2013 Ocala Half-Marathon Almost Here

As the number of days before this Sunday's Ocala Half-Marathon dwindles, I am trying to train in the best possible way to avoid any injuries while maintaining my running endurance level.  The two seem to run contrary to each other, though.  If I run too much, that increases the risk of a strain or pull.  That's what happened in 2011 when I trained too much in the two weeks before the Ocala Marathon; I was in pain for most of that race, having to walk the past seven miles with an IT-band injury.  But the way I see it, after my recent nearly-eleven mile run to see if I could handle the race distance of 13.1 miles, just sticking to what I have been doing is probably the best way to success.  After all, I won't be losing endurance this way...

I will run moderately short distances on Saturday and Monday.  That should help both in pre-race readiness and in post-race recovery.  I am not trying to beat anyone and, quite frankly, am not very concerned with my personal finishing time.  Just being able to run in this event, which features some pretty scenic views and back roads, is a treat.  I'll be happy just covering the race course successfully to completion, running this time across the finish line (instead of walking).