Bad blogger, marathon training etc etc etc

Yes I've been a bad blogger as of late. I know all of you (all 1 of you) must be sad not to have been able to read about my runs here. I hope you have been able to cope for the last three weeks. The end of summer always seems to be crazy, add to that marathon training and getting my son ready for school, its a miracle I remember to put pants on in the morning (I have yet to forget to do that - wahoo!)

Training for Philly has been going well. Mother nature has tried her best to derail me -between the heat, ragweed season and a potential hurricane coming through New England -but she has yet to knock me off course (knock on wood). Below are my week totals for the past three weeks.

Week 5
Total Distance: 45.67 miles
Total Time: 6:33:44
Avg Pace: 8:37

Week 6 (Recovery)
Total Distance: 36.35 miles
Total Time: 5:12:20
Avg Pace: 8:35

Week 7
Total Distance: 50.0 miles
Total Time: 7:36:01
Avg Pace: 9:07

Highlights of the last three weeks:
1) 9 miles with 5 at 1/2 marathon pace with Mike in NY (http://www.dailymile.com/people/MarkJ2/entries/2913390)
2) 16 miles with 10 at marathon pace (even though this hurt a bit) (http://www.dailymile.com/people/MarkJ2/entries/2989885)
3) First run in my Kinvaras - (http://www.dailymile.com/people/MarkJ2/entries/3066064)
4) 7 miler with strides - I felt fast that day (http://www.dailymile.com/people/MarkJ2/entries/3139661)
5) 18 miler - getting my confidence back big time for distance after this (http://www.dailymile.com/people/MarkJ2/entries/3160007)
6) Non running highlight - my son starting 2nd grade

Only negative over the last three weeks - ragweed. My allergies are going crazy (as they usually do at this time of the year). Hard to balance taking enough medication (benadryl) to combat the allergy symptoms but not so much that I'm all drowsy and stupid all day.

Week 8 starts tomorrow (Labor Day) with the New Haven 20k. Since I just came off running 18 miles yesterday I dont think Ill be racing this one very hard....but as my wife said yesterday "When do you ever take it easy at races?".