OK, so the Palm Beach Marathon that I have been preparing for over the past 19 weeks is past.  In July when I started to train and do long runs I had no idea that I would do as well as I have.  Who would have thought that I would run a 4 hour 10 minute marathon, and that training runs would be an “easy” 8 to 8:30/mile pace?  Certainly not me, and yet here we are one week after completing a marathon at that time, and working out at that pace.

So, what next?  I guess most have heard that I am going to be running my second marathon in a short 7 weeks from now.  I signed up for the Miami Marathon to take place on January 31st, while my wife is going to run her first 1/2 marathon also in Miami on that day.  My intent is to push a bit harder than I did for the Palm Beach and start reducing my PR (personal record).  How much faster, I am not sure of yet.  However, I will let you know as soon as I figure it out. (It will rely heavily on how my feet feel, since I am recovering nicely from plantar faciitus.)

There is a bit of difficulty while preparing for my next marathon because I am still learning. (Though at a rapid pace.)  Training schedules for a marathon are all 18 week plans, but the time frame for me is only 8 weeks between each race and one week of that was resting to recover from the first race.  With the help of some experienced running friends I believe that I have a very good 8 week plan leading to the next race.  It is not an aggressive schedule, but will enable me to maintain fitness and perhaps even gain a little.

One thing that I am changing is my nutrition.  It seems that my bad cholesterol is still a little high, even after taking the right vitamins, increasing my physical training, and trying to eat a little better.  While it is not high enough to require medication, it is still high enough to require my attention.  My next phase is to seriously attack what I eat for lunch.  Do you realize how hard it is to find low/no cholesterol lunch stuff?  Someone really needs to work on this and create more cholesterol friendly lunches for the masses.  I know I am not the only one that is finding it difficult.