Breaker, Breaker, 10-4

I thought of something sort of weird today. I seem to run "Breaker" marathons. So far this year I have run the Icebreaker Marathon and the Trailbreaker Marathon. I am also contemplation running the JailBreak Marathon in April. Why is everything breaking? I don't think I broke the trail as I ran on it. I most certainly did not break the Ice because I never stepped foot on it, I just ran 5 feet from it the entire time. Most of all, I do NOT want to break the jail. The last thing I need when running a marathon is to have to contend with convicts also running "away" from the jail. All of these marathons are in Wisconsin. Are things breaking here? I could go on and on about the stuff I do think are breaking but I will spare you all my opinions and not offend anyone . . . today.


Anyways, here are a few pictures of me during the Trailbreaker Marathon. Look, the trail does NOT look broken.

I look a little stumpy here in the arms. It was cold and this was just past 1 mile. there I go advertising the WELS Kid's Marathon.

This is right in the middle of the bike trail. Probably close to mile 6 or 7 here. The orange shirt came off at mile 10 1/2.

Here I come into the finish. Don't you love it when when they get you in a funny pose. i must have been deep mid breath with my mouth that wide open.

Recovery Run, not Quite

I did a recovery run today after work that didn't feel anything like a recovery run. It sort of felt like the last few miles of a marathon. Mike joined me for 5 miles and my quads were tight and sore. Should I have run? Maybe not, but it was a nice afternoon and it was good to at least get out there. It certainly wasn't fast. We averaged about 8:55 per mile. The best part was that we finally got on the bike trail for the first time this spring. I like the trail because it is crushed limestone so it is softer on the legs.

There are a few more races that I am eyeing up in the spring and in the fall. Some are local and some are a bit of a drive away. Some may be training runs and some might be for a fast time. Some might be 5K's and some as long a marathons. Am I being a bit vague here? Sure, but here is a hint, it might involve the states of Wisconsin, North Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, and Tennessee. Stay tuned and I will tell you all about it.

Race Report: Trailbreaker Marathon

Today was the Trailbreaker Marathon in Waukesha, WI and I ran a good 26.2 mile training run.

I ran this race the past 2 times they had it in 2007 and 2009 (they skipped 2008) and last year I wrote a not so great review of the race. One of the guys on the race committee contacted me and asked for details on my opinions of how they could improve. I was very interested in see what they did improve on and what they did not. I am happy to say that they did improve on a few things and not on others.

The race started in Waukesha a Frame Park at 8:00AM with sun and in the lower 30's. The wind was blowing a bit bit not bad at all. There were a little over 100 starters in the race. Before the race, I decided to wear shorts and a long sleeve technical shirt as well as a singlet. I also wore my WELS Kid's Marathon tshirt over this and was planning on dropping it off at mile 10. I actually made 2 contacts with other runners about the Kid's Marathon because I was wearing the shirt. That was fun. The plan was for me to run this as a training run and relax as much as possible and if I felt good at mile 20, then maybe see what I could eek out for a time. I was suppose to go out at 9:30 pace until the extremely hard trail and just make it through the trail. I am glad to say I stuck to the plan and it worked well.

The first 8 miles were sunny then the clouds came out. At mile 10.5, they have a unique feature in this race. There is a "Bag Drop" where runners can give the committee a bag full of whatever you want and they will bring it out there along the bike trail for you. You pass this location at mile 10.5 and at mile 16.5. By the time I reached my bag, I was right about at 9:30 pace. I took some salt and off I was to the Ice Age trail portion of the race. This is an off road portion with about 2.5 miles of grass and slightly muddy conditions and then 3.5 miles of rugged trails though the wood with lots of loose rocks and many hills. This is where the pace slows considerably.

I decided that when the hills were steep, I would walk up them instead of wasting energy running up for very little return. Right before the turn around is a very steep hill that has been converted to railroad tiled steps. At the top of this, you are required to climb the 40 foot observation tower and ring the cow bell at the top. It may be minor, but for the past few years, they have advertised a bell at the top of the tower but they didn't have it. I suggested they put it back and they did, so suggestion 1 taken!

With all the walking up the hill and tower steps and the walking down the loose rocks hill, I managed a very slow mile split of 15:04 but this was expected and not a big deal. I did manage to find one root with my foot and almost took a digger at mile 13.3 and got my hands dirty but at least I did not go fully down.

