So Much for That

When I crossed the finish line at a very hot Boston a few weeks ago, I was more than ready to draw the line under my marathon running for a while.  The lure of the 26.2 beast had receded, thanks in no small part to running my perfect race in Dallas a few years ago (when you know you finally succeeded in pulling your only rabbit out of the hat, why keep going back to the hat?).

And nothing that's happened since I got back to Austin had changed that - I've been traveling for work, and when I have run it's been of the "suck it up" hot and humid variety that reminds me Texas summertime is coming.

But I did not count on the dangers of an unseasonably cool running week.  It started with one of my all time favorite runs at Brushy Creek on a rainy Sunday morning which included a spectacular blood red sunrise, continued into a surprisingly quick (though still somewhat humid) Tuesday run with James, and ended with a fun 7 mile run in Clea's new neighborhood this morning.  I stopped off at the YMCA on my way home to get in a killer leg workout, and took advantage of not traveling this week to squeeze in a core workout at lunch.

And I feel great.  So great that I started re-evaluating my race plans, and realized I'm not quite ready to shed the skin of the long distance runner and morph back into a weekend warrior just yet.

So I signed up for something.  After all, what good is a running blog without any races?!!!

The photo below may give you a hint of what I signed up for.

I have my eye on another race too, but maybe the hot and humid weather will return and bring me back to my senses before registration opens for that one.

Flame on at Boston

Pre-race at the Athlete's Village

Wow, where to start.  What a weekend!!!  I'm back from Boston, and what a ride it was.  Temperatures of 89F on race day led to all plans of times and goals going out the window, and the new goal was simply to cross the finish line on my own two feet.  Which I did, and with a smile on my face.  It may well be my slowest marathon in over 7 years, it may well be a good hour slower than my usual finish time, but by putting my ego to one side and being smart, I am now a finisher of one of the hottest and toughest Boston marathons in history.

And there's a lot to be proud of in that.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Let's back up a little.

Clea and I flew into Boston on Saturday night, giving us all day Sunday to visit the expo, explore Boston and get ready for the race on Monday.  We had a hotel in Cambridge, just outside Boston, a short distance from a T-station, which is the public transportation subway system, and by far the best way to get around the city.

We spent quite a bit of time at the expo Sunday morning, both of us dropping a heck of a lot of money, and it was crazy busy.  We took some time out to drop our purchases off back at the hotel before we were off again, exploring the Freedom Trail of historic sites around the city.  We walked ourselves all over town, and at one point stopped off at the Bill Rodgers' Running store.  Rodgers, or Boston Billy, is a running legend who won the Boston marathon 4 times in the late 70s and early 80s.  Well the guys at the store were the nicest folks you could wish to meet.  We were both looking for shirts for the kiddos, and had been unable to find any at the expo.  They told us there weren't any to be had this year due to corporate restrictions imposed by the marathon's "official clothing provider".  But they went out of their way to find a few shirts from last year's race.  And even better, virtually gave them away to us for $5.  They also entertained us with several stories, and I highly recommend Bill Rodger's Running Store and their staff to anyone who happens to be in Boston.

We had a nice dinner at a local seafood restaurant, wandered around Harvard (where I pretended to be Robert Langdon), and retired to our rooms for an early night.  I must admit, I was nervous about the predicted high temperatures - we'd been getting emails all day from the BAA offering deferments to next year, warning of the dangers of heat stroke, emphasizing this was now considered a high risk "red zone" race, and urging people not to run unless they were in tip-top condition.  Well I'm not in tip-top condition, but Boston is an expensive trip so I sure as hell was going to run.  But I was also a little nervous about my foot, which I had begun to fear was the beginning of a stress fracture.  So I pulled out the old ultra supplies and taped both feet extensively before retiring for the night.

I did not sleep well.  Too nervous imagining my foot breaking down in the first few miles.

Race morning came along, and with it came clear blue skies and a hint of the heat that would engulf us by race time.  We had splurged on a charter bus so we didn't have to spend hours sitting around on the floor at the athlete's village, and it was money well spent when you saw the lines at the porta-potties.

 

Clea and myself at the start line

By the time we lined up in our corral it was past 10am and the sun was out in force.  I was glad I had bought a hat the day before.  We all stood there, nervously waiting for the start and trying very hard to ignore the fact that we were already sweating.

We ran together for part of the first mile before losing each other in the crowd.  It's probably just as well, as our races styles are completely different.  Clea is so consistent - she locks into a pace and keeps it the whole way, whereas I like to gamble and push it a little early on to see what happens.  Sometimes it's your day and sometimes it isn't.  I had a fair idea this wasn't going to be, but I still had to try.

Besides, I know what a good runner Clea is in the heat, so I needed a little head start to ensure she didn't kick my butt too early!!!

And I was very nervous.  I felt a few tweaks from the foot in the first downhill miles and never really felt comfortable, but they soon eased away and I could ignore them.  Thankfully the foot was never an issue.

By mile 6 I had settled into an uneasy rhythm, but what surprised me was the number of people already walking.  By mile 10 that changed, and what surprised me was the number of runners collapsed by the side of the road or being stretchered away.

The section around mile 13 is of course famous for the screaming girls of Wellesley college.  They are also famous for offering kisses to the runners, a tradition I was looking forward to fully participating in.  If I saw a sign saying "kiss me, I'm from Texas" I would jog over yelling "hey, I'm from Texas too".  Kiss me, I'm British? "Hey, I'm British too".  Kiss me I'm a redhead?  "Hey, I love redheads".  And so on and so forth - I spent quite a bit of time going down the line, but it was definitely time well spent!!!

Nancy told me later that she was tracking me from home and wondered why my pace dropped off so suddenly at this point.  Then she looked up the course map and just rolled her eyes.  When her co-workers asked how I was doing, she replied "he's probably still lip locked".

Love ya babe :-)

Unfortunately, this was the high point of the race for me, and the second half was an exercise in survival.  There was no shade along the course, the sun was beating down, we were pushing up against 90F, and the water and gatorade at the aid stations was warm, making it very hard to keep from overheating.  Fortunately, the crowds were magnificent, with many people handing out ice, iced sponges and towels, and spraying cold water over us.  At this point I decided to "adopt a run/walk strategy" and make sure I got myself safely to the finish line, as there were a disconcerting number of runners collapsing left and right.  So I became very chatty.  I talked to anybody and everybody around me - runners with British accents, runners from the MS society (an illness very close to home), barefoot runners.  You name it, I talked to them.

