Back from Seattle and back to work. It's been a long while since I last posted so I'll catch up.

The trip to Seattle was great and in between skiing and visiting the city I was able to get in a few runs. All were on a beautiful two lane road that runs along a small bay off of the Puget Sound. The scenery was exactly what I pictured the Northwest to be prior to visiting. Clouds and sun, cool, a low mist over some areas across the water, evergreens everywhere, and a magnificient background of the Olympic Mountains poking through the clouds.

Everything is also always damp. I don't think things ever fully dry between December and March. It's hard to explain but it is a good damp, wet but still crisp and cool with plumes of steam every time I exhale. It rains often but not usually very severe, just brief periods of rain between breaks of sun. Beautiful.

The biggest news from the trip though is that I got engaged. It's funny how fast things can happen. This time last year I would never thought I'd be enagged in 12 months but here I am and I am very happy about it.

Back to running.

I briefly sketched out my marathon training plans for Boston. I am a little behind schedule, with only 15 weeks to go, but I think things should be fine. Similar to the plan I used for Chicago with the addition of some miles, and more speed specific workouts like tempo runs and a few trips to the track. I am also including several hill workouts and will incorporate hills into all of my long runs, especially towards the end of my long runs. The mileage looks very daunting but I think with some halfway decent weather and good health I should be able to get it done.

I start with only about 40 miles this week but quickly ramp up to the 60's and hopefully the 70's by Late Feb/March. So far this week, 6.2 miles. I have some cathing up to do.