BTTG: Week 4

Back To The Grind

 

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September Mileage. Not my best or worst.

 

Sometimes the most unexpected comments make the most unexpected changes in your perspective. Outside of the whole Boston qualification drama, I've been trying to come up with a race strategy for the fall. The only thing I'm fairly certain I need to do is start a little slower than my actual goal race pace. My body needs that warm up...it always has. I'm just so scared that I won't be able to make up for the time!! UGH. I know my body will feel better, so I just need to trust the process.

 

So, the thing that changed my perspective...

 

Amanda sent me a screenshot of a pacing strategy. There is this website, findmymarathon.com, that comes up with your marathon splits based on a few factors:

-Your goal time

-The marathon course you are running (my favorite part!! it considers elevation, etc.)

-Your start strategy (even pace, conservative, very conservative)

-Your pacing strategy (even effort, even pace, negative split, positive split)

 

You can even customize the size and color! It's definitely worth checking out.

 

Anyway, actually seeing the splits in front of my face opened my eyes even further. Seeing how they can vary rather than stressing about a stagnant 8:12-8:15...stressing if it was too far above or below that range. I immediately ordered a band based on my chosen strategies. It got me excited and a little less nervous.

 

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• 10/2: 4 miles, 9:28/mile; Bis/Tris/Legs, 30 minutes. I met up with my favorite Gahanna girls (Lisa B and Sarah K if you are confused) for another easy run. Lisa B caught us up on her health status (hospital one day, racing the next...wonder woman!) and we had a puma siting....or maybe just an orange cat...minor details.
• 10/3: Chest/Back/Glut Med, 30 minutes. Running rest days are good.
  

  

  We had some pumpkin painting fun.

• 10/4: 6.2 miles, 8:21/mile. Steady state run for me. I met up in NA again this week to help some friends with a tempo run. I ran the first half with Erin and Heather and finished the run solo. I wish I could have captured the gorgeous night sky on my camera. The moon was amazing this morning, and the sky was full of stars. I was so amazing!!
• 10/5: 5.11 miles, 9:39/mile. Another easy run with my Gahanna crew. This morning, we went on a 5 mile tour of the Columbus Academy neighborhood. Minus Morse Road, I'm pretty sure we were never going downhill and rarely going flat!
  

  

  My friend posted this on IG, and it made me snort.

• 10/6: 10 miles, 8:17/mile; Power Yoga, 1 hour. I'm typing this at the end of the day, and I'm fairly certain that I won't be able to move when I wake up (which sort of sucks because I am solo with the kids ALL DAY AND EVENING tomorrow)! No work meant sleeping in an extra hour, meeting Amanda at 6 a.m. for our run, and drinking coffee from a mug at home while the kiddos watched cartoons. After an hour of chilling at home, we went to the Y. The kids went to child watch while I took a yoga class. OMG. It was so tough. I'm not sure if it felt more tough because I ran just prior to it, or if it would have felt that hard anyway. I was freaking sweating like a hog, and my legs were burning like crazy! So awesome.
  

  

  So gorgeous after a sweaty run. [ME, Amanda]

  
  

  

  This actually happened to me in class. SMH.

• 10/7: REST. The hubs was out of town for Bible quizzing, so I had to plan a day without running.
  

  

  James found this cool bug outside!

• 10/8: 8.01 miles, 9:25/mile. The plan was 8 miles with the last mile at MP. I met up with some friends in Westerville for a new route. My marathon pace mile was too fast, but whatevs. I need to learn to rein it in before race day.
  

  

  Sunday Runday Funday crew. [ME, Elizabeth, Tina, Chris]

 

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Another week down. I had an exciting day of tracking my friends who were running the Chicago Marathon. In one more week, a bunch of people will toe the line in Columbus!