MCM: Race Weekend

Evidently marathoners are known for crapping in the pants.  Well, I have thankfully never experienced this unfortunate accident, but with race time less than 48 hours away, I sure do feel like I could crap my pants right now.

1,145 – this is the number of miles I have put on my legs since week one of MCM training.  I honestly wanted more, but I will certainly take it.  My goal was to originally have about a month of running 80-plus miles, but instead I ended up turning that 80 in to 70.  But that’s how training goes – You make plans, and then your body tells you otherwise.

Even though my mileage came in slightly under the mark, I am overall pleased and grateful for the training I have accomplished.  There were certainly tough weeks – Remember Week #4 when I only got in 17 miles because I injured the outside of my right foot?  But there were countless hard runs that I am so glad that I got under my training belt.

With the hours counting down, I am focusing on having a healthy body make it to the starting line.  Unfortunately, a bit of tendonitis has flared up on the inside of my right leg around my ankle.  My plantar fasciitis is also still present in my right heel when I first wake up in the morning.  I am not concerned with the plantar fasciitis, but I am a little stressed and frustrated about the pain around my ankle.  I am questioning whether the injury is a result of running in worn-out shoes and that I maybe should have switched out my running shoes one more time before race day.  However, I’ve been through four pairs of Brooks PureConnects this training period!

Since you can’t put the Genie back in the Bottle, I am forced to just do my best to rest and ice my foot in these last couple of days.  And don’t get me wrong, there is pain there, but it could be a lot worse.  Neither a government shutdown nor a nagging tendon is going to stop this marathon from happening.  I’ve been through too many miles and too many hard weeks of training to turn back now.

I’m going to D.C. to get this thing done.

The Unwritten Rules of (the) Taper

Nope!  This week’s blog is not about swiping right on an ex and immediately blocking or drinking if you get a match (you can read about those rules here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/02/unwritten-rules-tinder_n_3689441.html ) but instead it is about preparing yourself in those last two (maybe three) weeks of training to get your marathon game on.

And thank God / Allah / Zeus / Good Ol’ Saint Nick that there is going to be a marathon!  It was touch-and-go for a while on Tuesday night and Wednesday as news source after news source began reporting that the Marine Corps Marathon was in jeopardy of being canceled due to the government shutdown. 

http://www.runnersworld.com/races/shutdown-could-cancel-marine-corps-marathon

However, on Thursday I received the below e-mail from the Marine Corps Marathon titled:  MCM:  Mission Ready.  And I couldn’t agree more with the MCM Staff – “We are SO on!”

As I breath a sigh of relief after my marathon was on the operating table being shocked by a defibrillator, I also let out an audible, yoga exhale that I have finally made it to the taper – the last few weeks where I can back off my mileage and rest up for race day!  The tough work has been done, the die has been cast, and my preparation is-what-it-is at this point.  There is very little, if anything, I can do to train my body any more now, but – if I choose to not taper properly – there is a lot I can do to ruin all that I have accomplished. 

To me, the most frustrating thing about a taper is that there are no clear, standard rules or best practices.  The taper is often referred to as “an art and not a science.”  Coaches and athletes will argue over a two-week taper or a three-week taper and just how much one should cut back on both mileage and intensity.

So, I have a compiled a list of Taper Rules according to Paula to provide some structure to the taper masterpiece.

Rule #1:  Any way you slice it, rule # 1 is to taper!  If you want your performance to peak on race day, then you absolutely need to taper.  The same hard-headedness, stubborn, perhaps egotistical thinking that makes people try to run through injuries also makes them do stupid things like run 20 miles the weekend before a marathon.  Unless you are Dean Karnazes or Scott Jurek (which let’s face it –most of us aren’t), then you need to seriously cut back on the mileage before race day. 

Rule #2:  Cut back on mileage, but keep some intensity.  Just because you may only be running half of the miles that you ran during your most strenuous training weeks, doesn’t mean that all the miles you are currently running need to be easy.  Instead, continue to incorporate some faster running – especially some running at race pace.  However, do cut back on the miles or minutes you spend running at a quicker pace.   For example, if you did a ten-mile run in the prior week with six miles at marathon pace, then perhaps you may want to do and eight-mile run with two by two miles at marathon pace with a five-minute active recovery (jogging/easy running).

Rule #3:  Stay off the hills.  Normally, I love and encourage hill work.  Coaches like to say that hills are speed work in disguise.  However, the time for breaking down your muscles to build them back stronger has passed.  Instead, the final weeks leading up to the marathon are for recovering from all the hard training. 

