Good morning. 78 degrees sunny and almost no wind a beautiful morning . The beach was flat and firm and the tide was way way out . I have just returned from my third early morning run on the beach in 3 days. Chocolate, ice, and coffee. I think my body is getting adjusted to this early morning run plan. Today felt better than yesterday. I covered a total of 6 miles in the following manner. First mile was 10 minutes of walking 10 minutes of slow jogging with sweats on. Next 5 miles was a slow run with 8 – 10 200 meter pickups. Total run time was 1 hour and 7 minutes. Pace has been slower over the last week probably because of nagging fear over my achilles tendon left foot. I have been trying a few new ideas that have read about to lessen the strain on the tendons. Two articles suggest that short strides and softer foot strike help to prevent injuries. So I am working on those two things as I run these days. For some reason I have the impression that I am overcompensating with my left foot because of the nagging discomfort. I get the impression I am landing on the outside of my left foot instead of square or flat on the ground and I’m constantly trying to make level foot strikes. My right quadricep seems to fatigue faster than my left when I do pick ups. Not a serious problem but definitely noticeable each time I run. Again today I exceeded what I expected of the workout. I’m hoping that that indicates I have reached a new level and that 5-mile run is becoming more typical rather than the three to Four Mile Run that had been my normal workout. I have covered 19 miles in the last three morning runs. That is surely the heaviest three-day total of my running career to date. I am wondering if it is time for a day off or if I should continue to keep the pressure on and see how much my body will handle. Today I was amazed at how determined I became to reach the five-mile mark. That elusive random mark which really has no special meaning but is psychologically very very satisfying. I guess how I feel tomorrow when I wake again at 7 a.m. and will determine how I respond. I will keep you posted.

Arlene and I played trivia last night at o’shaughnessy’s. We did not finish last. Most of the other teams are groups of four or five or six folks which I think gives them an advantage in trivia. We are trying to decide how to spend this st. Patrick’s Day. The last few years we have spend some time at the Oasis which is right down the road. They have a pretty big celebration each year on st. Patrick’s Day.