There is nothing like a disappointing race to light a fire under my feet.  Last weekend at the New York City Half Marathon I thought I would have raced better since I had finally put in three good weeks of training.  In what was my worst half marathon time since trying the distance in 2001, I finished so far back from the winner that I stopped counting places.  I can’t blame my performance on the weather, lack of desire or a sore foot.  The truth is, my foot felt fantastic and I am just lacking fitness. Today was my first hard workout after the race and was the best speed session of my season so far.  I have seven weeks until the Bank of America Chicago marathon and nothing gets me going in practice more than the pressure of getting ready to meet my goals.  After this half marathon test, I have a sense of urgency to make every day count.  My focus in workouts is one thing, but I also know I need to focus on resting well, eating well, getting in good weight lifting sessions and believing in my ability to get in shape quickly.  It is easy for me to round into fitness now that my foot is completely healed.  I had a scary setback in June and July when my foot was inflamed and had to take a few weeks off.  It was the same foot I had broken last summer, so I took it very seriously.  My training came to a screeching halt and I rested with some acupuncture and ice baths.  Once the inflammation was down, I did some balance work and strengthening of my feet.  Since returning to running my foot feels strong and my workouts are getting better.  I have less than 2 months to pull everything together.  I have the mind for it and my body is pulling together just in the nick of time.  I look forward to sharing the intensity of the coming weeks with you.  Let’s get going!