Thanks for the advice! And good advice it is...however knowing me I'll try to hit 7:25 on the first mile. Not any faster, but not much slower. Then again, slowing down a bit can help me from wasting so much energy dodging the people who go out at 7:30 when their pace is really more like 9:00....I LOVE those people. Tomorrow I'm doing either 4x1600 or 5x1600. I see how my legs feel as to whether I do the 5th one. It would be my only track workout before the marathon. Just a few more short tempo's and some MP miles after that. I'm trying to work in a bit more marathon pace miles for this attempt. I figure 2700 miles in 2007, most of them below MAF, gives me the right. Or at least that's how I'm justifying it.

During an excellent Coast To Coast radio show with Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger talking about the Doors and Jim Morrison, I got a 20-miler in on the TM. Very relaxed run. Felt a bit trippy while listening to all the stories. Good run. Beat last week's 18-miler in Pace and HR, that's including a lot more time at steeper inclines. Last week I did a .1 mile hill every mile after mile 4, this week I did two hills per mile totaling .35 miles. The MAF base training really blows my mind. I'll see real fast progress (weird fast) as soon as I add in these higher aerobic HR's in this second phase. That didn't happen when I did a higher HR base phase back in the day. TODAY'S RUN 1/18/08 treadmill 1% base incline 62º/35% humidity 20 miles (last week 18 miles) 9:48 ave pace (after warm-up 1st mile) (last week 10:12) highest average HR per mile: 173 (last week 177) planned paces 10:00 (20% of MRP) 9:11 (10% of MRP) based on an LT of 7:47 pace, equating to a 3:38:45 MRP or 8:21 pace 12:24 109 10:34 130 10:08 135 10:00 143 10:00 145 .15 mi hill @ 2.0, .20 mi hill @ 2.0 10:00 149 .15 mi hill @ 3.0, .20 mi hill @ 2.0 10:00 151 .15 mi hill @ 4.0, .20 mi hill @ 2.0 10:00 151 .15 mi hill @ 2.0, .20 mi hill @ 2.0 10:00 153 .15 mi hill @ 3.0, .20 mi hill @ 2.0 10:00 154 .15 mi hill @ 4.0, .20 mi hill @ 2.0 10:00 152 .15 mi hill @ 2.0, .20 mi hill @ 2.0 10:00 155 .15 mi hill @ 3.0, .20 mi hill @ 2.0 10:00 157 .15 mi hill @ 4.0, .20 mi hill @ 2.0 10:00 157 .15 mi hill @ 2.0, .20 mi hill @ 2.0 9:42 162 .15 mi hill @ 3.0, .20 mi hill @ 2.0 9:11 169 .15 mi hill @ 4.0, .20 mi hill @ 2.0 9:11 171 .15 mi hill @ 2.0, .20 mi hill @ 2.0 9:11 171 .15 mi hill @ 3.0, .20 mi hill @ 2.0 9:11 173 .15 mi hill @ 4.0, .20 mi hill @ 2.0 9:11 173 .15 mi hill @ 2.0, .20 mi hill @ 2.0 In the radio show keyboardist, Ray Manzarek, talked about how he ran into Jim Morrison on Venice Beach, after not seeing him for awhile after film school. Morrison sang him "Moonlight Drive" and the Doors started on that very beach I was standing on last year! I got a fan's chill during mile 5 thinking I could have been right near the very spot (probably where the dead bird was). If only I could have removed time with a jump through the doors of perception (but I was hungry and wanted a burger). Have a great weekend, everyone! --Jimmy P.S. LOW GEAR saw palmetto in the raw, calm ghetto

Saturday, January 26, 2008 17:30 GMT Omaha, Ne I wonder if it would be counterproductive for me to introduce some cross training. Specifically upper body weight exercises. My formerly bazooka-like guns have morphed to resemble a pair of flaccid pee shooters on palmetto. Would a day or two a week of light weight workouts be helpful? Granted, it's largely narcissistic, but appearance means alot these days. On a related note, i've noticed that when I attach the bro strap of my Garmin, my right moobage is enhanced more so than the left. Would the aforementioned exercise even things out, or am I making too big a deal of it? Finally, the abdominal region, following my 34 pound weight loss, is remarkably flab free, which even surprises me, but certainly lacks the firmness of my youth. Would situps be beneficial? Your suggestions/comments are always welcome. LG1 Looking glass inventory day