Way back in 2004 when I was busy injuring and reinjuring myself, someone very wise told me that consistency would help my training most. I tried it. I didn't skip days if I was feeling like a weenie, or had a miscellaneous ache. I didn't "make up" runs when life got in the way. I built mileage slowly, was conservative but consistent, and it worked. It wasn't fast, but consistency got me to new PRs and a successful season. And since then I've keept that in mind for all my many "comebacks".
When I launched this whole "I'm going to run the Philly marathon" plan, I kept that in mind. I am impatient to return to the Green Light of 2008, lean and kind of speedy. But rushing into hard workouts is not the way to get back into it. Miles, consistent, plodding miles, that's my recipe. Coach approved. And it's working.
Oh, I've still got a long, long way to go. But today, six weeks into consistent, 4-days-per-week training, I ran the Battle of Brooklyn 10-miler, 3 loops of Prospect Park. A bit of a cutback in long run mileage, but still a training run. And it was great. I was not racing -- I haven't been doing any speedwork, I don't even remember what it's like to run at that level of exertion -- but I did have a plan, to go easy the first two loops and then speed up if I felt good. And I did, so I did, and I met my goals (don't get lapped, break 90 minutes, negative split), even if they were just by a hair.