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September 22, 2005
Taking the 26.2 Mile Plunge October 2
Once again I find myself racing to play catch up. I have decided that I am going to end each evening with a refreshing recap of my day's run or runs . . . although plural runs are virtually nonexistent in my current training diet. I have been hanging on by what seems like a thread the past few weeks, and after almost bowing out of my date with 26.2, I have decided to suck it up and step onto the road anyway. My best friend, Carrie, made the following comment in regards to my previous ping-pong post about whether or not to run a marathon:
" . . . the choice is yours but i can attest that the only decisions i've ever regretted were choices i made based on a fear i wouldn't live up to a standard i set for myself - and they're ALL running regrets. there's alot to be said for accepting yourself wherever you are on race day and then, in a week or month or year or two, looking with satisfaction at the road you've traveled."
"BASED ON FEAR" - that hit home. I do not want to live in torment based on all the races that I did not run because I was afraid of not reaching the goals I impress upon myself. Is a sub 3 *really* possible based on my training? Realistically, NO. But when I race, I tend to toss my heart and soul into the racing rhythm and hang on for dear life. It is not necessarily a racing strategy that I would recommend to the masses, but it seems to work when I run longer distances.
That said, my final "long" run this past weekend indicates that even draining my heart and soul into the race will not allow me to crack the 3 hour barrier. I ran 15 miles on Sunday; I spent about 4 miles finding my stride and warming up and then I launched myself into marathon race pace for the next 8 miles. All I could muster up were a string of 6:56s. Well I am not disappointed in my effort, I am disappointed in how hard those miles felt and how difficult - nearly impossible - it would have been to hold that pace for *gasp* 18 more miles. I finished up the final 3 around 7:10 pace and that felt much more comfortable.
I am going to run the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon on October 2. I usually refrain from public racing announcements (as I prefer to race secretly and then report about it), but I feel an odd serenity going into this race. What I am most confident about is that I know I am going to have fun - no matter what the outcome (Carrie, my twin sister, my dog and my fiance will all be out there to cheer me on). I am looking forward to running a marathon after a three year hibernation. If anything, I am just happy to just make it to the start of this year's race.
My list of the good, the bad, and the ugly:
THE GOOD:
*I managed to consistently run 50 miles/week for 4 months - this is a record for me as I tend to peak in between injuries and fail at the consistentcy requirement that all runners with race goals must achieve.
*I ran 5-7 days/week. While this pales in comparison to Alison and most other speedsters, it is an accomplishment for me - especially since I think I am finally emerging from a 3 year slump.
The Bad:
*I took too many total days off that I did not need.
*I did not get as many long runs in as I would have liked: I did 17,20,23,20,15 . . . and a few other scattered 13-16 milers. The bread and butter of my training were 10 mile marathon pace runs and 6 mile progression runs. Not enough long runs and probably too many runs around 7:30 - 8:00 pace.
*I never did speedwork and I rarely ventured into tempo runs.
The Ugly:
*I will keep this one to myself!
This week has been rather quiet. I recored a ZERO on Monday (I sprained my arm and it killed to run . . . thank goodness I did not fracture it). Tuesday I ran 6 miles and my arm still hurt. Yesterday I ran 4 quick miles with the intention of running more later in the day. The later in the day part never happened. I am hoping to run 6-10 today and repeat tomorrow and Saturday. I think I am only going to run 8-10 on Sunday. I am supposed to be tapering.
The butterflies are fluttering in my stomach.
Posted by bridget at September 22, 2005 10:37 AM
Comments
I think it's brave of you to go ahead and do the race, even if you don't feel like you're at your best. At the same time, there have been many, many marathoners who have been far less prepared than you are on the starting line. (Looking at your training summary, I'm actually quite impressed and not very convinced that you aren't ready!)
Marathon pace always feels hard to me on a training run, but the comfortable-ness of the 7:10 pace suggests that perhaps that's closer to your marathon pace...but I don't know anything about that, because I always end my marathons running 9:30 pace at best!
Regardless of what your preparation is, your attitude sounds like it is great! Reading your entry almost (and I repeat ALMOST) made me want to hop in a marathon.
I think having time goals holds some of us back, because we don't want to start the race if we don't think we can achieve them. But I imagine that running another marathon will also be a useful step towards your time goals, because it'll provide you with more experience at the distance.
Have fun out there!! (And it's great to hear from you again!)
Am I not supposed to ask how you sprained your arm?
Posted by: Alison at September 22, 2005 12:28 PM
wow. i am positively elated that you are running on 10/2 and yes, i will be there to cheer you on. after the bumps you've gotten over these last few years, i think this marathon is going to be huge for you. get out there and enjoy it and remember that the consistency of your training and your ability to currently run "comfortable" 7.10 miles should give you every indication you can break 3 at some point in the future. you don't need to be there NOW, just know that you're on the way there!
Posted by: carrie at September 22, 2005 02:08 PM
I feel ya on not really always wanting to publicize your race, so thank you for announcing your decision on the marathon. To my completely untrained eye, it looks like you did enough longer runs, but that could be why every single marathon I have attempted has been less than spectacular.
Lots of marathon paced running will definitely bode you well in this race. Sometimes on race day, something magical tends to happen, so don't count out the possiblitly of getting under 3 hours. As one of the guys who I run with said to me the other day, how was it that I couldn't do a 4 mile tempo run at 6:30 yet raced a half-marathon at 6:25s only 6 days later. There is just something about putting a number on that brings out that extra fire.
Thank you for sharing with us. Hope that your arm gets better soon!
Blondie
Posted by: Blondie at September 22, 2005 02:09 PM
How exciting! It sounds like you've gotten great training in, even if not as many long runs as you would've liked. Now that you've announced your race, we can cheer for you and send fast vibes.
Hope your arm sprain heals up quickly. :)
Posted by: Leilani at September 22, 2005 02:59 PM
wahoo!! way to go for it bridget. rock on. i look fwd to seeing how it unfolds.
Posted by: Audrey at September 22, 2005 10:30 PM
That is very exciting and inspirational. Good luck in the marathon! I hope it goes better than you expect. My college coach always said that low expectations were the way to go, maybe you will give yourself a pleasant surprise.
Posted by: Barb at September 23, 2005 11:55 AM
So exciting, I too applaud you for committing to the race despite thinking that you are not at your best. Getting another marathon under your belt, at whatever pace, will only make you tougher in the long run. Good, good luck!
Posted by: MandM at September 24, 2005 11:35 PM