Sub 180 Marathoner: 2016

Only about 2% of runners will finish a marathon in less than 180 minutes (3 hours)

Six years ago, I couldn't even imagine running the distance (26.2 miles). But after working up to 3-4 mile jogs a few times a week, I set the incredible goal of running a half marathon.

After four months of intense training, well at that time (20-25 miles/wk), I ran the Houston half-marathon on January 16th, 2005. It was so grueling, I swore that was it. I'll never do another half, let alone a full.

Fortunately a running comrade pushed me to do a full marathon. Rededicated, I set a sub 4:00 hour goal for the full Houston marathon the following year. I trained harder than ever and crossed the finish in 3:59; I was hooked.

I've now run 21 marathons and this site is my journal to join that exclusive club of those who finish a marathon in under 180 minutes (3 hours).

Friday, December 23, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 04 Winter Training (Wk Ending January 01

Sunday

Slow 4 in am, 5k in afternoon

Saturday

13 miles. Ran with Jenny in her half marathon rely (She did 2nd half)

Friday

Slow 5k

Thursday

Off

Wednesday

Slow but decent 5

Tuesday

Monday

Decent 6

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 03 Winter Training (Wk Ending December 25)

Sunday

Quick 5k in the afternoon, hit pavement for slow 5k in the pm

Saturday

Very slow 5

Friday

Decent 5

Thursday

Good 4

Wednesday

Solid 8

Tuesday

Off

Monday

Very slow 8

Monday, December 12, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 02 Winter Training (Wk Ending December 18)

Sunday

Off

Saturday

Quick 5k in morning, slow 5k in afternoon

Friday

Slow 6

Thursday

Decent 4

Wednesday

Off

Tuesday

Hit paved for 4

Monday

Slow but decent 11

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 01 Winter Training (Wk Ending December 11)

Sunday

Off

Saturday

Decent 6

Friday

Decent 6

Thursday

Off

Wednesday

Very slow 10, but still farthest I've run in 3 years

Tuesday

Off

Monday

Off

Monday, November 28, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 12 Fall Training (Wk Ending December 04)

Sunday

Decent 4

Saturday

Hit pavement for 4

Friday

Off

Thursday

Off

Wednesday

5k, walk 3 more

Tuesday

Off

Monday

Slow 4

Monday, November 21, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 11 Fall Training (Wk Ending November 27)

Sunday

Off- being very lazy

Saturday

Off- being very lazy

Friday

Off- being very lazy

Thursday

Off

Wednesday

Off

Tuesday

Walk / jog 4

Monday

Hit pavement for decent 4

Monday, November 14, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 10 Fall Training (Wk Ending November 20)

Sunday

Off

Saturday

Off

Friday

Quick 5k

Thursday

Decent 4

Wednesday

Decent 5, walk / jog another 5

Tuesday

Off

Monday

Slow 5

Monday, November 7, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 09 Fall Training (Wk Ending November 13)

Sunday

Decent 5

Saturday

Quick 5k in the a.m., slow 4 in the afternoon

Friday

Off

Thursday

Off

Wednesday

Slow 5, walked / jogged another 3

Tuesday

Off

Monday

Slow 4

Monday, October 31, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 08 Fall Training (Wk Ending November 06)

Sunday

Off

Saturday

Slow 4

Friday

Slow 5k

Thursday

Off

Wednesday

Off

Tuesday

Off

Monday

Slow 5k

Monday, October 24, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 07 Fall Training (Wk Ending October 30)

Sunday

Off, being very lazy

Saturday

Off, being very lazy

Friday

Off, being very lazy

Thursday

Off

Wednesday

Off

Tuesday

Slow 4

Monday

Off

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 06 Fall Training (Wk Ending October23)

Sunday

Slow 5k

Saturday

Off-fighting a cold

Friday

Off-fighting a cold

Thursday

Off-fighting a cold

Wednesday

Off-fighting a cold

Tuesday

Off-fighting a cold

Monday

Off-fighting a cold

Monday, October 10, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 05 Fall Training (Wk Ending October 16)

