The Start of Marathon Week

Well, this is it... the start of marathon week. And how did I start it? By taking a day off from running. It was much needed since I had run the last four days in a row. I know, I know... I was supposed to take Saturday off, but as I said I would, I changed my mind a couple hundred times in the course of the night and decided a little three mile run wouldn't hurt me. It was a nice, crisp Saturday morning too, so I decided that before heading to work at Movin' Shoes I would just get in a little jaunt. I also would have felt a little guilty if I had only gotten in four days of running last week instead of five. For good or bad, I'm just used to my workout regimens. It's also called being stubborn;)

Sunday morning was no little three mile run. It was my last real long run leading up to the marathon next Saturday. I honestly didn't think I would get up early to get it in since I had gotten home late the night before from going to the Wisconsin/Ohio St football game where the good 'ol Badgers blew the game in the last six minutes or so. Ah, what the heck. I honestly forgot about it pretty much after the game was over with. I'm not going to waste my time brooding about the plight of the Badgers anymore. It serves no purpose and I have more fruitful things to think about... like getting myself qualified for Boston again. I can't control what the Badgers do but I sure as heck can control how I race next Saturday. Then again... it's a marathon... and as I've said in the past, marathons are a strange mistress... they can humble you in an instant. I guess I better watch what I say then. Aw, the heck with that too... I'm going into that race feeling just as confident as I did when I ran Grandma's Marathon in Duluth back in June. And why shouldn't I be confident. I've trained just as hard as I could have possibly trained, I had one heck of a half-marathon result just a little over a week ago, and I'm feeling pretty well rested. You can't beat that, right? I sure hope so. Yesterday's long run was also a nice confidence booster leading up to this Saturday's race. Like I said, yesterday was my last significant long run before the marathon so I wanted to make sure it was one of quality. It was. Once I got up and out the door, I was greeted by overcast skies and cool temps. I actually thought it might rain during the run but the rains actually held off til I was done. Now even though I wanted yesterday's run to be a quality one, I didn't want to go out guns ablazin'... that would have been stupid. No, I wanted to leave a little left in the tank, so I put into use something I had just read Saturday in The Running Times magazine about tapering before your marathon. The writer, whose name I forget, said that seven days out from your marathon you should get in a 12 mile run where you run the first six miles easy and then the last six miles at your goal race pace. Sounded like a good strategy, why not give it a try. I actually adjusted it a bit though, by doing the first five miles easy and the last seven at goal pace, but that's ok... I don't think it will hurt me. I was feeling a little antsy and wanted to pick up the pace a bit earlier. I'm such a go-getter, aren't I? I know... temperance. Anyways, it was a good workout. I did the first five miles between 7:35 and 7:45 pace and then ran the last seven miles in 7:26, 7:11, 7:22, 7:23, 7:22, 7:25 and 7:20. Goal pace for me is between 7:20 and 7:25 so I was pretty much right on the button with those splits. I'm pretty sure I can even go a little faster, but the plan is to be a little conservative on race day for the first 13 to 16 miles and then gradually try to pick it up from there. We'll just have to wait and see how the day shakes out. The bottom line is I know I can do it... I believe I can do it... so why not just do it.

Sunday's workout: 12.1 miles > 1:31:38 > 7:33 pace

Miles last week: 36.5