Week 6 and we are about halfway there.

 Yep, 7 more weeks to go until Marathon Day.

 This past week was a good one and a bit of a confidence boost. I had 39.2 miles for the week with only four days of running but that was mostly good quality stuff. As I've said before, one of the hardest things building back the mileage is mentally facing the long time alone running. Once you've been keeping runs between 60 to 90 minutes for a long time, it's easy to talk yourself out of staying out for 2 hours and more but it's coming back to me.
 Here is how the week looked.

Sun: 8 miles in 1:11:28. Solid run at BQ pace
Mon: none
Tue: none
Wed: 6 miles in 51:34. This was a great track workout as I started with the yasso 800's. 6x 800 in 3:53 to 3:55, which is about my lactate threshold pace now.
Thu: 6 easy along the Neuse in 54:29
Fri: none
Sat: 19.2 miles in 3:20:02. My longest run in 18 months and my initiation into The Fellowship of Idiots. Up to the top of Morrow Mountain and back. Ran well the whole way other than short walk breaks on the steepest parts of the hills.
Sun: none

 Another decent week of cross training also with 4 bodyweight/calisthenics strength workouts and  2 core workouts but I was slacker with the yoga. Not sure how that got away from me but I'll get back to work on that this coming week.

Week 5 of Marathon training. Back at it.

 I finally felt like I had recovered completely from the 25k race weeks ago with the zip returning to my legs. The week started off with temperatures well above normal and I ran my track workout shirtless but by Friday it was in the 40's again for highs. The weekly total was only 32 miles but I got in some quality miles and that number should grow over the next few weeks until I race again.

Sun: Rest
Mon: 6 miles in 54:30 along the Neuse
Tues: Rest
 Wed: Great workout of 5x1K at 10K race pace. 6 Miles total in 51:50
Thu: 4 easy at Smith Creek Greenway 36:18
 Fri: Strong 12 along the Neuse with a nice negative split. 1:48:49 (9:04 pace)
Sat: 4 easy from home in 35:37.

 Cross training was great this week with two body weight workouts, two core sessions, 1 weights and core workout at the gym. Got a little slack with the yoga with only two 40 minute sessions.

 Looking ahead if things go well I could have my biggest mileage week in a couple of years helped by doing the 19.7 mile Fellowship of the Idiots run next Saturday. Stay tuned for that one.

Week 4 of marathon training. Recovery.

 This was planned as a recovery week after last Saturdays 25K race which was my longest race and run in 18 months. The good news is that I had practically zero soreness and no aches and pains. The bad news is it seems to have worn me down more than I expected. I think a lot of that is due to the warm and humid conditions. Ended up with 26 miles for the week with no long run or workout. Hopefully I'll be feeling up to resuming the harder training in the coming week.

 Sun: Rest
 Mon: 4 easy in 36:23 along the Neuse.
 Tue: rest
 Wed: 6 easy in 54:54 along the Smith Creek Greenway
 Thu: 6 easy along the Neuse in 53:40. Finally felt a little zip.
 Fri: 5  easy in 46:13 from Mill Bridge Nature park. Sluggish.
 Sat: 5 miles in Umstead. Super slow and tired. 49:04.

 I did a decent job off keeping up the cross training this week with four body weight workouts, one core session and four 40 to 45 minute yin yoga sessions.

 Time to move along. BQ is waiting as long as I do the work.

week 3 of marathon training.

 This 3rd week was not so much a training week as a taper and race week, starting with a day off and ending with the Salem Lakeshore 25K. The race didn't go as planned. Not really sure why. I went out at a reasonable pace but just never felt right. Maybe the 100% humidity on an above average warm day was a factor. Anyway, I got in the miles and the longest run since August 2018 so I'll take that as a positive. Here is the weekly runs. No workout this week.

 Sun : Rest

 Mon: 5 easy 46:10
Tue: 6 easy in Umstead 54:30
 Wed: 4 easy 35:59
 Thur: 4 easy with strides 36:17
 Fri: rest
 Sat: 15.5 race 2:27:27.

 I kept the cross training light this week also with two 30 minute body weight sessions, no weights, one 20 minute core session and one 45 minute yin yoga.

 I'll take it easy a few days to recover from the race and hopefully resume normal training . See you next week.

2020, Here I come. Looking ahead.

 I am thankful and happy to be heading into the new year in good health and in decent shape and with confidence for some good performances. Once again, I have nothing really epic planned but there are several goals, a couple of which I had for last year but failed to achieve. The first big goal is to get a Boston Qualifier and until that is done I can't make a lot of plans for  beyond March right now but I can put a couple on the calendar. Goal #2 is to return to The Cotton Row Run 10k in Huntsville and improve on my 2018 time, hopefully with a sub 48 time or better and a podium would be nice. I had to cancel the attempt last year due to a  nagging calf injury. And the 3rd big goal is to go back to the Virginia 10 miler and run my fastest time there in about 20 years and finally make the top 3 in my age group.

 So here is what I'm looking at for the year so far. Mostly speculation at this point but I'll post an update sometime in the Spring when I know more. Could be some surprises if things go well in March.

Jan 4th: The Salem Lakeshore Frosty 25K
Jan 25th: The Fellowship of the Idiots. Not a race but an organized 19.7 mile run to the top of Morrow Mountain and back.

 Feb 29th: The Ellerbe Half Marathon. Hopefully a sub 1:50 on this hilly course and hang out with MTC friends

 Mar 15th: The Tobacco Road Marathon. This is my BQ attempt. Aiming for 3:55 but 4:00 should guarantee a spot in Boston. Until this is done I can't commit to too many other events but I'll post a few things Im definitely doing and a few others that are good possibilities.

 Apr: Depends on the marathon but if I come close but need another attempt I'll schedule one towards the end of the month. Otherwise I'll do a few shorter races this month.

 May: Cotton Row is on memorial Day.

June: ?

July: Maybe Grandfather Mountain Marathon. It's been several years. I've wanted to give the Senior Grandmasters title a shot since turning 60  but twice had to cancel due to injury and then last year I went to Boilermaker. Maybe this will be the year. I really wanted a sub 4 if I could have gone in 2016 but I don't know if I'll ever have that in me again.

 Aug: Maybe return to the High Country Half or just some 5k's

 Sept: Virginia 10 Miler is the last Sat of the month.

 Oct: Probably a half marathon or two. Maybe a 5k in the mix.

 Nov. I'm planning on a Fall marathon. Will either be Mid to late Nov or early early Dec but nothing picked out just yet.