Rule #4:  Don’t try anything new.  New foods, new workouts, new shoes – leave these things for after the marathon.  You don’t want to be sore on race day because you tried out a barre class for the first time a few days before.

Rule #5:  When in doubt, come in undertrained rather than over-trained.  My belief is that there is a lot more that you can screw up rather than you can gain.  When in doubt, cut a workout short or even cut it completely.  Again, this rule can be argued but as I mentioned above – these are taper rules according to Paula.

Rule #6:  Find new projects!  The taper can sometimes be the most challenging part of training for some people.  Runners will find comfort in logging high mileage week-after-week, and thus the shorter runs and more free time can cause some people to feel antsy.  Use this time to catch up on other things in life or perhaps complete a non-running (and non-physically demanding) project.  For example, I spent hours this Saturday sorting through papers in my office and compiling items for my 2013 taxes.  Personally, it made me feel like I had organized my life and gave me a sense of calmness and order.

Rule #7:  Prepare for race day.  Instead of sitting around worrying that you will get fat from cutting your mileage, use the extra time to go through your marathon checklist.  Do you have everything you need?  Have you made all your massage appointments, dinner reservations, etc.?  One of the last things I typically do is buy some throwaway clothes.  Because I know it will be in the 40s on the morning of the MCM and I should be arriving at the starting line around two hours before the gun goes off, I made a quick trip to Walmart to buy a cheap pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt that I can leave at the starting line where it will hopefully be collected and donated (Most big marathons will donate all discarded clothing.)  Combining rule # 6 (find a new project) and rule #7, I also started a little art project on my racing singlet that I will wear during the marathon that almost didn’t happen.

Lastly, Rule #8:  Smile – because you made it!  The hard work is behind you and all you need to do is coast safely to the starting line.

MCM Training Week Nineteen:  54 Miles

The longest run this week was only 14 miles with the last three miles ran at a moderate pace (The first 11 were easy.)  I also had a nine-mile fartlek run with a couple minutes of running at half-marathon pace about every mile or so.  Lastly, other than some easy additional miles, I had a twelve-mile run with two by four miles ran at marathon pace.

This Week’s Beer Choice: While you shouldn’t drink and Tinder, you can drink (in moderation) and Taper!  During my trip to Walmart, I picked up a twelve pack of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, an old favorite, for less than $14!

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in one of my favorite beer glasses - a prize from the 2013 NoDa 5K

Good Times, Bad Times – You Know I’ve Had My Share

During the course of marathon training, I have obviously had good days and bad days – This is to be expected.  However, as much as I try to think rationally and keep my emotions at bay, I can’t help but feel low when I have a crappy run and elated when I kill it.

Even though I know my body will not feel great every day, I still start to doubt my abilities when a run turns out to be harder than I expected or if I can’t complete the miles at the pace I planned.  And it’s sometimes difficult to not let it all snowball…On my worse days, I start to doubt what I am even doing spending all this time running.  How far do I think I’m going to take this?  How good do I really think I’m going to get?

I also tend to have a love/hate relationship with my Garmin watch – I can’t imagine running without it, but I know it does not always tell the truth.  When it tells me I’m running faster than I had thought, I do a little victory dance in my head.  But on the dark side, when the number staring back at me is slower than I wanted, it kills my spirit.  I will let my Garmin watch dictate how I feel about my entire run.  And when the sky is cloudy or the trails are shaded and my lying watch tells me I’m running too slowly, I will run myself to death trying to beat my watch.

I wish I could say my manic episodes are confined to the trails and city sidewalks, but I know that I am guilty of letting a bad day or a bad week while not in my running shoes change my whole outlook on my life.  Even though everyone has bad days and bumps in the road, it can still be difficult to recognize these times for what they are – just a low moment in a long life – and try to remain positive about things improving or focus on all the positive things that are already in my life.

And just like how I allow my watch’s judgment to overshadow my own, I will sometimes let my reflection of myself in others change the way I feel about myself.  And I really shouldn’t. 

As a young girl in the 6^th grade, one of my friends became angry with me and accused me of “always trying to be perfect.”  My natural, overachieving personality clearly had upset this girl, and I remember questioning if I did have some sort of character flaw…Was I trying to be “perfect?”  Fortunately, another friend of mine, Janna, stood up for me and said, “You can’t be mad at her just because she makes good grades.”  Thanks, Janna.

