"Yes, really."
That conversation happened between me and my husband, Tim, last June. We had been tracking Sara Jane as she was running Grandma's. After she crossed the 18 mile mark, I became so anxious that I had to go for a run myself. I thought I would be home in time to "see" her finish, but I had missed it.
As the dialogue above indicates, I was shocked at how well she did. Not because I didn't think she could do it, but because I had designed such a super-conservative race plan that I couldn't believe how much she picked up the pace at the end. She was not super well-trained for Grandma's, and she ran a 24 minute PR. Wow.
My first text to her was "You can run sub-4 in NY." She was not convinced at first, but she is now. And that's all that matters. Her training this time around did not go exactly as I had planned it, but I actually think that as worked in her benefit. From my own most recent marathon experience, in which I blew up royally, I've learned that listening and responding to your body's warnings when it's clearly telling you to back off is a really, really good idea.
SJ is ready for sub-4. Of course, it's a marathon...which means a lot of things can happen. Weather, fluid issues, stomach issues, etc. If it's a good day, she's got the fitness and the toughness to do it.
I've never run New York, but I've done a lot of reading about it. Unlike Grandma's, it's not a flat course. It's a lot more complex, and a whole lot more crowded. Using maps, a book about the race, and a video of the 2009 NYC marathon, I devised a race plan that I think will work on race day. It takes into account a lot of things:
-Hills--NY has some hills, and the majority of them are at the very end. Not such a good place for them, but that's where they are. She is strong, so I think she will fare well on them.
-Crowds--I'm starting her off slowly, just like in Grandma's, but a reason for this unique to NY is how stinking crowded it will be at the start. I do not want her bobbing and weaving for a position--that would waste energy. Not to mention get her all flustered.
-It's a marathon--and what I mean by this is that, even if you're well-trained, it can be an off day. I've instructed her to keep evaluating how she's feeling. If she's working too hard well before she should be (anywhere before 17-18), she needs to reign it in. She won't get a sub-4, but she'll get a nice PR and avoid an epic blow-up and potentially a whole lot of walking.
So, the plan. Here it is, broken down per mile:
Mile 1: 9:40--slow due to the crowds, the fact that it's all uphill, and she needs to get warmed up and not let adrenaline force her up that hill too fast. I don't know if she'll actually run it this slowly (she happens to think its TOO slow, but that's what I'm prescribing).
Mile 2: 9:00--The downhill side of mile 1. I told her this split may be even faster than this, depending on the grade of the hill. I want her to just be coasting at this point.
Mile 3: 9:15--Easing into goal pace (which is around 9:09)
Mile 4: 9:10--The race turns flat here. Miles 4-10 I want her right around goal pace. I am guessing this will be a very comfortable pace for her. My concern here is her going too fast because she's going to feel good. It is vital that she holds back, especially given all her leg speed...could get her into trouble!
Mile 5: 9:10
Mile 6: 9:10
Mile 7: 9:10
Mile 8: 9:10
Mile 9: 9:10
Mile 10: 9:05--Okay, slightly under goal pace from here til mile 15. Just four seconds, but we have to make up for a slow start and a slow finish. I don't imagine she'll even perceive the change from 9:10 to 9:05, though. I have read that the best way to negative split is to do so in very small increments so that you don't even realize you're doing it.
Mile 11: 9:05
Mile 12: 9:05
Mile 13: 9:05
Mile 14: 9:00--Another slight increase in pace, and this is right when things start to get a little tough. She will be working a little bit here, but still able to hold pace without too much effort.
Mile 15: 9:00
Mile 16: 9:30 (uphill)--There is an uphill here, and the last thing I want her to try to do is to charge up it and stay on goal pace. That will toast her quads, and she's still got 10 more challenging miles ahead.
Mile 17: 9:00--Hoping she gets back on pace here with a little help from a downhill at mile 17.
Mile 18: 9:00
Mile 19: 9:00
Mile 20: 9:00--And the real work begins. Holding onto this pace at this point in the game is going to be tough. It's going to really, really hurt. The hope is that her fitness + a slow start keeps her strong enough to hold on here. At this point, when she evaluates, she should find herself saying "I'm never running another marathon again."
Mile 21: 9:00
Mile 22: 9:00
Mile 23: 9:00
Mile 24: 9:30 (uphill)--Ouch. Just reading about this mile makes me hurt. A big uphill at mile 24. Good luck, SJ! ;) She can do it...but I don't think the 9:30 will feel easy at this point.
Mile 25: 9:15 (mix of down and uphill)--These are some ups and downs, and I'm planning on her fading a little bit given how tough the course is, so I've added in a little wiggle room.
Mile 26: 9:20 or as fast as she can go!--Again, a little built-in wiggle room because I'm guessing her quads are going to be on fire by this point. If she feels great, then she'll fly in faster, but this has a planned safety net in place.
0.2: Sprint!
This should get her in just about half a minute under 4 hours. Of course, it's impossible to run the splits exactly as I've asked her to (though she did an amazingly good job at Grandma's), but if she stays pretty close to this, she's got it. And even if she bleeds some time at the end, a major PR is almost guaranteed.
I'm so excited. Seriously--I'm more excited about her race than my last race. It feels weird to say that I coach her, because she gives so much back to me in the form of friendship. I don't feel like any kind of authority over Sara (and those of you who know her will understand that it would be hard for anyone to feel that way over her), but like we're doing this together. And, for whatever reason(s), it serves both of us extremely well. Be sure to track her on Sunday!!
GO, SARA JANE!!
No comments:
Post a Comment