One reason a race can go poorly is because it's easy to forget necessary gear. I know of triathletes who have forgotten their bike and marathoners arriving without their race chip!

For most of the last two decades, I rigorously trained and raced guided by a heart-rate monitor. And even though for the last few years I have been monitor-free, based on "feel" I have a pretty good idea of my heart rate at various paces.

Tempo running is important for marathon training, unless you are just "training to finish."

Done properly, recovery runs should be at a consistent easy pace (where it is easy to carry on a conversation with partners, in heart rate zone 2, 65%-75% of maximum heart rate).

Stay in the moment. The idea is to have the best form, race the best line, stay at the right heart rate, know where you are versus the plan, understand how the weather is affecting you, etc., every moment of the race. That's how to get the best result, I find.

What a great improvement over my last 5K! That was the hilly neighborhood race I ran just after we moved to Annapolis in early June, with a time of 28:45.

First serious road race, a Father's Day 10k on the Baltimore and Annapolis trail, in 18 months.

It was twilight with dawn on tap. I was turning my bike around on a gravely side road across from Cantigny Golf Club. Whoops! I suddenly found myself in a zero-speed fall.

Over decades of racing marathons and Ironman, I have found there comes a time when I have to make a big decision. Can I push on? Can I work through my fatigue and pain? Will the course and the weather defeat me? Is this really my limit? Am I capable of more than I have already asked of myself?

Stay active, stay challenged, enjoy what you do, always have a goal on the horizon..that's my thinking.

Going from last place to medal stand has inspired me to seek previously unimaginable results in other parts of my life by "going long," setting a plan and acting on it over time.

Probably my slowest Boston Marathon ever. But certainly the best in terms of inspiration and the unbelievable crowd support. Very special.

Running is a selfish endeavor. I run for me, and abide by Charles Barkley's motto: "I'm nobody's role model." I've never used marathon running or Ironman racing to raise funds for anything.Rethink time! Last year I was registered for the Boston Marathon, but between inadequate training and nagging injuries, I did not run. Had I been well trained and uninjured my finish time would have been about 4:10 - right when the finish line bombs went off, killing 3 spectators and injuring 364 others.

Amping up my training, mapping out and sticking to Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning 12 week plan with maximum weekly mileage at 61 worked. I had been fading and often cramping in the back half of my marathons. This time around I could easily pick it up for awhile in the second half and the fade did not come today until mile 22 and even then two of the last four miles were still close to goal pace.

Our Jim Spivey track workout on Thursday evening was fun!  Well, it was not so fun in that it was hot and humid.

We have a good situation at masters. Two swimmer coaches (college swimmers at Notre Dame and University of Illinois Chicago, both triathletes as well and one coaches the kids' teams at the club), no added fees but lanes still reserved. We get along and encourage others to join us.

Note to self: Ride more and ride harder so next time I am less like dead meat!

Last Saturday I ran the Wisconsin Marathon in Kenosha, just north of the Illinois border. I think this was marathon finish number 46 (counting my IMs).

Rain fell just as we started, with cold wind. It let up after a few miles and then it just spit. But for the last three miles - with the long grinding uphill - the heavens opened up: it poured and we were very wet puppies. Thunder was booming off in the distance. A 30 minute cold shower with sound effects!

Run by feel and love every step. I did, but I was running right at my current edge. We passed the mile marker on our rails to trails limestone screenings path - 8:03. Geez, that's the fastest road mile I've run in awhile.