This is the hard part

Make no mistake, it's at this point that it can get pretty difficult and you've got to drum up the reserve from within to get there.

It's 9 weeks to Boston. I'm on 20 mile long runs and all the crucial filler runs in between. As long as I prep for them properly the longs aren't that difficult or demanding, but every other run has to be there to make it work. I have to get up in the AM to tackle that recovery run or that hill workout or make the time for that 80-90 minute mid week mid long. This is the period that crams in the conditioning and the effort, builds the endurance, builds the stamina, sets up my system to handle my goal marathon pace.

I'm not on a schedule, I have no plan or chart set up on a wall somewhere, I just follow my routine and execute the item I think I need on any given day. I know what's going to carry me from one weekend to the next and I know what will mess me up and make any particular run harder than it should be. At this point it's all about execution. I run when I can get it in knowing tomorrow might be a problem so better to have it done than not. I can't skip just because I don't feel 'up to it'.

Saturday I overdid it a bit. My nonchalant run over trail and road ended up being 7 miles...too far. Then we had to go to a kids birthday party and I spent an hour in a pool, half of it treading water which takes more out of you than you expect. And I didn't get any proper meals in. Sunday morning I was tired when I woke up and just not fueled up. As nice as a fresh blueberry muffin is, it won't replace a good solid meal of carbs the night before. 10 miles in I figured I needed to shortturn my second loop and cut it back to 18 1/2 miles...still not bad. It was tough though as I knew I'd be running sans glycogen for a while. Still, that has it's own benefits and so it's not like the run's a total loss. I've accounted for at least one missed target over this period anyway.

I just have to keep in mind that don't want to be standing in the start corral wishing I'd trained properly. It's just not a fun experience.