3 Goals

1. First & foremost, the fueling on the long runs for the marathon distance

I refuse to let my 3rd attempt to run a sub 3:55 be a failure due to an upset tummy.
I was given a rehydrate gel by Lauren R. to try & I've been told by more than one person to try the honey stinger gels. I've tried a lot of different things over the years but I know there's more out there that I can experiment with over the next few months. I've been picking the brains of the "fast" marathoners in our club.

2. Run a 1:45 half marathon
Where & When? Not sure yet…I believe that with more speed work, I can do it. There….I put it out   there in "blog land" so I know that I'll definitely go for it. LOL! Where to find one that's flat & not too terrible warm will be the bigger challenge.

3. Run under 3:55 in the marathon by the end of 2013
Kate J. made me feel pretty good about the whole missing the goal thing this week. She told me she was really proud of my two sub 4 hour marathons this year. Last year at this time I was struggling with getting my pace down to run sub 2 hr half marathons even though I had done it years before…..
When she told me she was proud of me, it dawned on me how far I've come. A year ago, I didn't really even have the "idea" in my head to run a sub 4 hour 26.2 let alone obtain a boston qualifying time. So, dang it, I'm damn proud of my 3:56:49 New Orleans marathon & then 8 weeks later a 3:58:56 Carmel Marathon time.  I put in the work & even though I missed my goal, I ran injury free & faster than I ever have for the marathon distance.  Go me!  ;-P

How am I feeling?
I feel pretty awesome! I'm practicing patience right now in a big way, though. LOL! I jogged a 10:17 pace for 3 flat miles Wednesday before joining the "Couch to 5k" program that the club is organizing. I helped time a few women for their ½ mile time trial. They did great. During the half mile my right calf muscle let me know that it had run a marathon 4 days earlier by tightening up. It has since loosened up by way of the elliptical & me stretching the bejesus out of it. I've got a massage this afternoon & she's going to work on the calves for sure.

What have I been doing this week?
This week I've hit my weights since I missed doing them last Sunday. I have been on the bike, the elliptical, done some yoga, & P90X ab ripper. I appear to be bouncing back just as quickly after Carmel as I did after New Orleans. I may not "Run like Roy" but I may be "Recovering like Roy". For those not familiar with Roy T. in our run club, it's nothing for him to run a 50k trail race one weekend & then the next weekend run a marathon. That's exactly what he did when he ran New Orleans one week after doing a 50k race!

This weekend:
I've always said that I would like to volunteer at the Country Music Marathon/half Marathon sometime & this year is the year to do it. I'm extremely excited about being at the finish line. I hope the rain holds off for the runners. Sunday I'm planning to run 6 miles in Crockett Park at a conservative pace. If the legs feel good, I'll pick it up for another 2 miles at a faster pace to test them & of course I plan to be in the gym.

What's next?
May 4th: Rutherford Relay for JDRF (My "legs" total 13 miles)
May 18th: Viola Half marathon (No PR but heat & hill training, baby!)
June 15th: help out with the 5k that the "Couch to 5k" folks are doing at the end of their training
June 22nd: Inaugural Franklin Half marathon (No PR but more heat & hill training!)
July 4th: Firecracker 5k

Beyond this is another Fall marathon & the CIM in Sacramento Dec 8th.
This week there's been lots of chatter via email & in Uncle Bud's Wednesday night as to what Fall marathon we want to do. For now, we'll keep it a secret until we're done chit chatting about it.
What I love about NRC is that it's a club where more than a few of us with the same goals can put our heads together & give each other advice. I think that's the thing I like most about this club that we're now calling it the "Nolensville Run Family".