The MC200 is near

Well, it's been a little while.

I've been spending quite a bit of time studying the maps for the Madison to Chicago relay race, which is coming up in a couple of weeks. It looks pretty scary on paper, even more so when I think about how I've never done this sort of thing before.

I will be runner #2 of a 12 person team. That means I'll be at the front of the line, taking charge to make sure we've got a healthy start. I will be running three legs totaling just over 16 miles beginning in Madison, Wi. through Racine county. The longest leg is about 6.5 miles. My only worry is getting enough rest before each leg, which could be a few hours apart each.

I've ramped up my training considerably the past few weeks. Since recovering from my injury in March, I felt I had gotten behind in my training. My fear was that I was going to rush into things, but truthfully, I've never felt better. My training has been pretty solid, my runs strong, and recovery has been good.

The heat came early this year. It isn't until late June or July that I train specifically to acclimate to the intense heat of summer marathon training. I've already had days where I was running in 90+ temperatures. It was a real drag! Crummy breathing patterns, crazy heart rates, and sweat, sweat, sweat. Fortunately, all of my runs have come on pretty hot days, so the acclimation is happening, whether I want it to or not!

In the next few days, I'll post a few more details about the MC200 relay. I will most likely be Twittering through the entire event, so look out for that.

It's my first real race since the marathon last October.

This is going to be fun!