The countdown begins!
10 days out we start to get the weather forecasts. Most agree with this: sunny, 48F low, 64F high, 8 mph winds. This is pretty darn good..I'll be done before we get over 60F..perfect!
The course is not point to point so the winds will pretty much average out. It could only be better if it was party cloudy.
There were a lot of interesting comments on how people handled/would handle running in the Boston conditions. That caused me to realize how lucky I've been that I have run 12 marathons since march 2009 and I have not missed running or finishing a single one....(knock wood).
But, I have come close. I gave myself an acute AT injury 5 weeks before the 2009 SF marathon, but I had time to recover by not running for 4-5 full weeks right before. I also tore my left calf (doing a too aggressive stretch) a few weeks before the 2010 long beach marathon...and had to ease off training. It wasn't fully healed even so and cramped up at mile 20. But I finished (and was still faster than my first marathon!).
CIM was also close. The summer saw me with dealing with recurrent calf strain problems....Jill pushed me to see a PT and that was a godsend...taught me SO MUCH about how to keep things working properly.
It was my also first coached race and I was training faster then ever before ...and the AT started to come back. The last long run really caused it to blow up. When I tried to run in the following (taper) week (the same week I'm in now for Eugene) it really wondered if I would be able to toe the line... it was just terrible. I did recover enough (barely) and had a great race. My post-race AT soreness was nasty though.
This go-around..my my..how lucky I have been again. After much head scratching my nagging left heel problems (not AT but not sure what it was..slight bone bruise?) were fixed by small homemade innersole shim (lift congenital shorter left leg by a touch) and getting shoes with a bit more fore-midfoot padding. It then recovered even though I was still training hard..success!
I flirted with some germs nailing me after my 13.1 time trial, but fought them off. Ran the final 21 the following week with some crud still in me (and still expelling some today). But basically, I'm good to go and have had a training cycle that best ever. Shorter than optimal (sez Jill) but pretty good: I will crunch the numbers in another post.
Someday, we'll have the perfect training cycle leading to the perfect race day..haha (as Nelly would say). But until then I am very grateful to the marathon god(s) for the races so far!
Sounds to me like you have made it across the mine field and are primed for a good day. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of that weather forecast!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to read your race report, Paul......looks like it's going to be a nice day.....positively FRIGID compared to Boston! Not that that would stop you, either.....have a great race!!
ReplyDeleteI hope the 10 day forecast holds true! Or even cooler :) It's pretty warm in Western Oregon today, but this stuff usually doesn't stay around long in the spring.
ReplyDeleteYou've had a solid training cycle! It will be nice to see your new PR in Eugene.
Awesome and inspiring! After I finished my first marathon this past December, I told my friend after the race that would be my last marathon. However, I went and registered for another one. I must admit that I felt pretty hammered after that first one so I don't have a clue why I sign up for another.
ReplyDeleteYou are one of the most level headed runners I know and I am certain you will run a very smart race and run down that PR. It's going to be a grand day. So excited for you!
ReplyDeleteIt's almost time! Have a restful week.
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