All about that pace.

Can't wait to see how you do! I am sure you will crush your last years run! Happy New Year Rattletrap!!!

The faster and older I get, the smaller those PR margins get. The last time I really "crushed" anything was in 2010. That was a good year :)

I have the same hope for me and everyone else as well. Happy New Year! :)

Wow faster and faster

YES, I believe in the 18!!!! GOOD LUCK!

Happy New Year RT!!

Using the Garmin helped me today for sure. Good to see you at the races today, Mike.

Last year I ran a pretty bad race at the 5k (19:45), but bounced back to run great at 15k and 20k. Don't throw in the towel on 2012 being a good year too!

what a great way to start a new year off right!

Thanks! It was a good day indeed. Any run that I finish is a great run and I'm psyched for the rest of this series as usual :)

Great race Trap. First place in the series. Woot woot!

Well run, Mike. You are totally screaming.

Way to go! Sorry you missed the downward trend, just barely! Still a great, super fast race.

Nice start to the new year, congratulations.

I take it official results are posted now? You picked up a second!

Great job, Trap! Your consistency always amazes me. Congrats and best of luck this series and year!

Thanks BNS. I see you are gearing up for a comeback. What can I do to help motivate you? I know it's tough to start over, but you can do it!

murdering a 10k? do it. nice job with the resolution run -- thanks for letting us know about it, but we were no longer in seattle. maybe next year.

all the best in 2012!

I thought you said you'd be around for two weeks. Oh well, at least you spared me from missing a PR and getting chicked in the same race :)

Hi RT,

Great paces and miles the last couple of days! I was noticing your running accomplishments - very impressive!! But I think I like your "perfect" 3:16 marathon in Eugene the best :-)

Thanks. Monday I was just venting a little steam after missing my 5k goal. I never see that many 6's on a training run.

The 3:16 in Eugene was definitely an answer to prayer. It was the end of a very long road to my first BQ.

I hate to look at your blog! It depresses me! I wish we could trade bodies. I would love to run like that just once in my life!

If I could run my ten miles this weekend this fast I think I would be more excited...lol and I wouldn't have to get up as early

You girls are gonna make me feel bad about posting today's run. Promise you won't look.

Don't forget about me after I am gone...

It's been such a long time

Yup you should have felt bad about posting this one hahahah. Just kidding! Great miles!

You'll forget about me after I've been gone!

That's not Genesis. That's Boston.

Are you kidding me?! UGH! I just can't help but look at your blog and it always makes me sick! You are tooooo fast!

It would have really made you sick when he had this picture of him running over this bridge.

Oooh, scary ;)

lol!

Nice new pic!

That's the "scary" old one Burt was talking about.

Just read the same verses...:-)

Nice paces too!

Hey RT, I just added you to my "Favorite Blogs". I don't want you to think I'm a stalker or anything, I just like your attitude and beliefs :-) You don't have to feel any obligated to reciprocate :-)

Nice new pic! I am more than a full minute behind you on my runs :(

IJR - Thanks, I've been stalking you a bit lately too. You've got guts; in your sneakers and on the blog. I gotta respect that!

Amy - Burt says I look like I want to hurt people in that pic :) Keep putting those miles in the bank, you know as well as I do that the speed will come with consistence. I bet our finish times will be pretty close in Boston.

You are right....I bet our finishing times will be the same! ha! I am not a betting woman! Sub 3 is really not possible in my body! haha!

Who said anything about a sub 3? I have another marathon to run on 4/29. I'm thinking maybe 3:25 if I want to live through Big Sur.

Come to BSF! Or after a run like that, maybe put your feet up and relax for a while.

Lol

Must be some nice rolling hills where you run?

Awesomeness

IJR - There's two decent hills on my normal morning route and I do them both twice. It actually looks pretty boring on the map, but there are nice wide sidewalks and streetlights for the whole route:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/140731517

April - There was no "awesomeness" going on this morning. Check back in a few hours and I might have something for ya :)

Looked pretty awesome from here

I looked at your garmin connect, that's pretty cool. I need to get plugged into that program. I noticed your HR avg. was 170. I can't get my max HR above 177. A year ago I measured it at 183 but now 177 is the max (maybe 179 but that measurment may have been a fluke). My resting HR is 34, I must have syrup in my veins!

IJR - Garmin connect is free and pretty easy to set up. I like SportTracks better though because you don't need Internet access and it has great reporting features. How did you determine your max HR? It's common for me to hit 190's toward the end of a race. My resting HR is around 60.

Hey RT,

I determined my LHR by putting my HR monitor on and then when I woke up took a reading. I've done that several times and it's always the same. My max HR is what I've measured with themost exerted effort I could do on the track.

You must have gotten up early! You're running some good miles. BTW, can I just borrow this run for my Tempo run tomorrow :-)

Do you have to put those last two miles in the 6s on there? You are killing me! I am going to run one full mile in the 7s this week! ha!

Show off!

IJR - 4:30am does come pretty early. Feel free to borrow anything you find here. Just cut and paste.

Amy - Those last two splits only add up to 1.09 miles. Try doing that 7min mile first and the rest will come easy.

April - If I was trying to show off they would have all been in the 6's. I'm way too tired for that this week.

that's a great looking run!

Have you ever seen your breath while wearing a head lamp? Pretty cool seeing puffs of breath clouds in front of your face.

Yes, in the tunnel on my last marathon. It was pretty cool. 2 super dark, and cold miles right at the start. I wonder how my "breath" looked to the runners behind me?

Lol! You have your scary bridge picture up. Look Amy. Doesn't he look like the American Bad A...?

That must be pretty different for you. I imagine it doesn't get too cold there.

I gets cold here it just never stays that way for long.

Man are you part owner in this screw shoe business? Lol

I just like to share good ideas and this one is brilliant. It works so well and it is so cheap and easy. It's like studded snow tires for your feet :)

So it isn't the calves in this pic that are creeping me out. It is the shoes. It is like they have wings or are way to big.

I hope those arn't you're legs...please take the picture off your blog!

Good run, but I can't stand to stay here on you blog for long or I'd say more!

You'd better not get hurt!

OK the picture is gone.

No, I'm not hurt. I did take today off though since I logged 65 last week and started this week off with 10 on a Sunday. I feel pretty good about the 10k coming up as long as it isn't icy again.

I'm just mesmerized by the milage...and consistant paces. I can't imagine what it looks like in good weather conditions1

I never even looked at my watch during this run. I was having too much fun! One more good snowy 10 miler tomorrow and then 2 days off before my 10k on Saturday. The forecast says more snow and less wind tomorrow :) I hope it warms up a little this weekend though, so I have a shot at that PR. I get great traction with the screw shoes, but I don't think I'd risk running at race-pace on snow and ice.

trudge, grind, sore, wins.

no, it does not make sense.

Is that an 8 min mile??? You okay today Rattletrap?? Oh so good to see! haha!!

I still haven't run a 7 min mile yet! ha! I think you might try to kick me off the blog and start a slow running blog for people like me!

RT - I maybe should try the screw method myself to get better traction. I mostly ran in tire tracks, but my shoes were still covered in snow by the end of only 3 miles.

Steam - If you check out my blog today you won't be so jealous. I almost hit 9 on my first mile today, and didn't have any 7s.

Amy - I had one yesterday too! I blame both of 'em on the snow :)

Scott - Try just one run with screws and you will be sold. Nothing to lose but maybe 5 minutes and $5. When the snow melts take them out and you won't be able to tell they were ever there. Or do it to an old pair of shoes and leave the screws in for next winter.

Your music video is cool....! Those guys/gal are really talanted...and we think running is a talent :-)

Another 10...I'm even more impressed!

Yeah, that video just blew me away when I saw it yesterday. I would trade in my running shoes for some musical talent any day! Todays 10 was tough, almost like running on the beach, only colder.

Oh poo that means my run will be a 12 min mile if you are at 8 haha

Video was amazing

Sorry to hear the race is cancelled for tomorrow due to the inclement weather. Stupid inclements!