And as it became clear I was going to run a really really bad time, it became quite funny.  My legs were cramping on the downhills, and every time they spasmed I just started chuckling.  I must have been the happiest sufferer out on the course, and started taunting the mile markers as they languished ever further behind my Garmin - "that's 23 you bas***d", "24 down you son of a bitch", "where are you 25, you little.........".

I got quite creative.

The crowds in the last few miles were amazing, with people yelling at you, and some even jumping in to run with you.  At long last I turned the final corner to see the finish line in the distance.  Way in the distance.  I decided I was going to run that last bit, even if I had to cross the finish line like Frankenstein, and I did (both).  My time was 4:44, over an hour slower than my usual marathon time.

But this was not a usual race.

One of the things that will stay with me was the sight of a runner completely collapsed and unresponsive in the gutter, 100 yards before the finish line.  I had seen at least another 2 in a similar state between miles 24 and 26, but this was so close.  Imagine, to run all that way, through that heat, and to drop that close to the finish line.  My heart went out to him.

And the finish area was like a MASH unit.  I felt quite out of place (and, it must be said, a little smug) walking through there when the majority of runners were either flat on the floor or slumped in wheelchairs.

I managed to call Clea, who had finished a good 40 minutes earlier and was wondering where I had gone (I told you - she's tough).  We eventually found each other and made our way back to the hotel.  We celebrated with dinner at Whole Foods and a trip to the movie theater around the corner, where we spent a few hours trying in vain to find comfortable positions to put our legs.

Yes, we really are that exciting.

And to top it all, we took an early morning flight back into Austin the next day where it was cooler than Boston.  How often can you say that?

Despite the heat, I'm glad I went.  The race was tough, but it was a great weekend that I will remember for a long time.  And after all, how many people can claim to be a Boston finisher?

But at the same time it's nice to be in recovery mode and not have something to train for.  I had been planning on taking a break from the long distance stuff (and had definitely decided on that somewhere around mile 17), but we'll see.  I do need a break to let my foot heal and then we'll decide, but don't be surprised to see me signing up for something this winter.

Preferably a nice cold race where it doesn't get out of the 30s.

Boston Week

Well I'm sitting here on Saturday afternoon, waiting to head out to the airport to catch my flight to Boston for Monday's race.  It's been a mad old week alright - here's a brief summary:

Saturday 7th
Ran 12 miles in the morning.  Midway through, started getting shooting pain from my foot.  Not entirely happy with that.

Sunday 8th
Broke down about 2 miles into this morning's run with foot problems.  Limped back to the car cursing my bad luck.  Subjected the foot to several rounds of the ice water torture and warned it to behave.  Decided not to run all week.

Monday 9th
Left Austin for Little Rock to teach a class.  Picked up 17 training books from the printers in the morning, so had not much space left in my suitcase.  Decided as I wasn't running I would just throw my vibrams in there instead of my running shoes.

Delayed for hours at Love Field.  Of course.  Got into Little Rock around midnight.

Tuesday 10th
First day of class went well.  Had dinner with a buddy at the Big Whiskey bar and grill in downtown Little Rock.  Enjoyed some local beers.  News came up on the TV that the Arkansas Razorbacks football coach had been fired for some scandal or other.  The entire place went quiet.  Felt very tempted to shout "Gig 'em Aggies", but thought better of it.  Left when the TV crew arrived to interview people at the bar, else would have had to admit I had no idea what it was all about and cared even less.

Wednesday 11th
Went to the gym and stupidly decided to run a few miles on the treadmill in my Vibrams.  Not my best idea.  I lasted about a mile before the foot started complaining.  Stopped and decided I would tape it really well for the race, and hope for the best

Went to the Flying Saucer and enjoyed a few pints of Lucifer.  Felt much better.

Thursday 12th
Last day in Little Rock.  Got to the airport in plenty of time.  The flight was delayed.  Both in Little Rock and Love Field.  Of course.  Finally got home around midnight.

Friday 13th
Discovered they are predicting record temperatures for Boston - mid 80s on race day.  Not surprised - can only laugh and shake my head.

Saturday 14th
Got a heat advisory email from the Boston marathon advising people not to run unless they are in absolutely tip-top shape.  And even then, to take walk breaks.  They will also be "monitoring the weather for race day decisions", leaving the course open for longer, and are offering the option to defer to next year.  As tempting as that all is, we've booked flights and hotels, so I'm going to just suck it up and try to stick with Clea for as long as possible.

While packing, I noticed when switching from my recently retired running shoes to my current ones, there was a significant difference in support - the old ones felt so much better.  Wondering if my foot problems may be down to the shoes.  Pondering whether or not to run the marathon in my old shoes.


Ha.  Whatever happens I'm going to just enjoy the experience.  I ran hard to qualify for this thing, and I intend to have fun, and enjoy exploring Boston. This is such a historic race which many people try for years to get into.  It is a privilege to run it, and I am grateful for the opportunity to experience it.

Resistance Training?

This may well be my favorite picture of Dylan.  It just captures him so well - seemingly innocent, but with a hint of mischief lurking just beneath the surface.

This morning was what I like to refer to as a "resistance training" run.  It was so muggy and oppressive, I was resistant to running at all.  76F and 90% humidity at 5am - it felt like I was breathing through a wet towel.  Did 7 miles with James, and kept it right around an 8 minute mile, despite rolling my ankle and going down hard on a road that was torn up and undergoing construction.  Clumsy me - some things never change.

Many thanks to James for slowing down for me, and best of luck at London.

Stayed up last night to watch the NCAA basketball National championship game.  Now I know next to nothing about basketball, but I had entered my company's March Madness bracket competition, making my predictions mostly at random.  And somehow, by last night's game I was the runaway leader and had a 100% prediction record from the quarter finals on.  There was only one person who could overhaul me, and only if Kansas won.  Luckily, Kentucky took them down, making me a little richer.  And more importantly, conveying considerable bragging rights.  Hooray.

Still not a basketball fan though - it's a pretty boring game to watch.

But speaking of basketball, here's a picture we took of Gavin after his basketball match last Sunday.  It's much more fun to watch the little kids play - they're hilarious.  Gavin won his medal for best sportsmanship - he's very vocal in encouraging his teammates, and is very good at cheering them up when they've made a mistake or missed a shot.

