Unfortunately, what I'm about to write isn't a popular notion. We don't learn as much from our successes as we do from our failures. All success means is that we already knew how to do something, got lucky or had the talent to accomplish that task from the start. When we fail, we actually learn something. We learn what didn't work and can analyze how to do it better in the future. Thomas Edison was said to have made over 6,000 attempts to find the right products to invent the light bulb. He learned something different every time he tried using a new metal or plant species.

On the other hand, there are those serendipitous successes when we discover something unintended as the results of our efforts. Post-It notes and the microwave oven are examples of everyday conveniences that were the results of researchers trying to make other discoveries.

So, how does this all relate to marathon training? The big day is less than two weeks away. Race bibs are currently available on Craig's list and a host of other websites from those who have already quit training. Some just gave up. Others may have gotten injured. Many just decided that what seemed like a good idea at the time they signed up for the race isn't quite such a good idea now or worth the effort. Still, other folks just didn't feel like putting in the time or they started training too late to prepare fully for the full 26 mile excursion.

For me, there were a lot of times I've wanted to quit since I started this odyssey. There were days that my knees hurt, my hips ached and I just didn't feel like getting up at 4 a.m. to trek 19 or 20 miles that day. It didn't matter. Deep down inside I knew that I just needed to give that extra 1% to achieve my goal. I don't have to finish first. I don't have to finish in the top 5%. I don't have to finish in less than 4 hours. I just need to finish. Success is relative. It's up to each person to determine their own vision of success. And, then get there by having the passion and determination to put in that extra 1%.

Good luck to those of you still hanging in there. I'll see you in Grant Park in just a few days. And, thanks to my friend Chris who called today and pledged to be at mile 18 to help pace me for a few miles, bring some Goo and take my mind off the pain. That offer meant a lot. I hope everyone has a friend like Chris along the course or at the end of their run on race day.

Good running,

Lance

To donate go to: http://www.active.com/donate/girlsinthegame2011/jenmosley

I'm running the marathon under the charity of "Girls in the Game."

Why did I choose Girls in the Game as my champion charity? It is important to me that women - specifically daughters -grow up to be strong and healthy. Children in sports are taught physical endurance and discipline. Sports build routines and positive habits. These are the women I'd like to see run the country. On a personal level, I see my daughters blossom when involved in dance, when they bike with me, or run alongside - I want all girls to have that same opportunity. To feel proud of their bodies! Eventually I want to help shape a society that includes women in sporting discussions, activities, and events. Not feeling left out in a pick-up B-ball game or the Golf outing.

Please donate anything you can in behalf of my run to this great charity by going to: My Cause No amount is too small (no amount is too big!). If you donate over $25, I'll be making you a t-shirt that says Run Jen Run (if you would like it, see bottom of post) You can wear it to give me good Karma on 10-9 :) Also, every one who donates will have their name embroidered on my running shirt (seen below) and will cross the finish line with me!

Also, if you have no money to donate (understood!), please help me in thanking my parents for watching the kids during the long (and short) runs and send positive energy to my good friends who have listened to my trials, tribulations, gripes and groin explanations. I would not be continuing if it weren't for their encouragement - and that's a fact!

Another good friend has told me that "mile 20 is when things start to breakdown for me." He's an Ironman. He'll swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and then run a marathon. Yep, I'd breakdown too at that point. This is an example of the race breakdown.

Today while running 18 miles I had a mental breakdown. I was feeling pretty well. Knees were fine. No hip pain. But, as I ran I kept asking myself: "Why am I doing this?" This is crazy. I'm spending 2.5 hours on a Sunday morning on the trails in constant motion like a shark swimming thru water...never stopping. The whole time I kept telling myself that I have nothing left to prove. I know I can do this. I know I'll finish. Why put myself thru this?

When things start to breakdown, they need to be fixed. It's better to address issues rather than sweep them under the rug. This is true with cars, relationships and just about everything else in life. Otherwise, problems compound and things worsen. We start to compensate in other ways to make up for the true deficiency and problem. In the short-term, this may divert our attention or help us get by for a while. But long-term, this is not a cure. It's a poison.

