills. I guess it's because my running routes prepared me enough, especially since I only did hill sprints or workouts a handful of times. This time around, though, my regular running routes are pretty flat. And I can definitely feel it when I'm faced with an incline. So I'm not sure I should wait around for the MCM folks to post the elevation map...I'm thinking I ought to put some hill training on the schedule.

The weather has been great and I'm going to hit the streets (gently, of course) tonight for a 5-6 mile run. Hopefully the rain will hold off!