T-Minus 72 Days and Counting. . .

After a light cross-training day on Wednesday with a quick warm up on the track followed by upper-body weights, I headed back out on the road today for the 5-mile tempo run. Turned out I had to do a little Zen running, after I left my watch at home. Headed out on the bike path to do 2 miles out and back after waiting out the rain with one mile on the track in 8:40.

Based on my turnover and respiratory rate, I think I was able keep up about the 8:45 pace I needed. Felt great during the whole run. Temps were fairly cool and the winds were light, making for a good run all the way around.

We're planning a point-to-point 15 miler for Saturday. Looking forward to that kind of route, for a change, as all of our long runs so far have been either loops or straight out and backs. Point-to-points can be a little easier, psychologically, in that every step you take gets you one step closer to the finish. As I've written before, at least 75 percent of this crazy training is mental and I need every advantage I can get.

T-Minus 74 Days and Counting. . .

Brutal. Fast. Suffering. Craziness. Uggh.

Those are just a few random thoughts from tonight's 5 x 1200 interval run on the riverfront path. Did them in 5:43, 5:45, 5:46, 5:53 and 5:42. Did about 60-90 seconds of run/walk in between and then polished off this buffet of pain with a 3:56 1/2 mile at the end.

These are the types of runs that try men's souls, and soles, I suppose. The first two were OK; I settled into a decent rhythm and the legs were fresh. However, by the end of the third, I was feeling some heaviness in my quads as the pace began to take its toll. This was apparent in my time in the fourth. The final interval was quick, spurred on by the fact that I was nearly done. Cooled off for a quarter and then ran the last half mile just to suffer some more.

It may seem counterintuitive that short intervals would be a key part of marathon training. However, they are important for a number of reasons. They train your body to get comfortable at a faster pace. They work your legs and cardiovascular system at a higher level. And, I think, they acclimate your body to suffering so that the longer runs, done at a slower pace, seem that much easier. Combined with our tempo runs, which in this program are between 3 and 10 miles at faster than race pace but not as fast as intervals, these runs are a perfect complement to the overall preparation.

We're set for 5 miles on Thursday as we gear up for 15 on Saturday.

T-Minus 75 Days and Counting. . .

Took a well-deserved rest day on Sunday and it paid off. The brief ice bath I took after the 14 miles on Saturday helped and I'm planning on repeating that process after the long runs. Think it helps lessen the swelling in the knees and feet and makes for a better recovery the next day. Didn't have the usual quad soreness on Sunday.

Hit the pool tonight for a little cardio cross training. Hadn't been in the water in several months and it felt like it. Did about 35 minutes of intervals and, after the initial warmup, started to get into a rhythm. Only did about 700 yards but it felt good to be back in the pool.

Set for 5 x 1200 intervals on the path tomorrow night as we begin another tough week.

T-Minus 77 Days and Counting. . .

Another perfect day for running as we pushed off for 14 miles this morning. Temps were probably high 60s at the start and maybe into the upper 70s by the finish. Though it was sunny, we weren't facing the humidity, which makes a huge difference. We cranked out the 14 in 2:14, with the last 4 miles at 9:15 pace. Overall, we did the run in 9:30 pace, exactly where we need to be at this point.

Did a slightly convoluted route involving 7 miles out and 7 miles back with two quick water stops in the middle. As I've noted before, this program is doing exactly what it's supposed to do as it steps us up in mileage and then steps us back to prepare for the next push. We're now in a step up period and I've been feeling fatigued in the last two miles of most of our long runs. However, because this program is so effective, that means today I was feeling it around miles 12-14, as opposed to several weeks ago when I was feeling it between 8 and 10.

Fatigue may be a strong word. My breathing is fine, as is my heart rate, in those last two miles. Where I'm feeling it is in my quads and my feet. To help ease the recovery, I took a 10 minute ice bath for the first time and I think it really helped. As I write this about 12 hours after we finished, I'm feeling pretty refreshed, with just a small blister on one toe and a sore toenail on another to remind me of the run. Looking forward to the rest day tomorrow.

T-Minus 79 Days and Counting. . .

