Ahh, time off. Since finishing the Brooksie Way Half Marathon last month, I lightened up on running, laid off blogging and looked forward.

I’ve read three or four books on the marathon distance as research for how to train, and spoken with every runner who’d listen. Training programs seem about as numerous as runners, so I lean toward crafting my own based on my fitness level, available time for training and other factors. Given that I can now run 9 miles without much of a problem, I figure I should be able to build myself up to a 20-mile long run over about 14 weeks, with a two-week taper leading up to the race. That means my training begins somewhere between the first week of December and the second week of January, depending on the race. Brrrr. That means long-sleeve running gear for Christmas, folks.

I haven’t decided which race yet. I previously mentioned Bayshore (May 23) and Martian (April 4), but Toledo, held on April 26th, is now on the radar too. That one’s less of a drive than Bayshore and bigger than Martian. At this point, I’m conflicted about how important a big crowd might be in helping me cross the finish line. Decisions, decisions.