... The Short Story

Great training partners + perfect weather + a fast track = 3:11:38

This is it!

Made it to St. George. The flight was fine - first-class on a 757 -
isn't a bad way to fly. Found the hotel. Went to eat. Went to the
expo. Picked up my packet. Oddly my bib number is 1000. I'm not in to
numerology but that doesn't seem like a good number to me.

I am extremely tired and feel "dried out". The tiredness comes from the
storm that kept me awake from about 2:30 on last night. The dryness
comes from the low humidity.

I'll be going to bed soon.

I need 3:20 to qualify for Boston. For 5 months I've trained to run
3:10. I'm stepping to the starting line to run 3:15. Here's who I'm
going to do it by the mile:

742
733
715
706
724
724
724
818
755
742
800
738
724
715
702
715
715
715
738
715
658
715
720
720
724
724
137

Hold on tight and keep your hands inside at all times. Enjoy the ride!

Day -1 Intake

frosted mini wheats w/skim milk
english muffin w/honey
orange juice

PBJ smoothie
low-fat vanilla yogurt
medium banana
skim milk
strawberries
peanut butter
TwinLabs UltaFuel

apple juice

corn flakes w/2% milk & small banana
raspberry yogurt
biscuit w/strawberry preserves
20 oz. orange juice

yoplait vanilla yogurt
fruit punch gatorade

clif bar

chicken noodle soup
spaghetti w/marinara sauce
garlic bread
water

gatorade

Day -2 Intake

Last night's sleep: to bed 22:00; out of bed 5:00; slept good the first half of the night; second half was very restless

Today's goal is 500 - 870 grams of carbohydrates

~5:15 4 ginger snaps (26g carbs)

6:30 SlimFast (45), Frosted mini wheats (144) w/skim milk (18), orange juice (24)

~9:00 smoothie - 1.5C blueberries (26), 1C cherries (22), 1C cranberry juice (10), 1/2C low-fat vanilla yogurt (17) and 1 scoop TwinLabs UltraFuel (25)

~11:30 16 oz. water

~1330 rigatoni w/marinara sauce (~82), garlic bread (~22), & 16 oz. water

~1600 chocolate brownie Clif bar (44) & 16 oz. fruit punch Gatorade (28)

~1800 English muffin (26) & 16 oz. fruit punch Gatorade (28)

~2000 sliced turkey (1) sandwich on whole wheat bread (36), 1/2C low-fat vanilla yogurt (17) & regular white bagel (57) with honey (17)

RUNNING CARB COUNT - (715)

I think I'm done for the day. Happy that I hit 715 grams of carbohydrates today. Also, happy that I got almost all without supplements. My calorie total for the day was approximately 3,435 so about 83% of my caloric intake was carbs. If I can pull this off again tomorrow while travelling, I should be fueled up and ready to go (or vomiting in my airsickness bag all the way to Vegas!).

Thanks Everyone!

"If you’re starting out or trying to get to the next level, surround yourself with people who keep you motivated and energized - people who inspire you to achieve your best every day. When you do this, you can’t lose."


Anthony Famiglietti, two-time Olympian in the steeplechase and two-time national 5-K champion

Last Run before the Big One

OBJECTIVE
1 mi.@ warm-up @ recovery pace
2 mi.@ half marathon pace
1 mi.@ cool-down @ recovery pace

ACHIEVED
1 mi. WU
2 mi.@ 6:56/
1 mi. CD

5:17 AM 71° 95% 0 mph

My legs felt pretty good today. My energy level was low. I'm sure that's from the carbohydrate depletion over the last 3 days. The good news is that carb loading begins today. In fact, I indulged in 4 ginger snaps before today's run. The down side of loading is the accompanying bloating but it is the price to be paid to step to the starting line with more fuel and liquid "on board" than I would otherwise have.

Overall I'm feeling pretty apprehensive about the marathon. For five months I've focused on my goals every single day. I believe I've done everything necessary to accomplish the objective. However in the end there's uncertainty. It's difficult to know how things are going to line up until you're actually in the moment. I've tried to eliminate all of the variables but realize at the eleventh hour that is impossible.

Perusing the weather forecasts yesterday I found some disturbing predictions. First it's supposedly going to be warmer than I'd prefer. Something anywhere from 33-45° at the start and 72-85° for the high in St. George. For me the closer to 50°; the better. The disturbing part is the forecast for wind is anywhere from 7-15 mph at the start and 18-19 in St. George with gusts up to 54 mph! First of all, I'm telling myself they really can't predict the top speed wind gusts accurately or maybe they're wrong about the direction (from the SSW ... interestingly the course runs due south). Anyway I'm going to look again to see if there have been any favorable revisions now that it's 24 hours closer than when I last checked.