Sunday

Down with a cold

Saturday

Down with a cold

Friday

Down with a cold

Thursday

Down with a cold

Wednesday

Down with a cold

Tuesday

Slow 5k, walk 3 more

Monday

Slow 4, walk 2 more

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 04 Fall Training (Wk Ending October 09)

Sunday

Off, lazy and eating like a pig

Saturday

Off, lazy and eating like a pig

Friday

Off, lazy and eating like a pig

Thursday

Off, lazy and eating like a pig

Wednesday

Off

Tuesday

Slow 5k. Weather hot again

Monday

Slow, but decent 7

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 03 Fall Training (Wk Ending October 02)

Sunday

Off

Saturday

Decent, but slow 8

Friday

Off-being very lazy

Thursday

Off-being very lazy

Wednesday

Off-being very lazy

Tuesday

Off

Monday

Off-being lazy

Monday, September 19, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 02 Fall Training (Wk Ending September 25)

Sunday

5 miles, walk 2 more

Saturday

5k, walk 1 more

Friday

Off-being lazy

Thursday

Off-being lazy

Wednesday

Off

Tuesday

Off

Monday

Off

Monday, September 12, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 01 Fall Training (Wk Ending September 18)

Sunday

Decent 4, walk 6 more

Saturday

Slow 8, walk 5 more

Friday

Slow four with some very light incline. Walk 6 more.

Thursday

Decent 5, walk 2 more.

Wednesday

Slow 5, walk 5 more

Tuesday

Decent 4, walk 6 more

Monday

Decent 6 after work. Another 5k in evening, walked 1 more

Monday, September 5, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 12 Sabbatical for hamstring recovery (Wk Ending September 11)

Sunday

Slow 3, walk 1 more

Saturday

Slow 6 in am, walk 9 more.

Friday

Slow 4, walk 2 more

Thursday

Slow 5, walk 5 more

Wednesday

Slow 4, walk 5 more

Tuesday

Off

Monday

Slow 4 in am, walk 1 more

Another slow 4 in pm, walk 1 more

Monday, August 29, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 11 Sabbatical for hamstring recovery (Wk Ending September 04)

Sunday

Slow 7 in am. Walk another 9 throughout the day.

Saturday

5 in am, walk / jog 4 more

Friday

Slow 4, walk 5 more

Thursday

Slow 5k, walk 6 more

Wednesday

Slow 4, walk 6 more

Tuesday

Slow 5, walk 2 more

Monday

Jog, mostly walk 5

Monday, August 22, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 10 Sabbatical for hamstring recovery (Wk Ending August 28)

Sunday

Slow 7, walk 2 more

Saturday

Slow 5, walk 6 more

Friday

Jog, mostly walk 10

Thursday

Slow 5, walk 6 more

Wednesday

Walk 6

Tuesday

Slow 5k. Walk 5 miles more

Monday

Slow 5k in am, slow 5k in pm. Walk 3 more miles

Monday, August 15, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 09 Sabbatical for hamstring recovery (Wk Ending August 21)

Sunday

Slow 4, walk 6 more

Saturday

Jog slow 4 in morning, jogged slow 5k in afternoon

Friday

Jog slow 4, walk / jogged 6 more

Thursday

Jog slow 4, walk 6 more

Wednesday

Slow 5k, walk 5 more

Tuesday

Jog slow 5 miles, walk 3 more

Monday

Slow 5k, walk 2 more

Monday, August 8, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 08 Sabbatical for hamstring recovery (Wk Ending August 14)

Sunday

Walk, mostly jog 8

Saturday

Jog, mostly walked 12

Friday

Jog, mostly walked 9. Weight down to 199.

