My current plan is to do the best I can in Grandmas, realizing my base mileage is low as I restarting running in January, and the fact that it will be unseasonably hot the day of the marathon, and nice and cool the day before and after.  Plan to add a fall marathon as I still want to break that 4 hour mark. 

With that in mind, I am entering a build up phase, with a plan to increase my long runs and weekly mileage.  Still have a hard time getting more than 4 runs in a week due to my time constraints, but would like to add 1 more easy run a week.    

On a weekly basis, have tried to do 3 key runs:

•            long run (now will be 16 to 20 miles)
•            medium long that contains MP pace miles (total 10 to 12 miles with up to 8 miles at MP)
•             "speed work" that is alternating tempo runs at 1/2 marathon pace with plan to increase to 6 to 8 miles at that pace with 1 mile warmup and 1 mile cooldown, alternating every other week with  3 x 1600 at 5K pace. 

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. 

How is everybody else doing?  Know Trent has a few races planned between now and then, anybody else with goal or easy races coming up? 

By the way, Trent, happy to hear you are back at home.  I didn't realize the extent of your losses until the recent postings.  Hope things are gaining some normalcy. 

since I'm the voice of least experience, I don't have any helpful suggestions to offer, but it certainly looks like a formula that works when you are limited in the number of days you can run, and probably amount of time you can spend running.

I'm more a fan of quality of quantity anyways and think you can run a strong marathon on 3-4 days of training, so long as there is a purpose in each run (meaning, not just running slower miles for the sake of getting in a certain number). Your plan is similar to what I'm doing, although you are more disciplined. My  wknd long runs are also now getting in that 16-22 range with every 2-3 wknds being a shorter 12 mile run. I do an interval session each week and then try to make another run in my tempo range, but then there are times, I just want an easy hours run, w/o feeling like I have to attain a certain pace, so those are slower usually - when I can let my mind wander.

the only ran I have between now and 6/18 is a 10 mile race tomorrow a.m. I'll get in a total of 12 for the day, but plan on racing the 10 miles and then depending on how I do, might re-adjust some of my training paces.  There are a couple other local races in May that I usually have done in the past, but don't think I'm going to this year. just stick with the training schedule I think.

Damn thing is creeping up on me and I have not really done any speed work yet.  I am trying to train for Leadville 100M (Main focuss) and Grandmas at the same time and I have ignored the old lady so far.  I finally fit in a 4 mile tempo yesterday, damn I have a lot of work to do if I am going to break 3.

So - 25 days

*  Must lose 10# (Currently 215#)

*  Must do 5 more solid speed workouts

*  Must find the discipline to actually taper for 10 days.

I will still need reasonable weather - I know it will not be ideal weather - I am just asking for at least 60s with less than 80% humidity.

We all know that Scott Keenen is just a puppet for satan.  Satan finds it humorous that year after year it is hot and humid at Grandma's marathon and people still sign up with the hope of good weather.  It will be a thick foggy 72F and 93% humidity at the start.

See - Duluth sold its soul to satan when it started to charge $200+ a night with a 2 or 3 night minimum for hotels.