Marathon Training

Wow! It's been soooo long I hardly remembered how to sign into my blog! Boy have I been out of touch....

Anyway, I've been running.

I looked it up. My last open marathon was 4 years ago in Las Vegas. This is the same marathon I'm going to do again for the second time this year. Las Vegas Rock 'n Roll Marathon 12/4/11. The course has changed. Half of it is run up and down the strip. It's also run in the late afternoon/early evening under the lights. There is a 4.5 hour time limit and the event is capped and already full at 5000 runners. The temp SHOULD be in the 50's and I would suspect dry since it is in the desert. All sounds absolutely perfect to me!

It's been a long time since I just focused on running. And I'm loving it! I'm still biking and swimming a few times per week but it's pretty low-key stuff. I get pretty brain numb toward the bike after a season of IM training. Tired of the numbers and the hours after hours out on the road alone. And swimming has never been my best friend! So, to have the pressure taken off these areas has been wonderful. I swim to swim. I think about my form and I haven't worried about time. I bike to bike. I've taken my cross bike out for some off-road riding. No meters. No heart rate monitors. Granted, I'm a numbers girl at heart but to let that go for a few months has been AWESOME! I'm really looking at this marathon training as a time for me to recharge the mental batteries when it comes to swimming and biking.

The good thing about running right now is that I have a solid endurance base. I took a few weeks off post IMWI 9/11/11 and literally did nothing but eat too much! When I started back to organized training I quickly was reminded that I HAD just done an IM and there was still fatigue in this old body! Thankfully, that goes away pretty quickly and after a week or two I felt good as new!

I'm so grateful to have a coach because if I was left to my own demise that would be just it....demise. I'm a great little follower. Tell me what to do and I'll do it and I'll give it my all doing it. Just don't ask me to formulate HOW to do it! Jen's got me running 4 days per week. I'm NOT cranking out uber miles. Actually, I thought I would be doing a lot more. No, I am NOT complaining! I'm looking for a solid PR in this thing, not to be in the top 5 in my age group! In other words, I think the work I'm putting in will help me get what I'm after. I'm a triathlete, not a runner. And I do think there is a difference.

But, running is what I love the most of the three tri disciplines. My most favorite, favorite, favorite thing of all is trail running. And I've gotten to do a bit of that this fall. Just to run through a forest with no cars, asphalt, or people to see anywhere is absolute bliss. To hear the crunch of leaves and twigs underfoot and smell the freshness is complete heaven. Steadiness and sure-footedness is the focus. Nothing else. Someday, someday, mark my words, I'm going to do an ultra-trail run. One with the headlamp, compass, and all sorts of other craziness.

Otherwise, I've been doing my long runs with a focus on marathon pace intervals. No real flat-out speed work. And after coming off IM, I have the old Ironman slog down pat. I was really feeling like a grandma initially when I was told to pop off a few miles at marathon pace. Jen, told me it would feel like shit and she was right! For quite a few runs, I thought I was going to tip right the hell over. But, lately things have been coming around quite nicely. I am holding pace, it feels like work, but not complete torture. Cross my fingers, by marathon day, hopefully marathon pace will feel like a breeze; at least for the first 15 miles!

This lack of speed work made me a little apprehensive about the 5K that I did last night. Yeah, a Thursday night local 5K race. Sort of weird, huh? We Medfordites are celebrating the completion of a big construction project on the major highway that runs through our little town. The race was called Take the Detour One Last Time and ran the detour route. It is about 2 miles from end to end of Medford. In other words, we are not accostumed to any drive in town taking over 2 minutes. Therefore, this detour around the highway about killed a few of us. Talk about no patience!!! So this little race was a big deal and a fun little celebration. About 250 people raced; HUGE I know! But, I don't really care about that, I care about the number on the clock. Tick. Tock.

It was 35F and literally had just been snowing a few hours before. Yes, I said SNOWING! Shoot me now! My head was wrapped around pounding this baby out and then getting out! I had a goal in mind but really was unsure 'cause like I said I've been doing no speed training. And I'm always looking to PR something, so I didn't know what to expect. The course ended up being accurate. Tra La La! I love it when that happens! And I did it in 20:50. Totally pleased with that. Yep it is a PR by about 10 seconds! I'll take what I can get! Man, how I wish I was a high school boy and could run a 17:30 5K. Well, not really, but it sure would be great!

Anyway, life goes on and tonight we're off to my daughter's conference championship swim meet. And do you think I could SLEEP?! No! You'd swear I was the one swimming! I am so excited for her and her team. They are an awesome group of girls who really enjoy swimming and being together. I really mean that. Yep, I'm training for a marathon but there are lot of things a hell of a lot more important than that! Go Medford Girls Swimming!!!!!