If your right knee starts to hurt you'll find yourself shifting your weight. This probably puts more pressure on the left knee and right hip. Eventually, you'll change your gait so much that you'll mess up both knees, both hips and your back.

Mental breakdowns are almost worse than physical breakdowns. You can run through pain, take ibuprofen and ice sore joints and muscles afterward. The mental stuff is harder. I don't know many marathoners that run with their shrink. As a matter of course, the fact that you're training for a marathon at all probably qualifies you as crazy to begin with. I would suggest all marathoners consider finding a good therapist. I know I'm in the market for one.

Growing up in the 60's, I wasn't subjected to a lot of coddling and cajoling like the kids today. I didn't wear a bike helmet. My parents didn't reason with me when I did something wrong. They'd smack me upside the head and tell me not to do it again. When I did poorly in math, they didn't seek special assistance or classroom considerations for me. They told me to study harder or I'd end up in a job I didn't want. In other words, put up or shut up. Just do it. Get it done. Make it happen. Quit whining. One day I was told to "get out there and play wide receiver you sissy" even after my left arm was cut off by a band saw in shop class.

That's the attitude I had to take today. Stop your whining. Get out there and just get it done. I did. So much for not sweeping things under the rug.

Good running.

Lance

Here I am half way into my training and 17 miles seems doable. Almost easy. 20 miles seems like a stretch. Yet, in just a few short weeks, I'll be knocking down a 20 mile run as easy as I completed 17 miles today.

Taking on this sort of challenge is mental to me. Sometime ago, I was overwhelmed by what seemed like a daunting task ahead of me. A colleague suggested that I break it down into small chewable and digestible bites. As he said, "Don't eat an elephant all at once. Eat it in small bites." He was right. As I started out this morning, I mentally broke my run down into two 6 mile segments and a five mile segment. I know I can run 6 miles with no problem. Knock one 6 mile segment down and do it again, I told myself. Then, I would only have a short 5 mile segment left to conquer. Doing this seemed easier to me than running 17 miles in my mind.

There's something about running 8.5 miles and then turning around and doing it all over again that seems unpalatable to me. I mean, I feel like I've already accomplished something and then realize I'm only half way through and have to do it all over again.

Running long distances is like anything else in life that seems daunting. If we look at it in aggregate terms it seems insurmountable. If we break it down into smaller pieces, it's achievable. All athletes do this. Even golfers breakdown every element of their golf swing into small segments...the right stance, a slow backswing, eye on the ball, follow through, etc.

The next time you set a goal or tackle a problem look at it in smaller increments. Don't set out to lose 20 pounds. Break it down into 5 pound bites...so to speak.

This weekend, I'll be running 18 miles...6 miles at a time.

Good running,

Lance

Four years ago I thought I'd give yoga a try. I had read about the benefits of stretching your muscles while improving core strength in this meditative environment. I was so committed to giving yoga a try that I purchased a 10 class punch card to the local shala, my own yoga mat and a yoga starter kit.

I was like a piece of peanut brittle in a chocolate truffle factory. I remember attending the first class and attempting poses with crazy names like barking dog and spaghetti pretzel. Or, something like that. I recall glancing over at one fellow classmate that had the body of a suma wrestler. I thought to myself if he can do this, I can. He proceeded to bend over and place his palms flat on the ground while I couldn't get my finger tips passed the top of my knees. I swear he didn't have a bone in his body. It was like watching a bowl of Jell-o exercise.

While all this sounds pretty negative, there are some positives. You want someone like me on your side to get a job done. Tell us something can't be done and the impossible suddenly becomes possible. There is no quitting. We don't cave in. We do whatever it takes to reach the goal.

How does this steel will help and matter in marathon training? Last weekend, my training schedule called for a 14 mile run. I mapped out the 7 mile one way course and set out with my oldest daughter on her two-wheeler to log the long run of the week. We left early in the morning to beat the midday heat. Two miles into the run, thunder and lightening were surrounding us like gravity. We turned back and headed home for shelter.

