The Plan

I haven't posted lately because, well, (1) I have just been tapering without a lot to report, and (2) I've been busy!

I started my summer clerkship at a law firm in Minneapolis and it has been a major whirlwind. Things start earlier here in the Midwest - and I have no car so I have to bus to work. As such, I have been having to get up around 5am-ish to get in my short runs. I have no idea what I will do about this when I start NYC training and the runs are longer. That's a problem for the future...

6 days until Grandma's! I am SO excited. I absolutely love Grandma's weekend in Duluth. It's hard to explain to those who aren't from there, but the race really takes over the whole town. Not because everyone there cares about running...it's just a huge, fun, summer weekend with lots of traditions. I get to see so much family and so many friends - sometimes it's easy to forget I will be trying to execute my fastest marathon yet! I loved Grandma's marathon weekend loooooooong before I ever imagined I would run the race. It's just, well, fun.

My taper runs have been going well. Honestly, I can't really say much about them. My head has been elsewhere - which is perhaps good. A lot of people go crazy during taper...but I have been way too busy to even think about that. I have been relieved to have the reprieve from running so many miles just because there was so much else I had to accomplish.

Today I ran my final "long" run. 8 miles. After being VERY hot here in the twin cities last week (it got up to 102 and when I went to bed one night, it was still 96 - and I had no A/C) it has really cooled down and the run this morning was simply refreshing. Cool and crisp.

As for "The Plan"...Wendy and I decided last week that she would give me a very specific (mile by mile) plan for this marathon. I asked her to. I need goals to hit...something to be trying to reach - otherwise when it starts to hurt, I will be able to easily convince myself that just finishing is an accomplishment. It's not anymore. Not for me. Because I have done it. 4 times. It is no longer satisfying to drag myself across a finish line wondering why I can't go any faster. So, this time, I am racing it. That's right, I am racing a marathon instead of just running one. Or so says my coach. At the beginning of this, I don't even think I knew that that is what I wanted. I think Wendy was just able to tap into my frustrations and desires and to articulate why it was that I do not yet feel fulfilled by what I have accomplished in the marathon. She gets me. She's smart. I trust her. So we're racing next Saturday.

But we're being conservative. (This is likely the last time that C word will ever be typed by these fingers!) :) We aren't going all out - and the plan isn't even to run as fast as we think I am currently capable, fitness-wise. I simply haven't been putting on the miles long enough and, from the beginning, the goal of this training program has been my fall marathon - New York.

So, a plan is in place that will allow me to race, finish strong, and PR.

Wish me luck! After this...the real training starts. Once we have this baseline time, I intend to be a bit more specific in this blog about my workouts, times, splits, goals, etc.