I got off the rugged trail and stopped at my bag again to refill my pockets with a couple GU packets and another packet of salt. I looked at my watch and the average pace was all the way down to 10:20. That is how tough the trail was. 11:27, 15:04, 11:43, and 10:44 were all on the trail and 2 other miles partially on the trail. Now it was time to go back and run on the paved bike trail and have 2 1/2 miles of railroad grade downhill to help. The next 2 full miles after to bag drop stop were 9:05 and 8:55. The legs were stiff but not too bad. The next 3 miles continued to be fast at 8:30, 9:00 and 8:57 so now I wanted to run the fastest time I could, plus I wanted to see if I could bring the average pace back to under 10:00.

I was passing a few runners on the trail which is always a fun thing and was only passed by a lady at mile 24 that I had been running with or near since mile 12. I was taking my usual 30 second walk breaks every 2 miles and that worked for me. I had brought along my fuel belt so i carried my own water. This was a good thing since they did not take my suggestion of more water stops. They had them at 3.5 miles, 7 miles, 10.5 miles, 13.5 miles, 16.5 miles, 20 miles and 23 miles. 7 water stops is not enough for a full marathon. so it was good of me to bring my own. Suggestion 2 not taken!

At mile 25, I rewarded myself with 1 last walk break and I found out later, this gave the guy about 75 meters behind me hope he could pass me. With 3/4 of a mile to go, i could hear his foot steps closing in and that is when I decided that this was not going to happen. I picked it up and gave all the effort I could so he did not pass me. It really wouldn't have been that big of a deal if he did pass me since this was only a training run but the competitive runner in me won out on that decision. I ended up running mile 26 is 8:38 just to keep in front of him. I ended up beating him by 20 seconds but I did not catch the lady who passed me at mile 24 by about 10 seconds or so.

I crossed the finish line in 4:16:09, a full 26 seconds faster than last year with an average pace of 9:47 per mile. I was happy with this time considering the course and my goals. Most people I talked to said the course make them 15 to 20 minutes slower (all on the Ice Age Trail) than a regular marathon so that means I did a bit better than expected. And right after the finish line, I received my first Trailbreaked Marathon Medal. In past years, they did not give the full marathoners a finishers medal and I suggested they change this and they did. Suggestion #3 taken. It is not a great medal by any means but it is also not the worst either. It is 2 inches by 1.25 inches and has the Trailbreaker logo on it. Hey, at least they got the medal, Kudos for the change.

After the race, I was able to get a free leg massage from the Lakeside School of Massage Therapy who was at the post race area. Tiffanie did a great job working out some of the knots that I got somewhere in the race. I may have to now make an appointment and get a full massage. I kept telling her it "hurt so good". She would work areas and it was painful but I knew it would help afterwards and it did. The post race area also improved their selections of food. They did not have chocolate milk :( but did have water, some flavored drink, bananas, apples, bagels and cinnamon rolls. Those were really good. And they had beer. And for the second straight marathon, I enjoyed a beer after and it was good. They also did not have an overly loud band blasting music not allowing anyone to talk to anyone else. So they took some of my advise on improving the post race area. Suggestion #4 taken.

The last thing I suggested they tried to do but did not do well at all. I suggested mile markers the entire race. In the past they has them at miles 1,2,3 and 4, and then the last 3 miles. This year they added a cone at mile 6, 7, 8, and 10, as well as 17, 19, 20, and 21. The problem is that the 6 mile cone was really at 6.2 miles. the 7 at 7.3 and all the way to mile 10 cone at 10.5 miles. This according to my garmin and since the race is on a bike trail and fairly straight during these miles, I knew it was not off. My garmin seems to be pretty accurate. On the way back, they used the same cones with a different number of the other side so the 17 mile cone was the other way off at 16.5 miles and then getting closer as we went along. Suggestion #5 not taken. It would be so easy to put these markers out accurately but they did not. Maybe next year.

I have now done this marathon 3 times and may do it again, maybe not. It is not a great marathon and it a tough one. I really have no desire to "race" this one but a training run may happen again. I am happy with my performance today all things considered. I am sore now but that is usual.

Just Signed Up For The Trailbreaker

I just signed up for the Trailbreaker Marathon about 15 minutes ago. Nothing like waiting until the last moment, registration closes in 45 minutes. This is the first time they have had a registration deadline. The last 2 times I ran this race, I drove in and signed up 45 minutes before the start. I would have preferred this way, but oh well, no complaints. Now I have no reason to wake up and say I am not doing it.

