A wise person once said that "... a [long] journey starts with a single step ..."  Like Mittleman and Allen suggest in their writings, focus on small segments.  A 15 mile run is "just" a one mile run repeated 15 times, and running one mile is something you have done lots and lots of times.

Also, I suspect that you are low on energy after (during) long runs.  Practice the routine you will use in the race in your long (relative) training runs.  For me ... that involves the use of sports drinks or gels.  My preference is PowerBar or Accel gels every 40-45 minutes on runs longer than 13 (or so) miles.  This might go against the teachings of Maffetone (teach your body to use fat), but does wonders for "bonking".  There are lots of articles which suggest that the body has energy (sugar) for only 2 hours of running.

Another thought is that you might have muscle soreness after long (relative) runs, which does not help the mind set.  My remedy is Endurox R4, a carbo/protein supplement, consumed within the 30-45 minute "window" after a tough workout.  This (and similar) product helps with the "repair" process after the muscles have been stressed.  Truthfully, I can say that my legs feel fine (no discomfort) one day after a marathon.  A number of Marathon Maniac friends swear by chocolate milk and bananas, but the message is clear to "reload" the body as quickly after a tough workout.

 Finally, you CAN be successful in preparing for a marathon by training alone.  Running partners are fun, but often are not running your pace.  Find a place (route) where other runners train so that you see others while running, or maybe find one other person who runs at your pace for the long runs.  But, be careful to run at your pace ... with others or alone.

Glad you are enjoying the Hudson book.  When you're finished, try Fitzgerald's book titled "Runner's World Performance Nutition for Runners".  He is a very good writer and the book will explain how to treat the body before, during, and after a race.  Maybe we need a separate BOOK section for this message board (joke).

Your idea of running routes of different distances is great.  I try to vary the routes just to keep the mind off the task at hand, and also to run scenic routes (look at birds, water, etc.).  Another trick is to tell myself that today is "only" one mile farther than last week (for your long runs) and I've run that distance before without incident.  Hey ... you've run a BQ, which is no easy task, so have dealt with these mental tricks before.  And it DOES get easier (physically and mentally) the more you do long runs.  My daughter, who runs 2-3 marathons each year, recently said that "... marathons are more of a MENTAL challenge than a PHYSICAL challenge ...".  With a proper training base, I must agree, especially after 15 or so miles.

On the topic of nutrition (before, during, after a run), consider using a Fuel Belt (or similar product).  On runs over 5-7 miles, I wear the Trail Runner Belt ( http://www.fuelbelt.com/fuel_belts/4_bottle.html ) which holds four 8 oz bottles, plus your cellphone and car keys, etc.  This would allow you to mix your own drink and not depend on others.  True, it does mean a little extra weight, but that will make you even tougher.  Use what worked best for you in the past, and then carry that winning formula through to the marathon.

You're making great progress on deciding what might work best for you and then giving it a try.  Each of our bodies are so different, it makes little sense to just copy what worked well for another person.  We really are an experiment of "one".

Hill strides are hard on my sciatic nerve, so I run them sparingly.  Maybe 2 times a month.  Also, I don't run faster than 10-Km pace, again because the added speed sets off my sciatic nerve.  My feeling is that 10-Km and Half-marathon pace are good enough (for this aging runner).  Instead, work on building up the ENDURANCE, or as Hudson says, the ability to hold the pace for the whole marathon.  Long runs do that trick.

My suggestion for pace ... base it on MARATHON performance.  True, there are lots of predictive models on the internet, including the excellent tools at McMillan Running Company.  I've taken your BQ marathon time, and reduced it to 3:55:00 for a goal.  Then I built a "pace chart" covering several months (can't remember when your marathon is).  This gives you a realistic place to START and allows you to move (speed) up if your body is adjusting well to the training.  I've used 5 second increments, but please start where you wish and change the times each month as you wish.  The "ModPlus" and "EasyPlus" are not in Hudson's book, but work well for me on those days when my body wants to back off just a little.  You'll likely find (via HR) that the "Full" through the "Full+60" paces are within your AEROBIC range, which means that 10% (or slightly less) of your training will be at ANAEROBIC pace.  That blends well with LHR training.

                ***************************    Specific Endurance   ****************************                        
                10-Km      13.1-Mi    26.2-Mi    Moderate        ModPlus    Easy          EasyPlus
                  Thres      Half          Full           Full+15           Full+30      Full+45      Full+60
Jun-09       8:00      8:30          9:00         9:15                 9:30            9:45           10:00
Jul-09        7:55      8:25          8:55         9:10                 9:25            9:40            9:55
Aug-09      7:50      8:20          8:50         9:05                 9:20            9:35            9:50
Sep-09      7:45      8:15          8:45         9:00                 9:15           9:30            9:45
Oct-09 

Hudson suggests increasing mileage OR speed, but not both at the same time.  However, these are very small increments, so a 1-2 mile per week increase should not create a problem.  I do suggest, however, that you keep the same pace for a month.

You're welcome.  I look forward to run days under the Hudson programs because of the rest days and also because of the VARIETY from day to day and even within a daily run.  Changing the pace (type of run) keeps the mind active and also trains the body to handle different situations which might arise during a race.  Hill strides also help develop running "efficiency" (form), and they don't cut into your aerobic capacity (too short in distance).

Happy training ...

Thanks for sharing your results.  It looks like the HR increased as you ran longer (normal) but also stayed well within the AEROBIC range.  Please tell me your HRmax and HRresting and I'll help calculate your target ranges with the Karvonen Method (maximum - resting).

But with a Maximum Aerobic Heart Rate = 130, your Mittleman Exercise zones look good:

   Most Aerobic Pace (MAP)           110-130

   Most Efficient Pace (MEP)          130-140

   Speedy Anaerobic Pace (SAP)  140-160

Today's run took you through all zones (which is good) and you stayed mostly in the MEP zone (also good).  Jimmy is better at this type of analysis, but I'd say you did a great job ... and had some fun.  I'm still guessing your MAF test scores will drop in the coming weeks (months).  Rock On!

Flower,

The Karvonen Method works with the “reserve” heart rate … calculated by subtracting the HR resting from the HR maximum.  Dr. Karvonen (physician) believed this was a better measure of one’s current fitness, irrespective of age.  It has been shown in many clinical studies to correlate highly with VO2 max  (lactic threshold) scores, which also makes it popular.  Here we go:

Heart rate–maximum = 207;  Heart rate–resting = 42;  Heart rate–reserve = 165 bpm

(Heart rate–reserve)  x  (percentage)  +  (Heart rate–resting)  =  Target Heart Rate

165 bpm  x  .50  =  82.5    +  42  =  124.5

165 bpm  x  .60  =  99.0    +  42  =  141.0

165 bpm  x  .70  =  115.5  +  42  =  157.5

165 bpm  x  .80  =  132.0  +  42  =  174.0

165 bpm  x  .90  =  148.5  +  42  =  190.5

50% to 59%  =  124 to 140  =  Moderate Activity (Maintenance)

60% to 69%  =  141 to 156  =  Weight Control (Fat Burn)

70% to 79%  =  157 to 173  =  Aerobic (Cardiovascular)

80% to 89%  =  174 to 189  =  Anaerobic (Lactic Acid)

90% to 99%  =  190 to 206  =  VO2 Max (Speed)

Maffetone isn’t particularly fond of these “exercise zones”, although his objections are less than against the Traditional Method (220 – age), but your heart rates today are well within the AEROBIC zones, which is a very important factor right now.  Obviously these are different from LHR training zones (Maffetone, Mittleman).

Doo itashimashite  (you're welcome)