I wrapped up September with a 5.31-mile run at an 8:28 pace and an average heart rate of 138. That’s a huge contrast to the beginning of the year, when my HR would spike into the 150s and 160s no matter how easy I thought I was taking it.
For the month, I logged 130.57 miles—another step up from August. That makes three straight months of building consistent 100+ mile totals. Right now, I’m sitting at 743 miles for the year, which puts me in great position to finally crack the 1,000-mile mark. If I can hold around 85 miles per month through the rest of the year, I’ll get there. The key is avoiding the same pitfalls as last year, when October dipped and November and December completely fell apart.
One new weapon in my arsenal has been embracing the dark. I used to be against running before sunrise—too much traffic risk on country roads—but lately I’ve adjusted my routine. Instead, I run short loops up my street to the city park, where traffic is almost nonexistent. It’s only about a mile per loop and it can get repetitive, but after a couple of laps the sky starts to lighten and I can safely expand my route. With this setup, I should be able to stretch my outdoor season into late November, weather permitting. Even if it means lots of neighborhood and park loops, the treadmill is still the ultimate benchmark for monotony—and that’s a bar set very low.
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