I've qualified to run this race again, and I even managed to register on that hectic first day, fingers as nimble on the keyboard as I hope my feet will be on April 18!  My goal for this year's race is 3:35.  I could run on my own, for myself, and that might be enough. Yet I've committed once more to running with the Melanoma Foundation of New England team, to support this very deserving cause. 

As a dermatologist at SkinCare Physicians, I have made the diagnosis of Malignant Melanoma far too often.  I have had the opportunity to see the work of the MFNE up close, and I'm proud to raise funds for this worthy cause!  Particularly the Your Skin Is In program, appealing to teenagers, who I still see tanning with alarming frequency.

When you donate, make a prediction for my marathon time this year.  I will double the donation of the person who predicts most closely!!!  For comparison's sake, my previous Boston Marathon times have ranged from 3:39 to 3:54.

I've chosen a new training program this year, following the Hanson Brooks Distance Project.  This program de-emphasizes the weekend long runs, mandating that they take no more than 30% of the weekly mileage.  There is an increased emphasis on mid-week quality runs, with VO2 max workouts and tempo runs weekly.  As a result, even though my long runs maxed out at 18 miles, I've run more mileage than ever before and am heading into this marathon feeling healthier than ever!  In the month of March alone, I logged 247.97 miles (darn it!  I wish I had logged an additional 0.03 miles to make it a clean 250 miles!!)

Long runs thus far:

• 12/26/10:   12.17 miles in 1:54:13 (9:23 min/mile, during the beginnings of "Snowmaggeddon 2010)
• 1/02/11: ‎14.64 miles in 2:12:37 (9:04 min/mile average pace)
• 1/09/11: 16.15 miles in 2:30:00 (9:17 min/mile average pace)
• 1/23/11: 16 miles in 2:23:14 (8:56 min/mile average pace)
• 1/30/11: 12.25 miles in 1:55 (9:22 min/mile average pace)
• 2/06/11: 10.27 miles in 1:37:00 (9:25 min/mile average pace)
• 2/13/11:  16.21 miles in 2:30:00 (9:14 min/mile average pace)
• 2/20/11: 10.00 miles in 1:40:00 (9:59 min/mile average pace)
• 3/06/11:  10.00 miles in 1:32:21 (9:13 min/mile average pace)
• 3/13/11:  16.47 miles in 2:31:52 (9:13 min/mile average pace)
• 3/20/11:  17.05 miles in 2:36:53 (9:21 min/mile average pace)
• 3/27/11:  18.00 miles in 2:51:45 (9:31 min/mile average pace)
• 4/03/11:  15.33 miles in 2:20:17 (9:09 min/mile average pace)