Scott - What do you think foothills trail is going to look like tomorrow? I'm going to go run the track at the Y unless maybe you want to do a long run with me outside. That sounds a lot better than 120 laps :)

I did a 20 mile track workout today too (outdoor). I like that warrior like feeling of outlasting all comers.

Maybe next time I'll wear my warrior helmet :)

Wow 120 miles on a square track, at a pretty good pace too. Did you switch directions at all?

120 laps, only 20 miles. I'm not an ultra guy although I'd love to knock out 120 miles at that pace :) No changing directions at all, odd days are counter-clockwise, even days clockwise. It is a really nice indoor track except for being a little small.

I meant laps! So the 90 degree turns and same direction didn't hurt your legs at all?

No pain at all other than the calves barking a little about 20 at that pace. Over all, I think that cushy track is a lot easier on my legs than running on the road or on trails. I just take the corners as wide as possible and keep a steady pace. My cruise control seems to work pretty well there :)

You are tougher! U could never do that many laps!

You are officially insane!!!!

I couldn't even handle the monotony of 20 one mile laps, let alone all those crazy laps inside.

Free pie...what's up with that?

I found a couple coupons in my office at home. I have no idea where they came from. They honored them even though the waitress said they were ancient. I love free stuff! Especially free strawberry rhubarb pie.

I'm thinking the black ice might speed you up quite a bit on the downhills :-) Nice run...again!

The ice was so bad today that I walked to work in my screw shoes.

I'm glad you mentioned the black ice. I was not expecting it to be slick at all, but after I read your post I went out cautiously this morning.

I take it you made it home safely. I've never seen it this bad in my neighborhood. I couldn't imagine running on this stuff without my home-made cleats.

I only went 3 this morning at least. Later I'll run more and it will be warmer and melted by then.

It looks like tomorrow is going to be more of the same.

Ran 4 miles today in the 7s! YEEEEHOOOOOOOO!!! Okay, they weren't high 7s, but 7s all the same!!! haha! Nice run as always Rattletrap!

I'm hoping it is just a tad warmer so there won't be any black ice.

Amy - That's awesome! You still got it.

Scott - The forecast says 32 for Lakewood. It was acually 35 when I left this morning, but the wind-chill managed to freeze everything anyway. I thought it would be fine until I almost fell down in my driveway, then I went right back inside to get my screw shoes. I can't say enough about how good those things work.

It says 32 here but seems soo much colder bc of the rain and slush

You know, I've been believing everything you write on your blog until today...."Winter is over"...? I'm not that gullible :-)

You may be right Rattle. We rarely get more than one snow a year, and this was a big one (for us).

I love the NorthWest :)

Hope you can go for some outdoor runs...I have no idea what the weather is like up there...I'm sure it's too cold for me!

I got outside today on a track near the hotel. It was 31, frosty and very foggy out. I decided to stick close so I didn't get lost or run over by a car in the fog.

I love Texas...

What's the new profile picture?

That's the Boston finisher's jacket. I like the colors better this year.

I covet your speed! I need to read the scriptures more! hahaha!

Oh...man...I gotta get there!

Amy - Thou shall not covet...

IJR - You're on your way. No doubt about it!

just what are those teenagers up to all the time?!? lol!

very solid 20 miler.

OH MY HECK! Now I am really coveting! :(

big miles all around this blog today. nice job with the 20 -- very speedy too. glad everything is OK with your son.

Thanks guys! All that with no bananas, or MP3.

Teenagers are buttheads. Nice run.

April - Yes indeed! Most of them suffer from a condition I call rectal cranial inversion syndrome. With boys this can last until 25 or so.

Hahahha...then what is my brothers problem? He is 28! Glad I met the hubs waaah past 25 !

That's less than a 7:00 pace....!!!! You're going to run a sub-3:00 marathon!!!

Teenagers are hard... Things are really different now compared to when we were kids :-( It just seems like there's a lot more pressure for them to deal with.

IJR - 7:01 avg pace. I have two marathons to run back to back in April so I won't be trying for sub 3 yet. I may shoot for a BQ at both of them though. I'll also need to have enough strength left over to ride my motorcycle home 900 miles after big sur.

You know, I like your blog title ... I'm thinking about renaming mine "26.2 Miles Without A Horse?" .... What do you think...?

Dude.... your going to crush your next race! Awesome!

Thanks. I had an unusually good weekend of running. I think I might start doing more track runs.

I'd say you should be feeling "good" being able to run these paces after yesterday's run!!! I agree with Derunzo!

Geesh....you have always been and will never stop being a flippin' machine!

So, is Boston going orange this year?

Only one mile in the 7s?! I was feeling really good about 8:24 ave today! ha! thanks a lot Rattletrap!

IJR - Days like this get me pretty excited about Boston and make me think I might actually survive Big Sur

Kelli - I really felt like a machine Friday doing 20 on the same track. This run was surprisingly easy. 36 laps went by like nothin' :) Orange? That jacket looks red to me. I am sort of colorblind though. Does it look dumb? I'd hate to spend $100 on a jacket that only looks cool to people that are blue-green colorblind.

Amy - You should feel great about that so soon after an injury. I still say you'll probably beat me in Boston if you quit kicking stuff.

If it is red, it is a very orangey red! Totally worth the money, orange is cool. Now, if it red. I would skip it. ;o)

that's a quick run -- and you are sick! you are unbelievable. hope you start feeling better soon.

Sorry about the sickness. I've been avoiding the bigger hills in my neighborhood since I started the RLRF program several weeks ago!

I'm reading through Job and Matthew right now...good stuff!

BTW...your run was still GREAT!

After my experience on the track last weekend, I expected today to be much easier, even though I am sick.

Probably not as many hills on the track as you have in your neighborhood. three great runs in a row - you're a Manimal.

Yeah, looks like a tempo day for me. Our definitions of easy are so not the same. At least there is one mile in the 8's to make the rest of us feel semi-normal.

Have a good day. Feel better.

One in the 8's and none in the 6's :)

I still get mesmerized by the mileage and speeds... Hope you start feeling better soon!

8:01! Made my day! hahahaha! Nice run today Rattler! I still didn't even run one solid 8 mm today! Sad, but true! :(

Mile 6 was all uphill :)

Don't you usually run faster uphill than flat?

Nice miles for feeling blah. My pace is much slower when I'm blah! Running is funny like that

@Kelli, only when he's running backwards.

I believe it.

Still feeling terrible today. Maybe I'll go run up some hills backwards to make myself feel better :)

Maybe you should walk backwards and get back into that bed until you feel better!

Ditto what Kelli said. Your body will thank you for it.

Whoa, 22 miles in all. Nice job. Sounds like a great time with Preston, too.

Thanks Scott, It was a great morning with some good miles. I still feel kind of like I cheated on my long run breaking it up like that though. Next week I need to knock out a solid 20. Are you down for the foothills trail on Friday or Saturday? Have you decided about that job yet?

I'll be running long this Sunday, about 19. I'll be out of town the following two weekends.

Yes, I did decide to take the job, and was even able to negotiate for a higher pay than they were offering!

Wait you spit on your own face? Hahahaha...ok I admit I have accidentally spit on other body parts but can't say I have on my own face! Hahaha great miles though!

Wooo....good run! How many Preston's do you know?

Scott - Congrats on the job!

April - Failure to launch, it just ran down my chin :)

IJR - Just two, and they're both great runners!

Ha ha...now you know three, two fast ones and one not so fast (that's me:-).

IJR - That was counting you.

The sinus infection doesn't seem to have slowed you down running ... Or maybe it has, can't wait to see your times when you're healthy :-)

This bug has been kicking my butt for over two weeks now. Hopefully I'll be over it soon and ready to race on 2/25.

Did they ever talk about rescheduling the 10k?

Scott - Yes, it is on 4/22. They posted it on http://www.ontherunevents.com/resrun/ but not on their own website runfsrc.com. That club needs a good manager. I won't be able to run the make-up date anyway since I'll be on my motorcycle in sunny Laughlin, NV that weekend recovering from Boston :)

sinus infection? you still killed the run. nice job, and get well soon!

allie - Thanks. After 3 days off my legs did not seem to care how bad my head felt.

