I got sick right after my previous post and I had to skip almost a full week of running. But I did come for the November 12 week at full force: 60 miles. Same for the week of November 19: Despite traveling to the coast and back, I managed to run 60 miles, the last bit of which I ran Sunday night at around midnight in cold rain, after I drove all day. "This is the training that wins races" I told myself, "not the ones on pretty, sunny days."

I was very busy on Monday, so I took a rest day, and in the morning rush on Tuesday, I messed up a bit and I thought that this week would be the early start of the marathon training (in fact it is December 3, or maybe even December 4, if I consider that the goal race is on a Monday). So I quickly looked at the plan, and it started with an LT run: 9 miles with 4 at LT pace. It was brutally cold outside, so I just picked up my gym clothes and I went to gym in the afternoon.

2 miles of warmup at 8:30-ish pace, and then I set the treadmill at 9.5 mph (6:18 pace). I was OK for about a mile. Then I realized that this wasn't going to happen: so I steadily slowed the TM down to 9.3 mph (6:27 pace) until I reached mile 3. I was already pretty exhausted, so I decided to slow even more - I computed that even with the slow start of the treadmill from 0 mph I would average 6:30 pace if I slowed the TM to 9.1 (6:36 pace), so I did that in two steps. I ended up finishing the 4 miles in 25:55 (6:29 average). I finished the workout with an excruciating 3 miles of cooldown.

From all of this I'm guessing that my LT pace may be around 6:30, or a bit slower: VDOT of 53. Better than a few weeks ago, but it's not enough for a 3 hour marathon. But that's fine, I guess. I have several months to go.

One issue is my weight. I still weigh about 155 pounds, which is about 10 pounds over my ideal racing weight.

Bottom line is that I'm not actually starting the hard training this week, so I'll just run easy 9's and and 15 in the weekend. Then I'll still have to make the decision if I should start on December 10 (or even 11) or December 3 (or 4).

60-mile week is finished! The first since February! I actually felt OK even after the 15-miler yesterday (and with some cold I caught).

Time to add some small amount of quality. I have 4 or 5 weeks (depending on when I start, depending on if we go to Florida in December) of fitness training. I'll decide tonight what I'll do, but I'll keep myself at 60 MPW. That way this cycle will be on solid base, and since it's 18 weeks, it won't be rushed. I have good feelings.

One more thing to consider is to run the Polar Bear Grand Prix again this year. Esther is into it, and maybe the rest of the family, too. First race for that is December 8.

Training is as planned for now. I'm on the way to my first 60-mile week. It's not easy. The 10% increase in mileage every week is taking a toll on me, and I'm constantly tired. My paces are typically 7:30-8:15, which is fine, but I feel like I couldn't go much faster. Patience! Once I'm comfortable at 60 MPW, I can try to measure my VDOT. Though by then it'll about time to start the 18-week plan for Boston.

Maybe it's actually good this way. I might just peak at the right time. Dreaming of a 3-hour Boston...