So a nice long 26.2 mile training run on Saturday. I found this YouTube Video that someone posted following them along the Trailbreaker in 2007. That was the first year I ran the full here. (They have a half marathon and 5K, both I have done in the past). The best part of this video is you can see some footage of the tower (Right at the 1:44 point in the video) that is required for us to climb and the nice stairs and hill we have to climb just below the tower. It is pretty brutal but all for fun.

I will tell you all how it goes on Saturday or Sunday.

What is Your Fall Marathon?

I had emailed a marathoning friend earlier this week asking her if she had chosen a fall marathon yet for this year. She said no. I asked because I saw that the Chicago Marathon is already full and the Lakefront Marathon in Milwaukee is filling fast. While I am not going to do either of those marathons, I still want to get in at least 1 if not 2 marathons this fall. My friends I run with have not chosen one yet either.

We are leaning toward 2 different ones but they are the same day so we obviously have to choose only 1 of them. They are the Grand Rapids Marathon in Michigan and the Des Moines Marathon in Iowa. My friend Mike is on a quest for all 50 states so does not want repeat a state. He may run a Michigan marathon this April which means he won't run Grand Rapids in October. This does not mean I won't though. Grand Rapids is one of my favorite marathons to date and I would love to run it again. I will have to do some research as to which marathons I will run this fall and when they will be.

As far as this spring, I may get another marathon in. Mike is going to Fargo, North Dakota in May and I might tag along. The problem is that it is only 2 weeks after the Lake Geneva Euro Cross Country "Marathon". I put that is quotes because it is only 22 miles but it is a trail run around Lake Geneva, WI right on the shore the entire way. So if I do sign up for Fargo, do I still run Lake Geneva? Not sure. Fargo could be a good course for a faster time. No guarantees I will go though.

I do have some bad news from my point of view. I will not be able to run this years Door County Half Marathon. That is a total bummer as I love the course and the race. Maybe next year.

So I ask you, "What is your Fall Marathon?" Please leave me a comment on your plans, I would love to hear them. And maybe, just maybe, you can sway me to think about a different race to do.

A Little Flat?

I went on my long run yesterday with Mike. We met at his place and were on the road by just before 6AM. IT was cool so we had the tights on and it was snowing. We were both hoping we were done with snow here but not the case. It is Wisconsin so we could have snow as late a May.

We had decided to run the usual looper route with the extended 3 miles that added some major hills. We both found one of the big and steep hills bothersome. Mike's knee bothered him by the top and because I had to run on my toes up the hill being so steep, my ankle was sore. We did keep up an OK pace for the run. We hit the half marathon mark in 1:59:40, a full 2:20 ahead of what I went through the half in at Albany.

Mike only ran 14 miles so he cut off and went home but I wanted to keep going a few more miles so I trudged along. About a mile later I started to tighten up. I had not taken my usual salt packet before or during the run but did drink water throughout the run. My left foot began to stiffen right in the arch. By 16.5 miles, I needed to stop and stretch it on the curb. Then in the last 3/4 of a mile, my left leg began tightening up. It thankfully did not cramp up. I did finish the 17 1/2 miles with an average pace of 9:08 so that was good.

While running the final few meters of the run, I noticed the back tire of my car was almost flat. It was not a full flat so luckily Mike had an air compressor and we were able to fill it up. We did hear the high pitched sound of the air seeping out though. I was able to quickly drive back to close to home and take it to Firestone for new tires. I needed new ones anyways so this wasn't that big of a deal. The big deal was the $500 I dished for them. At least it comes with lifetime tire rotation.

The run ended a little flat and the tire was a little flat. I am now pumped back up and ready to keep it going. The weather is looking good so far for a marathon this Saturday, at least for a training run marathon. Am I the only one who runs marathons occasionally as training runs?

Who Would Steal A Magnet?

My running schedule for the next 5 or 6 weeks will be a bit different and I need to adjust to make sure I get my runs in. I won't have any time to run after work, maybe 1 day per week. This means I need to get up early to run before work. I usually have some issues in the morning of I go for a run right away so I need to stay close to home or have something close by. Just the way I am I guess. So since the track nearby does not have one yet, I have decided to run around my neighborhood for quite a few laps. It is 0.7 miles to go one lap around (small neighborhood, I know) so it keeps me close in case of emergency. I am never more than a 1/4 mile from home.

