I appreciate the regrads.
You bet this guy is real. Those summer workouts in the heat could not have been more real. I am in the best shape of my life, otherwise I would have dismissed my friend's suggetsion to run another marathon. I wish she could have come with me. She is overseas right now, and will not be home until I get back. She has insipred me, and so have some here, even those who say I am completely wrong. To each, his own.
My friend was once darn close to an olympic trails qualifier and is as tough as nails. Were it not for some unfortunate circumstances, she would have trained for the trails, but never got the chance. Without such training, she was two minutes from qualifying, but things did not workout for her. She said she would not normally recommend going back-to-back, but for me she thinks it is doable. We trained this summer, and she has been really "high" on my fitness.
So, yes, I am a real person, one who is looking to run well on Sunday.