Training Tuesday: Putting in the Work

I'm now officially in my third week of training for the Circular Logic Marathon. This training cycle, I'm taking a different approach and following a new training plan. And I'm feeling really good about it!
I did my first long run on the treadmill, which was boring but manageable. My second long run was with friends at Waterfall Glen and this weekend, I'm hitting the road with another set of running buddies to knock out 10 miles.

In addition to the long run, I'm doing two mid-week runs. One is an interval based run and the other is a tempo run. The interval run has been difficult, mostly because it's difficult to judge pacing for such a short burst. Basically, I end up pushing myself as hard as I can for the duration. Not sure if this is the most prudent approach, but it's the best I can manage.

The tempo runs have been on the treadmill thus far, mostly because it's cold and dark out there on the days I need to knock these out. I'm hoping to do this week's run in a park nearby that's a one-mile loop, just like the race course.

I've been hitting CrossFit twice a week for crosstraining, but I like to swim when I can, too. It's challenging in an entirely different way. While I'm in the triathlon off-season, I want to work on my form to make next year easier. I even attended a swim clinic, which I'll detail once I get the full results back.

A small issue that I hope remains an inconvenience: My knee hurts. The same knee I've been going to physical therapy for, so I'm annoyed that I still feel a twinge here and there. The running itself hasn't been tough, but the aches and pains, along with finding the time to run, are the real challenges.