A Passion for Running

A recent post on Richard’s blog got me looking again at the McMillan Calculator which says based on two recent races (a 5.4 mile race and a 1/2 marathon) I’m capable of running a 3:33 marathon. The prediction makes my head swirl.

The goal I’ve set is to run a 3:36 but there is a lot of doubt in my mind about even achieving that goal. In fact, I set the goal purposefully high so I wouldn’t underachieve. I based this bit of goal setting on Richard’s very poignant remark, “You may not be able to live up to your expectations, but you will almost always live down to them.”.

On the other hand, I had doubts about running a 1:40:59 half-marathon which I did very strongly just last week.

Am I getting faster? Race results seem to be saying I am but for some reason there is this nagging doubt that although I am faster up to the half marathon distance, the speed improvement may not translate to being a faster marathon runner? After completing five marathons, I know there is a huge difference between running a 1/2 versus a full marathon.

Is my mind imagining limitations that are not there? This, I think, is the biggest question for me. Chris has suggested some reading in this area and Richard is definitely great at thinking positively in terms of one’s potential.

Aaron recently asked me some questions about my race plan for Victoria. Frankly, I’m struggling. Should I go out with a 3:33 pace or my goal pace of 3:36? I could try to answer the question by first answering another question: What’s the slowest time I’d be happy with? My answer is that I’d settle for a 3:39 and would be unhappy finishing slower than my last marathon (3:42). After all, we all want to improve right?

So, it looks like I’m left with one final question: Will running at a 3:33 pace burn me out and prevent me from getting a 3:36 or even a 3:39?

I’m beginning to think it comes down to deciding whether I’m going to “go for it” and risk failure, or play it safer in order to “guarantee” a slower PR. Saying what I just said reminds me of another fact: There are no guarantees when you run 26.2 miles!

One last piece of information: The difference between attempting a 3:33 and a 3:36 is 5 seconds per kilometer. Is that a big deal? It might not seem to be but stretch it out over 26.2 miles and I think it might be!

Decisions, decisions…

Advice? Do I just get some balls and run the pace McMillan says I can run?

I realize I’ve now entered a very “special” point in my training. I’ve entered the marathon training paranoia zone…do de do do, do de do do (my attempt at typing The Twilight Zone theme).

Not familiar? Not sure what I’m talking about? Please allow me to fill you in…

It’s the part of the training where every minor ache and pain is, in your mind, a torn muscle or…worse.

It’s the part of the training where you start thinking everyone around you has germs and will give you a terrible cold/flu which will destroy your training and marathon goal.

It’s the part of the training where you trip over a pebble on the sidewalk while walking to work and think, “whew – I almost fell there. I coulda sprained something and screwed up all these weeks/months of training”.

It’s the part of the training where you wake up with a kink in your neck because you slept funny and think, “oh crap – it’s over”.

It’s the part of the training where your kid jumps on your leg and you start yelling uncontrollably “don’t you have ANY bloody idea what the heck you coulda done to daddy?!?!?! Daddy’s in TRAINING!!!!!!!!” (note: I didn’t actually do that one but it really adds to the drama of this post huh?)

It’s the part of the training where you wait until everyone else digests the food you are about to eat just to make sure it doesn’t have salmonella and ruins all your running plans (who cares about your general health – it’s the running that is important right?)

Get my point? The MTP Zone is where you’ve put in a ton of work, have a goal and nothing by God, NOTHING better screw it up but EVERYTHING happening to or around you seems to hold a threat for doing so.

It might be your first marathon or your tenth but I guarantee that at some point before your big race you WILL enter the marathon training paranoia zone and that as your marathon gets closer and closer, the paranoia will worsen and worsen…

…do de do do, do de do do.

P.S. If you’ve never had a paranoid thought before a marathon please ignore/forget what you just read and carry on…

HA! Gooood Luck!!

First of all, to all you billions of runners who are faster than me, the title of today’s post is relative to ME only! In other words, the following “speed” workout is speedy for ME! OK? OK. Onward then…

I had a pretty good workout on the “peace mile” at lunch today. I warmed up for about ten minutes?and then knocked off three one mile intervals?with 5.5 minutes of light jogging after each. The intervals paced as follows:

Mile One – 6:45
Mile Two – 6:40
Mile Three – 6:55

Miles one and three had a gradual uphill climb?so I’m pretty happy with the times. For the last mile, I concentrated on quick feet and a short stride. I expected I’d finish that mile much slower because the altered stride made it seem MUCH easier. Losing only 10 seconds, especially with it being the last (uphill) interval, made me happy with how it turned out.

It would have been tough to do a fourth interval today (that’s for next week). I didn’t have?very?much in the tank and am still feeling a bit dehydrated from the weekend.?Even so, I think today was a?decent start back to?training. Now I just gotta build some momentum and not get injured for the next seven weeks. That sound you just heard was me knockin’ on my wooden head!

On another subject, I found out some good news about the marathon. First, they are going to have staggered starts for the 8km race, 1/2 marathon and full-marathon. They start 30 minutes apart with the marathoners heading out last. Second,?the marathon starts at 9:00 so my “I don’t like running in the morning” body will have extra time to wake up on race day.

YAHOO!

My little family joined Lori’s parents, brother’s and significant others on a camping trip this weekend. Two days of campfires, GREAT campfire food, sleeping in a tent and fun with family. Very nice.

I managed a one hour run around the lake on Saturday afternoon. It was very tough going. The reason it was tough was the only liquids I drank for the 24 hours prior to running were beer and coffee…and some Gibsons Whiskey in my coffee. Definitely not an advisable hydration strategy! The run was also tough cuz I’ve been fighting a cold since Thursday and it was at it’s worst Saturday. The cold is getting better now.

It was a great way to end a rest week that followed last Sunday’s 1/2 marathon. But the rest is over and tomorrow it’s back to serious training. Why? See the post previous to this one for the answer.

Only bad part about being away is I missed the men’s Olympic marathon and an Italian won it!