On a more light-hearted note, I caught one of my sorority sisters in college stating I was “not cute” after her date said to mine, “Oh, you are here with cute Paula?”  It could have hurt my feelings (for the record I thought she was pretty), but instead it just became a huge joke with my friends to talk about how “not cute” I was.

I am certainly an imperfect person, and I am certainly my own worse critic.  But sometimes I forget that we are all imperfect people.  I may not always say the perfect things or act in perfect ways and I definitely do not kill every run, but sometimes the best thing I can do is to forgive myself.  We all deserve to just give ourselves a break sometimes.  Otherwise, we will run ourselves into the ground trying to beat our GPS watches or please others.

I know good days and bad days are part of the course for both marathon training and life.  Sometimes I stumble, sometimes I fall, sometimes I bleed, and sometimes I cry.   But so far I have always picked myself back up and continued to run. 

So whether it may be a bad run, a tough day at work, a hurtful comment from a friend, or an ex-boyfriend who didn’t respect me the way he should have – I am trying to not allow these negative thoughts to consume my mind and impact my entire outlook.  Instead, I’m trying to take the bad days with a grain a salt or – in the case of an ex-boyfriend – perhaps a large margarita.

MCM Training Week Eighteen:  71 Miles

After last week’s sub-par long run, I was happy to nail two important runs this week. 

First, on Friday, I ran 14 miles – 2 miles easy, 10 miles at marathon pace, and then 2 miles easy.  The run was comfortably hard, and I was happy to be able to hold the marathon pace at a reasonable effort.

The second important run of this week was my 20-mile long run on Sunday.  Scheduled to run at a “steady” pace, I completed the run with an average pace of just under 7:30 minutes/mile.  Perhaps more important, I felt solid and strong on the run.  Fingers crossed this is a good sign!!



This Week's Beer Choice:  Unita Brewing Co.'s Punk'n Ale (A pumpkin ale that actually tastes good!)

   

Gold Medal Confidence

Early one morning in August 2012, I woke up before it was even light out for a Sunday long run.  However, for this particular run, no shoes were required…I was actually a spectator from the comfort of a leather recliner as I watched the men’s 2012 Olympic Marathon.

In the minutes leading up to the start of the race, NBC interviewed several of the athletes including Ryan Hall.  I honestly was pretty gobsmacked or perhaps godsmacked as I watched Ryan Hall going on-and-on about his Christian training and how great he is (And by he I mean Ryan – not the “He.”)  I think the quote that got me was something along the lines of “I am already am awesome.” My first thought was “Who’s this asshole?”

What I didn’t fully grasp as I watched Ryan Hall coming across as an arrogant, brainwashed, religious fanatic was just how much mental strength plays in to a race – especially one that’s 26.2 miles.

In my naïve mind, I thought of a race like taking a test in college – You could feel nervous and unprepared as hell but could end up walking (or rather running in the case of a race) out of it having killed it.

What I now believe to be true is that no runner (or perhaps only very few) can actually win the Olympics if they don’t believe they can win it before getting to that starting line.

And you don’t have to be up for a gold medal to need confidence.  A marathon is a long distance, and if you start out too slow (or too fast) for too many miles, there is no way you will be able to make up those errors later in the marathon.  Thus, if you don’t believe you can run a three-hour marathon for example, you won’t start out at an appropriate pace that you can hold steady to reach that goal.  Instead, most likely, later in the race, you will pick up your pace and finish realizing that if you had gone out a little stronger in the beginning and maintained, you could have run a faster race.  But you didn’t start out faster – Why?  Because you didn’t believe you could run a three-hour marathon.

Of course confidence is like that two-sided coin – the fear is that you will be overly confident and pick unrealistic goals.  It should be noted that Ryan Hall dropped out of the 2012 Olympic Marathon after only running for 10 miles.  He evidently had a hamstring strain entering the race that turned out to not have been completely healed as he had thought.

As my training for the Marine Corps Marathon is down to its final few weeks, my physical preparation is almost complete.  Much like the last few miles of the marathon, there isn’t much you can do to at the end to make up for all the miles already run (or perhaps not run).  Instead, it’s time to make sure I have prepared myself mentally.  In addition to training my brain to stay focused during a hard run and withstand the necessary pain, my mind will also need to be calm and confident.

So while I still think Ryan Hall is a bit of a strange cookie, I do feel a little bad about calling him an asshole (not that he knows).  As with most people who boast about themselves, the person he is really trying to convince of his ability is himself.  And you know what?  I’m trying to do the same thing myself.

