Last Longish Run Before Boston
Today I myself in a familiar place. I have done the work to prepare for my marathon. I adhered to my original training plan for the most part with a few minor deviations. All in all the training has gone well.
I haven’t run a marathon since 2004. The longest I have ran in the last 4 years prior to marathon training is 13.1 miles. I have ran a lot of half marathons over the last 4 years, maybe too many. I ran 5 half marathons in 2006 and became injured. I shouldn’t have run the last one. I began developing plantar fasciitis but continued to train. I kept thinking I could train through it and then recover afterwards. This reminds me of a recent post from Sportsminded. He describes two different personality types. Apparently, I lean towards someone with high global self esteem which means that I believe I am less susceptible to injury in-spite of contradicting information. I sometimes ignore pain and push through it.
Hopefully, I have learned a thing or two about myself after 13 years of running. Sometimes less is more. I have a clearer understanding of what my body is capable of. The marathon has humbled me. I admit I’m human and I can’t always guarantee how my body will respond. I’ve learned to listen carefully. I’m not perfect and I still make plenty of mistakes like continuing to run with a blister, which is almost gone. Thank goodness.
Now is the time to run easy, increase my carbohydrate intake and prepare for my race. I have to trust that I’ve done everything that I can. I won’t increase my fitness at this point. I sometimes feel sluggish during the last week before a big event because I am not training hard. I miss the outlet of intense work outs, but I know that I need the rest. It’s count down time….and I am ready for Boston!
Workout:
- Type: Run
- Date: 04/13/2008
- Time: 07:00:00
- Total Time: 1:26:00.00
- Average Heart rate: 150
- Max Heart rate: 168
- Calories: 720
- Distance: 9 miles
- Average Pace: 9:33.25/mile
Although I got a late start, I’ve been a serious runner since 1994. I ran my first marathon in 1995 on my 30th Birthday. It’s been my goal to run the Boston Marathon since then. I missed qualifying by 12 minutes that year. I needed to run 3:40 and ran 3:52. Running in the most prestigious marathon, is the ultimate for most runners. The fact that you have to qualify, only fueled my competitive juices.
Over the next 9 years I ran 6 more marathons. I love running so much that I became a 
