Mike! The slacking and smoking and glass-in-the-foot seems to have done you some good! Great week! How's the hamstring doing? Great job on the 15k PR too! Icing on the cake! You know what would've been cool? Since the course was a reverse of your last 15k, you should've set your watch to the time that you ran your last 15k in, and had it count down backwards to zero, and try to get to the finish line before then! You obviously would've been happy to still see 3 minutes left on it! Keep the ball rolling, Mike!

Training Week 15 Summary This week ended what Pfitz calls Mesocycle 3 - Race Preparation. Next week begins Mesocycle 4 - Taper and Race. I may try to finally get around to some ab work and light upper body weights over the next few weeks as I reduce my running. Nothing major - just start some new good habits. I was scheduled to do the following: TUE: 5mi w/6x100m - Check WED: 10mi w/4x1200m @ 5k pace - Check FRI: 10mi Easy - Check SAT: 4mi Recovery - Check SUN: 20mi Long - Check This week's 20 miler was just as good as last weeks - which means it was great. I used the same plan as last week of taking a gel every 45 mins - I also added in 2 S! caps every hour. I'm not sure how much difference they made during the run. The big difference between this week and last is that last week I was pretty done running at the end of 17 and this week I could easily have kept running after a little more than 20. Except for fading pace-wise on Wednesday's interval session - everything went well this week - hammy is still feeling a little tight at times but in pretty good shape overall. This is my second 50 mile week ever. It's the first one that I don't feel beaten up by. I ran 50.2 miles versus the 49 miles that were planned.

Thanks, Bob! I definitely will follow the race day advice and am planning on following Pfitz taper plan to a 'T'. I'm supposed to run another tune-up race this coming weekend - but am planning to skip it do to my wife being out of town - should still be able to get my mileage at the same level on the plan though. I've been thinking about the weights thing and I agree with your advice and will leave well enough alone until after the marathon. I may still get started on an weekly abs session though. Been meaning to do this all summer and just never got around to it.

Ok, Mr. Bonkin, where are your workouts for the week? You've been absent. Now its your turn to have an awesome race this weekend! Update us please, Mike.

Ok Mike, not that you've been checking or anything but what's the weather forecast looking like for your race? Being your first marathon, your goal should be to just get to the finish line comfortably and enjoy the experience. You hear that from so many people, and it's true. Just get one under your belt, then worry about time. This marathon stuff takes time to build up to. You gotta be patient. If the weather is warm, it's especially true to go easy, waaaay easier than you think you have to.

Ok Mike, not that you've been checking or anything but what's the weather forecast looking like for your race?

LOL. No I haven't been checking - much. Only two or three times a day. It was looking like low of 57 and high of 81 a few days ago. Looking like low of 58 and high of 90 now. People tell me it's a dry heat though. I told them to F off - 90 in Texas is hot. But I've trained in 80s and 90s all summer - so I'm hoping that most of it goes in the 70's and only have to do the last hour or so in the 80s.

Being your first marathon, your goal should be to just get to the finish line comfortably and enjoy the experience. You hear that from so many people, and it's true. Just get one under your belt, then worry about time. This marathon stuff takes time to build up to. You gotta be patient. If the weather is warm, it's especially true to go easy, waaaay easier than you think you have to.

I plan to. I've spent most of the summer dreaming of the sub-4. And if not for my smoking binges and some cooler temps - it may have been. Now, I am definitely taking your advice and have spent my taper period resting up and planning on a nice race. Like you said - I have the rest of my running life to run faster times. I'm off to head out to west Texas early in the morning (7-8 hour drive west of here) and may not have internet access until I get back. So I wanted to say in advance to you and Pam especially - MANY THANKS for your advice and encouragement. You two have propped me up quite a few times when I was down and cheered me on when I was up. So again, thanks so much - you guys have helped more than you know. I'll definitely post an update/report when I get back. Oh yeah. I've just decided that I'm going to dedicate this marathon to the super-speedy healing of your foot, Bob!

Good luck in your marathon!

Mike, you may be on your way already, but if by chance you see this, BEST OF LUCK to you in your marathon, and safe travels! Hopefully the heat won't be as bad as predicted. High five lots of kids, look around while running and take it all in. Check in when you get back! I appreciate the dedication of your race to my foot! The best thing you could do for me though is to get out there and have fun, and run a smart race, then come back and tell everyone how a first time marathon should be run!