4 weeks to go and a day

Marathon doubts are starting to creep in. I haven't run a marathon since Boston in 2005. Trained for one in 2006, but didn't make it to the starting line. This training cycle was mostly twice a week speed workouts, hills and scheduled six twenty milers. I'm almost certain that's the most I've ever done. One big thing I've overlooked this cycle is the mid week long run. That, plus I've cut back on the recovery runs from eight miles to five miles.

First started questioning my training this cycle after talking to J. He ran a 3:08 in Hartford, CT on two twenty milers. But, he had about 70 miles per week. My mileage has only been around 55 to a high of right at 60 miles. Then this thread showed up on the Strider board. I wouldn't call it a myth. The twenty miler is a necessity for the marathon, two is a minimum. Not that you can't run a marathon if you don't run any twenty milers. It just makes the last six miles manageable.

I have been the victim of running my 20 milers to fast in training. Back a few years ago when I was training for a 3:15, my Boston Qualifying time at that age, most of my 20 milers were right at a 7:30 pace. The alternating weekends, I would run 10-15 miles at marathon pace, roughly 7:15 miles. Never did qualify with that training. Looking back, probably over trained by the time I got to the line for the goal marathon.

Well this mornings scheduled 20 miler was reduced to a 18 miler by design. Asked Speedy yesterday, if he would pace me through 11 miles at 7:30 pace on Spain Hill. We finished with a average of 7:26, first part played perfectly. The rest of the run was just to get the 18 miles. Went out at 8:00 miles, but that only lasted for 3 miles and a nature break. Took way to long on the break and the feet were lead starting back. Slogged home the remaining 4 miles. I'll call it a successful workout, actually felt good when I finished, versus feeling wiped out after a typical 20 miler.

Don't know if I'm in the same shape as when I ran my marathon PR of 3:17 in 2004 at Rocket City. I am down about 5 pounds. Never really thought I'd get those pounds off. Almost feel like I'm in better shape, but the long runs seem to be getting tougher. Depending on how the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon goes, I may have to go to Huntsville and run Rocket City, one more time. I'd really like to run a 3:15, and I'm almost in that kind of shape.

ultra slow

Another slow run this morning. I use the same route for my recovery runs since I stopped going to the golf course. Pace is the same on either course. Can't justify driving to and from the golf course for a 5 mile run. Stopped doing the 8 milers, that was getting way to monotonous. The current route is from the house out to Miller Coliseum. The road use to be gravel by the horse corrals, they put tar and gravel down, which is a step below the smooth surface of asphalt. I run on the shoulder on what's left of the gravel. Only about a half mile of true gravel road is left. But, it's a soft surface for about 2 miles.

Fair or really just a carnival is coming to the 'boro. They've set up in the back gravel parking lot of the Miller Coliseum. According to the website it's the Middle Tennessee Fair from October 22-26. Funny, haven't seen a thing about it in the news. At least not on the Murfreesboro's Post website. They stopped delivering to my house long ago, and I don't read the DNJ/Daily News Journal.

The pace I ran this morning is what I've come to call the ultra shuffle. It's a pace that would get me through a 50k at least. Hopefully a 50 miler, which I've really started to have second thoughts about. Sure hope I don't get reduced to that at the monkey. I've run or biked every section except for the mile or so of the start of the course. The race director has managed to get every hill in Percy Warner included in the 26.2 and just for fun, you get to do the main drive in both directions. I've only been out to PWP twice in the last couple of months. I'll just enjoy the course, time is secondary. Realistically, 3:30 is doable. I figure about 10 minutes extra time to my best marathon time. Don't know if I'm in quite the same shape or not. Speed wise yes, endurance is where I have the doubts. Oh, and all of those pesky little hills. Either climbing or descending, only flat section is the start. Climbing is ok, it's the descending that beats the crap out of my quads and hammy's

diggin' the dirt

Sundays run was on the dirt and gravel trails of the new Barfield / Old Fort Parkway connecting trail. The bridge across the Stones River is finished for the most part. I was able to get 9.5 miles of nothing but dirt and gravel. Great crisp fall morning. Waited until almost 7 am to start running, to let the sun start coming up so I wouldn't twist my ankle. Legs were chilly to start, could have worn tights, but glad I didn't. The legs warmed up after a mile or so.

