So it's not that I'm lazy. I mean I can run 40+ miles a week. But blogging for some reason just always seems to be a chore. I don't want it too. I feel like I can contribute.
It's been three months since my last entry. Last week I officially began training for the Chicago Marathon, which is Oct. 9. I'm trying a new plan, the Hansons-Brooks plan. It's 18 weeks and has some pretty intense days. One of the biggest differences from traditional marathon plans is the lack of a 20-mile run. The longest run I'll have with the plan is 16 miles. You can read about their reasoning here. But basically, the plan trains you to run the LAST 16 miles of the race, not the first. It is a bit more intense than the plan I used for my first marathon last November. The long runs are shorter but they're meant to be run at 45-60 seconds slower than marathon goal pace. That alone should be a challenge. I also like that there's always a speed day and a tempo day every week. Speed days are the most fun for me because it really tests my limits and there's just something about running on a track.
So I'm going to make a better effort to update you all during my training because it is a new plan and maybe it's one that you might think about using for future races. I've read a lot of reviews on the plan and many people say they've PR'd using it. But since this is only my second marathon, I would like to think that I will set a personal best as well. This year I have a few goals just like I did for my first race.
Goal 1: Don't stop. Last year my first goal was to finish, which I did, but I stopped at least three times to stretch and because I felt tired. My goal is to push through that fatigue much better than before.
Goal 2: Run faster. I ran a 3:18 in San Antonio and yes, I was happy with that time and it helped me achieve one of my goals which was to run under 3:20, but I had a third and more difficult goal of running 3:10 which would have qualified me for Boston. The last three miles kept me from that goal.
Goal 3: Qualify for Boston with room to spare. Last year the registration closed after eight hours and because of the ridiculous number of people who could actually reach their age-bracket time, the Boston Athletic Association has changed the registration process. I'm out for the 2012 marathon because registration begins a month before the Chicago Marathon. Runners who are 20 minutes below their Boston qualifying (BQ) time get to register for the first few days, then it's people who are 10 minutes below the BQ, then it opens to everyone who's BQed. And to make it tougher, BQ times for the 2013 marathon are dropping by 5 minutes across the board. So I need to run a 3:05:59 or faster. Would I be happy with a 3:05? Of course! But I don't know if that would allow me to get in.
Maybe I put too much pressure on myself. I do enjoy running and don't always pay attention to my pace. But I also love to challenge myself. So here begins what amounts to what I hope is a 23-month journey.
Keep on runnin'!
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