So, things are looking good for me to keep this schedule of Tuesday Thursday as my “off” days. I like that I can go hard on Sat and Sun and rest all day if want, or get up late in the day on the weekends and fit my workout into the rest of my day. Getting up early on Mon Wed and Fri is not so bad anymore, I’ve gotten used to it. Wed’s are great cause I’ve had a day off and so are Fridays. don’t know why this all works out so well for me but it does and it looks like I’ll be able to maintain this.
I’m feeling good about the potential to break 1:30:00 for the first event in San Deigo on May 3rd. been running alot, my pace times have ben coming down sub 11 minute but i still need to get past the 3 mile mark. with time i know this will happen, as long as the shins and knee hold up. so far the knee is doing very well and i’ve not used the brace at all. shins are getting a bit better and they’re awesome compared to 2 years ago. learned a few stretches to help out the tendons and muscles that cause shin splints and those seem to be helping. i still have a bit of pain for the first 1/2 mile of all my runs but it’s almost like once i’m warmed up it subsides…i also had a thought this morning that it could very likely be my form. since i’ve ben able to increase my pace i’ve noticed my form getting beter, almost more athletic and not so, “slouchy” or “slothlike” 
i’ve been doing more of a bubble gum shuffle at 12 and 13 min/mile paces, it’ not even an “airborn shuffle”. it’s so sad though to think at one point in life i ran a 12:02min 2 mile run – 5:59min for the first mile and 6:03 for the second mile – and now i’m struggling to get under 10min. i’ll get there. my goal is to get to a 10min mile pace for 4 miles by end of May and down to an 8 or 9 min mile pace for 5 miles by Oct.