MCM Training Week Seventeen:  76 Miles

Needless to say, my Sunday long run after my Saturday brewery hop (see below) could have been better.  It certainly didn’t help that when I jogged down to NoDa Brewery Sunday morning to get my car to make the trip out to the flat, South Charlotte trail, I found that the parking lot had been padlocked closed and wouldn’t reopen until 1:00 pm.  Thus, I was forced to take to the brutal hills of the nearby urban Charlotte neighborhoods.  I was supposed to hold a hard pace (6:50 – 7:00 minutes/mile) for 18 miles of my 20-mile run but after 16 miles I had had enough.  I was not running up one more hill!!  As any bad run can do, it certainly shook my confidence a bit.  Thus, this week I will focus on nailing my long run on Sunday (last true long run of training!!!) to hopefully get my Ryan Hall-confidence back on.

This Week’s Beer Choice: It’s a Brewery Hop!  

On Saturday we hit up some of my neighborhood breweries starting at NoDa Brewery.  I actually had my first Jam Session Pale Ale (it’s hard to pass up a Hop, Drop, N’ Roll) which was tasty!  We also took a tour of the brewery and learned all about the origin of the hops and how they make their delicious beer.  It was super interesting – I felt like I was visiting a foreign country and going to the country’s home brewery (I’ve been to the Heineken and the Guiness Breweries – They were a little bigger.)

After NoDa Brewery, we popped next door to Birdsong and enjoyed the summertime weather on the porch with a Higher Ground IPA.  Life really doesn’t get much better than that.

Lastly, while the sun was setting, we walked a little up North Davidson St. to Heist Brewery.  Set in the old Highland Mill, Heist has character, craft beer, and curiously amazing food.   Just like its Noda neighborhood, nothing is normal at Heist.  Chicken & Waffle Sushi?  They got it.  Everything I’ve had at Heist is amazing, and it was the perfect place to finish our tour with some much-needed grub.

View of Uptown Charlotte as we walked to Heist in NoDa.

Battle of the Sexes

I was almost eleven miles in to my 22-miler the other weekend when I was passing by an older man (maybe 65? 70 tops?) on the greenway in south Charlotte.  However, as I made my way around the man at my steady, easy pace, he started speeding up!  Thus, I kicked it up slightly, made the pass, and then moved to the right side of the trail.  The guy immediately passed me. 

A few minutes later, he started slowing down and I – maintaining my same, steady pace – began passing him for the second time, and the same thing happened again! 

Finally, at mile eleven, following my training plan, I picked up my pace from easy to moderate and attempted to pass the older man for the third time, and this time he began a little shit talking to me about “bringing it.”  What?!? – This guy like qualified for the senior citizen discount at Harris Teeter.

Even though I was a little annoyed, I resisted the urge to put the old fart in his place and instead laughed and made some joke about how far I had left to run, but I was thinking like seriously?!? – Even an old man has such a problem with being “beaten” by a girl!

This instance happened only a few weeks after I was at mile 21 of another 22-miler, when I was again attempting to pass a guy who instead picked up the pace and said “Oh, so you are going to make me run faster?”    

What is it with guys – especially ones who aren’t that fast to begin with – having so much ego that they turn every run in to a race and loathe the thought of a girl passing them!

In the Marine Corps Half Marathon last weekend, I started ticking off the boys one-by-one in the last few miles of the race (still had six in front of me at the finish).  As I chicked them (To get “chicked” is to have a girl pass you – I learned this a few years ago when some guys came up to me after a race and accused me of “chicking” them), I couldn’t help but feel a little bad about breaking their spirits.  And to make matters worse, I felt like I should say something to these guys as I passed by so I offered up a few “Good jobs” which, in retrospect, unfortunately probably came off as patronizing.  I’m not sure there really is anything polite to say when you chick a guy – A coworker suggested I just yell “Suck it!”…not so polite.

I guess the root of the matter for me is that I don’t really feel like I am competing with these guys.  I’m certainly not competing with anyone during my training runs, but even during a race – this may seem strange – but I feel a certain sense of community with the boys surrounding me.  We are all out there pushing ourselves – trying to get the job done. 

Just like how my mom tries to convince me that not all boys are assholes, I don’t think every male runner is horrified about a girl passing him.  In fact, throughout my short running career thus far, I have experienced a great deal of comradery while running with the boys.  For example, I think of the guys who I met at the Thunder Road Marathon at around mile 17 who found out it was my first marathon and tried to help me out (they pulled me in to their pack and blocked the wind for me) or I think of the male runner who gave me a high-five as soon as I crossed the finish line as the first place female at the NoDa Brewing 5K.

