The Checklist Just Got Bigger....

It may say October 1st on the calander but it sure didn't feel like it out there yesterday! the average temprature in Philly this time of year is 72 degrees.....it was 79 degrees when I ran at 4.35pm yesterday afternoon,however the sting in the tail w/ October will be the dramatic shift in conditions by months end,but like I always say "we'll cross,burn,jump,paint that bridge when the time comes and not b4"

Since returning to training in August from my 2 month tendonitis enforced layoff I've been dilegent in my pre run/post run routine,stretch b4,stretch and ice afterwards a small price to pay when it buys me another day,now w/ the recent flare up in my right shin and the sensitive/bloody nipples I find my routine being:
pre run,stretch,apply Vaseline,dig out calf sleeve,post run stretch,ice shin,ice calf,pop a couple of anti inflamatories like I said if it buys me another day then it's a small price to pay.
Sore shin/bloody nipples aside it was another good 8 miler as in the previous I found myself covering the out and back course 5 minutes faster than I had been doing,hopefully I've kicked my strength,speed and stamina up to another level,there's still work to be done but I feel a world removed from the runner who tenativly began the long road back in early August.

W/ cross country almost in full flow now I am spoilt for choice for races should I feel the need to "test the waters" of competitive running and while I'm someone who's seldom shirked a challenge period muchless w/ his running I feel my best "plan of attack" for the long haul is to continue to utalize my weekends w/ my weekly speed work on Saturdays and my long run on Sundays there will be ample time in both the indoor and outdoor track seasons to lace up my spikes and toe the line waiting for the starters pistol to fire,till then it's doing what needs to be done to prepare myself.