I have settled back into a pretty good running groove since getting over my latest cold and returning home from Boston. I had a 6-day break while I was in Boston — I ran about 10K the first morning I was there, but after that, I couldn’t get the weather to align with my busy conference schedule. I did get plenty of walking in, though, and I was able to complete the Historic Boston GeoTour. Since I returned last Friday, I’ve gone running 3 times. I ran 11.4 miles on Saturday, 7 miles Monday, and 7 miles today (Thursday). My pace is back to where it was prior to last summer — 10:38/mi, 10:22/mi, and 10:33/mi, respectively. All 3 runs were in my Vibram V-Runs. The weather was in the mid-30s to low 40s each day. In hindsight, I should have worn my waterproof shoes on Monday, as the pavement was wet, and my toes got damp and cold. The other two runs were dry, and my feet stayed comfortable. I suspect that when the weather and pavement are dry, I should be able to stay comfortable in the V-Runs down to about freezing. If it’s wet out, the cutoff will likely be around 50°F, and if it’s raining, I may want to wear the V-Runs without socks.

I’ve had a slight issue with bursitis (or something that feels like it) in my right heel for the past several days. I think I picked it up while geocaching in Morgan Run Environmental Area last weekend. I did quite a bit of scrambling over rocks and steep, uneven terrain, in minimalist Lems Boulder Boots. I probably need to take it a little bit easier going forward, as I’m not a spring chicken any more, and can’t abuse my feet the way I used to. Fortunately, running (unlike walking) does not seem to aggravate the condition, and as of today, it seems to be improving.

I think I’m going to shoot to run 25 miles a week most weeks through winter and at least early spring. If I continue to run 3 days a week, that works out to two 7-milers during the week, and an 11-12 miler on the weekend. Once a month, I’ll see if I can stretch that to 13.1 miles. Of course, all of this assumes that I don’t have too many setbacks like illness, bursitis, or nerve pain, and that the weather mostly cooperates. I think my conditioning is where it needs to be to do this, but again, I’m not 25 any more. I am, however, quite a better runner than I was when I was 25! Wish me luck.