Last weekend a good running friend asked me what my goal was for Newport Marathon. I let her know I was training for a 3:35 marathon. She asked why? All I need to for a BQ (Boston Qualify) for my age group/gender is a sub 3:50. I thought long and hard how she responded. She asked a legitimate question. Why would I train for a 3:35 when all I need is a 3:50? Why risk it? Risk it, meaning, what if I go out too hard and fall apart out on the course, I could be risking it all?
This last week was a hard training week. I'm going into block two, meaning more miles, more intensity and the more my mental better be on! I know I was being challenged as I had a couple days I felt grumpy at work. Work is good, so I know it was simply me, feeling the training. I got through the week, got in some extra sleep and did all my workouts. No one at work snapped at me. I think some of my co-workers question my "why" yet some are really intrigued by the whole idea of training for a marathon.
This training cycle continues to freak me out in a good way. My training continues to be on point, even as I tip over into the harder workouts. I feel the strength growing in my body and continue to feel like "I can do this." In some of my past training cycles this has not been the case. Some, I couldn't hit my times as I wasn't training properly for the condition I was currently in. Some, I could hit my times, but my head was so unsure of myself, I was my own worst enemy. I see this a lot in runners. Runners minds get in the way! I truly believe in getting help from a more advanced running friend or get yourself a coach. They will do the math/thinking for you and you just simply trust the process.
I go into this week knowing I worked my a** off the last three weeks. This week I get to let my body heal and work more on mileage build up. The next nine weeks are going to go by fast, yet take forever! Some people like to compare marathon training to pregnancy. I don't like to do that. I've had three babies and ran 15 full marathons. I get how each pregnancy/training cycle is different, but the comparison is far different in my eyes. I don't ever want to be pregnant again, yet I chose to train my body to do better for this upcoming marathon.
Newport Finish Line....I'm dreaming about you!!!! I see you when I go out alone in the dark. I see you when I put on my rain jacket because it's a Spring downpour outside. I see you when I look at my quality workout and say, what do I have to lose? I see you when I have to go to bed early because I need to run before work the next morning. That's why I am able to say, I'm training for a sub 3:35 marathon and I will NOT settle for a sub 3:50. I can do this and I see myself doing it. Why oh why would I settle for anything less?
 |
| Long run out and back to Rickreall, the headwinds almost killed me off! |
No comments:
Post a Comment