So I ran 7 laps on Tuesday morning at 5:20AM. It was very dark and only a few car leaving for work as I ran my 7 laps. I felt like I was running fast in the dark but I ended up only going 9:00 pace. It really felt faster. So this morning I decided to run 7.75 laps and felt a little faster. Turns out I ran at 7:57 pace! I don't get it. I didn't feel that much faster. Weird, huh. I am going to keep running this route for the next few weeks though so I better get used to it. It is not that bad and at least it is dark otherwise I think the neighbors may think I am going crazy.

Tomorrow's plan is a long run with Mike. I think Mike is only going about 13 miles but I will continue to make it 17 or so. It will probably be a slower pace but mike may make it faster so I will have to be prepared for anything.

On another note, March Madness is well underway. I love the NCAA basketball tourney, always have. i especially love the upsets, that is unless it is my team being upset. As low and behold, my team has already been upset and it done. Marquette lost to Washington so I am bummer about that. Wisconsin avoided and upset today by Wofford so that is good. And for the second straight year, I had my girls fill out brackets (actually I filled them out by asking them). I love who the pick and why. My oldest picked North Texas to win it all. My middle girl chose St. Mary's (good luck with that one), an the youngest picked Pittsburgh, or as she called them giggling each time "Pittsburger". I am into 2 pool and chose Kansas in one and Kentucky in the other. Sorry if I didn't choose your team!

So something really pissed me off in Albany 2 weeks ago. on my van, I have a magnet in the shape of an oval that says 26.2. We all know what that is. Someone at the hotel in Albany stole it right off my van. I saw it the night before and when I was packing to leave, it was gone. Who would want a magnet like that except for a runner? And most runners are cool enough to not take those things. Perhaps it was someone who is not a runner stealing it for a runner friend or family member. Anyways, it pissed me off. I will get over it though.

After the Albany Marathon, I did have a vacation but some issues made it short. the girls and I did have some fun so I thought I would share a few pictures:

Have you ever seen a snowman in Panama City Beach? I wanted the let Florida see one!

We spent a day in Destin, FL. The girls saw some dolphins in the Gulf bobbing and jumping so I decided to make one myself. OK, I am not a great artist but I try.

On the way home, we spent the night in Nashville and visited the Opryland Hotel. This is a really cool looking hotel. I recommend a stop if you are ever in Nashville.

We also spent a night in Indianapolis and went to the NCAA Hall of Champions. It was almost empty to so had the place practically to ourselves. It was only $5 to get in so worth the price. Do you think the girls are ready for the gridiron?

My youngest may have a future in sprinting? Looks like good form to me, at least for a 4 year old.

A Few More Thoughts On The Albany Marathon

Some more quick notes on the Albany Marathon. I just checked some of the posts on MarathonGuide.com and agree with most of them. Someone wrote how they thought it was a hilly marathon, I am not sure what route they took but it wasn't at all. One guy mentioned it was hilly compared to Chicago, well, what other marathon isn't? (Besides the indoor ones?) Otherwise the posts were right on. A really good smaller town marathon that I recommend.

Here is a photo of the Finishers Medal. I would say that this one is a above average. It is a nice size and has some weight to it. Plus the design is nice. The date on the lanyard is also a nice touch. If you like medals, there is no reason to skip this one.

Here is a photo of the shirt. While it is a nice technical short sleeve shirt, and I like short sleeve as apposed to long sleeve, the design and color are awful. OK, maybe awful if you are a guy. I can't see myself wearing this one too often while out on runs. The guys in my group were making fun of it so I would definitely give it a thumbs down. Maybe your taste is different that mine and like it. Well, we can chalk it up to opposing opinions then.

I have not run since the marathon. This is the longest I have taken off of running in a long, long time. I was going to run with Mike on Saturday morning but I woke up to wind and rain and thought the bed seemed like a better choice. This morning I just wimped out. I will get back to it tomorrow though.

I am planning on running another marathon is just 2 weeks. The Trailbreaker Marathon in Waukesha, WI. I live only about 12 miles or so from the start/finish area. In any defence, it is only going to be a long training run marathon. No goals on time, just get out there and have a good run. It is a race I gave a lot of my opinions on to one of the guys on the race committee. I am curious whether they took some of my opinions and used them. They did use one already and are giving a finishers medal to the half and full marathons. I have run this one twice before, both as training runs, and this is the ONLY marathon I do not have a medal from. I also suggested mile markers since the only had them for the first 4 miles and the last 3. I also suggested a little better food after the event instead of popcorn. Who wants popcorn after a race?!?!

