ERST LESEN! » re discipline with my eating habits. It was

For this mid-training check-in, I was supposed to tell you that my speed was improving and that my body was holding up to the increases in mileage. I was supposed to tell you how much closer I was to achieving my goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon.But since my last blog post on Aug. 31, I suffered a setback. I bruised the bottom of my foot after running in poorly soled shoes through a parking lot full of rocks (an idiotic move on my part). Running became excruciating after it happened.Before that, I felt fairly confident in how my training was progressing. But now, Im behind by 10 workouts (Ive completed only 48 of the 58 I shouldve finished by now). And I struggled through two 10-mile easy runs.It was difficult to realize that I had to take time off, but the ultimate goal of crossing the finish line helped me see the need for it. Regardless, I feel like my goal to qualify for Boston is slowly slipping out of my reach. There is no perfect barometer for judging how my training is going, so Im going off of my past experiences. Based on how I felt at this point during previous training cycles, I think I have an uphill battle to get to race day.But Ive had a lot of time to reflect while running -- and had even more for the period when I wasnt running. These setbacks are part of the journey and part of the glory that I can celebrate once I cross the finish line. As much as qualifying for Boston is the goal for Nov. 6, I cant forget to enjoy the ride and know that, at the end of the race, no matter what time the clock reads, I will have run another marathon.Kara Goucher, a long-distance runner and former Olympian once said, Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you make the choice to keep looking ahead. If that doesnt express my feelings about training these past few days, I dont know what would.I still have a little more than two months to train as best as I can and set up a comeback story. There will always be self-doubt, all the way up to the starting line, and controlling that self-doubt is something I need to continue to work on.So -- there are three things I want to address in the next two months of training. The first is to be more consistent with my cross training to improve my core strength, with the goal of improving my running form. I also want to practice yoga once a week to improve my flexibility and strength.The second is focus on my attitude. No one said running or training for a marathon is easy, and during this recent setback, Ive been too focused on the big picture of qualifying for Boston and have convinced myself I wont achieve my goal. But I still have about two months to become stronger and faster, and Ill set smaller, achievable hurdles to get my attitude back on track.Lastly, I want to have little more discipline with my eating habits. It was easy to fall into the summer trap of eating ice cream and thinking I had plenty of time until race day. Well, now Im 10 weeks through my 18 week program, and I really need to tighten the belt (pun intended) on my eating habits.The last two weeks have been far from what I envisioned for this training cycle. The next two months will test my mental and physical limits with strange work hours, longer workouts and the desire to get better. I cant predict what exactly will happen on Nov. 6, but I can assure you Ill be doing everything in my power to finish the New York City Marathon without any regrets.Training Notebook:Longest run: 14 miles Hardest run: 10 easy miles after coming back from a week off Highest weekly mileage: 41 miles (hasnt changed since the last post) Biggest accomplishment: Listening to my body during my most recent setback and not hurting it moreMegan Flood is