I wonder what it's like for God to truly come to you in a vision as he did with Solomon? I bet it's hard to run and contemplate deep questions like that :-)

IJR - It's kind of funny, I often get sidetracked contemplating obscure details like; What did Solomon do with the apes and baboons brought back on the ships with his treasures? Or How was Saul such a lousy aim with his spear?

It's obvious God has a great sense of humor :-)

I am reminded of that every time I look in the mirror :)

Another one of my favorites is when the smart@?? kids get mauled by bears after harassing Elisha.

Yeah, Elisha is one dude you don't want to mess with.

Yeah that's one of my favorite since I basically don't have any hair :-(

(I don't like the word bald!)

I get dizzy looking at all the 10's and 7's...

What Great Wolf Lodge are you going to? My company has built some of the water play equipment and feature in some of the Great Wolf Lodges.

I'm getting better already. My avg pace was 4 seconds faster and my HR was 1 beat lower than yesterday on the same route. Look out 6's, here I come! We're going to the GWL in Grand Mound, WA.

My company has taken part in the cover up for building the Great Wolf Lodge over an ancient Indian burial ground. That I peed on.

Is that what that smell is?

RT,

Keep improveing at that rate for about 5 months and you'll be a super human ...

No wait, HR/150 - 1 BPM Improvement per day for 3 Months = HR/0. Better not try that!

Burt, How could you say that in public?

I have a superiority complex. I feel like I'm above the law.

Hey Burt,

I've been meaning to ask, which Texan are beating in your current profile picture. You know most of us Texans wear orange shirts...?

Ha! I'm pretty sure you know that's Flatlander. And I wasn't beating him. I was running the last 3 miles of his half marathon with him.

Ha ha...I really didn't know that. Don't tell him I made the joke :-)

He would be so mad about even the thought that I could beat him.

Have you thought about joining the Marines Burt? Did I say that outloud?...

I think he already is a Marine...Haven't you noticed his hair cut?

It's a wig.

Burt should stop peeing on and/ or around grave sites. They will haunt you! Indians can do that!

25 miles on the TM? Ew ew ew

Burt = #1

Who said anything about 25 miles?

Have a cold I.P.A after your 125 miles on the treadmill.

I'm with IJR....the 10s and 7s make me feel dizzy and a little jealous to boot! I do love just looking at that jacket EVERY time I get on your page!! Yeeeehoooooooooooo BOSTON here we come!!!!

Hey Steam,

Did you have to rub it in about Boston? I think I'm the only person on the Blog who hasn't qualified :-(

Greatwolf was fun for the first day. It ended terribly with the whole family getting violently ill. Bedridden for two days now, only able to get up long enough to crawl to the toilet. Sooo glad we have three bathrooms...

Sorry dude.

I'm glad you have that many bathrooms too

IJR...it won't be long! It was a flat out miracle that I qualified!!!

I thought that you could only catch Norovirus on cruise ships!?

Glad you're somwhat back to your old self...I say somewhat because I see an 8 in the numbers :-)

Cruise ships, and waterparks filled with giant tattooed people that can't reach far enough to wipe their butts thoroughly. Worst weekend ever! What little sleep I got was filled with horrible nightmares about bad ink and floaters. Never again! Hopefully I can replace that 8 with a 6 by the end of the week. I feel like I have lost a lot of ground lately.

I don't know how you could run that fast after being so sick!!!!!!! UNFAIR!! No really, I am glad you are able to run after being down for 3 days and losing 10 pounds! Sounds like no fun at all!!!

Nice job, Trap, especially factoring in rain, wind, hills and the tedium of Chronicles.

Thansk Kam, only the first nine chapters of Chronicles are genealogies. After that it gets pretty engaging.

Nice valentines run!

Wind - Good if it's to your back!

Rain - Good if it's really hot!

Hills - Good if they're all downhill!

I'm expceting that my assumptions are not completly correct :-)

April - There wasn't anything warm and fuzzy, or valentiney about this run. Except that I got to go back to bed for several hours after :)

IJR - Wind: in my face both ways. Rain: cold and sideways. Hills: up both ways. Today I skipped my run, I've got a new pain in my left leg that has me worried. Seems weird after two low mileage weeks in a row...

I wish those miles and speed were in my bank!!!

Amy - It's just like saving for retirement. Start early and be consistent :)

Dang...I wish you could pace me at Cowtown next week!

IJR - Just get me a plane ticket and a race bib and I'm there dude! I'll even carry your water :)

No snails on this blog

I just read that you have been sick, sorry to see that, I hope you're doing better. A 10 pound weight loss? wow.

Thanks Laputka, I gained it all back in pizza weight this week and I feel healthy as ever now. I didn't like how I felt on my long run today though after a couple really low mileage weeks.

Wowsers that's a lot. Nice run.

Thanks nicole. Have you been running? Next Saturday is the 15k in Steilacoom.

Yuck... Get out and run for your life!

Ha ha, I'm starting to look at your training times like race times...3 seconds and you'd have all 6's... :-) I know it's no big deal for you but I'm still impressed!

The track at the Y is short. My splits are always 20-30 seconds faster there. I'm going to run TO the Y today and meet Kym there. Its about 16 miles from home with lots of killer hills along the way. I hope I can be alone in the hot tub today.

Lots of hills and headwind and no 8mm??? Dang Rattletrap! Nice job today. I am excited to see how you do on your 15K! Good Luck!!

That sounds like the same route I used to have to go school...uphill, into the wind and through the rain and snow! Hope the rash guy wasn't in the hot tub or just getting out when you got there! I'm looking forward to the results of your 15K, I'm sure you're going to crush your PR :-) Nice running today (as usual)!!

That run took a lot out of me yesterday. I woke up at 4 today and realized how sore my legs were at about the same time I heard the wind howling outside my window. The combination prompted me to reset my alarm for 6 and go back to sleep instead of running.

hey i'm running a 15k on saturday too. i'll be finishing about 10 minutes behind you.

great splits today!

Good luck Saturday! I'm going to finish somewhere between 60 and 90 minutes :)

You should come to Ft Worth and run with me on Sunday. It's supposed to be 42 degrees at the start, calm and clear :-) If you don't come to Ft Worth, good luck on your race Saturday.

I thought your race was on Saturday? I already offered to pace you; all I need is a plane ticket :)

:-) A motorcycle ride would be much more fun..!

If I start now I should be there in plenty of time.

We're looking at some great Ragnar weather this weekend here. Too bad I'm not ready. LOL!

I'm sure you will have a great time anyway! I wish I could do another ragnar, or hood to coast. NWP was the most fun I have ever had running.

Based on your 10K time, a sub 1 hour 15K is not out of the question. Congratulations on your progress. I think you're looking at a very nice PR Saturday.

Rainy in Seattle? NO! I hope you do well in your race and the sun is shining while you run!

Laputka - A one hour 15k would be amazing! Maybe if the wind is at my back on the way out and it changes direction with me at the turn-around :)

Amy - I'm afraid there won't be any sunshine for me tomorrow. There will be a hot baked potato with chili and salsa for me at the finish though :)

nice race - negative splitage too!

we had windy conditions also - and what did i tell you, i finished almost exactly 10 minutes behind you...lol!

Awesome race Trap, especially in the wind! Love the finishing kick & nice PR!!

Thanks, the negative split wasn't much of a surprise given the wind direction. The big PR was not expected at all. How long can I keep getting faster and older?

Wow congrats on the new PR! Good kick at the end too.

Nice run TrAp. Impressive kick. I'm fighting age with you, let's not go down easy!

Great job Trap. You are one of the blog greats.

I have said this many times! I hate wind! Great race!

Nice race RT!!!

It's really cool to see how you just keep knotching your PR's down at every distance :-) With better weather conditions you would have really smoked your PR on this race!

Just when I didn't think you'd get much faster, there you go kicking booty again this year! Congrats!

Way to go! Wish I could've been there too.

Thank for the nice comments everybody.

@Burt - Sasha likes you better

I lost our virtual connection after mile 17 and fell apart without your support. Sorry to let you down :-(

You were on your own after 10 :)

The only let-down was the real pacer. I think the 1 minute you were ahead of schedule at the 10k mark would have bought you 2 at the end. I always struggle to keep my first few miles at or slower than my goal MP, but it pays off when I do it.

