Happiest man in Austin today!

After some fancy calculating, it looks like I ran about 18miles on the greenbelt. PAIN FREE.

The knee issue was non existent. However in the last half hour (of 3.5 trail hours, maybe 3:10 running) the knee was tired. I guess stretching and icing and stretching and icing and rolling and icing makes a knee tired. (But doesn't fix asphalt running pains)

It felt soooooo good to run, that after 1.5hrs with Karma, I went back out and ran harder and harder and was FLYING down trails like a man possessed and cranking up hills and splashing through creeks, and just pushing the pace more and more. Capped it all off by giving it everything I had for the final run from standing in the icy waters at sculpture falls back to my car via bologna in less than 10 mins. That's right! I was on fire!

The fortunate thing about my knee issue is that it happened when all we have left is a few long runs and then mostly speed work. I have a HUGE base (from the last couple of years) to draw from, so that really helps, and Aqua Running curiously provides some crazy hard speedwork simulation (or whatever we can call it).

So I'm toying with the idea of running almost all my remaining long and medium long runs each week on the greenbelt (or maybe half on trail - half around the 5 mile road loop by the trail entrance, and then doing a simulation of speed work in the pool 3 days a week Aqua Running. The trail runs can be fast too. I know some non-flat trails where I did speed repeats last fall, so I would get good turnover work.

I need to discuss with coach, see what he thinks, then come up with a solid plan.

All I know is, when there's a will there's a way, and I'm not at all scared of going the unconventional route to achieve my goal. And who's to say my new strategy may be unconventional and wrong!

Unconventional may be just as good!

Regardless, I am the happiest man in Austin today. Not even
A remote chance that I'm wrong on this.