This race is considered one of the toughest in the US and I said not to change the course at all. It really is only difficult for miles 9 1/2 to 15 1/2. At just over halfway, you do have to climb an observation tower about 60 feet high. That is a lot of steps that are difficult but I don't like always running easy ones. And again, it is only a training run.

Race Report: Snickers Marathon Energy Bar Albany Marathon

Phew, that is one long name for a marathon. From now on I am going to call it the Albany Marathon. This race took place one week ago in Albany, Georgia. As far as an organized, well run, good course marathon, I would give it an A-. A very nice marathon indeed. A mostly good course, mostly flat and good crowd support. OK finish line but a nice finish area with extras.

As far as I ran, I did just what I wanted to. I ran a 3:58:51, a sub 4, YES! But I certainly didn't do it fully according to plan. So here is the entire race with my opinions and report on how I did:

Paul, Mike, and I got up early on Saturday morning. It was cold (I like the cold) and dark when we arrived at the starting area. there was absolutely no traffic problems or parking issues to speak of. VERY SMOOTH. We sat in the warm car for awhile and ventured to the port-o-johns while the lines were shorts about 45 minutes before the start. One last time before the race and off to the starting line we went.

It was about 33F out at the start as the sun came up. Of course I was in shorts but also has on my singlet over my long sleeve shirt and I also had on a throw away long sleeve shirt. We get to the starting line and find the pace leader for the 3:30 group that Paul may join. To our surprise HE was in a running skirt. What!?!?! Then we notice the 3:40 pacer, also a guy, was wearing one as well. I found my pacer, Emily, for the 4:00 group and asked about it. She explained that the sponsor for the pace leaders was a running skirt maker and that is all they made. OK, I understand the idea, but the guys could have worn a tshirt with the company name on it. Just my opinion.

The race starts and I tuck a few meters behind the 4 hour group and ease into the run. We run though the campus of Albany State University but not one college student was out cheering on the runners, at least I did not see any. Maybe they were on spring break. I keep it easy and talk with a few other runners in the group including a guy names Roy from Atlanta. Nice older guy who would love to break 4 but did not think he could do it but was trying anyways. After 4 miles, I take off my throw away shirt and drop it next to a bridge as we cross near the finish area.

The next 6 1/2 miles I would say are the least interesting miles to view. We ran along a busier highway and along businesses that were not the prettiest to see. The course got much better when we got to 10 1/2 miles. The 4 hour pace group was right on track and maybe a 5 seconds per mile fast though 8 miles when all of a sudden I felt something going on in my stomach. Uh oh, nothing too major but I need to stop and take care of this. So at the water stop at 8 1/2 miles, I stop to use the port-o-john. Crap, both are occupied. I wait. Roy finally comes out of one and I take care of business all the while the 4 hour group trucks ahead. I wasn't too worried as I felt good everywhere else. I get out and feel much better and get going again keeping in mind that I should gradually catch the 4 hour group and not try to get it all back in a mile or 2.

By mile 10 1/2, the course enters a residential area for most of the rest of the way. Beautiful area to run in with only small hills. Some of the residents are out cheering on the runners which is always appreciated. I reach the half way point and have still not caught the 4 hour group. In fact, with all the turns, I am not sure where they are. Later I hear they past the half right at 2:00:00 while I pasted at 2:02:00, a full 2 minutes back. Apparently I am not running fast enough to catch them and I also now realize I will need to negative split the race to break 4 hours. I have never negative split a marathon before but there is always a first.

At this point, I make an effort to pick it up or else lose the chance at sub 4. I can feel myself pushing harder as I continue to pass runner after runner. Hey, I like passing other runners, this is fun! They next 4 miles average about 8:40 and I still feel good. I finally catch the 4 hour group at about mile 19 and for a moment, run with them. It is also getting warmer so I take off the long sleeve shirt I have on and run solely wit the singlet on top and tuck my shirt in my short (I like the shirt too much to throw away).

My pace was good the last 5 miles so, hey, why stop now, I feel good, let's keep up the pace. So just before mile 20, I pull ahead of the group and start running with a lady names Robin from Tallahassee, FL. We talk a bit, do introductions the way only a marathoner could during a race. We know that we are using each other now to get to our goal which is sub 4 for both of us. And for her, a Boston Qualifier! She is an IronMan competitor so she has only run a few marathon only races. We end up working quite well together. Our pace is equal and I keep us informed as to how much ahead of pace we are. She also keeps me from any walk breaks between water stops. She gets me though my 'problem' part of a marathon, miles 20 to 23. By mile 24, we are both confident of breaking 4 hours as we are about 1 minute ahead.