New Running Stuff

Gavin at Bull Creek

Who doesn't like getting running stuff in the mail.  I just got a nice big order from Running Warehouse - shirts, shorts, socks and a foam roller.  Since almost every running sock I own seems to have a hole in the toe, that was a long overdue addition.  I treated myself to a couple of pairs of Adidas shorts because they are much lighter than the Nikes I've been wearing for the past few years, and have the added bonus of a back pocket.  Likewise, a couple of Adidas shirts - the same cut as the "Marathon Talk" shirt I got a few weeks ago, which I love.

I tried the shorts and shirt out on this morning's 15 miler, and was very pleased with both.  It was a muggy old day, but the lightweight shirt kept me comfortable, and the shorts were very comfortable.  I think I have some new favorite running attire.

So I'm sitting here with my right foot in a bowl of ice water, watching the Lord of the Rings with Gavin.  We had a great afternoon together - we hiked and ran 5 miles of the hilly trails of Bull Creek, gathered a fine collection of sticks and discussed elves, goblins and dwarves in great detail.

It was awesome.

But it didn't do much for my painful foot, which bothered me a little more than I wanted on this morning's run.  It's like a bruise on the ball of my foot that refuses to go away.

But it needs to be gone.  Because there are 2 weeks to Boston, and come hell or high water I want to run a good 26.2.

The Road is Too Long (so now it's gone)

Hello from Richmond, VA.  I arrived late last night, my luggage arrived this evening (I'm pretty sure I saw it last night from my window seat, sitting sadly on the tarmac with a few other bags as our plane taxied out of Dallas).  Ever made a presentation to clients while wearing running shoes, cargo pants and Adidas workout shirt?  It's very liberating - I highly recommend self deprecating British humor to see you through!!!

And my deepest apologies to you, dear blog, for neglecting you.  I didn't mean to, but it's just that I've been so very busy.

Well, that and I also got tired of doing my "Road to Boston" series of postings.  I mean come on, a 16 week training diary?  What was I thinking?  There are only so many ways of finding new and interesting ways to say "I ran xx miles this morning" before you start making shit up.  So I'm abandoning it and going back to my normal chatty postings.

But for that 0.001% of you who were enjoying those posts, here's the quick roundup.  I ran 20 miles last Saturday and felt really good.  We saw Lance on the trail.  The bottom of my foot hurts like a son of a bitch.  Hope I can keep it from breaking down until after Boston.

And if my parents are reading this, let me head off your pending questions.  No, I'm not going to stop all that silly running.  And yes, I'm pretty sure my legs aren't going to fall off.

I've also been catching up on my reading (I love my Kindle, have I ever said that - yeah, maybe only a few hundred times).  I read Meb Keflezighi's "Run to Overcome" a few weeks ago, and I just finished C.L. Bevill's "Veiled Eyes", a great paranormal mystery set in the Louisiana bayous.  Tonight I went old school and started reading a genuine paper and ink book - Jennifer Pharr Davis "Becoming Odyssa" which Clea kindly lent me.  It's about the author's through hike of the Appalachian trail.  I haven't gotten very far yet,  but I think I'm going to really enjoy it.  She's engaging, funny, and her early efforts sound as wonderfully disorganized as me.  Here's my favorite excerpt so far:

"I was never fitted for a pack before I left to hike.  Instead, I had gone to a downstairs closet in my parents' house and rummaged through thirty-year-old sleeping bags and campfire cookware to find an old external-frame backpack that my brother had once used at summer camp.  Its faded grey color and worn hip belt weren't glamorous, but it was free".

Yeah, that reminds me of my inner frugalness.  It also reminds me of the time I showed up for an all-night trail race having forgotten my headlamp.  But that's another story.

I'm pretty sure I will have finished it by the time my plane touches down back in Austin.

The Road to Boston (week 11 of 16)

This is the month that will either make or break my Boston race, so it's time to pull out the stops, knuckle down and do some hard work.  I'm finally back home for a decent stretch, and newly armed with a couple of new workout dvds.  Bring it on.

Saturday March 10th
5:10am, 45F and rainy.  Did 18 miles in 2:34:37 (8:35 average).

Sunday March 11th
5:30am, 55F, pouring rain and stormy.  Since this clocks went forward last night, this was a particularly early start.  Had a point in this run where I could have cut it short to 7 miles, but happy to report I kept with my original plan and continued for the extra mile.  Yay me!!!  8 miles in 1:06:54 (8:21 average) - not bad for a recovery run.

9pm.  50 minutes of core work.  Gavin joined in with me, and we had a good time working out together.
 
Monday March 12th
9pm.  60 minutes of circuit training.  Earned a good bit of sweat equity for Boston tonight with a good hard workout.  Sweated through my shoes for the first time since running through last summer's heat.  Concentrated on lots of variations of squats, lunges and jumps.  Really pushed it, and it felt great.  Tired but happy.

Wednesday March 14th
5am, 68F and muggy.   Was supposed to run 10 yesterday, but was awake with a "not quite feeling himself and wants his dad" Dylan instead.  Wanted to make up for it by meeting James for a pace run this morning.  Did 7 miles in 54:50 (7:50 average).  Not as fast I would have liked, but I'll still take a sub-7.

5pm.  Did an hour of kettlebell swings, squats and holds.  Legs like rubber, back really tight, sweat pouring off, sweated through my shoes again.  Paying my entry fee for Boston right here.

Thursday March 15th
 5am, 68F and muggy.  7 miles with Clea this morning.  Legs still sore from last night, but got better the further we went (possibly fueled by the conversation about closets and cockney rhyming slang).  Ran 58:44 (8:23 average).

The Road to Boston (week 10 of 16)

6 weeks to go, and I really don't feel prepared at all (so what else is new, right?).  My running does not seem anywhere near as easy as it was a few short months ago, and my focus has wavered (plus I've been eating way too much junk stuff on all my travels).  On the other hand, I probably don't want to be smooth sailing this far out.  If I play it right, I can run myself into form and straight into the start line at Hopkinton.

And I'm still contemplating what to do after Boston.  Part of me wants to sign up for another race (like the super fun BCS marathon I ran last December), while another part of me wants to give it a break for a while.  Good angel, bad angel.  Jekyll and Hyde.  Right now the powers of light and darkness are in perfect balance.

Though as my plans to run a marathon with my brother in the UK this summer fell through, I guess I don't need to make a decision for a while anyway!!!

Saturday March 3rd
5:10am, 55F and windy.  Met Clea for 18 miles, with a guest appearance by Megan in the middle of the run.  Sore hamstring because I was stupid and did a boat load of leg curls last week on an already dodgy hamstring.  No monster Stratford hills today (thank goodness), but still enough inclines on Scenic and Jefferson to keep me interested.  Finished in 2:36:11 (8:41 average), with the highlight being a quick stop to check on a "drunk as a skunk" yuppie sprawled across the trail.  At the risk of sounding old, man I do not miss the party scene at all!!!

