Ready Steady Go

I have never been so happy to be able to look back and read my thoughts on last year's marathon, and believe me, I have read it several times over last few weeks.

I am SO ready for this weekend. I have learned from my experience last year, have put EVERYTHING into my training over the past 14 weeks, and am ready for whatever is to come on Sunday.

I am pacing for a 3:50. I WILL find 8:45/ mile and stick to it through halfway and then reassess how I feel. I will pick up a friend around mile 16 who will pace me for about 6-8 miles, get me to Central Park. She will push the pace if I want her to - it's up to me. Once in Central Park, I will hold nothing back, I know the road, I know the course, and am READY!

Zambian Distraction

Just a quick trip to Zambia. Although I was worried about the added stress and travel before the marathon, I am hoping the trip and meeting will be a good distraction from the taper-induced anxiety that I have been dealing with - and so far so good. Last weekend during my 'logn' run, I decided that I didn't even want to run the marathon anymore, but I think the legs and mind are coming around.

This morning, I did an easy 8.5km on a treadmill that reset every 2km, and shocked me if I touched it. Unfortunately, the only 'new' treadmill in the gym was being used by a man doing sets of 30 second sprints+squats on the treadmill. He did this the entire hour I was in the gym.

hello, legs

Dear legs,
I am sorry for yesterday. I know you wanted to be done at mile 9.5. I made you run 12.7. It still wasn't the 15 we needed to get done.
Please come back to me before November 1. Thanks, S


Taper is...taper. My legs feel worse than they have felt the entire 3+ months I have been focusing on this race. My long run yesterday was the slowest run I have done in weeks, maybe even months. But that's OK, the work is done. I just need to listen to my body.

I need to officially let go of 'my plan'. It has gotten me this far, healthy with more miles under my legs than ever before- but NOW I need to listen to my legs and body, and let them rest enough to be ready to carry me 26.2 miles on November 1. Because I know they can!!

hello, taper

I am sick of running
my shins hurts
my hips ache
i am tired
i am hungry
all i do is eat, i want to lose 5 lbs

I hate the first week of taper, because you get all excited to 'rest' but really, you're not resting yet. I still am supposed to run 40-45 miles this week. I can't imagine being rested for race day. I am doubting the plan I have followed faithfully for the past 13 weeks.

I skipped my mile repeats this morning. With how my body felt last night, there was no way I was getting up in sub-40 degrees. I will try to get out the door for an easy hour after work.

blahhhh.

The last push.

I am lacking some SERIOUS motivation. The past two mornings I have woken up and turned my alarm off and slept a few more hours. This is my biggest week, I have three more runs to get through - that's it!

But I find myself with the attitude "At this point, what harm will missing one, easy hour run do?" blahhhh

So I am hoping the power of positive thinking will help:

1. I will get the run I skipped this morning done after work. Even if it's a slow ass jog or even a walk on the treadmill.

2. I will do my last 20-miler tomorrow morning (SLOWLY!), go home, order the hamburger and fries I have been craving all week (Hello, Jackson Hole, Olivia!), then spend the rest of the day watching my 2 roommates and 3 other teammates TEAR IT UP! in Kona.

Yassos

I did Yassos last year and really liked the workout. It was on my marathon 'plan' a few times this go-round, but I replaced it in previous weeks with team-workouts.

This morning, I did what was actually on the plan - 8x800 with 400 recovery. Aiming for your time goal for the marathon.

So I aimed 3:40-3:50, for ALL eight. I ran the lower loop of the park, so there are some uphills/downhills that makes holding a specific pace hard. Last year I started out too fast, was all over the place on the pacing, and hit the wall on #6.



Times were as follows:
3:43
3:50
3:26
3:29
3:36
3:29
3:35
3:25

I had some good company for the workout, not so sure what happened to #2, but overall I felt comfortable and controlled, and very happy with the pacing.

10 great miles in total this morning, en route to my biggest week ever. I am right on the verge, in that place where I begin to question if I really am ready for this again and totally mentally and physically exhausted, but I have to just keep plugging away.

Amazing.

via

If you have not read Sarah Reinertsen book "In a Single Bound," I highly recommend it. I read some excerpts already available on Kindle, but the book version comes out soon and I will be picking up a version for sure.

Want want want...

La Mer

Grete's 2009 Pics

Maybe if I am having this much fun I could have been running a bit faster??? :)

Mile 3

Mile 6ish?

Grete's Great Gallop 2009

Last year. - 1:51:34 (8:30 pace)

This year - 1:44:33 (7:59 pace)- 4 minute PR!

My one and only goal going into this race was to get under 1:45. Based on my training, I knew this was possible, but mentally this week has been challenging and I wasn't sure it was in the cards. I also knew it was a tough 2-loop (clockwise) course of Central Park=hilly.

Thisis a huge step forward towards setting some realistic and stretch goals for the marathon. I am so super happy that I was able to put this together and to see some major returns on how hard I have been working. yay yay yay is how I feel :)

My garmin actually read 13.3 miles for the course (also, I started walking the water stations in the 2nd half as it was SUPER humid and I was feeling a bit lackluster). The only 2 miles over 8/mins are actually the same mile in the loops, the climb out of the north hills near Lasker Pool and then the false flat up to Engineer's Gate.

Distance	Time
1 Mi	7:57.92
2 Mi	7:45.35
3 Mi	7:42.72
4 Mi	7:53.13
5 Mi	8:01.35
6 Mi	7:38.25
7 Mi	7:43.06
8 Mi	7:55.24
9 Mi	7:58.03
10 Mi	7:55.73
11 Mi	8:09.65
12 Mi	7:45.41
13 Mi	7:57.6
0.28 Mi	2:09.05