Tobacco Marathon madness

I will skip the sanctimonious horsepoop and get to the point.  I have been training for the Tobacco Road marathon this season, basically to help get me back into better running shape and to have an early season goal that didn't involve biking 70+ miles in 40 degree weather.  Many moons ago I ran 3:08 and 3:12 in open marathons (good times for me).   I have also cracked badly a couple times.  The last open marathon was nine years ago, when I was just a little baby boy.  The last one was a bad one, by the way.

My goal for this one was 3:20.  Then as the winter went on I found myself in better and better shape.  I upgraded goals a bit - 3:15.59 which would be a Boston qualifying time.  My 40:41 10k a couple weekends ago predicts a ~3:11 time in various calculators, all things being equal.

(These are worth as about as much as a visit to your local psychic, but they're still a prediction of sorts).

I heard some news about changes to the qualifying standards and registration process but it bounced off my thick skull.  A few days ago a buddy reminded me that a BQ that only scrapes in is unlikely to actually get registered for the 2012 Boston Marathon as there will be a week of other people (faster people, better people, more deserving SOBs) registering prior to "any qualifying time" people like I aspire to be.

In addition, the 3xxxx.59 won't cut it anymore.  Has to be on the nose or under.

Bragging about qualifying times (BQs in runner lingo) don't mean much to me unless you go run.  We have a good friend in Boston which is a driver to go race - beyond the history of the race itself.

I don't have a 3:10 or faster in me right now so that as a realistic goal would not work.  In light of this I have downgraded the goal back to sub-3:20 without injury or massive recovery time.  My marathon history is littered with fallen soldiers and neither Bri nor myself want a repeat of that:

"Bri, I can't get up, please get me another beer. Bri, please make me dinner, again, my legs hurt, poor me.  Bri, waaaaahaaah, Bri."

The plan is to go out with a couple of 8-8:30 miles to warm up, then bring it down to 7:40 for quite a while.  No faster than 1:38 (7:30/mile) at the half.  If I have a great run then negative split for a BQ or near there.  If not just hold steady and finish being able to walk.

See you out there.