Sunday March 4th
5:30am, 48F.  7 mile Shoal Creek recovery run with Clea.  We kept a good pace and equally good conversation to finish up in 57:37 (8:14 average).  Big day as I rushed home to celebrate Gavin's birthday.  Good thing I clocked up the miles this weekend, as we all enjoyed Cheesecake Factory cheesecake.  I only wish I hadn't looked at the nutrition label!!!

Tuesday March 6th
5am, 58F and humid.  Met James for our 7 mile pace run.  He's training for London and me for Boston, so we're right at the same point in our training.  Which means we were both tired from 18-20 mile runs this weekend.  Still, we managed 7 miles in 53:55 (7:42 average), which is not bad at all.

9:30pm.  Traveling again at another client site.  After a 4 hour drive to North Texas after work, needed something to loosen me up.  In the absence of a good single malt, that something turned out to be Bob Harper's 15 minute "yoga" abs workout.  Now I'm ready for bed, with the best intentions of getting up for an early morning run in a bid to avoid the runner-unfriendly local motorists, thus saving wear and tear on my middle finger.

The Road to Boston (week 9 of 16)

Ok, completely disorganized this week, but greetings from Little Rock, AR.  Man am I ever racking up the air miles and hotel points these days!!!  Been slacking on the blog front after some late night work sessions, but sneaking in a few minutes to get it done.

Bad news this week when I heard my little brother had to pull out of what would have been his debut marathon at London due to injury.  Tried to convince him to run his first marathon with me when I'm over in the UK this coming summer, but it's not to be.

Oh well, take care of yourself and heal up quickly bro.  I am not accepting that as an excuse when I nail your ass at a park run this summer.

I am reading "Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham and the Science of Success" by Matthew Syed.  It is a fascinating book that delves into the psychology and similarities of the most successful people in sports, music etc.  There are some real insights into human behavior, though I think it's telling me I'm not much good at anything because I'm lazy.  To be fair, it's probably right :-)

Saturday February 25th
5:15am, can't remember what the weather was doing.  13 miles, annoying hamstring injury, the hills of Stratford, 1:56:07 (8:54 average).  On the plus side, I got home in time to watch the Wales rugby team win the Triple Crown by beating England, and the Marathon Talk technical shirts arrived from the UK (Boston race shirts for Clea and myself).

Sunday February 26th
5:30am, no idea about the weather.  Weird run - seemed to get more into it as it went along.  7 miles in 57:45 (8:17 average)
pm. 1 hour of strength circuits.  A rare chance to work out with Nancy.  Oh man, she ground me into the dirt!!!

Monday February 27th
In Little Rock.  The hotel I am staying at has free access to a gym across the road, and very nice it is too.  Found myself working out on the 29th floor in front of floor to ceiling windows with magnificent panoramic views of downtown Little Rock.  Did the elliptical, the stair climber, the bike and then beasted my legs with 5 sets of 15 reps of leg extensions, leg curls and weighted squats.  Oh boy, those leg curls did nothing for my sore hamstrings.

Tuesday February 28th
Drama at the gym tonight as some guy collapsed and had to be carted out by the EMTs.  Spent a bit extra time on the eliptical as I watched events unfold.  Did more leg extensions, but my hamstring was in full rebellion mode as soon as I tried the leg curl machine.  Gave up and went to eat Chinese instead.

Wednesday February 29th
Happy leap day.  Back in the gym tonight - more bike, elliptical, stair climber and weighted squats.  Also did weighted core rotations and lat pulldowns.  Then I had a go on the heavy bag (pretended it was some of my clients - haha), and had a great time with the battling ropes, making them dance for me.  Never used them before - they were fun.  And tiring.  Will have to get me some!!!

Thursday March 1st
Last night at the panoramic gym as I fly back to Austin tomorrow.  Did the elliptical, the bike, the old "rubber legged" workout, and threw around the battling ropes with somewhat of a spring on my step.  Spent quite a bit of time chatting with the receptionist in the hotel.  She was flirting big time, which explains the spring in the step!!  Useful things these British accents :-)

The Road to Boston (week 8 of 16)

I'm counting this as the mid-term break.  I did not run a step last weekend - a combination of thunder and lightning, Brownwood duty and plain old lack of motivation did me in, and I did nothing at all.

And what's up with the motivation?  I have no idea, but it's suddenly gone South.  Nancy is putting me to shame - she gets up at 4:30 most mornings to work out (and you can tell because she's looking really good), whereas I have to drag my lazy butt out of bed to grind out runs that are nowhere near as easy as they seemed a month ago. I have a nagging fear that I have peaked, and I'm now on the slippery downslope.  The good part of that is that I have more than enough time to regroup, come again and peak once more for Boston.

And another spanner in the Boston wheel is a lot more business travel coming up.  In the next month I will be heading out to Virginia, Arkansas and North Texas.  I will have to keep my discipline, zip up the old man suit and just get out there and do it.

In other news, I am reading "Into the Silence" by Wade Davis (author the "The Serpent and the Rainbow").  It is the story of George Mallory - taking apart the legend that surrounds him, and going into painstaking detail, not only about his legendary Everest expeditions, but also the motivations and political posturing of the age.  It delves into the Great War, along with the implications and attitudes of the Raj and the British Empire.

The human cost of trench warfare is unimaginable, and described in vivid detail.  I remember my grandfather telling me stories of being in the trenches when I was a boy, but I didn't truly appreciate it then.  Now that I would, he's no longer here to tell them - funny how that works.

While fascinating, it is a huge book.  I am a fast reader, but I have been working on it for weeks and am still nowhere near half way through.  It is one of those that I may need to break up and come back to in bits.

Anyway, on to the training log.

Saturday 18th February
Woke up to thunder and lightning and the prospect of a trip to Brownwood.  Not motivated.  The zipper on the man suit broke right off, and I lose my 100% Febulous record.

Tuesday 21th February
5am, 48F, foggy and humid.  Finally got my butt back into gear, and met up with James for a pace run.  Dang, I seem to be trying twice as hard only to go a lot slower than I did a month ago.  What's up with that?  Still, we managed 7 miles in 54:47 (7:49 average), while we both enjoyed a good old moan.  Fantastic!!!

Thursday 23rd February
5am, 60F and humid.  Relaxed run around Mueller with Clea - she is recovering from pacing the marathon last weekend, I am carrying a slight hamstring strain.  Knocked out 7 miles in 59:43 (8:32 average).

