My training for the California International Marathon (CIM) has supposedly been my focus. It has felt as though I am just going through the motions, however. I say this only because I have been comparing it to my training for Grandma’s Marathon where the training felt so intense and focused. I’m already seven weeks into this training program and it still feels like maintenance running. There’s no intensity, no vision of the finish line, and I am a bit nervous about that.
It’s time for a shift – a look at my intermediate goal.
The Nike Women’s Half-Marathon has been planned out since January (perhaps earlier). While the plan was always for this to be a “for fun” run, with no real intentions of racing, I may need to use it as a measure of where my training has taken me so far. I had entertained thoughts of using the San Jose Rock ‘N Roll Half-Marathon to gauge my fitness level, but I just can’t cough up the funds with another race only two weeks later. It doesn’t look like a good plan at this point.
I am left to trying to generate some enthusiasm for making Nike a good race. I need a reason to push hard in these coming weeks so that I can power up those hills. There is one reason that I would want to run a good race, and that would be to be a little more competitive against my older sister. Linda is fast. She BQ’d last year at CIM without even trying to. Then, she didn’t go to Boston because it really “wasn’t her dream”. That’s right; it wasn’t HER dream, it was MINE. She said she would only go if I BQ’d.
Okay, so whatever. Linda is also running Nike. In fact, she urged me, and many of her friends, to register and we are all staying overnight together in the city for the race. I’m excited about that; she has very cool friends who ALL run FAST.
Now, if you have kids, you may know the movie “Little Giants.” Do you remember the part where they are feeling like winning the Pee Wee Football Game is futile? They talk about “just once” beating the better team – “just once” beating the odds. Well, “just once” I’d like to beat Linda. Kind of like when I beat Eric in 5th grade – just once. It’s not likely – Linda started training hard again and she is already *so* fast, but maybe I’ll have a good day. In the meantime, I *could* shift gears and train harder than ever. *right?*
Okay, I am probably living in Julie’s Dream World right now. You see it’s still early in the morning. I have a 7 mile run to look forward to at lunch time. 7 miles and Yasso Repeats – whoopee! I *am* looking forward to it. Why? Well, because I will spend the next several hours checking data points on a Final (for the 3rd time “final”) Study Report that is 84 pages long. *sigh*
Let’s see how I feel about things AFTER my Yasso’s.
I am running the USAF half this weekend. I am looking forward to going back to Ohio for the weekend but have no enthusiasm for the race. I know how you feel!
It seems like though maybe you don’t feel as “focused” your training is still going real well. You have hit all your runs and you seem to be running comfortably at paces well below BQ pace. I would say keep on with the plan, use the upcoming half to break up the training and give you some speed for the marathon and most of all HAVE FUN with your running. Enjoy each run and the hard work that some of the runs will take and your times will take care of themselves. Boston is very important for you but from what I’ve read about you running is also important and that will be there whether you get to Boston or not. You’re doing great so keep it up!
Your training has seemed really good to me. I must admit that I forgot you were training for a marathon because I was focused on Nike and I thought you were showing tremendous discipline for doing a half :-)
Yassos rule – IF you do them right. I hope you get to a track and really run them the way Bart says to. I’m pretty sure that if you can do 10 Yassos in 3:45?? (not sure what you BQ time is) with 3:45 of running easy in between you will make your time. I don’t know about beating Linda – that sounds like a bonus, not a goal.
I’ll bet if you finish folding the laundry, your old man won’t care about funding the San Jose Rock n Roll half. Zoom, Zoom baby.
However it works out I hope you find your focus at the half-marathon. Hopefully you can set your sights on a BQ at CIM. I have heard it’s a fast one.
Run because you luv to run. What else matters? Humans, as a species, have this massive tendency to complicate the simple things. Take a step back, find the place where you are most comfortable, and figure it out. You can do it.
Anonymous strikes again, but the laundry is already folded.