But for the boys who do pride themselves on what great shape they are in (you know who you are or then again, maybe you don’t but others do), you may need a reality check.

A couple of weeks ago, a Utah woman made headlines for winning the Big Cottonwood Marathon.  However, when I say “winning,” I don’t mean she was the first female to cross the finish line, but rather she was the first runner – male or female – to complete the course.  (http://www.runnersworld.com/general-interest/utah-woman-is-overall-winner-of-marathon)

So for the guys who don’t want to be staring at a girl’s rear as she passes by – You better pick up your pace and watch your backs – cause the good ‘ole boy days are coming to an end and the women are chasing you down.

MCM Training Week Sixteen:  74 Miles

My longest run this week (which will be my longest of this training period) was 24 miles, and it was the most painful training run I may have ever had.  It certainly didn’t help that 15 miles in to the hilly long run, I ate it while running uphill on an uneven sidewalk.  With a bloody left hand, I was forced to trudge on for another nine miles after the incident.  By the end of the run, my hips, legs, and oh-god my feet hurt so badly!  Hopefully this run has made me stronger, but my body certainly felt trashed at the end of it.

This Week’s Beer Choice:  NoDa Brewing Co.’s Hop, Drop ‘n Roll IPA  (Hands Down – Best Charlotte Beer)

“Winning is Fun” – Recap of Marine Corps Half Marathon

 “Winning is fun, isn’t it?”  - I will always remember this comment I received in a LinkedIn message from a guy named Joe who I ran and chatted with for a couple of miles during the Alston & Bird Corporate Cup Half Marathon.  He was nice enough to send me a message of congratulations after he realized I finished as the first place female that day.

And again, Joe’s comment proved true Saturday when I crossed the finish line at the Marine Corps Half Marathon in Camp Lejeune as first place female with a time of 1:22:36.  Not only was I excited about the guaranteed paid entry to the 2014 Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. that I had won, but I was even more thrilled (and somewhat relieved) that I soared past my goal of running a 1:25:00 half at around a 6:30 pace and instead was able to comfortably (relatively speaking) hold an average pace of 6:18 for those 13.1 miles.

While I crossed the finish line just a few minutes before 8:30 am, the day had started much earlier for me.  My alarm went off Saturday morning at 3:45 am.  I can remember nights in college when I probably was still up partying at that time…I’m not sure if I was crazier then for being up that late doing all sorts of stupid things or crazier now for being up that early to go run!

At 4 am (3 hours out from the race starting time), I ate breakfast – a banana, creamy natural peanut butter on cinnamon raisin bagels (best not to do whole-wheat on race day – excessive fiber may upset your stomach), orange juice, and one cup of coffee.

I then did a quick, easy little five-minute jog around my parents’ Emerald Isle neighborhood to make sure everything felt loose and allow my body to start waking up.  Other than the voices I could hear from the deck of a neighboring beach house where people evidently had yet to pass out for the night, it was calming and peaceful to run in the dark early morning hours while listening to the faint sounds of the ocean.

After getting dressed in all of my race-day garb (I did end up wearing the Nike Racing Boyshorts.  The replacement pair had a much smoother seam!) and drinking half a bottle of Gatorade two hours out from race time, I made the quick 25-minute drive to Camp Lejeune.  If I wasn’t awake before, going through security at 5:45 am with guys holding machine guns certainly woke me up.

About thirty minutes before race time, I did a few strides – a little easy jogging, then picked up my pace to around race pace for just a few seconds, then back to easy jogging.  I also did some light stretching, retied & triple-knotted my Brooks T7 Racers, and I went to the restroom one last time.

With participation around 700 people, it was not difficult to make my way to the front of the starting line to pack in with the boys.  I brought the remainder of my bottle of Gatorade from that morning and took a few sips – swishing the liquid around my mouth – during the few minutes before the start.

Once the race was underway, it only took about one mile of running in the coastal humidity before my hands felt sticky.  Around two miles in, we ran through a light shower of rain for about a mile.

All week long, I checked and re-checked the weather what felt like a hundred times.  While I was not as lucky as the little boy in this week’s Runner’s World motivational poster (http://www.runnersworld.com/fun/motivational-poster-58), I knew the weather could be worse.  It was most likely in the 60s when I started, but when I passed by one building on base that had an outdoor temperature display, it read 70 degrees.