The Road to Boston (week 7 of 16)

T-minus 10 and counting.  We're down to the last 10 weeks before Boston - technically still base building, but in my periodization plan we're getting close to the time where I will start fine tuning by throwing in some extra midweek pace runs.

Training has been derailed somewhat by all my travel of late, but I am now home for a few weeks in a row.  I will be in Little Rock, AR at the end of the month, but the hotel I am booked at has free access to the 24 hour fitness next door, so that is a great chance to start throwing in some cross training in the final month before Boston.

From here on in, I have a lot of 20 milers planned.  These are mostly psychological - I seem to run better on race day the more 20 milers I have under my belt.

Saturday February 11th
5am, 38F and windy.  Kind of a low energy day - a weird kind of "nothing" run. I did 20 miles in 2:55:23 (8:46 average) which was fine.  I never bonked, but never dropped into the groove either.  Got lucky and Clea jumped in for the first 11 miles - long runs are so much easier with company.  Then had an uphill slog against the wind for most of the rest of the run.  Ah well, no big deal - it's another 20 miles in the books.

Sunday February 12th
5:30am, 29F and breezy.  Lovely cold morning for a nice relaxed recovery run.  Ran the Danish route backwards - 7 miles in 59:58 (8:34 average).

11:30am, 30F and sleeting.  A trail run at Walnut Creek with Gavin, my 6 year old - such fun.  3 miles of tearing around the trails pretending to be Robin Hood and the Sheriff, followed by playing tag at the playground, then a retreat to a toasty warm car and home for hot chocolate.

Tuesday February 14th
5am, 41F and foggy.  Pea soup this morning - unable to even see street names.  Pretty cool actually.  Did 7 mile reverse Danish loop in 56:10 (8:01 average).

Wednesday February 15th
5am, 63F and humid as all get out.  Urggghh, 22F warmer than yesterday morning, and an early reminder of summer running.  Ground out 7 miles in 54:58 (7:51 average) and just glad to be done.

Thursday February 16th
4:30am, 45F and humid.  Early morning run around Mueller with Clea.  Kept it easy as she's pacing the Austin marathon on Sunday (just as well as I was feeling pretty tired anyway).  We managed 7 miles in 57:55 (8:16 average).  Faster than I thought - no wonder I felt tired!!!

The Road to Boston (week 6 of 16)

Well I liked the chatty format of last week's post, so I think I'm going to keep it like that.  What I do not like is the limited amount of distance running I've done in the last two weeks.  That and the fact that I appear to have gained 5lbs (damn you delicious hotel cooked breakfasts)!!!  Still, I am a glass half full kind of guy, so looking at the upside I am simply pulling back to ensure I do not peak too early.  Plus this coming week will be my last travel for a little while, so I can get my runs back to normal.

Having said that....

Saturday February 4th
5am, 55F and stormy.  The value of a good training partner is that they can pull you through tough runs, and that is what happened this morning.  If it wasn't for Clea, I don't know that I would have completed this run. My calves were so tight after last week's treadmill madness.  And that caused my feet to go numb for the first half of this 20 miler.  Fortunately, some good conversation passed away many of the middle miles, and the legs loosened up for the second half.  Cut off by myself to finish out the last 2 miles (which were tough) and finished 20 hilly miles in 2:57:16 (8:51 average) and completely spent.  My legs felt very sore and painful driving home, and they appear to have staged an uprising because I am hobbling around like an old man.  I'm normally nowhere near this stiff after racing a marathon - I guess fueling on Big Mac and fries is not a good idea!!!

Sunday February 5th
5:30am, 45F.  Recovery run after yesterday's 20 miler.  Good to work out some of the soreness, but was getting some serious knee pain out of nowhere.  I swear I'm getting old.  Surprised we managed a fairly brisk 7 miles in 1:00:46 (8:41 pace).

Monday February 6th
7am 40F.  Stretching the legs this morning prior to my flight to Richmond VA this afternoon.  No knee pain today, though the calves are still super tight.  2 miles in 15:23 (7:41 average).

Friday February 10th
7am, 45F.  Pullback week.  Been in Richmond, VA all week, and got back into Austin at midnight last night.  Decided to take a few days off to give my strained calves some time to recover, and it seems to have worked (though I do now have to figure out how to cram in another 3 runs to keep my Febulous 100% going).  Did 2 miles this morning in a pain-free 14:33 (7:16 average).  Looking forward to a solo 20 miles tomorrow.

The Road to Boston (week 5 of 16)

Ok folks, I am declaring this a freeform week.  I am working in North Texas all this week and do not have the luxury of staying in a hotel on a college campus with lots of lovely paths for me to explore, nor the lovely icy weather in which to explore them.  No, I am staying in a hotel (nice though it is) that borders the Interstate, in a town that is not very runner friendly.  The last time I tried running up here, I was urged by several motorists to "get a car you bum".

If I ran here every day, my middle finger would be exhausted.  So I may have to resort to the dreadmill for at least some of my runs.

Anyway, the good news is that I finished out Jantastic with 100% and am now into Febulous.  This works along the same principles - you commit to doing a certain number of runs a week - but now you also have to specify how long each of your long runs will be during the month.

So I've set my goals at 5 runs a week, with long runs of 20 miles, 20 miles, 12 miles and 20 miles.  We'll see how that goes.

Saturday January 28th
Spent the day traveling back from Oregon via Las Vegas (and what a zoo that place is).  Needless to say, no running.  Did manage to finish "Miss Peregrine's Home for Unusual Children" (wonderful read) and got into Blake Crouch's "Run" (very creepy and disturbing, but a great page turner - perfect airplane fodder).  I love my Kindle.

Sunday January 29th
Nancy suggested I have a lie in with the boys as I'd been away all week and didn't get back until late.  Agreed and enjoyed a very pleasant morning before setting out on the road again.

Monday January 30th
On my travels again.  No run today.  Worked late, and then watched the documentary "Ride the Divide" back at the hotel, which left me whelmed.  Not over or under, just whelmed.  Nice music though.

Tuesday January 31st
Hit the dreadmill in the hotel tonight.  Listened to the "Mockingjay" audiobook on my ipod to distract me and could still only manage 2 miles before boredom set in.  Did the 2 miles in 12:26 (6:13 average), and then had a go on the stair climber which was marginally more interesting.  May have to venture back onto the mean streets tomorrow.  Oh, and I finished reading "Run", which really does make you want to hide in your hotel room and never come out!!!

