my makeup may be flaking

AM 3.5

 PM Did 10.3 miles in 60:57. I wasn't feeling great so I did this one kind of relaxed. I'm not sure how far it is into the run but I always take a split at the same point.  This time my splits were (30:15,30:42) last week it was (29:44,30:49) and two weeks before that was a super tough (28:15,29:32).  In any case, this shows that most of my time was lost at the beginning of the run.

Just a ninety minute run going up 2700S coming down 500S and adding on a bit in Liberty Park. Average pace:7:30.

AM 3.5

Felt sick today ( a cold) and yesterday so I decided to postpone my hard workout.  So I ran home and then added on 6.6.  I felt really good despite being sick but decided not to push it. I know that I am capable of good things at 100%, I just need to somehow get myself to 100%.

Ran to East High to watch/help out at the Big Red Invitational. Then I ran back and did some loop in Liberty Park. I got cold standing around at the high school shich didn't help the fact that I was sick. Felt terrible that night, with allergic reactions and all sorts of nastiness. Not really sure what to do.

Felt pretty bad, but decided to get in a short run just to get the blood pumping.

Did the same as yesterday, but felt much better today, I think the worst is behind me. Thank goodness. It also helped to get 12 hours of sleep. My legs feel amazing.

Obviously, when I get back into it after a couple of days out I'm going to need to air the legs out. So I moved up my fast day and ran 57:30 for "Sugarhouse Twice". Which is a solid 6:07 pace.  I had a pretty sweet negative split with the second half under 6 minute pace, but that's not surpsiing because the second half is a net downhill, but not a huge downhill mind you. Anyway it felt good to be myself again.  I also got a new pair of shoes (I'll be running the marathon in them).

Marathon Shoes (2130s)-9.4 miles

Am 3.5 PM 9 on Shoreline Trail in 58:05 (6:27 pace)

Yeah so I think I finally have solved the Boston number fiasco and the Boston shoes fiasco and the Boston Sickness Fiasco, maybe it's time to start taking stock of my fitness level and to make some goals. Then again maybe not.  I think of this year as a baseline, I've accumulated alot of workouts but I don't really know what they mean.  Judging by two noteworthy sea level performances (my astonishingly easy 9:47 two mile which I felt I could have stretched into a sub 15:20 5K and my grossly unofficial 1:11 HM time trial that I won't even think of considering a PR take it for what you will but was still a massive breakthrough on a course that I've run dozens of times over the last 7 years) I have improved.  However, judging by my last marathon it may still be several years until I can push myself for 26miles.

That said here is the plan. Just go out relaxed, try not to worry about people around you and don't go out faster than 5:45, preferably around 6:00.  Go through 5k in around 18:20 and then try to hold 18:10-18:30 5ks until 20k (hopefully 1:13:20). Then run from 20K to 30k in under 36mins (hopefully 1:49:20). Next try to do 30-35k in 19 minutes taking me to 2:08:20.  Hopefully after that I'll still have something left and will be able to drop it down to around 18flat 5k pace still on the downhill (40k in 2:26:20). Then finish strong with an 8:00 finish (2:34:20). I think mentally breaking the race up like that may help me who knows? Any suggestions?

Ran my slightly extended Jordan River loop in 1:19:10 (6:53 pace).  Was mostly running around 7 minute pace till I kicked it in with a 6:10 final mile. Still breaking in those new shoes (33.4 miles now)

AM 3.5

PM Ran home then to Liberty park where I did three loops at a kind of tempo pace.  That's slightly difficult on the woodchips. Loops were 8:43,8:39,8:38 with a total time of 26:00(4.5 miles), that's a solid improvement over the last time I did this workout but that's to be expected. I should aim to get this down to around 25:00 in the future.  It was a little cold.

Ran to 2700S then up around the golf course and down 1300S. Started it out pretty easy and tried to build into the run. Ended up running 61:05

with about a 12:10-15 last two miles (6:29 avg).

Three loops of Liberty park. Felt a little sick to my stomachdue to a late lunch.  Listen if you're running (or walking or whatever) at Liberty park, don't feel obligated to get out of the way of runners passing you from behind.  People move aside for me all the time, and I appreciate it, but you really don't need to-it's not my park. Maybe I'm just intimidating?

11 in 1:08:50 (6:15 pace). Was planning on 6:00 pace, but I succumbed to the heat after 4 miles in 24:04 and so backed off the pace to 6:23 for the last 7.  Last mile was in 6:00. Weather forecast in Boston calls for 56 degrees, rain and a 10mph cross wind. Also, watched the London Marathon this morning.  My goodness, Martin Lel is an unreal marathon. He was able to mount a blazing kick after a crazy pace.  He outkicked Wanjiru, the half marathon wr-holder and 10k jr wr-holder (26:41) and Goumri who has run 12:50 in the 5k and made it look easy. That just puts Ryan Hall's incredible run into perspective.