This was the first time I'd run across the river. They are putting up 3 new pavilion's and restroom facilities about a quarter mile from the river crossing. Looks like its off of Stoney Meadow Drive. Not much site work has been done on the trail on this side of the river. The erosion control fencing is in place and the trail marked up until the fork in the Stones River and another creek. I lost the trail over by Barfield Road and parallel to another creek. The trail quickly turned into knee deep ruts from the "boys and their toys". Did run parallel to the creek on one section of exposed limestone for about a quarter mile which had been worn smooth, almost road like. This looks like the creek that runs through Barfield Crescent Park. Didn't make it that far, got within a mile or so.

Don't know if they will continue working on the trail this winter. Either way, the completion is still over a year away. Should be able to enjoy the dirt for quite some time. Just have to be careful when deer season opens up. Last time I was on the trail someone camped out in a cornfield. Sunday, met a pickup coming out of the woods. Lots of deer. Saw lots of tracks in the dirt.

Monday I slept in and took a day off from running. Tried to get into work early but an accident on I-24 botched that effort.

5 more weeks

Catch up week with training. Only 5 weeks until the Monkey. Total of 61 miles for the week. Up from the cruise week of 21 miles because last weeks long run was on Sunday and counts on this week. Plus this mornings long run. Friday I was still sore from the tempo workout on Thursday. Just did an easy 5 miler on Friday. Legs were still tight this morning or maybe it was the 47 degrees? Took a mile for them to warm/loosen up. I did 14 miles at Spain Hill, starting at 5:30 am. The sun didn't start coming up until around mile 6. Wanted to run at marathon pace, but came it at monkey marathon pace instead, 8:00 mile average pace. I must relax to much without Speedy pulling me through. Nice morning, cool enough for gloves and my beanie hat for my ears. Plus, the sugar maples were bright orange and some leaves are starting to fall. Fall is in the air. Temperature was still right at 47 degrees when I finished. This is my favorite time of the year for running. Probably even jump in the hot tub this evening with a beer.

Reason for starting so early this morning was the Bell Buckle Craft Festival or really the 32nd Annual Webb School Arts and Crafts Festival. We've been going every year since we moved back to Tennessee. It's always been a must do every year. Probably been going off and on since the late 80's. Darrell was born in 1989, so at least that long ago. This year Paula's sisters family rode down in the van with us. We met her folks at the festival. This year, I decided to bring a chair. Nothing I really want to see. I just like the food. This trip it was the fried bologna sandwich, white beans and cornbread and a tenderloin biscuit. Dylan had some chicken on a stick. Paula only got some of the coated almonds and some kind of pumpkin Halloween decoration.

Always lots of good folksy crafts. This year I really liked the metal works. Especially the flying pigs. I didn't even look at any of the art this year. I sat in my chair watched the boys and the crowds. Lots of people bring dogs. Usually just the smaller ones. One women had a lab, with a harness with a small bag on one side and a pocket on the other for her water, very cool. Listened to the band play quite a few Beatle songs, and a couple of other oldies. Just 2 guys on guitar and a drummer. Weather was perfect, lots of sun, little cool, little wind. Kind of weather were a sweathshirt is comfortable, but a jacket is to much.

it's over

Watched the debate last night. Didn't change my mind on my vote. Which isn't a vote for the candidate but a vote against the other candidate. The commentators following the debate summed it up pretty well. Obama showed he is presidential, McCain is just a bitter old man. He didn't use Palin to her full potential and she's costing him votes now. Hopefully we only get 4 years worth of Obama, and don't slide into a depression.