What a short, strange run it was today. Arrived at the Y, with threatening skies overhead, right behind a firetruck racing into the parking lot. It stopped over by the riverfront and, front what we were able to see and hear, someone had fallen into the river. There was a small crowd of people around and the firefighters immediately began moving very quickly to the scrum. Haven't heard yet what actually happened but I hope it turned out OK.

We headed inside to change and by the time we were done the skies had erupted and there was a huge downpour underway. We did a easy warmup on the track to wait out the rain and, 10 minutes later, were back outside on the path, easing into our 5-mile tempo run.

Jen had battled some kind of abdominal pain this week so we started out fairly slowly just to help her ease back into things. Hit the 2.5 mile turnaround in 24:45, too slow for our tempo pace. We were both feeling great at the turn, good for Jen in light of not running all week, and we cranked it up in the second half. I took off with 2 miles to go and finished in 44:25, having pulled off the last two miles in a blistering 16:40. She finished about 1.5 minutes back and said she felt really good, all things considered.

All is right in the running world at the moment as we gear up for our 14 miles on Saturday. We'll hit the pasta tomorrow night and try to get some good sleep. Entering a tough period over the next several weeks as we begin stepping up the distances.

T-Minus 81 Days and Counting. . .

Recovered well from the 10 miles on Saturday and hit the road Sunday night for an easy 10 miles on the bike. Threw in a few hills to stretch things out but averaged about 15 mph for a good cross-training pace. Nothing taxing but a decent aerobic workout.

Back at the running today with 10 x 400 on the Y track, due to the rain. Hit them all at faster than pace, between 1:57 and 2:00 and even cranked out the last quarter in a solid 1:51. Hit the weight room for some lower body work afterward and felt strong the whole time.

With four solid weeks of marathon-specific training under my belt, I'm starting to see some progress. Cardio's up, strength is up, body fat has again dropped a bit and overall energy level during the runs is staying high. And, my heart rate is dropping quickly after workouts, another sign that the running-specific fitness is having an impact.

We're only one quarter of the way there but it's encouraging to see some early progress. As in the past, I know there's going to be rough days ahead. Days when I'm going to feel like crap. Runs where I'm just not going to have it. However, it nice to savor small bits of progress when you can and use them as stepping stones to the next level.

Have 5 miles at tempo pace on Thursday, as we gear up for Saturday's 14 miles.

T-Minus 84 Days and Counting. . .

Today was a great day for running and we put another 10 miles into the books. Skies were overcast, for the most part, and temps were in the low 60s. Stunning for mid July but I'll take it. I've mentioned to someone recently that when you're training for a marathon and pondering long weekend runs, a weird summer of cool temps really is not a problem. I know it's not the best for summer activities but I'll take 70s all the time with no complaints.

Felt great today from start to finish as I logged 10 miles in 1:34:30. The stunner was the final mile in 8:15. Just felt strong and decided to crank it during that last leg. These longer runs in cool temps are important because we're putting miles in without as much suffering right now. But, the miles that we are logging are going to be important when the heat comes and the suffering is going to be magnified. This coming week we step back up with 10 x 400, then 5 mile tempo, leading into Saturday's run of 14 miles.

T-Minus 86 Days and Counting. . .

After the tough 13-miler last Friday, we hit the road to Mackinac Island for some R & R. Did some easy biking while we were there, which was good recovery cross training after a difficult run.

Back at it yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to rip off a blazing 3 miles in 25:06, much faster than I expected. Had planned to just go easy after the layoff but after hitting the first mile in 8:40 with little effort, I just kept picking it up and the run really came to me. Temps were a little hot, which made it all the more surprising. In the end, I'll take it.

Did an easy 8:25 on the track tonight just to warm up for upper weights. Felt pretty good after being out of the weight room for more than a week. Finding more and more that some of these longer recovery periods are really beneficial, rather than detrimental. The extra rest really does seem to rejuvenate me and help me recover from the tough workouts. Going to try to do a few easy miles tomorrow in preparation for Saturday's 10 miles.

T-Minus 92 Days and Counting. . .