The course, while nice though miles 22 to 25, seems like we are running in a big circle. A look at the map shows why. Lots of turns through a neighborhood but since it is now past 10 AM, lots more people watching. A little past mile 24 and Robin pulls a bit ahead of me. I see she turns to look a few times but I am OK, just a touch slower. Mile 25 comes and now I know only a disaster can break me and I know I can always find extra energy in the last mile. At about 25 3/4 miles, the course turns toward the railroad station. The course actually run INTO the station and through the side of it to a pathway for the final 0.2 of the race. While this was different, I did not like it for 2 reasons. 1. You could not see where you needed to go and it was tight and, 2. There was a step they put a board over to run over and I stepped right in the middle of it and it gave way quite a bit. It make for a tough, awkward step. Now all there was to do is run down a hill on a pathway to the finish line. One small tight turn wit 75 meters to go and the final chute. It was along a hill on the right had side so lots of people could watch.

Robin finished just ahead of me by 1 place and 19 seconds so she is now Boston Bound! Way to go Robin! I finish and feel surprisingly good! 3:58:51 with a second half of 1:56:51! I find Mike and Paul who finished ahead of me and we share a nice cup of Miller Lite. I am not much of a beer drinker, but that beer tastes do good. Who know I would have to travel from Milwaukee, the corporate headquarters of Miller (at least for awhile) to Albany, GA for a good beer. They do have a MillerCoors brewery in Albany so That makes sense.

Turns out Pacer Emily finished right at 4 hours and even gave the pace sign to Robin for breaking 4 and qualifying for Boston. I really didn't use her the way one normally uses a pacer. She ended up being my target to get back to once I had stopped for 2 to 3 minutes at mile 8 1/2. Did she do a good job? She must have at least on time. She was motivating when I was with the group and when I passed the group. She even thanked me afterwards for helping out Robin toward the end. Apparently Robin and Emily talked during the race so Emily know what Robin's goal was. When we pulled ahead of the group, Emily was glad to see Robin had someone to run with. It all turned out great!

Mike (left), Bill, and Paul (right)

Mike ran a great race and his knee did not bother him at all as it had for over a year now. He took 38th place overall in 3:12:43 and 4th in his age group (top 3 get awards though). Paul ran good as well and finished in 3:36:10 for 130th place overall. Paula seems to run right around this a lot which is a bummer since he needs a 3:30 to qualify for Boston. He hasn't quite gotten over that hump. I come to find out later that before I finished, both Mike and Paul bet against me breaking 4 hours. Some friends, huh. Well, I guess they had history on their side.

The post race area was nice with food and beer for the participants and I even found my shirt I tossed at mile 4, right where I threw it just off the bridge.

Like I said before, this is a nice race. 574 marathon finishers so a size I really like. There were 585 half marathoners at the start as well, but they cut off almost right away. I definitely recommend this marathon to all of you if you happen to be in Georgia in early March or if you need to get Georgia done for the 50 states club. I am now at 21 marathon completed and 9 states completed. 1 more state and I could join to 50 states club, at least be a member, not a full complete one though.

Time to Race

I was planning on an easy 3 miler as my final tune up run before the Snickers Albany Marathon. But I got home late from work and had to get to my brothers house to help move some stuff. He is moving to another state and is getting rid of a lot of stuff so I benefit from this by helping out. A nice patio set, coffee table, a couple desks, a roll of weed barrier, and more fun stuff. I am trying to get him to sell me his snow blower since he won't need it anymore (he is moving to the deep south) but my Dad might want it. Here is my thought though, my parents are snow birds now and live for 3 months in Florida so they would only need it for December while I live here year round. Perhaps I am being selfish here and perhaps I am just trying to save my back. You make the call.

Yesterday ended up being my last run. An easy 4 miler at 8:45 pace. It was a nice run by myself. Am I ready for the marathon on Saturday? I hope so. As always, my plan is to break 4 hours and I "should" have no problem doing this, but all too often, I do have a problem doing this. I hope my plan of joining the 4 hour pace group will help me keep in check and help me relax during the race. But most importantly I hope to have fun. Mike and Paul being there should help with this. It is always a blast when we go to an out of town marathon. The weather looks good so far so let's hope it stays that way.

I have a long drive in store tomorrow so time to get to bed. Wish me luck!