Wednesday February 1st
Ok, I guess this week is designated speed week.  Hopped on the treadmill tonight with the goal of running 2 miles at a sub-6 pace.  That was before I realized the thing topped out at 10mph, thus rendering that goal impossible.  Still, finished the 2 miles in 12:06 (6:03 average), which was just about enough to finish me off too.  Cooled down with a few minutes in the company of my old friend the stair climber while listening to the adventures of Katniss Everdeen on the old ipod.  In non-running news, I watched "V for Vendetta" last night which has left me feeling ever so slightly rebellious, started a new book on the Kindle - "I Sing the Body Departed", and I think I'm going to go out for Indian tonight.  Mr random strikes again!!!

Thursday February 2nd
Tried to kill myself on the treadmill again tonight - 2 miles in 12:02 (6:01 average).  Ouch.  My legs are tighter than Scrooge at Christmas - am looking forward to reverting to longer slower runs again.  On the plus side, I'm headed back to Austin tomorrow.  On the downside, I'm off to Virginia on Monday.  But at least I get to enjoy the weekend at home.  In other news, the Indian I went out for last night was far and away the worst I've ever had, and just a bizarre experience all round.  Played it safe tonight and went to TGI Fridays, where I put away a cobb salad, chicken pasta and a huge slice of vanilla bean cheesecake.  Suitably sated, I am looking forward to a nice night in the company of Messers Miles Davis and Mr Kindle.

Oh, it's also worth mentioning that I have taken the opportunity of being away as a chance to catch up on some of the "Marathon Talk" podcast.  I am now only about a year behind!!!

Good luck to all running the Rocky Raccoon 100 this weekend.  Rather you than me.

I Love a Rainy Night

Yes I know I've been trying to stop using song lyrics as my blog titles, but this one just fits so well.

I'm writing this from my hotel room in the small college town of Corvallis, Oregon in the Pacific Northwest.  I'm working on the campus of Oregon State University all this week, and I've been enjoying something that has been in very short supply in Texas for the last year - rain.

This trip has really reminded me of home.  And it's not just the rain.  The trees, the scenery, and even the architecture of the University takes me back to my days living in Britain.  It really is beautiful and enchanting up here.

And inspiring.  I've run every day this week - in freezing fog, cold and driving rain, it doesn't matter. Every morning I've woken up looking forward to my early morning adventures.

And I've been consistently hitting right around the 8 minute mile mark with ease.

I get back to the hotel with numbed hands, stand under a shower as hot as I can stand until they thaw out, then head downstairs for the wonderful cooked breakfast.  And I'm ready for the day.

I think part of that is the beautiful old campus I've been criss-crossing on my pre-dawn explorations (the pictures on this post are bits of the campus that are part of my morning run - I took them at lunchtime today when it had actually stopped raining).  The place is full of huge trees.  Combine that with the stillness, silence and solitude of running in the rain and mist, along with the happy nostalgia of my own (long since faded) college days, and it's a really peaceful and wonderful way to start the day.

Maybe I'm a bit of a dreamer - a romantic with an old soul - but if it makes you happy, just go with it.

I've also been testing out a spi-belt that Clea gave me so I can carry my phone at Boston and we can find each other at the finish line.  I've worn it every morning this week, with my phone, driver's license and a credit card in there.  I've even left my water bottle (usually my comfort blanky) back in the hotel.  It didn't take me long to get used to it, and I don't think it's going to be a problem using it at Boston.

And did I mention I love my Kindle?  It debuted on this trip, and I'm very glad I bought it.  It's so easy to slip in my pocket and just carry around with me.  I read the whole of Peter Lovesey's Stagestruck on the plane ride up (he's always a good airplane read), and am now getting into the very odd, creepy, but strangely compelling "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children".

Ok, time to shut down.  I ate pasta at a wonderful local Italian place tonight and am nicely carbed up for a cracking run in the morning.  It's supposed to be really cold - in the 20s - fantastic!!!  Then tomorrow night I am driving down to Eugene to have dinner with some friends I haven't seen in a while.

In between that I have a very intensive day of mentoring and teaching. It's going to be a long day, so I'm off to bed, perchance to dream.

Night all.

The Road to Boston (week 4 of 16)

I am sitting here at my computer watching little Dylan eat my oatmeal as part of his third breakfast.  I have a nicely brewed cup of freshly ground coffee in front of me, I have just showered away the sweat and salt of a very satisfying 20 mile run, and Gavin is waiting for me to finish writing so he can play chess against the computer.

Sometimes, life is good.

But this week is really going to test my resolve.  I am on business trips for the next three weeks running, and week number one sees me up in Oregon in the Pacific Northwest.  I will be on the campus of Oregon State University, so there are probably some good running routes around there.  Except that they are having huge problems with flooding and pouring rain, so much so that the university shut down yesterday (Friday), and many of the roads are closed.

But I still have the carrot of Boston and Jantastic to chase.  So I'm determined to get my runs in, even if I have to do Clea-style "go round and round this loop until I get dizzy" runs.

Because the dreadmill is truly an option of last resort.

Date	Saturday January 21st
Plan	am - 20 miles
Outcome	5am, windy.  55F at the start, dropping to 42F by the end.  Another 20 mile hillfest - Stratford, Scenic, backwards Jefferson (uphill against the wind) and some meandering around the Hyde Park neighborhood.  My legs felt a little tight this morning - not surprising, I am probably a little dehydrated since my parents (visiting from the UK) have been force-feeding me tea all week (I forgot just how much tea British folks drink).  But very pleased that we accelerated after the monster hills, and ran a nice negative split.  Run competed in 2:54:23 (8:43 average).

Date	Sunday January 22nd
Plan	am - 7 miles easy
Outcome	5:30am, 55F.  Recovery run after yesterday's 20.  Uneventful 7 miles in 59:31 (8:30 pace).  Make sure to update my Marathon Talk Jantastic submissions, then off to the airport to rainy Oregon

Date	Monday January 23rd
Plan	am - Nothing
Outcome	6am, 31F and freezing fog.  Exploratory run on the campus of Oregon State University.  Found plenty of paths and parks to crisscross the university, even though I couldn't see much through the fog.  An enjoyable 4 miles in 32:41 (8:10 pace).  It's run to run on a university campus when it's so quiet and nobody else is about.  On the other hand, I discovered I'd packed running shoes, 5 pairs of running socks, 5 pairs of running shorts and only 1 shirt.  Whoops!!!

