Full of Flame

So it's been a productive two weeks of running. First is that fact that I'm still running, woo! As I get closer to the taper and the race I begin to understand the tired looks my past marathon friends have given me at this time in training. If you follow a training plan even closely you are logging and running more than you probably have before. My plan only has me doing four days a week too! If I did the five-to-six days of running of other plans, I'd be even more cooked than I am now. But, that being said, I still am finding some peace in running and it hasn't felt like a chore that often.

That brings me to second productive note: I ran 21.21 miles two weeks ago at an 8:51. Longest I've ever gone although not done yet. The run was pretty good all things being considered, and the fact I may now have blocked most of it out. But the overall time was at pace so when I did stop my watch I managed to make up the time which is cool. I felt like I could keep going although I was happy it was over. What I'm not sure about is if I could have kept going while running it 31 seconds faster... But, as I've said before, I'm trying to enjoy this process so that I want to run more especially if I don't make my BQ.

And my last point is, three, yesterday I did 16 at an 8:37! I definitely felt like that one I wanted to end, although more so because I was tired of working than a particular pain or something similar. In still debating what I do twice day: aim for the 8:20 and 3:40:00 goal or just run. I really want to finish and I worry if I got for the 8:20 I may not. But as I previously posted, sometimes you've just gotta go and see as well. Time will tell I guess...

I have one more long run (aiming for 22.2) and then just two weeks of speed with the tapering longer runs. Tinensure flies when you're logging miles and miles and miles.

And I'm Free, Like the Wind

Just a quick post I'd been meaning to do about goals. So I, no surprise I think, own a Fitbit and have for years. I love it and love he step tracking and the goal making. I've always been pretty good at living up to the 10K a day,but about four months ago went to 11.5K. NBD I suppose, but it was a new goal. And then, aside from times I couldn't make the goal, mostly with traveling, I would find myself doing that good old, walk around the house to make goals some times. Again, NBD except now I'm running. A lot. And I found I just didn't want to do that to myself. And so I moved back to 10K and, more importantly, am trying to give myself a break if it doesn't seem like I'll make it through just a normal day.

So, why say all this?

Because I'm trying to be a realist about my life and goals. I want to qualify, but I may not and sometimes that's okay. I want to walk more, but sometimes I may not and that's okay too. Sometimes you just have to realize it okay to just be okay.

Better to Die than to Crawl

Here's the neat thing about Baystate: they have pace Runner's for certain time goals and mine is on such group. Here's the mental concern with that: can I keep pace? Obviously that's my goal so the answer should be yes, but there's that large unknown.

My 20 miler went well, but I'm still running 40 seconds slower than the race and I also do stop and stretch so I'm really more like a minute off goal. I know that the plans say to keep a slower pace and the speed work is where I make up the time and, when you put it together, voila!, success! But it seems so hard to comprehend. So while I plan to start with the pace group there's a part of me that's worries that right off the gate I'm going to find myself failing and knowing I have 22, 20 or even just 10 miles to go. I think I'm mentally strong enough to say "F that" and just do what I need to do, but that could be a long time of "uuuuugh really."

The flip side though is maybe it'll be okay. Maybe he pace group will be just what I need and I'll find myself doing what I've been trying to do. My speed work has always been at or below the paces, but as I tell my husband, I ran track, I know how to sprint and do speed work. So I'm not 100% sure how much of an accurate gauge that may be. Then again, I did a half aeration today at the pace of 8:38 and per how I felt and my heart rate watch, it wasn't too much work.

I guess, as I've posted before, this is the unknown with someone this long and, for me, new. When it comes to race day it just may be a crap shoot after all and so the question is how do I approach it and, I think, I just attack.