You're like....Amazing!... Mr. Consistency :-)

I really wanted to make my goal of 200 this month. I went pretty easy this morning just to git-r-done. Only one solid month of training left before taper time.

So, 26.4 miles for the day? And you started at 3:45 AM? You are insane.

I blame Preston for the start time. The "plan" was to get in 20 by 6:00am, but "we" were way too slow :)

3:45? NO WAY! That is insane.

What studs you biker-runners are ;-)

Rattle.... you are taking it to a new level. Will you be running Boston this year? I will be spectating for sure.

Bonnie - I'm the only biker/runner I know. We're a rare breed.

Derunzo - I'll be running Boston and Big Sur on the 29th.

Big mileage! Nice work!

Jake and I have been thinking about Big Sur as well! And we'll definitely have to meet up in Boston.

Let's meet up for sure. Ben and Jerry's?

A 16'er and a 10'er as a double. This kind of blows my mind.

Laputka - It was supposed to be a solid twenty, but I had a 90 minute break in there so I thought I sould throw in a few extra. Next week I'll try to do 'em all at once so I can stop at 20 :)

great big miles today!

Thank JD, way to go on number 68!

This is cool...I must have been sleep running :-) Oh wait, must have been a different Preston.

Maybe the extra energy came from the prayer!!!

Cool run ... Maybe there is a Ben & Jerry's along the Boston course around Mile 16 where we could stop and have a quick Monday morning prayer meeting! :)

Nice lookin' splits on that run. Are you gettin' excited about returning to the "BOSTON '12"? Hey, you've got 42 more days and then it's all done but the crying! Do I dare predict that you could be doing a sub 3 at Boston????? You've got the good karma thing going good!

42 days! That sounds even sooner than 6 weeks :) Yes, I'm getting excited. I don't expect to be attempting a sub 3 though, with Big Sur looming only 13 days later there could be a LOT of crying going on.

Oops, I missed that 13 day turn around for Big Sur. You will have to tell me all about Big Sur, it's one run I've been looking at for a long time. I'll bet it's a lot like Surf City USA which tells me that you're gunna love it....except for the 2 week short change!!!!Lets all try to meet up at Boston....Theres a bunch of us staying at the Raddison......

The Raddi$on!? I'd love to meet up with you there. Is the FRB gang having dinner at the Empire Garden again?

I'll be staying out in Salem this year. The North Shore Striders got a discount on a block of rooms at the Hawthorne. It's a long way from the all the action in Boston, but they also got a sweet charter bus to take us to Hopkinton on raceday. It goes right to the start village from Salem and we can hang out on the warm bus with our own private onboard restroom until the start of the last wave.

Sweet deal - I haven't heard yet whee dinner will be. I will PM my ph# to you so we can talk in Boston.

Great!

Hey, did you notice that the finisher's jacket is Harley Davidson colors this year? I'm diggin' it!

Thats this years Boston Jacket? Thats Cool, looks like Bostons gunna get more money out of me!

Yeah, it's embroidered this year too. I might buy two of 'em.

Hey RT,

That second jacket wouldn't happen to be for me :-) would it? Ahhh...you don't have too....

I wonder if they will have enough of them so I can buy one while I'm in Boston. If I buy it now I will just wear it before I run the 2012?

Tom - I'm sure there will be plenty to go around.

IJR - You'll need to wait for the 2013 version, I hear it's going to be yellow with blue polka dots :)

Ahhh but orange is my favorite color :-)

Neeiiiiccceee! I don't think I will see you at all in Boston. You will be back and taking a nap by the time I cross the finish line! :(

The cold and the wet and the lawns didn't slow you down! Good run!!

Thanks. It's a lot harder to run on grass than is on pavement. That 10th mile is usually a lot closer to 7 minutes, even on an easy day.

The only way I can tell the difference in your runs is by the scriptures you've listened to! Wait...I do see a couple of 6's in this run :-) Great amazing consistant running!

That's why I ran at 11, when it was sunny and upper 40's!

And look at the sprint to the finish! Nicely done there on that 27 miles. You have turned into a MACHINE, and a very fast one at that! Make sure to give me your Boston # so I can have fun tracking you again this year!

Monster Run..! By your times at the end it doesn't look like you were struggling at all...!

Kelli - I'm feeling like a broken machine after this run :) I'll post my bib number as soon as I find out what it is. I remember getting it by this time last year.

IJR - I was struggling big time! I'm still feelin' it. Tomorrow is definitely going to be a rest day.

Well, you may feel broken but you clearly are not!

We'll see how my 10 miler goes on Sunday :)

Rattle... will you be wearing the flame gear for Boston this year? I need to be able to spot you and scream my head off!

Derunzo - Yes, I will be. Are you gonna have a cold one ready for me?

27!!! .22!!!! OMG, ratteltrap. nice job.

I'm going to do my best to find some FRB marathoners and if I see you.... a special victory IPA:)

phew - nice runnin'!

like your profile pic!

allie - Thanks, I can't imagine doing a tougher run before Boston. It's all downhill from here.

Derunzo - I shouldn't be hard to spot in that outfit.

JD - I've always loved Boston, especially that first album. Kind of cheesy, but still rockin' after 36 years!

OK, bring me up to date. What is the B2B challenge. Is it Boston 2 Boston? Wow, thats a lot of miles on one pair of shoes. I'm guessing your feet really liked getting some new cushion under them.

Tom - Boston to Big Sur: http://www.bsim.org/Event_Information/Boston_2_Big_Sur.htm

You get an extra shirt, jacket, medal, and a special tent in the finisher's area. Limited to 400 runners. I just happened to have plans to be down that way on the bike this year(well, within 500 miles anyway in Laughlin, NV) and they had a few slots open so I registered on a whim. Kym was not too happy about this decision until we decided she should fly down and spend a few days with me in the sun before I head home on the bike :)

For what it's worth, I'm done tossing out perfectly good shoes just because they have 300-500 miles on them. I'll wear them until the soles are completely worn out, or the seams start coming apart, or if I start getting blisters or some other significant soreness. They are just too expensive. I've put close to 1000 miles on 3 different pairs of Asics now. At $70-$80 per pair that's still not much less per mile than it is for gas to run my bike or my car.

You've just barely begun to break in those shoes! I've always been pretty bad about changing every 500 miles, but the last couple pairs I've been well over 1,000 miles. It may not be ideal, but as long as you're not having problems...

Usually the uppers start coming apart where they meet the sole after 8 or 9 hundred miles. This last pair is holding up fine there, but the sole on the right side of the right heel is completely worn down. It looks like I drug one leg through a 20 miler zombie style. I've never had one shoe wear more than the other before. My stride may not be pretty, but I think its still pretty symetrical...

good call on the shoe mileage - i've recently determined to do the same thing. not just because of the expense, but also the principle - no shoe company is going to recommend to me how many miles i can run in one of their shoes! lol

good run today.

JD - I don't think I ever heard the 300 - 500 mile thing from a shoe company. It's been from running magazines and quite a few runners. I'm sure the shoe companies love it though! I'm actually considering some crocs after seeing that Sasha has 2220 miles on his. I just wish they didn't look so silly.

So the shoes I switched to today were my "screw shoes". Just when I thought it was safe to take the screws out and use these for my daily runners I look out the window and it's hailing!

hmmm - i guess i've just heard the 300-500 mile rule for so long i just assumed it was from the shoe manufacturer. a lot of runners on the blog seem to be having great success with the crocs, both for training and racing. you should wear one yellow and one red croc to go with your racing duds.

Now this sounds like it was a really edifying run for you :-) and a profitable one for me...now that I know I can wear my running shoes more than 500 miles!

JD - Like I said, if they weren't so silly looking... I'm really cheap, but not THAT cheap :)

IJR - Serioulsy, I feel like my shoes are half price now. Your mileage may vary.

Pretty good run is right! I wish my speed was up with yours! :(

Riveting discussion. Let me know when you're going to be in Laughlin and I'll ride my Barbie Big Wheel to meet you.

