Necktie Transition = Biathlon?

Kicking it off the starting line.

Tackled the Pacers Dash4Dad four-miler on Father's Day. Was a humid morning over a hilly course, but there was a new wrinkle...at the one mile marker you could knot a necktie in a 'tie transition' area. It was a new experience on race day, and a tie flapping in the wind (around my neck) was kinda annoying for the final three miles, but it was all for a great cause and it was a great way to start the day.

Bonus points for the race organizers giving everyone a free beer or a free Bloody Mary (win!) at the finish.

This is much harder to do after running a mile.

Game On. Marathon Training Starts Now.

Just 20 weeks until 26.2 miles for Team USO.  It's officially time to stop messing around and ramp up the training. The long runs shouldn't be too hard on the weekends (except maybe some football Saturdays), but I'm definitely not looking forward to those 10-milers on Wednesdays...ooh, that's gonna hurt at either 6:00am or 7:00pm.

My training plan has me completing three 20-milers before marathon day, ideally before the the Army Ten Miler, as that's coming up a few weeks before the Marine Corps Marathon.
I'd like to set a new 10 miler PR (beating 68 minutes). Should be easy after the training schedule I'm anticipating.

2011 Training Schedule

Click to enlarge.

Miles of Rock Hopping, I'm Counting This as Cross Training

Great vacation with Dad, spent 1,856 miles in the car to get from Virginia to New Hampshire, on to Maine, and return. Hiked more mileage and more elevation than expected courtesy of some side hikes and added peaks. Just a fantastic three days in the White Mountains and one day on Mt Katahdin.

Most of the hiking was above the tree line and consisted of a lot of rock-hopping, boulder-jumping, and mountaineering. I definitely think I can count this as cross training as well as vacation.

And of course, here are some vacation pics (click to enlarge):

Taking a break on day 2 before lunch. The peaks in the
background are our afternoon climbs.

Glad I brought my running 'arm sleeves'.

Topping off another peak early on day 3.

Heading up past the boulder field on Katahdin.

Summit of Katahdin. Just a ladder short of a mile in elevation.

This is Vacation? 30 Miles over 11 Peaks.

Only on my vacation would I run off to New Hampshire and Maine to climb 30 miles over 13,200 feet in vertical gain. Counting the downhills, I'll be covering 25,000 feet of elevation change in four days...and much of it above the tree line and exposed to wind and possible June snow.

But hey, that's my kinda fun. Should be a fantastic week in America's great outdoors with my father.

Click image to enlarge profile view of the trip itinerary.