Date	Tuesday January 24th
Plan	am - 6 miles
Outcome	6am, 39F and driving rain.  A soggy, slippery run through the OSU campus this morning, but very refreshing.  Did 5 miles in 39:31 (7:54 pace).  Good thing too, since the cooked breakfasts at the hotel are no doubt fattening me up!!!

Date	Wednesday January 25th
Plan	am - 6 miles
Outcome	6am, 52F.  What, no rain today?  After yesterday's all-day downpour and warnings of mass floodings, woke up this morning to find it mild and dry.  Even stranger is that apparently Austin is being bombarded with Noah-style rain.  Did 5 miles through the OSU campus in 40:20 (8:04 average).  The highlight was taking a sharp right turn while running through a dark park, skidding on some unseen mud and sliding several yards on my hip.  Ouch - glad nobody was around to see that.

Date	Thursday January 26th
Plan	am - 6 miles
Outcome	6am, 42F.  No rain this morning.  Ran another 5 miles through the OSU campus in 39:03 (7:48 average), then loaded up on a huge hotel breakfast that included toast, Western omelet, waffles, a danish and a cookie.  Do you see why I've run every morning that I've been here?

Date	Friday January 27th
Plan	Nothing
Outcome	6am, 25F and frosty, icy underfoot.  Cranked out another 5 miles around OSU - I've now run every day I've been here.  Cold one this morning - finished with my arms and hands like frozen chicken, and it took a good while of standing under a piping hot shower to defrost them.  Still, managed 5 miles in 38:21 (7:40 average).  Will be sorry to say goodbye to this fun route when I fly home tomorrow.  Maybe I'll sneak in another sly run before I leave for the airport.

The Road to Boston (week 3 of 16)

I hit 50 miles last week, which is something I haven't done in a while.  Consistency is paying dividends, as I had some strong runs in there, including a nice 8 miler done at 7:26 pace.

And with some cold weather forecast for this week, I am very much in my element, and hope to keep putting in some strong runs.

Date	Saturday January 14th
Plan	am - 19 miles
Outcome	5:10am, 25F.  Coldest morning of the winter resulted in me adding a pair of gloves to my standard shorts and t-shirt.  Met Clea at the bakery, and we ran down through UT and along to the trail to the rock to meet Stephanie and Teresa.  Had a relaxed Jefferson run, then Clea and I retraced our steps along the trail, back up Congress and through UT to the bakery.  Enjoyed the run and the conversation, though I did get several odd glances on the trail from folks wrapped up in coats, scarves, hats and looking like ninjas.  We did 19 miles in 2:45:47 (8:43 pace) and I felt very comfortable, though I did discover several blood blisters at the end of my toes post-run.

Date	Sunday January 15th
Plan	am - 7 miles easy
Outcome	5:30am, 30F.  Not as cold as yesterday, we did the Danish loop in reverse with some new variations.  It's amazing how different a familiar running route looks when run in reverse.  Finished out in 58:48 (8:24 pace).  Time for some coffee and biscotti.

Date	Monday January 16th
Plan	am - Nothing
Outcome

Date	Tuesday January 17th
Plan	am - 10 miles (aim for sub-8 minute miles)
Outcome	After a series of late nights working in the garage, I just didn't make it out this morning.  Settled instead for an untimed 2 mile trot around the neighborhood.  Saving myself for taking on the rabbit in tomorrow's speed run.

Date	Wednesday January 18th
Plan	am - 8 miles (aim to get under an hour)
Outcome	5am, 37F and breezy.  Some days you take a beating, and on others you hand them out.  Today I was doing the handing out.  Felt good and comfortable throughout the run and finished the 8 miles in 59:49 (7:28 average).  Was so comfortable that I almost missed ducking under the hour, but made it courtesy of a 6:50 last mile.  Am thinking of making my Marchvellous goal a sub-58 minute 8 miles on this Wednesday pace run.

Date	Thursday January 12th
Plan	am - 7 miles easy
Outcome	4:30am, 45F - positively toasty.  Relaxed 7 mile reverse Mueller loop with Clea.  Lots of good conversation, and we kept up a nice pace - 57:51 (8:15 average).

Date	Friday January 6th
Plan	Nothing
Outcome

The Road to Boston (week 2 of 16)

I had some great runs last week, which left me with confidence rising going into week 2.  Boston (and Jantastic) has given me a stackload of motivation, which translates itself into consistency, which in turn should result in faster times and better running with less effort.

2011 was not a good running year for me, but 2012 is already shaping up to be a huge improvement.

Date	Saturday January 7th
Plan	am - 20 miles hilly run
Outcome	4:30am, 55F and foggy with 97% humidity.  Met James early and we ran downtown to meet up with Clea.  Had another go at the Stratford hills, then did a Jefferson loop, and then another reverse Jefferson.  This was one of those mornings when I felt great, and the hills seemed strangely easy. Which was bizarre since the humidity was high and I was sweating like a pig.  Did 20 miles in 2:48:20 (8:25 average) and felt like I could go a lot further and a lot harder if I needed to.  Wish that happened more often.

Date	Sunday January 8th
Plan	am - 7 miles
Outcome	5:30am, 47F. Nice recovery run - 7 miles in 59:58 (8:34 pace).  I zipped up my man suit and ran 5 times this past week, so my Jantastic week 1 is at 100%.  Now I'm sitting here drinking hot chocolate and contemplating another.

Date	Monday January 9th
Plan	am - Nothing
Outcome

Date	Tuesday January 10th
Plan	am - 10 miles
Outcome	5am, 42F, cold and windy.  Did not get up when my alarm went off at 4am because little Dylan was cuddled up next to me, and I dare any dad to give that up to go run.  But I did get up at 4:30 instead to go run 7.  Legs felt heavy today and it was like I was running in slow motion.  Still, I managed to squeak under an 8 minute mile by running 55:53 (7:59 average) without really pushing.  Pretty happy with that.

Date	Wednesday January 11th
Plan	am - 8 miles (aim to get under an hour)
Outcome	5am, 34F, lovely and cold.  Legs still felt a little dead today, but apparently it didn't matter as I ran the 8 miles in 59:35 (7:26 pace).  Difficult to believe I ran a marathon at a faster pace than that.  James was my rabbit again.  Didn't catch him this morning - that boy was flying.

Date	Thursday January 12th
Plan	am - 8 miles
Outcome	4:30am, 47F at start, dropping to 37F by the end, and really windy.  The cold front blew through this morning, bringing gusty winds with it.  Met Clea for the 8 mile Mueller loop, and we battled the winds for a very nice 1:05:03 (8:07 average).

