Boston Marathon (6-weeks out)
"There will come a point in the race, when you alone will need to decide. You will need to make a choice. Do you really want it? You will need to decide." - Rolf Arands
I found myself deadly tired as I approached the backend of the workweek. Consequently, Friday evening as I contemplated running home the thought of a 60’ push was too much. Rather, with a small pack on my back I slipped out the building and gently ran down the Goose as effortlessly as I could manage. On a route often takes me 42’+ I was surprised at the time, so much so I started to berate myself for not running the scheduled distance. Any guilt though was quickly pushed from my mind as I walked down the driveway, seeing the girls sitting on the porch step.
Saturday was a scheduled day off. The time with family was appreciated, and I felt great.
The plan on Sunday was to run my second 2h30 jaunt but this time on a hilly course and holding a steady pace. With Hicham participating in the Bazan Bay 5k (16:37), I was on my own, well not completely. For the first time in months I loaded up the Shuffle with an appropriately motivating mix of songs (Filter: Hey Man Nice Shot) and after a light meal (porridge), set out into a frigid -4C morning with my water bottle in hand.
I don’t know whether it’s due to an aging body or a favourable memory, but while preparing for Boston long runs seem more… complicated than I remember. The prospect of running a steady 2h+ on a hilly route weighed on my mind, but as I looped through some of my favourite trails in Mount Doug, the heaviness lifted. From there I spent the last 1h40 on the road, looping around the often trodden streets of Brodmead. I broke down the workout into 5x30’ sections and the last one passed as effortlessly as the first. The session was a good confidence boost and I feel more secure with my preparation.
With 6 weeks of training remaining, I can only imagine the next 3 weeks being crucial. The plan is to run the Comox Half Marathon on the 22nd but outside of that I’m in the dark. But also, for the first time in 2-3 marathon builds I feel energetic and undertrained.
If I had a bit in my mouth I’d be chewing on it and raring to go. I like this feeling.
Until later…
Training:
Thursday: easy 39:11
Friday: A.M. 37:04, P.M. 38:27
Saturday: day off (scheduled)
Sunday: steady/hilly 2:28:22-2:33:22
Weekly mileage: 7h32’27”, +/- 105k or 66 miles
4 comments:
Looks like you're timing your build up to Boston nicely. Those 2.5 hour longs runs are great when they feel that good.
I don't know how often I have run the very hilly loop around Caragh Lake, but it must be over 100 times by now. However, the prospect of running up the steep hills still weighs on my mind at the start of most of these runs.
Well, runs like that are not supposed to be easy, I guess, but when you get going they are always manageable.
I love that quote at the start. That's a great long run you got in - mine are still sitting at the 1:40 length and I'm dreading upping that to 2 hours plus.
Thanks for the comments, they’re much appreciated. It's not hills that I mind, just the frequency during a “steady” run. Still, I can’t tell you at just how happy I was with the outcome.
Private: I find the 1h40 to 2h barriers horrible. I don’t know whether it’s mental or otherwise but pushing through 1h40+ always seems to take a disproportionate amount of energy. All the best!
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