This morning, after a night of drizzle, I found myself at the indoor track after driving across town on icy roads.

Starting out, I felt good, but it didn’t take long for the fatigue of the week and set in. I just couldn’t get the legs to turn over as I wanted. Determined, though, I planned to grind out 6 miles.

With just more than 2 miles remaining, I was reminded about the power of a good running partner. A friend stopped by the track, and as the time slipped past, I found myself having run more than 7 miles.

A good running partner can make the time go by quickly and help push you further than expected. It turned into a good run – exactly what I needed to get my day off to a good start.

Earlier in the week, I was feeling a bit tired. While I thought my strategy to sleep a bit more in the mornings before work would pay off by week’s end, it appears I undermined my own efforts by running Wednesday night with Riley, during the lunch hour Thursday and then this morning. So, instead of recovering, essentially I put in 3 workouts within 36 hours.

Still, I feel good – and I am much healthier than this time last year when I was prepping for the Rock N’ Roll marathon in Phoenix. This winter, I’m bypassing the marathon, and instead opting for a 19-mile trail run. After this weekend, I’ll begin a slight taper for that race and look for a good effort in the desert.