The pack thinned out quickly, and I found myself running the majority of the race by myself.  The base was very quiet and while I did receive the occasional “Good job, ma’am,” I also passed by several Marines who appeared to be practicing to be grenadier guards, those guys who stand in stony silence outside of Buckingham Palace.  They were probably thinking, “Damn, that girl has some short shorts on!”

Other than the less-than-perfect weather and lack of crowd support, the only other slight challenges were a few minor elevation climbs and a bit of wind that I had to run against at times.  I really cannot complain too much about conditions.  The race did offer up water views of Farnell Bay and Morgan Bay, and I enjoyed running over a short bridge around mile seven where I had a few moments of uninterrupted water views.

Throughout the entire race, I focused on keeping good running form – chest up, shoulders relaxed, legs turning over quickly.  For the first ten miles, I kept the pace easy (again relative) and did not push myself much.  However, when I had around three miles to go, I started picking it up a bit to keep my pace below 6:15.  The last mile, I ran in sub-six minutes. 

Overall, I could not have been happier with how my body felt.  It was a solid day of running that gave me confidence that I am stronger now than I have ever been and that as long as I don’t get injured, I should be capable of reaching my goal of running a sub-three hour marathon in five weeks at the Marine Corps Marathon.

Yes – winning is fun, but it’s gaining confidence that makes your post-race beer taste that much better.

MCM Training Week Fifteen:  62 Miles

This Week's Beer Choice:  Waterfront Brewing Co.'s India Pale Ale

Race Week: Marine Corps Half Marathon

Finally!!!  After talking about racing, writing about racing, and daydreaming about racing for months, I am going to race again this Saturday!  As part of my Marine Corps Marathon training, I am scheduled to run a half marathon this Saturday, September 21^st at the Marine Corps Half Marathon in Camp Lejeune (Jacksonville, NC). 

There is always something special about race week…maybe it’s the little butterflies of excitement or the multiple guilt-free bowls of pasta I get to enjoy as I carbo-load.  Whatever the appeal, race week is a time to take a step back, rest my body, rest my mind, and get ready to race!

Every runner has her breaking point, and this past week I was tiptoeing the line on mine…Work was long and draining and on top of it, I was pushing myself to run 80 miles for the week.  It only took a few days of working till past 7:00 pm, then coming home and trying to fit in ten miles of quality running before my body started breaking down.

On Thursday night, I was scheduled to run 10 miles at moderate pace.  I made it a mile…Gave up.  Came home.  Had a beer.  And went to sleep.  I knew that by skipping that run I would not meet my goal of running at least 80 miles this past week, but – even as much as I hated it – I knew I had to listen to my body – not my training plan.

Six days before race day, my body is not 100% (but when you run as much I do when is it ever??)  Most likely due to tight calve muscles, I am combating a little bit of plantar fasciitis in my right heel and achilles tendinitis in my left ankle.  Even though the injuries are far from severe, I am icing everything (including taking foot ice baths) and trying to be careful to not further any injuries.

One of the best ways (and most delightful!) to loosen the body and prepare it for race day is to get a massage.  So, Monday night (don’t want one too close to race day in case I am sore after), I am having some woman massage my back, butt, and legs until I am loose enough to bend over and twerk it like Miley Cyrus.

While I cannot control the weather (and I am certainly concerned that it will be too hot for fast running!), I can do everything in my power to get my body ready to race.  In addition to getting a massage and loading up on carbs, I am also cutting back on my miles this week and making it a priority to get ample amounts of sleep!

The goal of this half marathon is not to run the fastest half marathon of my career.  My training plan does not have the time to fit in a proper taper for a half marathon (I ran 22 miles on Sunday – 11 miles easy followed by 11 miles moderate.)  Instead, the goal is to have a solid race that will build confidence for the Marine Corps Marathon in October.  As long as the weather is cool, I hope to keep my pace around 6:30/mile or below (around a 1:25:00 half marathon).  Thus, I hope to be able to take my half marathon time from this weekend to predict a sub-3 hour marathon.  http://www.runnersworld.com/tools/race-times-predictor

 You can’t always follow your training plan perfectly, but this week I think I am going to have no problems getting a massage, loading up on pasta, and just sitting on my butt a little more.  Marathon training sure can be tough!

MCM Training Week Fourteen: 72 Miles

This Week’s Beer Choice: Avery Brewing Co.’s India Pale Ale