Once we got home, I told her to put her bike away while I continued on my trek. Despite her pleas for me to stay home and let the storm pass, I told her that this needed to get done. One advantage to having run the past 36 years of my life is that I have numerous courses of various distances pre-mapped in my mind. Knowing that I had already completed 4 of my required 14 miles, I set out again and started recalculating distances, routes, etc. to complete my task.

As the rains came, I received a few calls on my cell phone..."Dad, when are you going to be home? It's really pouring out there." It didn't matter. I was on a mission. "I'll be there when I'm done running" I replied each time.

When I finished, I was soaked from both sweat and rain. Of course, an hour later the sun was out drying up all the early morning moisture.

So, what's the moral of the story here?

• For those of us that people think are too strong willed or stubborn...it's not such a bad thing. We accomplish a lot. Maybe we don't do it with a lot of finesse....but we get the job done.
• Stick-to-it kind of people are probably more flexible and creative than we realize and get credit for. After all, I was able to my change plans and my course and still accomplish the task and goal at hand.
• After this marathon...I need to sign up for yoga again. After all, I'm an open minded, flexible person now. I need to try new things...again.

Good running,

Lance

I was thinking about that commercial the other day as I roamed my local running store looking for a new pair of covers for my 5 toed wheels. It occurred to me that timing the purchase of new running shoes prior to a long distance race is somewhat like purchasing new tires for your car. You don't want to wait until the tread is absolutely worn out before you make a purchase. Otherwise, you risk a blowout.

How do you know when it's time for a new pair of running shoes? For me, my knees are like the low fuel warning on a black Cadillac. The alarm goes off and lights start flashing when its time for me to make an investment in a new set of running tires. If I wait too long to buy new shoes, I feel pain in my knees followed by aches in my hips and finally lower back problems. Over the years, I've learned to listen to my body and recognize the signs and symptoms that it's time for an investment in running shoes.

Most authorities agree that new shoes are recommended every 350-450 miles. For the average runner covering 20 miles per week, that would be every five to six months. Marathon runners should consider new shoes every three months. I highly recommend running specialty stores over mass merchandisers for making this purchase. Specialty stores typically have more qualified sales personnel that will analyze your stride. They can determine if you pronate or have other needs that can be assisted or corrected with specific shoe styles.

Believe it or not, timing the purchase of your new running shoes is also an important consideration. Just as you don't want to wait until the day before the big snow storm to buy your new snow tires, you don't want to put off the purchase of those new shoes too close to the race date.

Last year, I purchased new running shoes about two weeks before the Rock and Roll Half Marathon. At that point, my last long run had already been completed so I only had a few 4 and 6 miles runs to break in the treads. On race day, as I anxiously waited in the first corral and listened to Al Roker wax about running and weight loss just a few feet away, I retied my shoes one last time. I didn't realize I laced them too tight at the top. At mile 6, I felt cramping and numbness in the two little toes on my right foot. In my usual fashion, I ignored the pain thinking that I could play thru the pain and finish the race. By mile 10, the pain was excruciating and I had to do the unthinkable. I had to stop and re-lace my shoes to account for my swelling feet. That didn't help much. The pain continued and worsened for the remaining 3 miles. I still finished under my goal time of 1:35 but it wasn't easy. I couldn't wait to cross the finish line to kick off my shoes to allow the blood to flow back to my feet.

If you don't want to feel like the farmer that stepped on a rake and got 5 acres (get it...5 achers) like I did on race day, think about buying new shoes in the next few weeks for the big run on October 9th. You'll be glad you did.

Sorry about that bad farmers joke. I just had to work it in.

Here's a photo of me and my friend and former running partner from last year's Rock and Roll Marathon. Since then, she has moved to Boston and competed in several marathons and half marathons. Note: My aching feet aren't in the picture. My smile is actually a grimace.

By the way, this year's Rock and Roll Marathon is August 14, 2011. It's a great race and timed well to fit in with your marathon training schedule.

Good running,

Lance