Well, I've decided to go for it again. I signed up for the Portland Marathon on the first. I was going to wait to announce it until much later but I had my first marathon anxiety dream last night, so I figured I should just put it out there.

My Achilles Tendons have been pain free for four months now! I've been running 3 times a week and last week I completed my longest run in over a year, 5 miles strong! 

I'm feeling really good about this decision. I feel like I learned a lot about what not to do the last time I ran this marathon. I feel like I'm going into this experience much smarter and much stronger. I've been going to Bikram Yoga twice a week for a year,  and I've been doing my stretches and exercises  to help keep my tendons stretched and strong. I know now how important cross training and stretching is and I will never skip either one of those while training again.

I want to conquer this marathon again and I want to do it stronger and better than before. Again, I'm going to approach this endeavor with no expectations. If I become injured again during training, I won't push myself to run the race anyway. If I get another headache halfway through, I'll pace myself and take it slow like the last one. I want to go into this with an open mind and an open heart and an understanding that anything can happen. That I shouldn't put too much worry into things that are beyond my control. 

The marathon is Sunday October 9th. Training starts May 9th. I'm just going to do the very best I can.