Veteran's Marathon training- August recap and September goals

In case you haven't noticed, my mileage is "low" by most other marathoners' standards. I've found I stay injury free running less and cross training/strength training more. So, I was kind of surprised to log 91.33 miles for August. That's A LOT for me! It's actually my highest mileage month.... EVER.

That 13.7 mile long run really served as reassurance that I can finish the AF Marathon. Finishing = winning for that one... but I'm also hoping to at least keep it around either of my other 2 marathon times.

And the 14.11 yesterday (minus the cooler theft and mysterious return) helped boost my confidence, too (and while I'm glad I got the cooler back, I'm still pissed about the incident, and the fact that because I was out of water I had to end my run early).

So now, I enter the taper crazies for September. The plan is to keep is easy, run the AF Marathon with the sole goal of finishing (ok, maybe I semi-secretly want to PR, but I won't push things if it's not reachable), and then ease back into training. I'll probably take 5 days off, maybe more, maybe less. Playing it by ear. But I will be running a local 15K the first Saturday in October (which I can run home from to add extra mileage), then the Highway Half in Kokomo the next week, and hopefully a Halloween race of some distance. Between the 15k and the half, that leave just one week to run long alone. Just the way I like it!

Again, October wille be lower mileage than most marathon training people run. But this is what works for me. Frankly, if I hit 90 miles again, that would be stellar. Maybe I'll go big and shoot for 100.

I'm still following my half-assed Hansons plan. Fitting in the workouts I can, but listening to my body. I know when to push it, and when to pull back and look at the training plan and say, "Yeah, that's not going to happen." But if last March is any indicator, this is what works for me.

That takes me into taper #2 for the fall. As I sit here, I feel like time is going to fly by, and before we know it, I'll be at the starting line for the Veteran's Marathon, dreaming of a sub-5 hour finish.

Training this last week:

Sunday: 13.7 miles
Monday: Taught yoga and strength and conditioning
Tuesday: 3.5 hot, humid miles
Wednesday REST
Thursday: 8 x 200 (on grass), 3 miles total distance
Friday: class cancelled; 1 hour yoga at home
Saturday: 14.11

If I'm going to have another high-mileage month, I need to get more compression socks. 2 pairs isn't cutting it anymore, especially when I go balls-to-the-wall during strength and conditioning. They squeeze my swollen legs back from sausage to normal human being.

How is your September shaping up? 

Fan of compression or no? I think my love affair is in part due to super low blood pressure. Without my socks, my legs would be swollen for days. With them, they're fine by the next morning. If only they didn't cost so much....

Do you follow a training plan to the T, or use it as a guideline? Life is too unpredictable for me to try to follow training plans exactly, hence my half-assed Hansons plan.