Marathon Training Confession

In the deep, dark months of a northern winter several of us got the crazy idea to register for and race the Marine Corps Marathon. The idea though was not just to finish, we've all done that one or more times, but to run as fast as our old man and woman legs could carry us, targeting a Boston qualifying time as a goal.

Of course this meant we would need a training plan, a good plan. Sure, we've followed countless plans in the past with varying degrees of success. Now, though, the Hanson Brothers, from the Detroit area, have been creating buzz with Olympic qualifiers (Desiree Davila) and many other national/world class runners following their plans and training as a group. I purchased their marathon training plan on the internet and shared it with Mike and Lou. Two ideas stick out from the plan, the fairly high weekly mileage, especially for those of us with 40 hour work weeks, and the back to back hard-long runs. Many weekends call for 15-19 miles on Saturday followed by at least 10 miles on Sunday. These runs include a variety of paces thrown in, such as last Saturday's 8 miles at marathon pace during a 15+ mile run. (I could only manage 14, with 5 miles at or a bit below goal pace).

It sounds excellent and will definitely work for Lou and Mike, who are trying their best to stay on schedule. Forgive me Mike and Lou for I have sinned. Well, not really sinned, but I am not on the plan. They may already have figured this out, but if not, this is my confession.

After completing the Tupper Lake Tinman I was more mentally exhausted than expected. Within a week our Hanson plan should have begun. I couldn't do it, barely picked up the schedule to look through it. After two weeks I took out a calendar and tried to plan the next 18 weeks of running. It was discouraging realizing how much I should have already been running and where I really was at.

With fourteen weeks to go and Mike and Lou gung-ho with the plan I had to try something different. I re-read my (or is it Jan's?) Pete Pfitzinger marathon training book. He has a few different plans, one of which was a marathon on up to 55 miles a week and lasting for twelve weeks. Perfect. I adapted the plan for Marine Corps and am currently two weeks into it. Actually I'm running a bit more than the weekly mileage states I should be at.

Someday I may try the Hanson plan, but not this year, not for MCM. Please forgive me Marathon gods.

Train Travel vs. Airplanes

Contributions by guest blogger Lou Katz.

Ten Best Reasons to Travel By Train;

1. Your ears don't pop.

2. Lots of leg room and your feet can be propped up.

3. No restrictions on electronic toy usage.

4. Lots of bathrooms.

5. Sexy conductors (Lou must have been on the Hooterville train)

6. Costs less than plane travel.

7. Better scenery, you aren't looking at clouds all day.

8. More choices of crummy food.

9. No turbulence.

10. Easy to walk around.

Bad Things;

1. No free cookies.

2. Takes much longer than a plane.

3. Many stops along the way.

How the Olympics Can Make More Money

Top 10 Ways for the Olympics to Make More Money

(from guest blogger Mike W.)


1. Add horse racing (betting) to the equestrian events.

2. Charge NBC viewers extra for muting the TV during gymnastics. The announcers are annoying.

3. Celebrity beach volleyball as an exhibition event.

4. Hold a “Who Looks Meaner” contest for women sprinters.

5. Charge soccer players for each flop.

6. Have shot-put catching.

7. Add Pickleball for increasing senior viewage

8. Mix sports. Half volley ball in the sand, the other side of the court is a gym floor.

9. More food sponsors if you have speed eating contests.

10. Allow the team with the most gold medals gets to shave Bob Costas’ head.

Ten Things Wrong with the London Olympics

Top Ten Things Wrong with the 2012 Olympics:

1. Never know when track and field events will be on tv!!! Telling viewers at 8pm that the 100m final will be on soon, then showing it after 11pm, really isn't soon.
2. Too much volleyball, diving and gymnastics.
3. The triathlon and marathons are shown at 6am, really?
4. Not enough bikini wear at beach volleyball. If I have to watch it over and over, at least show some legs.
5. Bob Costa’s hair hasn’t changed in 20 years.
6. No major drug charges yet? Sure, all these athletes are clean, yeah.
7. How soon before a male swimmer does a razor commercial for trimming their entire body?
8. Is the world’s fastest human really a 100m guy? Great, he can beat me to the mailbox, I can beat him for the next 15 miles. Who’s really faster?
9. Divers get out of the pool and into a hot tub, what for? See Lou, Joanne does need a hot tub.
10. Mary Carillo doing a special segment on Greenwich time instead of seeing Track events!

London Olympics 2012 Fashion

There are some confusing apparel changes at this year's Olympics. The women's beach volleyball players are no longer required to wear bikinis, though some choose to for the bottom. Many are wearing full length suits! This is disappointing and takes a lot away from the sport for many male viewers (not me, of course).

The male beach volleyball players can wear the same baggy shirts and long shorts as in previous Olympics.

Then we have the female divers who are in full suits, but male divers are required to wear less than a small speedo. I have yet to figure out how the men cram everything into such a tight space. Must be shrinkage from the cold water? No wonder they jump in a hot tub as soon as they get out of the pool.