Amy - Yay, you're back! I hope you're feeling lots better.

Burt - Same to you. How far do you live from Laughlin? I'll be there 4/22 - 4/27, then heading West to Big Sur.

Three and a half hours, but I have family in Kingman which is only 30 miles away. I was just in kingman last week for my brother's ex wife's funeral.

Burt - If you happen to be in the area give me a shout. I woulnd't mind having a reason to ride out that way for a run. Although you'll probably be pretty worn out after pedaling that BigWheel for three hours.

You may need to put your spikes back on :-)

I'm reading Leviticus now...some interesting stuff :-)

That's why we always called it "goose grease".

Did you get the run in before the snow?

No need for spikes. There was just enough light so I could dodge the land mines and I finished up way before the snow started.

Good run!!! Having fun with Ezekiel :-)

Can't wait to kick your butt in Boston! haha! I am just dreaming!

IJR - Good run indeed, and good stuff in Ezekiel. Time really flies listening to the Word.

Amy - Bring it! Haha, I'm looking forward to an FRB meet up. Who's gonna organize it?

outstanding, your right up in front! Good on you!

bib #'s are out!? it's officially on.

Kind of scary, that's a couple thousand lower than last year. I'm gonna be running very low 7's just to be one with the mob for the first few miles.

Sounds exciting....Hope you run it next year too when I'm there!!! :-)

Next year? I'd have to qualify AND win the state lottery.

Nice long run! AND nice race number! Boston will be here before you know it!

30 days and counting... Only 3 more long runs!

are you doing the BAA 5K the day before?

Tom - No, I'm saving it all for Monday :)

I'm not really going to be running it, it will be more like a shakedown jog to get loosned up for the big run Monday and I want the t-shirt and BAA 5K medal!

Hey, when you got this years Boston Running jacket, what size did you get and how was the fit. Is the sizeing right or shoud one buy one a bit larger than usual???

I haven't got mine yet. I got a Large last year and it fit perfect.

In the past I've bought my jacket at the expo because of the sizing issue. So I'll wait till I'm there to get one.

Glad to see you made it through Ezekiel :-) Good run in the cool temperature! It was 71 degrees here at 5:30 when I got up to run. It didn't matter much though since I pulled up halfway through with a sharp pain :-(

Hey Mr. Consistancy...Nice run! As I looked at your Bible Log I realized I can't remember anything about the book of Amos...I guess I need to go brush up on that book :-)

Haha, that's pretty funny, my wife calls me "mr discipline".

Amos sure told 'em where the rubber hit the road!

Mr."Discipline" or Mr."Disciple" .. :-)

Really??? Why do I look at your blog...DEPRESSING!!!! I tried to do 2X3 repeats under 8mm and it about KILLED ME!!!!! I thought I was going to barf after I finished 6....PATHETIC! I wish I was in as good of shape as you are...Boston would be a breeze!

Amy - Really, really, really, and for reals! Don't be depressed, just keep doing what you're doing as often as possible, even if you barf. I'd say nobody ever drowned in barf, but I think that has actually killed a few rock stars. Probably not while running though :)

Wish I could be there to race the 20k. It would be nice to check up on my progress. Have a great morning. Don't race too hard, aren't you down to 3 weeks by that point?

Yep, only 2 long training runs left before 2 marathons. I must be nuts. I won't be going all out on the 20k. It would be nice to PR again and I am in a lot better shape than I was last year, but I'm not going to risk injuring myself to prove it :)

Nice running RT...you're sure ready for the BIG RACE --- AND ONE..!!!

You are definitely ready! I wish I was in your kind of shape! Good luck!!!

Thanks, I'm thinking about running to the race start again. Last month I ran there for the 15k because Kym was gone with the car and I think the nearly 2 mile warm up may have actually helped my time. It seems like I should just save my energy for such a long race though...

Good job keeping a smart, safe pace. And you got a 2nd in age division for it, too. How did you end up for the series?

I should be first in the series for my AG. Hopefully Preston will be able to pick up my ribbon for me. I think he's planning to run the rescheduled 10k. How about you?

nice job rattletrap! looks like a good warmup for Boston.

It doesn't seem right...looking at your split times and hearing you say your grand kids were yelling at you....:-) You're amazing fast for a Grandpa...!!

IJR - I started young, at 19. In just a couple more years our youngest should be on his own and Kym and I will be empty nesters yahoo!

Congrats on an awesome race!!! :) :) :)

Not likely I'll do the 10k, but when is it?

My smile was bigger before I realized it was your grandkids and not some random kids saying, "Go Grampa Go!"

Thanks Teena.

Scott - The 10k is on 4/22

Burt - I haven't had any random kids call me grandpa yet :)

Yeah, I won't be running it the week before the marathon. I'll be busy that weekend anyway. Oh well, there's always next year. I really missed doing the series this year. Was Carl there? Sounds like Preston made a few of the races?

I don't think Preston has raced since Portland.

Carl hasn't been at the series this year either. I haven't seen him since we ran the Enchantments in October.

Great job!

Thanks April, where have you been?

Running and I broke up LOL

You broke up with running?! ...I wasn't there, but I know it was all your fault. Running would never let you down. You should apologize and go back to running. It will forgive you. You know you miss it... :)

I will run one mile tomorrow

I think my whole family is addicted to froyo :-(

IJR - You say that like it's a bad thing...

Lots of miles, Mike. So, what's the gameplan on Patriot day? Are you going to bust a move and get that sub-3, or run for fun with the Big Sur in the back of your mind?

Kam - I'm thinking 3:05 might be in the cards if I have a good day and a nice tailwind. It would be pretty sweet to requalify in the 18-34 group under the new standards. That would also give me a nice PR. If I have to run sub 7s to keep up with traffic for the first few miles and manage to get in a groove, I may just go for broke! What's your plan?

Decisions, decisions, decisions.......

yehooo! a race! Run rattle RUN! :)

I was just reading your blog when you commented and thinking I need to try doing some speedwork someday :)

Nice run ... that was always one of my favorite album covers! Now I am anxiously awaiting to check the mail today!

JG - I'm thinking about getting a tattoo like that with a "26.2" where it says Boston. I almost went to a famous tattoo shop in NY after the marathon last year, but the city was so dirty and disgusting, I couldn't stand the thought of anybody poking me with a needle there.

73 minutes / 10.1 = Great Run...!

Meh... pretty average actually. It felt weird with no garmin though. I thought I would finish a lot faster or a lot slower than usual.

Nice blog photo! Getting excited yet?

Andrea - Yes! Very!

I feel cheated.... you didn't detail.

You cheat rattle

:)

Lily - The garmin is fully charged and ready for my last long run tomorrow. I'll post all the juicy details right here.

Good running. I did a half in February without a Garmin and was amazed at how close to my goal pace I was at the end. Somehow the body knows.

I don't work when I sleep either.

pretty tough taper workout....

Tom - That was the top of the mountain, it's all downhill from here. Two weeks is a long taper for me. My cardio capacity withers very quickly. Maybe from all the years of smoking?

Wow...unbelievable! So excited for you. You are in amazing shape Rattle!

Thanks Amy. I'm pretty excited too. How is your foot feeling?

OK, you ran a few 9 minute miles on Monday, but WHAT was your average pace for this almost 24 miles??? Like my marathon pace?

And, really, I like donuts more than the next guy BUT maple bacon? BARF.

Kelli - It was bacon maple donut flavored froyo! Yum :)

...and your marathon PR is still faster than mine, speedy.

Kelli - Ha! My avg today was 7:21. You ran your last marathon @7:07 pace :)

WHY did I read donut? Did you eat a donut in there somewhere? I saw the FROYO loop, but did not make the connection. AND I am sorry, but that is even more gross than a donut that flavor. I will stick with coconut, peanut butter, red velvet....the good flavors of frozen yogurt!

I can race, I can not run. You can run and you can race AND you will soon beat my marathon pace for sure. ;o)

UM, I did a 22 miler run @ around a 7:40 pace one day and I literally thought I would die. YOU WIN!!!!

