Training style

My friend who ran the marathon back in 2006 and inspired me to try for 2007 decided to run it again in 2008. I will be running Portland this year, but they are only a week apart so we would be able to train together.

Last night we got to talking about getting started again and where we need to work ourselves up to in order to be ready when the real training begins in the spring. When he ran it in 2006, he made a complete lifestyle change. He was an athlete, but never really a distance runner and yet in his first attempt, in his mid-30s, he finished in 4:20 without struggling at all. But, like I said, he made a complete lifestyle change. He stopped drinking caffeine, cut his caloric intake by more than I truly deemed healthy :), stopped drinking alcohol and going out (which made for quite the boring summer for me!) and just basically completely devoted those months to the marathon. I was amazed and in awe. He made it look so effortless.

As we were talking, I could tell that he wants me to put forth that same effort he will be in this year's training. I want to. I probably really, really need to. BUT...YIKES! I don't want to give up my coffee! I don't want to run 23 miles TWICE before the marathon. I want to enjoy my summer because I feel like I missed the last one. Does that mean I'm not devoted to this? I just don't know what I should do. Do I give his plan a shot and hope I can hang on? Do I learn from my weaknesses last year and change my approach based on that?

I think I already pissed him off and made him not want to train with me :) He said, and I quote, maybe we should just wait until mid-August to train together. Hahaha! MID-AUGUST! By then I'll know if I'm marathon ready or not and won't need as much help! Oh, decisions, decisions!