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2 weeks away

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The Illinois marathon is under 2 weeks away and I can't wait. It has been a long time coming.

Miles
intervals
tempos
400's
long runs
and The Wind.

Wind has been a constant companion these last three months of training. Lots of wind, fast wind and cold wind. But hopefully, that will make me a little stronger and a little better.

It is going to be 26.2 miles of champaign-Urbana, a place I have been around since the 5th grade. I haven't always lived here but I have been around. Knowing the route so well has me a little worried i might get bored. I mean, isn't that some of the allure of running a marathon. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the different locale?

Training has been great the last few weeks. 2 weeks ago I went 16.5 miles at 10:17 pace on average. I went out fast and it felt good. I just coldn't hang and the last 3 miles showed it on my quarter-mile pacing. But I ran a half faster than I ever had. Last Saturday was 10 miles - 5 out and 5 back - first half was into the wind but splits were amazing on the way back. Finished right a 10 minute pace.

So, I am ready. Let the days and hours count down to the start of the first Illinois marathon. Look next Friday or morning of for my goal time. I will post two of them. My goal time and my awesome, I am Craig Virgin time.

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Guess what???

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yea, track practice again.

Wednesday night
at the Armory
200 meter track
sigh??

2 miles at a much faster pace
why? stupity.
But I held on to an 8:40 pace for 2 miles
not sure what else i ran because the TNT team showed up early
Armory was closing early due to high school track meet

i had the team run fartleks
so i ran with most everyone
pushed them
timed them
they hate me

now if i can put 24 more miles together at that pace i got a 3:47 marathon
not boston qualify but close
someday i will make boston my bitch

as the romans said - so  it was written, so it shall be done

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Beautiful day to run

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Here in central Illinois it was a beautiful day to run. 

Winds were calm.
Temps in mid 60s
Humidity a little high
Great TNT runners
What more could I ask for? more energy in the legs maybe.

But overall, it was great. I ran good for the first leg with spring members (about 4.8m) next leg pretty good running with my team member (about 4.2m). Then ran a fast 1.2m with CH. He ran my pace but you know howyou always run harder when running a much faster partner (mile 11 at 9:42). And ran the last 4 miles off and on with another TNT member who is suffering from a quad problem. If you read this KS - GO TO THE DOCTOR!!!

Anyway, all in all 15.25 miles in 2hr 33min. My log says 2h43 but I am subtracting stopping time and doing coaching duties (water/gatorae/gels/beans) for my troops. That gives me a 10:02 pace. 

Which makes me right on target for 4:30 marathon. Not sure i could pull the last 11 miles off in just under 2 hours though. I was feeling it so bad I haad dry heaves towards the end. I think it was too many Powerade gel blasts and not enough fluid.

But I still have 32 days and 9 hours to go as I right this. Maybe 10 hours.Do those countdown widgets no that the clocks were moved up this weekend? 

Hey, RunnerSusan, if you are reading, can your sister answer that?

great run for me though. I was happy again.

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Truly a great story

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 was just messing around at work and read this amazing story that was in the Nov/Dec 2007 issue of "Marathon and Beyond". If you have never read this magaizine/book, you should try it. It comes out 6 times a year and has really great stories and advice.


Anyway, it is by Dean Karnazes (yes, that Dean) and it starts as he finished the 50th of 50 marathons in 50 days. As he decides to run home - home is San Francisco - Dean is in New York City.

It is a story of wwhat running is, a story of ourselves, a story of finding oneself.

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Catch up - Bad blogger

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I have been reading everyone blogs that I normally read and many, many others. Plus a bunch of running related sites. Plus working at work - I  know, what's up with that?


Anyway here is the rundown in bullet form
  • Last Friday night I went to Foellinger Auditorium at saw the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra. It was awesome. Instead of just Mozart or Brahms played as wrote, they jazzed things up with a Celtic flair. And they played originals with dancer and singers. It was a good time for me and girlfriend.
  • Marathon training last Saturday was well worth the drive to Chicago. Did you know parking meters there are 25 cents for 7 minutes. Damn!. So I risked it and did not get caught. Training - awesome, given a physical therapist. She used me as the class dummy and I have to say I did well. If she put her hand on my ass one more time I was going to make her buy me pizza. Afterall, I easy, not cheap. It was/is a great training for TNT. My understanding is Illinois may be the only state to train their coaches. 
  • Sunday - supposed to be my makeup long run. Guess what? Yay, no run. Did work around the house a little. Did my favorite thing and looked at open houses in the area. Just makes me thankful I have the place I do when I see these little patches of grass and houses not much bigger than mine for 400k. 
  • Wednesday was track practice. I had a different team member show up and come out. That was an awesome thing. I ran 3.5 miles at tempo. Last 2 weeks I had run at a 9:18 pace. This time I was doe to a 9:06 pace for 3.5 miles. Time to up the distance to at least 4 and see how I do. I may try that on Saturday. Run the short out and back twice in a low 9 pace. 
  • Last night my boyz came by the man-cave to watch our Fightin Illini have a game well under control to only go cold the last 5 minutes and let the other team win. We really need a finisher on this team. No one wants to step up and be the man on this team. I can't wait for next year with the man-boys we got coming in.
  • This Saturday - long run, up to 18 miles. I really, really need to get a long run in. I haven't done one since my marathon last June. The spring team is doing 18, so I will run with them for 5 and then run with my team for their 5 and hopefully get another 5 in after them. That's the plan.
Ok, you are caught up and I am caught up in all your blogs. Even stevens. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Bwaahaaa!!!!

Oh yeah, one more thing. This has been weighing on me tremendously lately. I am not a fast runner. I am not a good runner. But I really want to run Boston. I thought about cheating and fund raisiing my way in. But how would that make me feel. I want to earn it. I want to know that I deserve to be there. It means running a 3:30 qualifier. It means run 8 minute miles. 

I can run an 8 mile. I might be able to run 2.2 of them back to back. But what about the other 24. That is the issue. I believe this is why I have pushed my track practice so hard. It is working. If I pull a 4:30 or better in April, it might be game on. 

I know some of you are planty fast enough but how about others that are slow like me (4:55 PR). Do any of you have an inkling to do Boston? To attempt the pinnacle of American marathoning if not top of the world? I know if I did qualify then the pressure I would put on myself to do well in the race itself would be huge. Am I fantasizing too much? Afterall, I will be 46 next month, I was never a high school or college runner. I am just Joe Average Couch Potatoe reaching for a dream.

But this dream is starting to take over, starting to be an obession.

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