My speculation about heat playing a role in tonight's 13-mile run was correct. After a day of storms, the sun came out in mid afternoon and we were hit with 80s and some humidity as we pushed off around 6:15. First 8 miles felt great but a few hills and the cumulative effect of the heat really took its toll during the last 5. Quads were heavy and feet hurt a bit but we pressed on and finished in decent shape, if not at a fast pace. Based on my weigh in this morning, I lost about 5 pounds during the run. Crazy.

Couple days off now, as we hit the road to Mackinac Island. Have 3 x 1600 intervals next week, followed by 5 miles and then 10 on Saturday as we "step back" for a week in preparation to "step up" the following week.

T-Minus 94 Days and Counting. . .

After a day of rain that looked like it might wipe out our planned 7-mile jaunt, the skies cleared, temps were cool and we hit the road. Great thing too, 'cause I again had a little Kenyan thing going on tonight. Ripped through 7 miles in 62 minutes, clocking in around an 8:50 pace. Felt great and finished very strong.

One thing I'm noticing more and more is that I really don't start to feel comfortable now until about 2 or 3 miles into the run. Could be a little bit of an age thing; takes a while to get the engine warmed up and going at an optimal speed. Whatever it is, I've become more in touch with it and have better control now, knowing that it's going to take a while before I'm throttled up well and humming.

Day off tomorrow as we prepare for Friday night's 13 miles. Temps are supposed to heat up a bit so we'll see if that plays a role.

T-Minus 95 Days and Counting. . .

Tough day on Monday as we tackled 6 x 800 intervals at sub 4:00 pace. I was hitting them right around 4:03 to 4:05 and then finished with a 3:51 that was just a little insane. Temps were slightly warm but nothing too serious.

While I enjoy the variety of the intervals, they are the most difficult of our three running days. Heart rate's up much higher than normal and the short recovery between each magnifies the suffering factor. However, they build us up for the tempo runs and, both of which then make the long runs seem that much easier.

I've also noticed that a good warm up has been critical to some of my better runs this year. Rather than just a little stretching and then go, we've been running for a few minutes, then stretching, then heading off on the run. Seems to help jumpstart my internal engine better and lead to a better run.

Hit the upper body weights tonight at the northeast Y. Did a little warmup first and then got into it. Felt good, though a little bit sluggish. Need to keep consistent with the weight training this year. In past years, I've slipped away from it a bit as the longer runs got longer. However, keeping my upper and lower body is critical both in keeping my knees strong and in preventing overall wear and tear. Jen thinks I'm a bit obsessed. I think she's right.

T-Minus 96 Days and Counting. . .

Had a great 5 mile tempo run up in Wisconsin on Saturday. Thought the legs might be heavy after the 12-miler on Thursday but such was not the case. Temps were low 70s and a little humid but the cloud cover helped. We did a 2.5 mile out and back on some seriously rolling hills in Merrimac. Up and down we went but the pace was good.

On the way back, I suddenly felt a little Kenyan and took off from Jen and ripped through the last mile at a sub-9 minute pace. Felt great hitting it that fast after 4 miles of hills.

We're heading off on a road trip this weekend so we're altering the schedule a bit this week. Have 6 x 800 intervals tonight; 7 mile tempo on Wednesday and then a 13-miler scheduled for Friday night.

T-Minus 100 Days and Counting. . .

It was an optimal day for running as we headed off on our 12-mile journey along the Rock River this morning. Parked at Cliffbreakers and did 3.5 to the Y, grabbed a quick shot of water and headed back. Took gel at 7 and then headed north for 2.5 and then the turnaround back to the car.

Legs were very heavy during the last two miles. Though, as I said to Jen, my legs felt heavy last week between miles 8 and 10. This week it was between 10 and 12. So, as we've seen before, this program works. Feels good to start getting into the longer runs and build up that mileage.

One final thought is this: every time we head out on these long runs, I seriously question whether I'm going to finish that day. Yet, inevitably, I do, despite feeling like crap during the first couple of miles or suffering through tired legs during the last. It's that psychological battle that makes this training so tough. You question your ability, but in the end it's just the simple matter of putting one foot in front of the other and doing it. I know I can do it. It's just a question of asking myself how badly I want to do it.