I like to mix flavors, Choc/coconut(mounds), Choc/PB(reeses). I tried Blackberry and red velvet last time, it was awesome!

haha! You two are funny! I say no to bacon on my maple donut! What the heck is a froyo?

I do not mix the flavors, i add mix ins! So coconut gets brownies or oreos and peanut butter gets reeses PB cups and they both get hot fudge!

FROYO=frozen yogurt

Heck of a run, even more impressive considering the fuel. Pretty sweet

You mentioned Vitamin I on my blog....what is that? and how do I get it?

Dan - Thanks. I did have a banana before I left, but nothing during the run. I need to pick up some gu for the race. Vanilla and "Espresso Love"

Amy - Vitamin "I" = Ibuprofen :) 800 3x per day is what my doc had me take when my knee got banged up in a car accident right before Boston last year.

Nice run Mike. It is tough to pick up the pace the last few miles of a long run. Legs get set in their ways. Especially when you're not taking in any carbs or electrolytes.

Thanks Scott. I was thinking it should have been a lot easier(and still do) if I have any chance of running Boston under 3:10.

I love that run. It's all relative I guess, but the length of the run and how close it was to GMP for a 3:10 marathon really bodes well for Boston.

Flat - Thanks, I think 3:10 could happen if I have a good day. I've had some encouragement to shoot for sub-3 and I was sort of testing the water for that. If I couldn't do the last 5 at sub-7 it's not likely I could do it for 26 even on a good day with a tailwind :)

I think you are high! I never run that fast---ever, ever, ever! i KNOW you can get 3:10 or better easily. If the conditions are right and you feel great, it will happen. I am smart, trust me.

Kelli - I am not high :) and I do trust you because you are smart, and faster than me :)

I am so not faster than you. You go out and prove me right in Boston, dang it.

Glad you are not high, that would be bad.

That's pretty impressive the day after a long run! I can barely walk the day after I run 23 miles.

Thanks. I was pretty encouraged by this run. Even though I ran out of steam yesterday at 3:10 pace, I still have some hope of feeling good and strong during Big Sur.

really nice follow up to yesterday's miles.

lol! i just clicked onto you "Network Administrator" link. funny.

JD - haha, that's funnier than the picture that used to be there :)

Great great splits after 23 the day before!

Nice looking splits! I'll be watching closely for signs of taper.

Kam - You missed the first sign already. 10 - 4 = only 6 miles :)

I hope that rain really does hold off until nighttime.

I don't care about a little rain. That West wind sure looks nice though. Too bad it will change like 15 times in the next 15 days. I wonder what the odds are of having a tailwind two years in a row?

That sure sounds fun "throttling back" while running 7:30 miles... :-) Good running!

Thanks IJR, I felt really good and wanted to finish the last 5 at sub-7, but I'm trying to be good and taper. I even slept in this mornining like I planned. I just walked to the store on my break and it was really hard not to break into a run. My legs want to go! It's gonna be tough to hold back and do 9 minute miles with the group after work.

Hey TrAp, I'm glad you came away from Boston okay. Did you get the Sam Adams Beer Glass at Doyle's? I hope you did, it's the ultimate beer drinking glass.

Laputka - No, I didn't get the "perfect" glass. I can always get one of those. I did get a sweet limited edition 26.2 Boston/Sam Adams mug though. Pic on my race report.

It was sure a nice night for a barbecue!

I'm not cool.

Your bib number is so low and cool. Your taper plan looks good. You are going to kill it in 13 days.

Burt - You ARE cool. You just don't know it yet.

Kam - I'm scared of my own bib number. I hope it doesn't kill me in 13 days.

good plan - you're super fit right now - you can have "Peace of Mind" that come marathon day you'll be "Smokin'" and that a "Higher Power" will guide you through this taper; it's "More Than a Feeling", so "Don't Look Back" just "Hitch a Ride" to Boston and be prepared to rock it!

lol!

Thanks JD! I will rock it indeed. Did you knock out #100 yet?

not for a couple of hours yet.

I'm curious about the long taper too. I felt like I tapered too much on my last race and lost some cardio...

IJR - I think three weeks is way too much for me. I've always done one easier week before all of my marathons, but I wouldn't really call that much of a taper. Hopefully 2 weeks will be just right this time.

I've always done 4 weeks of taper in the past, but I'm going to be doing 3 this time. The key to a good taper is keeping some intensity going while reducing total mileage. Your plan if keeping some mp runs in the mix should be good. You might even throw in a 3-4 mile run that is faster than mp this week, if you're feeling it.

Just saw your race number... cool ... looks like we are in the same corral, as I am #4608. We will have to meet up ... although there is no way I will keep having basically taken the last 3 months to heal my knee!

JG - It will be easy to spot the guy in flames.

It's true, I'll vouch for that.

I wanna go ):

Do you live in Arkansas?

Tom - If you leave now and drive fast you might make it in time. You can crash at my place before you drive home :)

IJR - No. why?

That would be a great ride on my "Glide".

Tom - You should meet up with us on the way to Laughlin after Boston. I'm leaving WA on my bike April 20th. There's plenty of room if you want to stay with us down there for a few days. Nothing but sunshine and 90's forecast for the whole week! You know you wanna go :)

i'll be there in spirit(s)!

if i ever start a rock band i am going to name it "garbage legs"

nice job with the run today. i'm glad you stuck to your plan and stopped at 15. i can see you going 10 more just for fun :)

no worries about the phantom pains -- they always get scared off at the starting line. you are going to do great.

We should have Burt design us some concert T-Shirts. We could pre-sell them to pay for our music lessons.

Phantom Limb is a pretty good album by the shins. There's a lot of running and amputee fodder...

Oops. I mean song.

Proud of you for being GOOD and stopping! And, if you do not see a benefit in taking the GU, I would not mess with them!! If you do choose to bring them, tie those shorts TIGHT. I can attest to the fact that 4 GU's will pull your shorts down. Those suckers are heavy!

Phantom pains are NORMAL, no worries. You are one ready racer if I have ever seen one. Just FLOAT from here on out. So excited to see how you do. Are ya gonna go next year? Scott finally got that second BQ so we could go again!

Kam - That reminds me of a horrible, I mean great B movie called Armless. If you get bored check it out on Hulu or Netflix and tell me what you think :)

Kelli - That cracks me up! I can picture you running in "gangster pants" hahaha. Unfortunately, I doubt I will be able to afford another trip to Boston in '13. Although, that is what I said about this year too. I'd love to meet you and Scott and collect that cookie you owe me. I have not forgotten :)

It was actually a plaid skirt that was falling off. I looked like a catholic schoolgirl losing her britches. It was not fun. BUT because of that experience, the next year I carried no GU and paid for it in a far worse way. I need my caffeine! I am a junkie.

You did indeed say it was a one time thing! We are already saving up, it is part of the reason I now work part time (that and Disneyworld).

I will totally bring you a cookie (or a dozen), but I do seem to recall mailing you some!

Kelli - I do remember that and my wife thought it was a little strange too :) I also remember those cookies being a substitute for the giant Kneaders sugar cookie that you didn't think would survive the trip in the mail. I've been craving one of those since then...

Great trainer....super splits. Looks like your now on cruse control for Boston. Dont let the taper crazies get to you. All those phantom aches and pains will disappear in 10 days!

I am indeed strange! But when I promise cookies, I deliver. I hope she dared to try one.

A Kneaders cookie would NOT taste good even a day later. You are gonna have to come to Utah for that. Come visit, I will buy you a dozen!

Tom - Thanks, I'm sure those pains are nothing to worry about, but they sure are annoying.

Kelli - Be careful what you ask for. You might find a couple scroungy bikers at your door if I'm ever in the neighborhood :)

We would welcome ya!

I just thought of something---are you not wearing THE shorts in Boston?

Kelli - I AM wearing THE shorts and THE shirt for Boston and Big Sur. Why do you ask?

When you said you needed to test drive your race shorts I thought that meant you had NEW race shorts. I am so happy that you are sticking with your awesome outfit. It just would not be the same.

