finally...i'm back...and so is my running

not sure where i've been for the last, what, month? i actually have had a busy fall - work and football season, which the two have gone together for a all but one game this season. anyway, i'm here and hoping to get back to blogging on a regular basis.

so today, i finished the core of my training for vegas. i'm not officially in the taper. let's recap these last 13 weeks. i would describe my training as all over the place. motivated and not motivated. good runs and plenty of bad runs. warm weather and cold weather (not enough cold). as i've blogged many times previously, this marathon is a comeback for the most part. for the good part of a year and a half, i struggled to like running. i felt like i was ready to return with this marathon, and i pretty much was. what i did find was i still struggle with that motivation and liking running. it's amazing what a few good runs will do for that motivation though. but for as much as a good run helps, a bad run is devestating.

those of you that know me know that my body doesn't quite rebound from tough or long runs that quickly. it's not my age, it's just the way it is. i was giving a more aggressive training schedule a try, with more miles per week and longer tempo runs. i kept up with it, but when the schedule really started kicking in with midweek runs of 10-12 miles, i had to keep it more on the 8 mile level. that's still good considering my midweek runs worked up to 6 of 7 in the past, and only in the very end of training. i also did 3 20 mile runs and 2 18 mile runs. i had several weeks at 40 miles per week and a few that went over. i think doing tempo runs at those 8 mile distances is one of the best things i could do, and i had several really good ones. my long runs were what were really all over the place. basically, i had 2 long runs that were good. and 18 about a month ago, and today's 20. the 18 was at an average of 9:14 per mile and today's 20 was 9:08 per mile. both of those runs started out with me hitting around 10 minute miles decreasing to sub 9 minutes miles, in the 8:30 to 8:45 range. i'm all about some negative splits. i feel that's the best way to run a long run or a marathon. since i'm a slow starter, those aren't difficult for me.

so here i am, 3 weeks from the race tomorrow. i've done all i can do. vegas is my return to the marathon, my comeback. i don't expect anything great or a PR, but of course, i'll try my hardest. the plan is to let this training, which has gone well, continue on into new orleans in february. that race, in 2008, was my demise, where i fell apart. so like my good friend jim, who went back to ironman louisville a second year after dropping out the previous, i want redemption. for now, my eyes are on vegas and having a GREAT time!

in my next couple of weeks, i'll taper, continue training on a lesser level and start to prepare mentally. i'll also continue to train molly to run. she has gone with me twice for runs of 2 to 2 1/2 miles. she loves it, and i'm excited about this new running partner.

so, here we go! viva las vegas!!!