Thursday

Jog, mostly walked 8

Wednesday

Jog, mostly walked 9

Tuesday

Jog, mostly walked 7

Monday

Jog, mostly walked 9

Monday, August 1, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 07 Sabbatical for hamstring recovery (Wk Ending August 07)

Sunday

Slow 5k about noon. Walked another 9 throughout day

Saturday

Slow 5k about noon. Walked another 9 throughout day

Friday

Jogged, mostly walked 10. Heat unbearable

Thursday

Jogged, mostly walked 8. Heat unbearable

Wednesday

Off

Tuesday

Jogged, mostly walked 9. Heat unbearable

Monday

walked 8

Monday, July 25, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 06 Sabbatical for hamstring recovery (Wk Ending July 31)

Sunday

Jogged, mostly walked 11

Saturday

Ran very slow 5k, walked another 7

Friday

Swam half miles, walked / jogged 5

Thursday

Walked / jogged 5

Wednesday

Did some deep stretching, especially at the lower back, to gluts area. Seemed to help tightness in hamstring.

Walked / jogged 4 outside

Tuesday

Jog, mostly walked 8. Hamstring tighten up!

Monday

Walked 4

Monday, July 18, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 05 Sabbatical for hamstring recovery (Wk Ending July 24)

Sunday

Walked 3

Saturday

Walked 4

Friday

Walk / run about 7

Swam some

Thursday

Walk / run about 4

Wednesday

Walk / run about 4

Tuesday

Swam , walked 4

Monday

Off

Monday, July 11, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 04 Sabbatical for hamstring recovery (Wk Ending July 17)

Sunday

Walked 4

Saturday

Swam half mile, walked 4

Friday

Swam half a mile

Thursday

Off

Wednesday

Walked some.

Tuesday

Swam a mile, walked 5

Monday

Walked 5, still on tight diet

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 03 Sabbatical for hamstring recovery (Wk Ending July 10)

Sunday

Walked four, sticking with diet

Saturday

Walked four, sticking with diet

Friday

Walked four, sticking with diet

Thursday

Walked four

Wednesday

Off

Tuesday

Walked four.

Monday
Swam half a mile and walked four. Just trying to lose weight.

Friday, July 8, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 02 Sabbatical for hamstring recovery (Wk Ending July 03)

Sunday

Resting hamstring, on diet to lose 25-40 lbs. walking a few days a week

Saturday

Resting hamstring, on diet to lose 25-40 lbs. walking a few days a week

Friday

Resting hamstring, on diet to lose 25-40 lbs. walking a few days a week

Thursday

Resting hamstring, on diet to lose 25-40 lbs. walking a few days a week

Wednesday

Resting hamstring, on diet to lose 25-40 lbs. walking a few days a week

Tuesday

Resting hamstring, on diet to lose 25-40 lbs. walking a few days a week

Monday

Resting hamstring, on diet to lose 25-40 lbs. walking a few days a week

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 01 Sabbatical for hamstring recovery (Wk Ending June 26)

Sunday

Resting hamstring and also on vacation

Saturday

Resting hamstring and also on vacation

Friday

Resting hamstring and also on vacation

Thursday

Resting hamstring and also on vacation

Wednesday

Resting hamstring and also on vacation

Tuesday

Resting hamstring and also on vacation

Monday

Resting hamstring and also on vacation

Friday, June 24, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 03 of Summer Training (Wk Ending June 19)

Sunday

Off-Hamstring not recovered. Also on vacation.

Saturday

Off-Hamstring not recovered. Also on vacation.

Friday

Off-Hamstring not recovered. Also on vacation.

Thursday

Off-Hamstring not recovered. Also on vacation.

Wednesday

Off-Hamstring not recovered. Also on vacation.

Tuesday

Off-Hamstring not recovered. Also on vacation.

Monday

Off-Hamstring not recovered. Also on vacation.

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Weekly Recap-Week 02 of Summer Training (Wk Ending June 12)

Sunday

Walking a bit each day and strict on diet. Waiting for hamstring to recover.

Saturday

Walking a bit each day and strict on diet. Waiting for hamstring to recover.

Friday

Walking a bit each day and strict on diet. Waiting for hamstring to recover.

Thursday

Walking a bit each day and strict on diet. Waiting for hamstring to recover.

Wednesday

Walking a bit each day and strict on diet. Waiting for hamstring to recover.

Tuesday

Walking a bit each day and strict on diet. Waiting for hamstring to recover.

Monday

Walking a bit each day and strict on diet. Waiting for hamstring to recover.