PRE RUN
weight=158
ginger snaps & water

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin, orange juice & frosted mini wheats w/skim milk

Day -3 Intake

Last night's sleep: to bed 21:30; out of bed 4:30; slept okay while sleeping but was up and down several times

~5:00 water & cheese

~6:00 water & multivitamin

~7:00 cheese

~8:30 2 eggs (over easy) & SportPharma chocolate protein powder w/skim milk

~10:00 16 oz. water

~11:00 16 oz. water

12:30 grilled chicken, broccoli, spinach & 16 oz. water

~14:30 16 oz. water

16:30 2 string cheese

~18:00 salmon, low-fat cottage cheese & water

~20:30 SportPharma chocolate whey protein w/8 oz. skim milk; 2 calcium supplement & Vitamin A&D

OBJECTIVE
2x15 straight-leg hip extension w/exercise ball
2x15 squats w/exercise ball
2x15 lumbar bridging w/exercise ball
2x15 lumbar bridging w/alternate leg
2x15 lumbar bridging w/hip abduction using elastic band
2x15 side-lying hip resistance w/elastic band
2x15 sidestep knee resistance w/elastic band

ACHIEVED
2x15 each
straight-leg hip extension w/exercise ball
squats w/exercise ball
lumbar bridging w/exercise ball
lumbar bridging w/alternate leg
lumbar bridging w/hip abduction using elastic band
side-lying hip resistance w/elastic band
sidestep knee resistance w/elastic band

Legs felt pretty good stretching this morning.

Day -4 Intake

Last night's sleep: to bed 22:30; out of bed 5:00; decent sleep with few interruptions

~6:30 water, multivitamin, & 8 oz. skim milk w/1 large scoops ProV protein powder

~8:00 water & 1 Canadian bacon

~9:30 2 poached eggs, 2 Canadian bacon, water, 16 oz. 1% milk w/2 large scoops ProV protein powder

~11:30 16 oz. water

14:00 16 oz. water

~15:00 2 chicken breasts, cheddar cheese, and lettuce w/vinegar; 16 oz. water

~17:00 16 oz. water

~19:00 low-fat cottage cheese & 16 oz. water

~20:30 cheese & water

Mixed Intervals (Tapering)

OBJECTIVE
dynamic stretching warm-up
1 mi. warm-up @ 8:37-9:47
1x2K @ 6:59, 90-second active recovery
1x1 mi.@ 6:39, 90-second active recovery
1x1K @ 6:25, 90-second active recovery
1 mi. cool-down @ 8:37-9:47

ACHIEVED
dynamic stretch
1 mi. WU
2K@6:44/
1mi.@6:30/
1K@6:15/
1 mi. CD

total time = 41:53
total distance = 5.20

5:38 AM 72° 86% 1 mph

Oh the joy of a speed workout during the carbohydrate depletion phase. I hit my times which was good. I didn't feel as "empty" as I thought I would but I was by no means "well fueled". Hopefully this burned out the last stored carbs from my system. My weight has dropped to 158 but that's just a reflection of the water weight lost from the lack of carbs. It will all come back - and then some - as soon as I start carb loading late Wednesday/early Thursday. I got a good night's sleep but probably cheated myself out of an hour by delaying my bed time until 10:30.

Today it's more carb depletion (seems to make me ornerier than usual), a massage, and hopefully an early bed time.

PRE RUN
weight=158
water

POST RUN
water, multivitamin & skim milk w/ProV protein powder

Day -5 Intake

Last night's sleep: to bed 22:30; out of bed 4:55; restless, up multiple times


~6:30 water, multivitamin, & 16 oz. skim milk w/2 large scoops ProV protein powder

~9:30 water & 2 poached eggs

~10:30 16 oz. water

12:45 2 grilled chicken breasts in vinaigrette, small cup red beans & white rice w/hot sauce, & 16 oz. water

~15:00 16 oz. water

~18:00 1 can tuna & low-fat cottage cheese

~18:30 20 oz. water

~20:30 grilled tilapia & Canadian bacon

OBJECTIVE
6 mi.@ 7:46-8:36
stiff-legged run 20 seconds
running no arms 20 seconds

ACHIEVED
6.09 mi.@ 8:26/
stiff-legged running 20 sec.
running no arms 20 sec.
one-legged hop 20 sec. each

5:27 AM 77° 95% 0 mph

It seems like I should be feeling a lot better than I did this morning. After all I'm two weeks into my taper and the marathon is five days away. I figured my legs would be fresh and have a lot of spring in them. Alas, it wasn't so. I didn't feel bad during this run just not as good as I had hoped.

I'm starting carbohydrate depletion today. The plan is to extend the depletion stage through noon on Wednesday then I'll start loading.

Tomorrow's run is abbreviated mixed intervals. We'll see if I have any spring in my legs then ....

PRE RUN
weight=160
water

POST RUN
water, multivitamin & 16 oz. skim milk w/protein weight gainer

Training Schedule: September 27 - October 3

SUNDAY - Rest

MONDAY - Base Run + Drills
6 mi.@ base pace
stiff-legged run 20 seconds
running no arms 20 seconds

TUESDAY - Mixed Intervals
dynamic stretching warm-up
1 mi. warm-up @ recovery pace
1x2K @ half marathon pace, 90-second active recovery
1x1 mi.@ 10K pace, 90-second active recovery
1x1K @ 5K pace, 90-second active recovery
1 mi. cool-down @ active recovery pace

WEDNESDAY - Resistance Workout
2x15 straight-leg hip extension w/exercise ball
2x15 squats w/exercise ball
2x15 lumbar bridging w/exercise ball
2x15 lumbar bridging w/alternate leg
2x15 lumbar bridging w/hip abduction using elastic band
2x15 side-lying hip resistance w/elastic band
2x15 sidestep knee resistance w/elastic band

THURSDAY - Tempo Run @ Half-Marathon Pace
1 mi.@ warm-up @ recovery pace
2 mi.@ half marathon pace
1 mi.@ cool-down @ recovery pace

FRIDAY - Rest

SATURDAY - Marathon Peak Race
St. George Marathon