Wondered how everyone was coming a long. I cam up a little lame on my long run a week ago and gave it a little break which has helped.

Trent, you are crazy....but I'm impressed! Ran my first "long" run yesterday - 18 miles. Between my schedule and the weather, I missed my 16 miler last week, but was able to run a 15K race. Overall I think my endurance is improving, but I'm not so sure I can break the 4 hour mark. I was supposed to average 9:40 miles for the 18, but averaged 10 min. I'm thinking I will continue the current schedule and see how my old body responds! To me, the 4 hour barrier isn't the end all, but a 4:05, 4:15, or 4:20 to me is the same thing. I will probably wait until the morning of GM to make my final decision on pacing, but feel like going out with the 4 hour goal and see what happens.

Never be impressed by foolishness

I have some sort of weirdo body. I try to beat it down as hard as I can but it just seems to take it (well, except for the hammie that has been bugging me since I stopped marathoning in '06). Of course I have not gotten a ton faster in the past year, after I really equilibrated. My upcoming marathons are Country Music Marathon in Nashville on 4/28, followed by the Flying Pig in Cincinatti on 5/6. And then Grandmas 6 weeks later. I will likely only run one of those hard, and it will probably be Country Music, although the weather can be nasty. If that happens, I will slow down and just have fun at these two and push it at Grandma's. This is on the heels of a year of pure madness last year, in which I foolishly ran 8 in 8 months - - Germany to France Marathon - 4/23/06 - 3:50:32 - Country Music Marathon - 4/29/06 - 4:23:27 (ran with the 4:15 pace group as a pacer-aide) - Grandma's Marathon - 6/17/06 - 4:02:59 (85 and HUMID by the finish) - Grandfather Mountain Marathon - 7/8/06 - 4:23:00 (course was 27 miles) - Pike Peak Marathon - 8/20/06 - 6:48:17 - Toronto Marathon - 10/15/06 - 3:50:43 - Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey marathon - 11/19/06 - 4:14:30 (big hills) - Rocket City Marathon - 12/9/06 - 4:04:53 (cold and I was tired, go figure) Silly me.

Yeah. A lot. Like I said, I'm foolish. CMM is somewhat hilly, although not terrible. Pikes Peak was a blast! Of course it only had one hill. But it was a big one It was very very very difficult, but you get to take all day doing it and a week or more hanging out in the mountains acclimating to the elevation. Lotta good Fall marathons. What part of the world do you live in and I can tell you of ones I know. This Fall marathon is also close to my heart: click. But it is hilly. Very hilly. Very very hilly. Thus its charm.