January 1, ran a "beer mile" in 8:06. I do not recommend this activity.
January 2, ran 3.5 with Dwight.
January 4, swam 2000.

January 5 swam 1500. coached Marria for the first time.
January 6 played 1 hr basketball. why do i keep doing this to myself?

Well.... training has not gone as planned, holidays throw things off. But next week I need to "Run what I brung." Still planing on running 7s the first 8, then 6:50s, and hopefully finish stong, who knows maybe sub 3 is still doable...? Ran 6 yesterday in 39minutes, 4.5 today in 31, so the speed is there, just uneasy bout the endurance. I'm still pumped. Going 10 tomorrow, then easy for the final week.
MUCH LOVE!
Oh, I am still working out goals...

Hey Geoff, remind me what race you're doing. I could probably look back through the blog, but I'm too lazy.

I did 20 yesterday and plan to do that basically every weekend. Want to see if that helps the endurance.

Pf Changs Rock n Roll Marathon Phoenix, coming Sunday... we shall see what becomes of it. I am starting to get pumped. Shorter runs always make me feel fast after a mileage buildup, however tame it may be. Worked my way up to a 55 mile week, but no runs ove 16 miles, thats where I am a bit reserved in my confidence, I can do it. 12 on Saturday, 5 today, both easy. I think 8 tomorrow then a seriously laid back lead in to the race.

That's interesting. I can't wait to see what wins out: your speed, your weekly mileage or maxing out at 16. My recommendation: take Gu 4 or 5 times starting at mile 8 to keep from bonking. If you can stay ahead of the calories, and if you don't cramp, you're weekly mileage will carry you through. Also, go 5-10 seconds slower than goal pace the first half. Remember, nobody ever wishes they'd gone out faster. It took me 10 marathons to learn that lesson. Good luck!

January 7 swam 2000
January 11 lost ~7 pounds in the toilet. i consider this hard-core training. i'd say it was the equivalent of ~25 running equivalent miles. At times it felt like an Ironman.
January 12 took the kids to the pool and swam about 500
January 14 swam 2000
January 15 swam 500 while kids swam
January 16 ran 6 including the "Come to Jesus 5k" course, which will be featured during the 4th Annual Hamlin Zone Triathlon Extravaganza. an alternate course will be provided for those less enthused with pain, called the "Broad is the Way 5k." 7:43/mi, ave HR 152.
January 17 swam 2500, then ran home 8 miles, 7:07/mi, ave HR 161. i have lost some serious conditioning.
January 18 took Javelina's traveling attire off, rode to work 8 miles ave 17 mph, ave HR 139. Ahhh. I loved being on Javelina again. ran at lunch 5.5 miles 8:51/mi ave HR 135. did i mention i've seriously lost some conditioning? swam 1500 this evening while kids swam at YMCA. really working on the core this week.

Geoff, i saw some of your summary on Facebook, but we're gonna need some gory details here on the blog...

Casey, i like the goal of 20 miles every saturday. have you read that book Born to Run? it will motivate you towards that goal, i think.

