Test Time!

After two long weeks of building up my milage finally a cutback week! However, I am not going to be relaxing much because I have chosen to use this cutback week to test my training at the Jacksonville Marine Corps Half Marathon this Saturday. My goal time for this race is 1:50-1:53 and I feel that if I can hit that time and continue my training as planned there should be no reason not to PR in Las Vegas for the marathon (sub 3:59). My current 1/2 marathon PR is 1:48 and I ran that last November. Right now the temperature in Jacksonville for Saturday is calling for a low of 64 degrees and a high of 78. It would be amazing to have the starting temperature around 64-65 degrees, as my recent long runs have been in the 80's.
Wish me luck at Jacksonville!

My 17 mile run this past weekend wasn't my strongest ever. The temperature was already at 80 degrees at 4am & the training group I run with on Saturday usually supplies gatorade and water every two miles, but the group organizer didn't make the run and there was no fluids on route. I need to somehow get on the email list for the Blue Shark Running Team because I would have been more than happy setting up the fluids for everyone before I started my run.

Running Schedule This Week

7 mile run DONE - Sunday
Spin Class or 4 mile run Tuesday
5k at 1/2 marathon race pace Wednesday
Cross train Thursday
Rest Friday
13.1 mile RACE on Saturday

Check out the shirt that I will receive at the Jacksonville Marine Corps 1/2 Marathon...



And here is a bridge that I will run across during the 1/2...

Building up the miles

Long Run Training Report

Saturday September 17, 2011
16 miles  -- 4:15am -- average pace: 10:15/mile

I have to run early in Tampa so I started my long run early to beat the heat.  The temperature was still hovering around 80 degrees at 4:15am.  I ran with Mike & Miriam (another runner also ended up joining us partway through our run) for the 1st 6.5 miles and then met up with the Blue Shark Running Team for the supported loop.

I would have liked to go faster.  My long run goal time is to stay around 9:30/mile.  This was very easy to do when I lived in Chicago and ran my longer runs in much cooler weather.

Training This Week (9/19-9/25)
Midweek Runs:  4 miles, 5 yasso 800's in 3:45per 800 and a 8 mile run
Saturday Long Run: 17 miles -- I will be starting at 4:00am once again to beat the heat.

Upcoming Race Info.


Next weekend I signed up for the Jacksonville Marine Corps 1/2 Marathon.  I am using this race to judge my fitness.  My goal time for the Jacksonville Marine Corps 1/2 Marathon is 1:50-1:53.  Based on the McMillan running calculations that will put me at a 3:52 --- 3:58 marathon time.  I am hoping for a 3:49 marathon time.

Las Vegas Training Schedule

Here is my training schedule for the Las Vegas Marathon. So far I am right on track. It is an adapted version of the intermediate Hal Higdon marathon training program.

What do you think? (Click on the photo below to enlarge)

Las Vegas, Goofy, Miami!!

It's almost that time of the year again... marathon training! Once again I was not accepted into the New York City marathon so I had to find another marathon option. With the help of some friends I chose the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas marathon as my main marathon distance race this year. One of the main reasons I chose this race is because unlike previous years the Las Vegas marathon will be run during the night. The marathon also will have a cutoff time of 4:30 - which should force me to run a fast race. After reading online reviews of previous Las Vegas marathons it looks like the major complaint was that you run the first 13.1 miles on the strip and then the final 13.1 on back industrial desert roads. This year the marathon will be ran on the industrial desert roads during the first 13.1 miles and the final 13.1 miles I'll be ran on the strip. This course adjustment will be perfect because when I have the most energy I won't need the excitement of the strip to get me through the race & once the initial 13.1 miles is complete I'll be running the strip to the finish line. My hopes are that the excitement of running on the Las Vegas Strip will push me through in a time of 3:45. We will see what happens!!! My hotel is booked at the Excalibur (next to the start / finish line) and my flight is reserved. My training plan started 8/1. Another marathon & another state to check off my list.

As if training for one marathon is not enough I decided spur of the moment to register for the 2012 Disney Goofy Challenge. For those of you who do not know what the Goofy Challenge is, it's a double race. I will be running the Walt Disney World 1/2 Marathon on Saturday followed by the
Walt Disney World Marathon on Sunday for a total of 39.3 miles in two days. The Goofy Challenge falls exactly 4 weeks after the Las Vegas marathon, this should allow my enough time to recover & provide me enough strength to get though the intense distance that the Goofy Challenge provides.

If you didn't think running the Goofy challenge wasn't enough... I also signed up for the Miami marathon. This race is only a couple of weeks after the Goofy Challenge. I signed up for the Miami marathon right after the 2011 race took place for an unbelievable deal..$40. I figure that I won't PR at Miami but it will be a fun race and there will be some great sights to see.

This blog will follow my running journey as I train to complete these three exciting races. I hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy putting in the 91.7 miles!

-Jim

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