Didn't run, did my taxes though!

AM 3.5

PM Crazy weather, just crazy. Managed to get my workout in however. (4.5 miles at the fieldhouse). I wrote a big long entry, but my computer froze up.

Sugarhouse twice at a pretty leisurely pace (7:13 avg). I didn't feel all that sharp but oh well. Good luck to everyone running SLC this weekend. I'll be in Liberty Park commanding you all to own that last 5k.  If you want an extra loud cheer, post your bib number and what you'll be wearing.

AM 3.5

PM ran home and then went to Liberty park and did a one loop tempo run on the woodchip trail. It was a new woodchip PR! 8:23 which is about 5:35 pace per mile, which is what I was hoping for.  Soon I'm going to be doing those loops in sub8 no problem. A good goal for the next training cycle I think.

Not much of a warmup up for me, just a slow jog to get to my starting corral.  I'll write more later, but let me first say that I am very pleased with how this turned out.  I again ran a positive split (1:17:37,1:22:50) but this was not so bad. Considering how awful I felt at the end and how fast I was going miles 8-16.  I can't believe it was only 5:13 more.  Anyway it was a great experience and I will definitely be back, everyone who can should try this marathon!

Extended Story. It was a unique experience from the start. First there was the bus ride getting there, which is impossibly long. I mostly listetened to other people's conversations. Sitting behind me where a couple of 2:40 types exchanging advice.  I actually ended up running the last 3 miles of the race with one of those guys. Anyway, there was a big traffic jam getting into Hopkinton and so all the runners started get of the bus to pee on the side of the rode.  When we finally got the start it took me about 20 minutes to find my college teammate Danny.  We tried to meet by the Poland Spring water tent but realized later that there were multiple such tents. The hour or so at the village flew by mercifully fast as we caught up on life. Most importantly, Danny gave me a name tag to pin onto my shirt. Then we warmed up on the way to our corral.

We got in at the back of our corral and even allowed some people from Corral 2 to get ahead of us.  I definitely did not want to get to wound up at the start. In fact I cost myself quite a but of time in the first mile given a lot of high fives. First mile was in 6:20. Thanks to the conservative start I was passing people all the way up until the last couple of miles. Anyway Danny and I were joking around in the early going and I must have been outside of 1000th place at one point. Mile 2 was 5:59 and I thought that this would be a good pace to try to hold for a while. Mile 3 was then 5:48, which was a relief when I saw the split because that one felt harder and I signalled that we should slow down.  Of course, we were still passing people all the time as there were alot of people who had started fast. Mile 4 was 6:01, again right on, but then it was right back to 5:48 for mile 5. At this point I was fully warmed up and the road was flattening out a little.  I tried to shorten my stride and just find a relaxed rhythm. Then I rattled off a pair of 5:54 miles and Danny started to falter. We were not destined to run the same pace it seemed.  At this point it started to thin out and I new that it was time for me to get serious.  I tried to concentrate on passing people, striding efficiently, staying hydrated and high fiving spectators.  Everyone was cheering for me thanks to my name tag and so I felt almost superhuman. 8-10 were all 5:50, 11-12 were both 5:52 13 was 5:53 and 14 was 5:55. It was around here that my legs started to feel a little tired, but it was also around here that I felt the difference between this marathon and the last. My legs were willing to cooperate this time. I did 15 in 6:03. The next mile had a significant downhill and I made the most of it coasting to a 5:48 in mile 16. Then I braced myself for the hill. 6:16, 6:24, 6:05 from 17-19.  My 20th was 6:11 and I was still under 6 minute pace.  At that point I felt that if I could just get over heartbreak hill with a decent (sub 7) mile then I could coast in with a decent time. Mile 21 was 6:39, but I was broken at this point and could not respond to the downhill as easily as I had earlier. I still managed 6:11 for mile 22, but I was digging deep and it was during this mile that I passed Walter. After the downhill was over I was just completely done. I pushed myself vary hard and ran both 23 and 24 in about 6:30, which was one of the greatest feats of strength I've ever done.  The last two miles I finally cracked running 6:50 pace.Danny ended up only about 90 seconds behind me in under 2:42 (4+ minute PR for him). Despite that finish, or perhaps because of it, I was pretty convinced that I'd given it everthing that I had.  I definitely seemed more broken than about 95% of the people I saw at the end.  I was also excited by how fast I was able to go in the middle miles (5:48 mile 16).  I was thinking that I might run another one this summer, but I'm going to be lucky to recover by Wasatch Back. Next marathon I think will be Seattle in Thanksgiving. Thanks to everyone for their comments.