Date	Friday January 6th
Plan	Nothing
Outcome

Pressing Matters

This is the latest gadget to come out of my woodworking shop - a tortilla press.  Like freshly made pasta, if you've only ever had store-bought tortillas you don't know what you're missing.  I broke it in last night with a big batch of corn tortillas, which were dispatched nearly as fast as I could make them.  Other than smoking up the house (whoops) they were a huge success, and ridiculously easy to make with my new toy.

I am also planning on using it to simplify making pita, naan bread and Cornish pasties.  Not to mention it will come in very handy while perusing my other Christmas present.

On the running front, the first week of Jantastic is going really well (it's the last few days to register if you're looking for that extra bit of motivation).  Helped by some wonderfully cold weather, I've had 2 great runs in a row.  This morning I met James for our fast Wednesday run with the intention of dipping under an hour for my 8 miles.  Well I managed it by 19 seconds (hooray), and James planted the idea in my head of working on getting that time down to 56 minutes in the months ahead.

Sounds good to me - go Boston!!!

And just a quick word on blog neglect.  Each year, I wrap up the blogging year by doing a post looking back on all the ups and down of the year that was.  I am planning on doing that post, but I've been super busy working (aka playing) in the garage.  The post is coming, but it may be a tad bit late.

Oh, and happy new year everyone.

The Road to Boston (week 1 of 16)

So here we are in the dying days of 2011.  The week between Christmas and New Year always seems such a strange kind of limbo - a time for dispensing with the old and bringing in the new.

Or combining the two, and resurrecting my old blog training log format for a new training plan.

Because here in late December, April seems such a very long way away.  But it's really only 16 weeks until the Boston marathon.  And what better way to say goodbye to 2011 than by starting Boston-specific marathon training with a bang.

Even if that bang is me struggling my way up a big hill!!!

Date	Saturday December 31st - New Year's Eve
Plan	am - 17 miles hilly run pm - enjoy date night and a Bob Schneider concert with Nancy
Outcome	5:15am, 41F and still. Met Clea downtown to kick off the Boston adventure, and we did 17 hilly miles in 2:30:37 (8:51 average). We ran Jefferson in reverse, then turned around, braved the hills of Stratford and did Jefferson again in the other direction.  A beautiful morning - I felt great, especially on the hills, and good conversation made it go by really quickly.  Nice way to finish out 2011.

Date	Sunday January 1st
Plan	am - 7 miles
Outcome	5:30am, 55F and windy. The Bob Schneider concert last night was awesome, but we didn't get home until gone 2am so it was a real effort of will to get up when the alarm went off at 5am.  Glad I did though, because this was the perfect way to set my stall for the 2012 running year.  Met Clea, and we did 7 miles in 1:00:23 (8:37 pace).  Went home, fell back into bed and slept for a good few hours.

Date	Monday January 2nd
Plan	am - Nothing
Outcome	Followed the plan exactly :-)

Date	Tuesday January 3rd
Plan	am - 10 miles (aim for 7:40 pace)
Outcome	4:45am, 27F, cold and still - great running weather.  Yes, I know I was supposed to do 10 miles, but I didn't get out until late so I ended up running 7.  I also have no idea what my time or pace was because I left my Garmin at home (yeah, I was super organized this morning), but it was cold so I'm sure it was sub-8 pace.  However, it was a beautiful run - I did a variant at the end where instead of turning off on Guadalupe I continued on to Duval and then hit the reward downhill back to the car.  Enjoyed the last of the Christmas decorations, and got the first Jantastic run in the books.  Woo hoo!!!

Date	Wednesday January 4th
Plan	am - 8 miles (aim to get under an hour)
Outcome	5am, 38F, another perfect running morning.  Met James for an 8 miler with the stated intention of going under an hour.  Did it with a 59:41 (7:27 average), with the rabbit finishing about 30 seconds ahead of me.  Kept with him until the last 2 miles when he just took off.  Thanks also to James for planting the idea in my head to get our Wednesday 8 mile times down to 56 minutes.

Date	Thursday January 5th
Plan	am - 8 miles (pace run with Clea)
Outcome	4:30am, 47F.  Got up a little early to check on the BBQ I was smoking overnight, so did the run smelling of mesquite and brisket.  We did 7 miles in 58:27 (8:27 pace). Nice run - had fun planning next weekend's long run route.  Spotted a coyote while driving home through my neighborhood.

Date	Friday January 6th
Plan	Nothing
Outcome	Pending

Pace, Power, Discipline

20 seconds.  That was all that was between me and a sub-1 hour 8 miles on this morning's run (7:33 average).  I just checked that against my training runs in the build up to White Rock last year, and that is right up there with them.  I mean ok, I did a few really fast ones (I think 58:27 was my best), but this is a very good omen for the kickoff of Boston training (and the start of Jantastic) in the new year.

And while the runs may not feel quite as easy as they did last year, I know I have a lot of wiggle room to get faster.  Expect the return of my weekly training logs on the blog in January.

The reason?  It appears that Boston is a big motivator.  It is lurking on the horizon and calling my name.  There's something about having that one chance to do something really well that makes you want to give it your best.  And just as last year's White Rock training mantra was "no excuses", I seem to have adopted "pace, power, discipline" this go round.

The first two are obvious, but they are facilitated by the third.  And it is that last one I have tended to struggle with.  As you may know, I do all of my runs really early in the morning (the latest I tend to start is 5:30 on Sundays), and it is sometimes a struggle to get out of bed.  But on the other hand, it is a really big motivator to keep pushing in a race when you feel tired - come on, look at how many early mornings you've devoted to this.

So to the plan - a Boston-specific training plan.  Nothing concrete at the moment, rather a rough notion of what I need to do.  My midweek runs will be mostly devoted to speed.  I need to resurrect the old "10 for Tuesday" to add to the existing weekly race with speed merchant (and fellow Brit) James on Wednesday, and Thursday's pace run with Clea.

That leaves weekends more focused on power.  And by power I mean hills.  There is a nice (aka evil) set of hills we know as "Stratford" I may add on to the Saturday runs (which are relatively hilly anyway), and I could switch some of the Sunday Danish runs to the old Ladera Norte route I used to roam.

Because for Boston I need to practice running down hills as much as running up them.

And finally, congratulations to my brother for getting a spot at London.  That's a pretty awesome race for your first marathon little bro.  And as London is the week after Boston, maybe we can compare notes as we go.

Just don't do anything stupid and get injured again!!!