A RELIGIOUS experience? The "gory" details at least. I needed a couple of days to digest what has taken place... So here is the good, the bad, and the ugly.
In the week leading up to RNRAZ I had different thoughts, primary thought was that I am a well trained and conditioned runner who has never set goals that were beyond reach, that my 3 hour mark was something that I was perfectly suited to do, and then some (more on that thought later) to suck up all that fear that may come in and go at it with what I have and be easy on myself if progress toward the goal is made (even if I did not reach said goal.) Thought two was to can the goal, back off the pace and run the BQ at 3:15, to keep refining my understanding of the distance and my own body's response to it and other variables. It kept me up two nights in the lead in week, and two nights since. The only decision I could come to with a clean concience was choice 1. I am a warior, brave and true, but like the warrior I have weaknesses, a heal exposed, I was not ignorant to this fact, nor arrogant enought to think that will power alone can overcome insufficiant training, rather I knew that I would have the opportunity to see exactly what was required in fulfilling my goal, and that experience alone would bring me closer to achievment. Sub3 it is.
Mile 1 6:38 - a 52 is 3hours, I ignored how calm I felt, how low my heart rate is as it can quickly change, but happy I am not in oxygen debt.
Mile 2 13:28 - still good
5k 19:21 - taking fluid, having a gel, confident
10k 40:21 - Best 10k in a while (havent raced on in a long time) only issue was that I had to pee really bad and for the first time, stopped in a race to do so, just before the 10k mark, would have been sub 40, not bad. Feeling really good.
13.1 1:28.11 - almost 2 minutes ahead of goal and I feel fantastic, one of my runners was just beyond the half mark with drink and nutrition, I give him my gloves, and take the drink, but deny the nutrition as I still have 4 gels and one gel stop left at 18ish miles, this I feel was a horrible mistake.
15 - don't recall the exact time, but I was still almost 2 minutes ahead, first sign of cramping, in my side, wasn't slowing me down really, had some salt, some gel, some fluid, suck it up, I am confident still
17 - again not exact but now in the last 2 miles I had lost a minute, clear slowing but creaping up on the finish and yet to mentally give in. My hams tightened up preaty well, but could feel calves and quads twitching. I remind myself that I am still 18 minutes ahead of my last marathon, hold fairly steady and I can bag a PR
20 - I resort to walking, scratch that, I was forced to walk. The muscles in my legs had turned to steel rods, I am down to two gels, and am afraid to use them, I watched in the last mile or so the 305 pace group and the 310 groups stride by, and then mile 22 my BQ 315 group sail by, at this point I begin to break down mentally. Questioning my arrogance, lack of respect for the distance, lack of sufficent enduarance, my stuborness for not doing the half instead.
24 - dizy, a bit sad, planing my cry at the end of the race in a private spot prior to reaching my family, knowing they will be proud, knowing I would not, eating the last gels to clear my head.
26.2 - 3:31.20 - weeping as they are interviewing Josh Cox (you gotta check out some of his youtube stuff, very cool) wondering where to go what to do, receiving an embrace from my loving wife.
It is hard to process struggle, resistance, adversity when you are being sung praises. Truth is, I still finished in the top 10 percent (ish) Truth is, I ran fearlessly, Truth is, I knew the risk as well as I now know the reward. Pre said "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift" that sentiment means something to me, I have always set goals that are within my abilities, I have not always achieved those goals. I can only remember 2 times where I did not run within myself, 1 was a horrible CC race my junior year, the other was a time trial mile on a golf course setting a PR of 4:28, today I have a third. The difference is I now know that I can run 6:45s for 16 miles, which ironicaly (as Casey may note) matches my long run. I am hungry right now, miserable because it has rained the last two days and my calves have still not soffened, miserable because I want to run in the cold rain again. No one would have noticed a Sub3 hour marathon anymore than they will a 331, that is not why I run, not what my goal is about. It is about using the gift God has given me to the best of my ability, which I have yet to do. Percerverence for me was not finishing that race when I wanted to quit, it has been not wanting to quit when I finished.
Thanks for your support, I will let you know when the toe nail sheds.
MUCH LOVE,
Geoff

Geoff, thanks for the great re-cap. As you've learned, marathons take as much practice as they do training. Now that you know what the last few miles feel like when you don't hold back, you'll have more motivation to stay under control the first half of your next race. I've only been able to apply that lesson myself the last 3-4 marathons.

You said, " now know that I can run 6:45s for 16 miles." I've come up on 20 before saying to myself, "I know I can run 20," because I do it all the time. It's always the last 6 I worry about.

It sounds like you do everything else well...gu, gatorade, salt...now it's all about control.

What's your next one?

Yeah, well not certain, gotta get through track season, I am hoping to find one in Flagstaff in late May, early June. Running in elevation, oh yeah. Otherwise, down here it will be hot till October but that will give me lots of time to get the milage built up appropriatly.
My Immeadiate goal is a track mile April 1st, shooting for a sub 5. The way I have it figured, my window for sub 5 mile is rapidly closing with each passing year, at 35 me thinks I only have a few more years (who knows) before the short one will simply be too quick. In October ran the first of three miles at 5:23 on grass, and think I can drop the 23. But first order of buisness is getting my legs back.
Ran 4 times now, the first was less than 2 and hurt a bunch, Monday went 4, after 20 minutes IT band started to bother a bit (a lot) Wednesday went 4, but IT lasted 25 minutes, Thursday 4 a bit quicker; 30 minutes, and minimal IT issue. Still have some soreness in the hams and calf, but not seeming to hamper the runs. Another week of easy, then start working a plan.
MUCH LOVE

January 19, ran 5.65, hilly 8:52/mi, ave HR 135
January 21, ran CTJ 5k course, 9:06/mi, ave HR 141
January 26, swam 1500
January 28, ran 5.19 mi, ave HR 148, 7:44/mi

hard to get motivated!

But Geoff - well-said words above! i enjoyed the recap very much. i'm glad you had a good learning opportunity, no matter how tough. i will check out the josh cox story.

much love to ye both - mileage increase soon from this dude. right now we're looking at a snowy world...

Lots of snow here today, so did 20 on the treadmill...SOOO much harder than outside.

7 on Saturday, 6 on Monday, probably 6 tomorrow. Feeling much more fluid again, still some lingering IT Band pain, but it is easing. I have a new passion for running, weird how that works. I hope it lasts, I seem to enjoy every footstep and look forward to putting myself through the tough miles needed to bring me closer to my goals. Run on Brothers, Run on!
MUCH LOVE,
Geoff

2/3 just under 6 @ 37:06, then later just over 4 at 32:39 total of 10 in 1:09.45, felt good.
2/5 4 untimed
2/6 6 @ 41:33
Going 6 today, feeling good and very motivated.
D, just spoke with your aunt, how is your mom? Give her my love!
MUCH LOVE,
Geoff