Let's get this party started.

Craig, Mark and I are running the 2009 Chicago Marathon together.  It will be my first marathon, but both Mark and Craig have run marathons before.  Mark is actually going to run the San Fancisco Marathon in July and turn around and run Chicago in October.  So he's well into his training. 

So Craig said to start this week, but by my count 16 weeks is June 22nd.  Doesn't really matter, and now I'm thinking that building in a week would be pretty smart. Hmmm.

This week I was in New Haven, CT for work from Sunday to Friday.  I ran last Saturday, Monday and Tuesday.  Yale's campus and surrounding neighborhoods proved a beautiful setting.  The weather was cool and rainy, but they have these things there they call "hills."  They're a lot like the bridge over the intercoastal, but without the bridge.

I ran the first day with Jon from the University of Wisconsin and Eric from The Ohio State University.  Eric and I were a bit faster than Jon, and were able to keep up a conversation at 8-9 min miles.  We ran about 4 miles and slowed a bit at the end to accommodate Jon.  Normally, I'd have trouble with that pace and chatting.  It just goes to show how much heat and humidity suck the pace out of you.  The hills didn't seem as bad as the weather was good.

I'm back in Florida, land of the flat, and the temperature is supposed to be in the mid to upper 90's for the next several days.  We'll see how that affects me.

Mark, how did your long run go?  Was it 24 miles?

Mike