Hate to even bring up the election. Politics is one topic I usually avoid. This morning Speedy was the only one talking and that didn't last long, most of the time I was to far off his shoulder to hear. I was breathing like a freight train for the most part. I did get a good rhythm going from mile 2 through 5 or 6, before it got to be work to maintain pace.

Speedy pulled me through a tempo workout this morning. I wanted 8 miles, which we got in 57:06. Plan from my standpoint was a two mile warmup, 4-6 miles of tempo and a couple miles of cooldown. But, it was his workout so I told him I'd just hang as long as I could. It was an easy day for him, so he wanted 8 miles under 7:00. First mile was 7:10, so much for a warmup. Next 2 miles were at 6:38, then a 6:39, a 6:43 and finished with a 6:47. Last mile was a push, but doable. Hacked up some of the cigars on these miles. Speedy just glides when he runs. This morning I was chasing the entire way, his splits were completely different than mine. He'd ease up when I started to gap, but according to my splits, I kept a pretty even pace. All in all, a pretty darn good workout. Six miles of quality tempo, I counted the 7:10 first mile, which wasn't really a warmup as it was a jump into pace. Easy 2 miles home were pedestrian, Speedy circled back around 2-3 times and I still couldn't stay with him.

Ports of call

wrestling boys at Cozumel

This cruise had only 2 ports of call. The first was Grand Cayman. This was our second trip to this island. Paula and I had stopped here on our first cruise 17 years ago. On that cruise we did the island tour. This time we took a tender from the cruise ship anchored off shore to the island. We were only in this port from around 10 am until 3 pm.

We only did one excursion, the Pirate encounter. It's geared toward the kids, with some rum punch for the adults. (they did tie up two moms to the mast of the ship, funny stuff) The pirate ship was about the size of a tug boat, but it looked like a pirate ship should. The captain and his crew, dressed and played the parts of pirates, to the point where they made one little boy cry. It was all in fun, they made all of the kids take an oath to be a pirate and made them scrub the deck. The captain anchored the ship just off shore after circling around the cruise ships and firing their miniature cannon a few times. The cannon was pretty authentic looking and took a shotgun shell with a loud bang that made everyone jump 3 feet every time they fired.

The pirate encounter only lasted a couple of hours. We swam for a an hour after the kids scubbed the deck. The rum punch didn't seem like it had much rum, I drank about 6 to get my money's worth. On the way back to the dock, I went for one more refill as the pirates were mixing the batch for the next trip. He was filling the container with 2 fifth's of rum. He fulled my cup with straight rum. Needless to say the rest of the day I was one happy tourist. The rest of the time on the island was spent shopping. Not me, the girls mostly. I smoked a cigar and watched the boys.

Cozumel was the second port of call. Paula and I had been to this port on the last cruise as well. The ship docked directly at the pier at Cozumel and we were able to walk off the ship. Longer day in port, from 8 am until 7:30 pm. But the ship actually left the dock at 7:20. Way to much shopping, Paula and her sister had to look in every shop. Tim and I entertained ourselves with 2 Corona's for $3 and me with another cigar. Boys bought some wrestling masks and the locals seemed to get a kick out of them.

We took a taxi from the pier to Paradise Beach. It was about 10 kilometers away. We spent the rest of the afternoon, swimming, climbing a inflatable rock wall, kayaking and snorkeling. They also had a coconut tree to climb, the boys did that as well. Nice way to spend the afternoon. Paula got way to much sun, even though she did put on some sunscreen. Regret not bringing a disposable underwater camera for the snorkeling. This is my idea of the way to spend vacation, hanging out at the beach taking it easy.

No run today, slept in until 6 am.

Boys on the pirate ship before we left the dock

"what's this ?"

Boys scrubbin' the deck





Boys climbing the coconut trees at Paradise Beach

Dylan and me kayaking at Paradise Beach