On Sunday May 4, 2008, I was in Cincinnati, OH for the 10th running of the Flying Pig Marathon. The morning was a beautiful 42 degrees with clear skies and calm winds. The race start was delayed by 15 minutes due to a multiple alarm fire near mile 22 of the course. The emergency equipment was blocking the original course and race officials decided to reroute the race through a nearby park.

After struggling much of this winter to complete my long runs in freezing temperatures, I was very happy to see a beautiful forecast for Sunday, April 6th. The early forecast for rain was changed to partly cloudy with light winds. The early morning temperature was 42 degrees with an expected high near 70. It would be around 58 degrees when we finished our "training run". It doesn't get much better than that.

After a Christmas break, I am ready to begin the 2008 running season. I have registered for two Spring marathons: the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon (May 4) and the St. Louis Marathon (April 6). I have decided to follow the Furman Institute for Running & Scientific Training (FIRST) Marathon training plan. My training plan will take me up to 26.2 miles at the St. Louis Marathon before a 4 week taper to Cincinnati.

My goal for Cincinnati is to finish under 3 hours 40 minutes -- starting with a pace close to 8:00 min/mile and finish close to a 9:30 min/mile pace for the last 5 miles.

On November 4, 2007 I was in Springfield, MO for the innagural Bass Pro Shop Marathon. The day started with a brisk 38 degrees -- perfect for a 26.2 mile run.

October 7, 2007 saw record breaking temperatures and humidity that led to my worst running experience ever. I've run on hot days, in thunderstorms, snow and single digit temperatures, but nothing compared to the challenge of the heat that day. At race start time of 8:00 AM it was already more than 70 degrees and climbing fast. It would reach 88 degrees officially, but heat indexes and local thermostats showed temperatures in the mid-90s.

Another good long run. The weather was cool (55) and humidity was ok (~50%). Keeping with my plan, I ran the first 21 miles at 8:45 and then slowed. I ran with a friend from State Farm, Michael Penry, who ran with me until 21 and then went on to finish his FIRST marathon in 3:53 -- Great run Michael!

On Tuesday I went for an easy run. Even though I took the last 5 miles easy, it was still 26.2 miles and I still hurt a little. On Thursday I went for my tempo run, knocking off 5 miles at 7:45 pace fairly easily. Now I'm looking forward to 13 at marathon pace tomorrow morning.

Another challenging run this weekend. With temps in the low 70s and humidity approaching 100%, today was not a good day for a long run. Thankfully this was a recovery weekend, so I didn’t feel too bad about shortening my planned 15 miles to 11 and saving my legs for next weekend.

Next weekend I will run the Lewis & Clark Marathon as a training run for Chicago. My plans is to run the first 20 miles at an 8:45 pace and take the last 6 miles easy, finishing just under 4 hours. Let’s hope the weather is a little better than it was today!

Another cool Saturday morning (and another early start) made for a good 24 mile run. Picking up the pace a bit, I averaged 8:45 for the first 22 miles and finished the last two miles easy. I continued my new breakfast routine and ice bath to speed recovery.

With four of my five 20+ mile runs complete and three of them strong runs, I’m feeling more prepared this year than I have in the past. As long as the weather cooperates, I’m ready for a good marathon.

On Saturday I was up at 4:00 AM again and started my run at 5:00 AM – dark and 65 degrees (and less humidity than last week). I tried a new breakfast routine to try to add calories before my run and it seems to work.

Somewhere around 18 miles I recalled the previous week and how hard it was to finish 18. Now with 4 miles left of my run, I still had some gas in the tank. I finished my 22 miles with an 8:35 pace and felt great -- a little tired, but much better than last week. Amazing what just a few degrees in the temperature and lower humidity can allow.