Back from the world of golf and customer entertainment. Nice trip. Real change in routine. Seems like I've been gone two weeks instead of one night and two days. Very nice 36 holes on two courses that I would otherwise be very unlikely to ever get to play. Got an early 4:30 am run on thursday before I left. Slept past my running opportunity this morning. Too bad. Nearly full moon with some fog is an awesome run. Think I'll run with the group tomorrow. Murph: Good running this weekend! One of our group runners is going for BQ there. Erika: I'll chuckle at what you consider hot as you laugh out loud at what I consider cold this Winter. Bet the park looked nice last weekend. Trees are really starting to show more color each day now. Hope you enjoyed St. Louis. Dave: Hope the shinsplints are healed.

Dave - but what does that mean for me??

I'd alternate weeks. One week with all easy runs but an extra mile or two, the next week include some hills or fartlek at the same distance. Ultimately it comes down to what will keep you motivated, injury free, and improving. I tend to get focused, ramp up, get injured, scale back, repeat. Better to be a bit more gradual.

I am all over Nobby's website tonight... Dave this is for you: What work out does the Lydiard approach advocate in the last two weeks before a marathon? You can see any typical schedule for whatever the distance in any of Arthur's written schedule--pretty typical; some sharpeners, easy strides (3~5 X 200) a few days before...that kind of things. I can't remember exactly if he had something like a mile time trial like Wednesday before the marathon (I don't have the book in front of me)??? I personally think anything from a mile to 3 miles/5k tempo/time trial type of work 3~5 days before would work nicely. Seko used to do 2k around Lake Ohori 2 days before Fukuoka (almost a ritual) and Tosa likes to do 5k time trial about 5 days before the marathon (she did that 4 days before 2006 Boston). Of course, Shorter ran 10000m at Munich, what was that, 5 days before the marathon??? If anything, of course, depending on what type of workouts you've been doing beforehand and personal strengths and weakensses; you really don't want to sharpen too much before the marathon. You want to be at the start of the marathon "slightly" heavy. Nakamura used to say there's 90% coming up and there's 90% coming down. You want to be 90% coming up at the start of the marathon and be at 100% at around 35k mark. If you feel sharp and light and ready to go at the start, chances are, you'll be already coming down at 35k mark and run out of gas or "bonk". Sharpening work sharpen you. And I don't think too much of that would be good for marathoning.

Yeah, that's what sucks about cross training. Even pool running. Your running graph looks like crap. I might not break 100 miles for October. I can't remember the last time I ran under 100 miles in a month. Maybe 2005? Or April 2006 when I was recovering from shin splints (or trying to) before Napa... Still. It's been a long time. *sigh* I did 15 minutes on the stationary bike, 10 minutes or so on some chest/upper back weight stuff, then 30 minutes at mostly a good clip in the pool. I was in the lane next to some big older guy trying to do the butterfly. I called him Mr. Splash-o-matic. Geez that guy could spray water two lanes over! I'll go back for more of that today, try for an hour if I can. Assuming I don't run at all until Nov. 2, my "long run" pattern has been/will look like this: 26.2 (Equinox marathon) 12.5 (week's mileage was 33) 14 (week's mileage was 40.2) 5.6 (grrr, mileage for the week was 33.4) 0 (plan on 2 hour pool run if I can stand it) 0 (plan on 1 hour pool run) 26.2 (NYC marathon) What'cha think? I'm hoping the break will heal my foot and my base will get me through. I've never taken off two weeks before a marathon, but since I'm sort of combining recovery with buildup/taper.... it might just work? Dave, lower those highs to the mid-50's and I'll be a happy girl! Starting around 30 - 35 is perfect. And Shan, just relax, girl. Mix it up, don't do two hard days in a row, make most of your runs easy but throw in some stuff a couple times a week to keep things interesting. Build slowly. And like Dave said, distance first, then hold distance and add some intensity. Consider a 3-week cycle (build up to a distance, hold it a week, cut back, start over). Are you using any training plan? Most would have this stuff built in for you. Bugs, both my docs are runners. Orthopedist is a jock. Both know I'm a terrible patient as far as the "back off" order goes.

Erica - I have decided that you will do great!! Note that I have no basis for any decision, but you are amazing and so that is enough for me. I am not following a plan - i'm just trying to enjoy running right now. My only plan is to try to get to the point where i am running 3 miles 6 days a week and 2-3x that distance 1 day a week.

Erika, 2 weeks off won't hurt your conditioning. 3 weeks would. But you are also doing the pool running. Its more important to get to the start line healthy, but a little undertrained, than fully trained and hurting. Taught cycle for the 3rd day in a row, and doing it again tomorrow morning. Time to come up with a new playlist. Hopefully I can get back to running next week. Note to self, kicking the lane lines in the pool while doing frog kick drills hurts. Not to mention, frog kicking ( breast stroke kick drill without arms) takes forever to go one length of the pool.

So the race line up is????????? Races: OCTOBER 19th Murphy - Marathon ??? Goal - sub 5 OCTOBER 25th Bugs - Halloween 5K Goal - Wear a costume that does not prohibt running. I will run it all out, but the timing of recovering from marathon typically is not a fast time for me, but who knows I do plan to be a superhero. OCTOBER 26th Dave - MCM Marathon Goal - ??? OCTOBER 26th Kimmie- MCM Marathon Goal - sub four?? November 2nd Erika - New York City Marathon If you guys post your tracking info, I'll make sure to keep copy all this in next week's thread. Erika, We could hobble one leg and you will still do great. My next marathon will have an easier taper with some intervals and no rest days. I need to try something different for the taper. 4 miles today. DH got to fish this morning, and I'll be honest I did not miss getting up to run. My body parts are still taking turns complaining, but a run seems to make everything feel better. But better to do a little less right now than too much and get injured.

Good luck, Murph!! I think the new approach is going to be really good. Goal. That's a tough one. 3:40. Truth is, I'd like to go 3:35 but it will probably come down to healing a bit more before the start.