Kelli - Same shorts, just never tried carrying GU packets in/on them. I'm thinking I might just duct tape them to the waist band :)

I think they sell hates that can carry them. Or special belts. ;o) I have seen people wearing them on both, kind of funny looking, but you do what works. And if means keeping your shorts ON, it is worth it.

When did you start eating GU? I never thought it helped!

Shirts in the mail.

I just googled Catholic school girls losing their britches.

Kelli - Thanks for the tip. I found the perfect hat! http://www.swallowfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/beer-hat-top-10-headwear.jpg

April - Sometimes I take gu if it's available at the water stations, but the last time I got stuck with some orange stuff that was really gross.

Burt - I hope that's not the name of your band.

I dunno, GU is kind of thick to suck through a straw. I can see it getting stuck as it travels.

Looks like you're ready to go!

I still don't like this taper thing. I'm getting nervous. Great news this weekend though. Preston decided to go after all and we're travelling/staying together.

You're going to do great at Boston...I'm really excited for you!

That is great news! I'm glad to hear he is going to be racing.

I'm still wearing gloves most mornings. Nice splits friend

IJR - Same here about OKC. I'll be checking the results as soon as I finish in Big Sur.

Scott - He hasn't been training very hard since he didn't think he was going, but I think he still may beat me. I'm really looking forward to running with him. It's going to be a great weekend.

Lily - me too, I don't know what I was thinking today. I just ran out of the house wearing short sleeves, and no gloves or hat. Apparently my mind is somewhere else this week. It gave me a little extra incentive to keep the pace up, but I was still good and didn't push it too much.

Well, you won't be running all out, either, will you? Since you have another marathon 13 days later?

Your mind was probably confused by the 73 degree day we had yesterday! You forgot it is still early spring and cold in the mornings.

Scott - I keep going back and forth about my goal for Boston. I probaly need to make up my mind pretty soon so I have a plan to stick to. Yesterday I totally overdressed and was shedding clothes as I crossed steilacoom park.

Nice splits, 2 are better than 1!

Getting excited to see you in less than a week! I hope it is after I have crossed the finish line and not me watching you cross!

it will be warmer in boston. good luck.

I tend to find it warms up after dawn. Figured I'd mention that, just in case you weren't aware. :-)

Good luck!! I'll be following ya!

Dan - Thanks. I hope you can find some spicy shrimp before the race.

Amy - I think it would be awesome if you finished before me :)

allie - It's looking like 60 with a tailwind right now, but that is subject to change at least 5 or 6 times before Monday.

Wes - People also need me after dawn. Nobody needs me for anything at 4:30am.

Very exciting ... And impressive training and running.! What is your goal for Boston?

Here's a few goals that have crossed my mind. Any input is welcome :)

A: 3:05:00 BQ in the kids AG

B: 3:06:29 PR

C: 3:14:08 Beat Preston's Boston time

D: 3:25:00 BQ in the old guys AG

A': 3:03:31 - Sub 7/mile

3:03:30 is a little cleaner number :-)

Good luck at Boston! Bring home that A goal and have fun!

Dang...I thought you were much older!

I was a lot like Ralph in school, only without the running.

Ears and all... :-)

have a great weekend!

Good luck in Boston! Lets get together!!!

Thanks guys. I have you number Slick, I'll call ya.

Praying for you and Preston to have a great time and race tomorrow.

Unfortunately I think it's going to be really hot. We'll see.... we are in New England after all :)

Looking forward to that cold one after the race.

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail39.html

Forecast high for monday is 86. You may want to lighten up your wardrobe...

Kam - I'm already planning for that. Bummer huh? I'll still be sportin' the flaming board shorts.

Rattle... I thought that I would be flying solo for the Marathon, but the family will be in tow. This being said, I'll be watching from the Newton Hills. More peaceful for family viewing. I'll try and lock in on you and other FRB'ers so listen for a loud "RattleTRAAAAAAAAP" !!!!!!!!

Derunzo - Great, you can see me at my worst :) I'll need all the encouragement I can get. I'll be wearing a white shirt with the flaming board shorts. Way too hot for the top half of my race duds. Throw some water on me if you see me.

good luck tomorrow Rattler - stay cool!

Thanks JD, same to you. If I can find you after the race I'll buy you a PBR. Do you know if any FRBers are planning to do the after race party at House of Blues?

lol!if i were in Boston i'd probably have to check that out. with my pace, i'm going to have to wait until i'm 60 yrs old to qualify for this race.

Bummer. I thought you were here too.

Just say "Flame on!!" as your chute opens. Take my word for it, it helps! Good luck, buddy!

It is going to be a great day Monday (today) I'm watching the times come in right now...I know you're doing good!

Phew, you made it! I hope you were taking it like a nice stroll and not dying from heat exhaustion! Way to endure a hot, tough day.

I wish I could say it was a nice sunny training run, but the heat kicked my @ss! Scorching heat, pop stop, projectile otterpop vomit, calf cramps... This time was absolutely the best I had in me today.

Rattle.... saw you at Mile 19 and I let go of a loud "Yeah Baby RattleTRAAAAP!" Thanks for the high five, you were looking good when I saw you!

What was your BIB number?

What happened to Preston? He must've been really bad off, unless he stopped for a beer. Looks like he walked the last 6-8 miles? I hope he is OK!

Does anyone know if Amy started...or finished?

Ah...I found her: 4:42:03

Yeah, Amy did pretty well, considering. She actually picked up the pace the last 10k, as did RattleTrap. Great job, both of you!

Amy almost beat Preston :)

Way to go Rattle... I know it was rough out there...!

OH MY GOSH! I need the full report! Otter pop vomit? Projectile? With those crowds? I hope you did not spray anyone!!!!

Now that I can see your face close up....I know I saw you at Boston. I remember seeing your red hair, but didn't know you had a goatee! Dang! I would have loved to chat with you for a bit!

The heat was unbearable. I felt like I was going to puke from 8 on. I am glad you slowed down so that you could make it to the finish line. I think because we have trained in such cool temps.....it just did us in! Congratulations on finishing a tough marathon!

Thanks Amy. I was so happy for you when I saw the final text where you crossed the finish line and got your medal. This was the toughest and slowest marathon ever for me. I hope it's raining and so cold that I have to wear gloves at Big Sur 10 days from now :)

10 days! I hope you recover fast! I'm actually feeling a little better today and it isn't hurting to walk as much. yay!!!!

I remember where I saw you....I was walking to the tent and wave 1 was walking to get in line and I was looking for you and others. I saw you and didn't realize you had a goatee. Close up, you look different than what I had imagined in my mind! ha!

Recover? I didn't run fast enough to really need recovery. My quads are a little sore, but I did 10@7:07 after work last night without too much trouble. It helped that it was only 49 degrees outside :)

Hey Rattle...I'm not sure if I should say congradulations or I'm sorry... I know it was really tough out there. I've been reading all of the race blog reports and there's only a couple of people who ran a sucessful race (time wise). I thing those people were more ultra-marathoners who were used to the heat! All I can say is you'll have something to talk about for the rest of your life, you'll remember this race much more than if you'd have run a PR in good weather conditions. I hope you're not discouraged and will go back next year because I want to be there and up my speed so I can run with you!!!! Yeah!!

Hey man, you survived. I had a very similar experience. I just saw my finishing picture and there was one guy behind me with a 2000 bib number and the guy next to me had a 1000 bib number. Many, many of the 3 hour marathoners finished in around 4. When I finished there were as many runners going through the wave 1 chute as there were going through wave 2. They will be talking about this race for years to come. You can say you were in it!

IJR - I'm not disappointed at all. I had a great weekend with a good friend and got to run the Boston Marathon a second time. I think I would have preferred a PR over a PW, but I didn't really have anything to prove other than I could finish what I started, and everybody that finished this one beat last year's champ :)

derhammer - I noticed just the opposite; lots of higher numbers than mine around me. I think anyone that trained in a hot climate had a huge advantage this year and that is awesome for them. The last 5 miles were littered with runners getting medical attention and I was glad to be amongst the vertical. I'm really happy for everyone that finished this race regardless of time.

Hey Mike, you did a great job. Of all the people I was following on the web you seemed to be dealing with the heat the best overall. On the bright side, you may be set for a PR at Big Sur now, since Boston was so slow.

