snow work.

You might remember this from about 10 years ago, I still love it.

I'm sitting here sipping some coffee waiting for the plow truck to go by one more time before heading out for a nice 12.

Mr. Chainsaw..

I'm so thankful my wife has not divorced me this week, how can anyone live with an injured runner?

Visit to Kennebec Valley Chiropractic has me feeling pretty good this morning, I COULD  run today, but I gave the Doc my word I'd wait until I see him again on Monday (his wife is a good friend & fellow marathoner, so I'm assuming he is fully expecting me to not live up to my word).   Dr. Lawson adjusted my foot, a little bit of cuboid sublaxation is what we are thinking... arch is very sore, but we ruled out any plantar fasciitis (thank heaven/hell).

Hoping to get back to some mileage next week, don't fret... Boston is still on track homeboys & girls..

..the end of the beginning..the beginning of the end...

Today would be the final "freestyle" run before the 18 week plan for Boston starts tomorrow.  Wow, Boston is seriously 18 weeks away? 

After taking a complete week off after Portland, I was around 40-50 for a month, then Abe was born, which totally screwed up my running (but I'll let is slide).  The past 2 weeks I had been hovering around 50 miles again, with no real plan... I'd just get up and run however I felt. 

Thinking I'd still like to hit 55ish this week, I woke up early this morning planning on 17-20 miles before chilling on the couch, drinking some Gritty's Christmas Ale, and watching the Bears beat the crap out of Tom Brady and the Patriots.  Well, 3 miles into my run I started to think about Abe and my wife home, nice and toasty on the couch, and I literally started to tear up on how much I missed my newborn soon, whom I just kissed 20min. ago.  I tried to focus on the run, thinking about Boston, or how I ate a bit too much sushi last night that I needed to burn, or how much of a wimp I'd be if I went home... but then it hit me.  Fuck it!  It's MY run!

Somewhere around 3.5 miles, I turned around, threw in some speed-work as I ran home at half-marathon tempo.  The thought of spending a real Sunday morning with my family gave me an extra gear, and as I walked through the front door, Brianne looked at me with a horrified look in her eyes (as if expecting I was injured, or something was wrong) "why are you home already?!?"

I smiled, took off my shoes and went straight into the living room to grab my son.  I'm immensely thankful for the clarity I received today.

My son, and beautiful wife are the most important thing to me, sorry running... you take 3rd place.

Tomorrow starts my official training for Boston, I'm looking at 18 weeks of the highest mileage I've ever run, but for today... I got my family

Oh, and I still got that beer....

Murdering Time...

The post title is a line I always thought was clever from an old Alkaline Trio song (actually it's from this Skiba solo track)  




     What I meant, was I'm killing a bit of time this morning before I head out for a long-run, somewhere between 16-20, we'll see how I feel.  But then, I started thinking about my whole philosphy of running, and planning for next season.  "Murdering Time" will be the motto of 2011.
     Murdering every PR, murdering the course, murdering the soles of my shoes, and murdering the rest of the 30-34 year olds around here on the roads...

     I've been thinking a lot of what to make of 2010, and although I try to live within every moment (how Zen huh?) it forces me to think about 2011.  I had a great 2010.. really, I did.

     I've decided to follow the Pftiz 18/70 plan en route to Hopkinton in April.  During the last cycle I maxed out just over 60mpw (and only twice), and not only really love the Pfitz structure, but I think moving up to a more "advanced" schedule, will yield the result I'm looking for.

     Well, that raises the question... what am I looking for?  2011 goals will be posted 12/31.