Scott - I don't know about a PR. Have you seen the Big Sur elevation chart?! Even with the hills, I'm still confident I can beat this year's and maybe even last year's Boston time. Before Monday I was a little worried about the cold, but now I welcome it.

Maybe not, but you'll be able to give a solid performance, and I bet you can beat last year's Boston time.

Great report, glad you were able to finish. Thanks for the pic. From everything I could see, the average finish in this race was anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour over PR. The guy who won my age group was from Texas -- we don't have a lot of fast runners here and something like that doesn't happen very often. One can get better at running in the heat, but why?

Nice run man! It was great to meet you on the plane ride out there.

I think you'll end up being able to run pretty well at Big Sur... assuming another heat wave doesn't roll through - you are DUE some good marathon weather karma now! :-)

Thanks Jake, After this race I feel a bit like a pilot saying "any landing I walk away from is a good one" :) Hopefully I can redeem myself 10 days from now. I'm not too worried about the weather at Big Sur, and my legs should be near 100% in another day or two. It will be more of a mental challenge for me after being beat down so badly in Boston. It was great meeting you and Andrea. Congrats again to both of you!

It's going to end up being a really good thing you decided to do the back to back challenge. After your tough race it'll be good to get right back out there and do another one.

Scott - I just wish it was on a more forgiving course. The elevation profile for Big Sur is pretty intimidating.

Do you know if they do text updates for Eugene? I don't want to wait to see how you and IJR do in your races. OKC has an android app to track runners.

I think there is an FB and Twitter option. I don't know about text updates.

I looked at Big Sur elevation chart...10, 11, 12 look tough but after that you should be flying :-)

I love your pics!!

10 at 7:07 already? WOW!!!

Hey, I think the heat may have been a blessing. It kept you ultra conservative in Boston and left it all in the tank for Big Sur. AND I totally know you can run hills because I read your blog!!!!

Scott - Did you sign up for the FB updates?

IJR - I doubt I'll be flying after climbing Hurricane Point unless I fall off a cliff :)

Teena - I had to show my quads who's boss and they didn't go down without a fight.

Kelli - Running without hills is like...

way to make the most of what sounds like a pretty brutal day on the course. no doubt you'll be well primed for Big Sur.

Oatmeal Stout is one of my favorite Sam Adams concoctions :-()

Hey way to tough it out! Next time I wont run up on you and say "Mike?" - Now that it has passed, I can say the look on your face was kinda funny. I agree that we beat last years winner and you are already primed for your next big one.

Nice job racing in those conditions Mike! Be sure to tell me when you and Scott are getting that pizza and beer; I want to come too!

Glad that you had a good Boston experience even with the heat. Sorry that the weather didn't cooperate. Hopefully you will get to go back again under more normal conditions.

Love the swag!

Since you had no choice but to dial it back at Boston, what are your goals for Big Sur? I bet you could have demonstrated mastery over your quads in maybe 5 miles. Nice job on the 10. You are a workhorse.

Already back to you'te old self I see...:-) well, I don't literally old... Hope the quads feel better soon.

Kam - Everything I've heard and read so far tells me Big sur is not a PR course so I'm not getting my hopes up. A bq time(3:25) would be nice, but at this point my plan is to enjoy the scenery and finish strong. Just completing this one will qualify me as a "Marathon Maniac" which is kind of cool. I'll probably start at 7:15ish and adjust from there depending on how I feel.

IJR - My quads are feeling great already. Going for a run in Winnemucca at 4300' this morning after 750 miles on the bike yesterday.

Wow... You're tough...and up early!

Awesome run Mike ... so soon! It was great seeing you on the course Monday ... even though it was a tough day, you hung tough ... Congrats!

I ran Big Sur a couple years ago. There are some really tough hills, pretty tough course the whole way! My advice ... enjoy it, it is one of the most spectacular places you will ever run ... if not the most spectacular! I took about 100 pictures along the way, was not too concerned with my time! Best of luck!

Walmart running... did you push any carts?

No carts. I get enough of that in my neighborhood.

Nice run! Looks like your coming back quickly and will be ready for Big Sur!!

I've got a 2 mile stretch on my loop that is all uphill, it doesn't look that bad but it sure takes it out of you.

I was hoping it would be easier today. No such luck. Probably harder since I was thinking about the hill all the way out.

Any gnats? Gnats are the worst in Bullhead City.

No gnats this time. I think it's too hot for them.

Maybe the wind is the worst in Bullhead City.

Why do you not sound enthusiastic about this run...? Oh, I know because you didn't write "HOORAY"...welcome to summer! It was still a good run!

You have hair?

DL...didn't you notice he wrote "hair" not "hairs" ... So yes he has one!

RT,

Have fun on your ride to Big Sur and in the race!

That will be a great way to check out the course! I hope you get nice weather.

What? You have another race? Are you kidding? What race are you running this weekend?

Time with your wife sounds great! I wish I was headed to a beach with my sweetie! I hope you have a great weekend!

Good luck at Big Sur....I hear it's a really really fun marathon and they have a very unique finishers medal!!!! Take lots of photos to add to you race report!!!

great job Mike, congratulations on your race!! I have heard that the course is really tough. Just for your information -- the 1/2 marathon (in November) is MUCH easier (course-wise) and the hotels might be a little better too ;-).

Way to tough it out!

Great report, glad you were able to combine that second honeymoon with an o-dark-thirty scramble to the bus. Can't imagine doing a complete marathon in wind like that, congratulations on a gutsy run.

Nice RATTLE! Enjoy your honeymoon! Ha ha! Great race in adverse conditions!

Great report,the presence race report had me laughing, be sure to put on my places to stay. Nice windy race!

Way to gut it out in the wind. It sounds like getting to the start was one of the most challenging parts of this marathon experience.

Great race & report! That is a fantastic time on that course ... not even considering the wind & the fact you ran Boston 2 weeks earlier! Congratulations!! I had similar wind the year I ran it ... your report brought back vivid memories of cresting Hurricane Point thinking it would be time to coast ... only to get slammed in the face with a howling headwind! :)

Way to go man! Glad you were able to recover quickly from Boston and run another very strong marathon!

Ha ha... you could have run a 4 hour marathon and I would still have considered it a success with the excitment of the race report. A honeymoon suite for only $33...that's a bargin! Good run RT, glad you enjoyed it!!

I WANT PICTURES!!!

Great job on the race, so sorry about the wind. Wind and hills are a very bad mixture, but it looks like your super human powers pulled you through them both!

Great race report... So, when are we getting a beer and pizza?

great job - two strong marathons so close together! one of these days you're going to hit perfect weather conditions on marathon day and it's going to turn into a sub-3 fest!

Sounds like an awesome race.

Sounds pretty damn romantic. I don't know how you focused on the race.

Man I know what it's like to have to have your coffee. Good story.

You are one straight up, Harley ridin', Marathon killin' bad ass!! Way to go in Boston and now at Big Sur! Seriously strong performances and a true testament to your skills. My doorag is off to you!

Congrats on a great race!

Great job on the double RT! Sounds like you had a fun time and a great experience.

Mike, you are awesome, great race!

Thanks for all the nice comments everybody! It means a lot to me that you take time to read my blog and share your thoughts about my running adventures. I posted a few pics from the race now that I am back home with access to a computer. Don't be fooled into thinking I was enjoying myself on the course; they just have great photographers :)

@Carl - Fridays are the best time for a pizza run.

LOVE Zombie girl, I noticed her before you and your flashy outfit! And your wife is adorable.

She's definitely looking directly at your brains. Good thing you stayed a-"head" of her.

Where do you put your pictures online to be able to link them in the blog? Flickr?

Scott - You know what they say about zombie girls right? They're the only ones that will really love you for your brains :)

I use dropbox.com for my online file storage

I've been trying to read this for a couple of days. I had the window opened on my laptop. In fact, when I before I refreshed it Preston was the last one to leave a comment, and there were no pictures. I'm a horrible friend.

But great job! You're a strong runner. And "other business taken care of." I know what you mean. You know I know what you mean.