The Waiting Game

Wow!!! it has been a long time since I've blogged.  I've done a lot of thinking, re-thinking, running, eating and sleeping!  LOL.

Training has been going pretty well, but I've been inundated with advice from everyone.  You haven't done enough miles for your long runs, you aren't backing off enough, your backing off too much, your long run pace is too fast, not enough speed work, too much speed work.  You name it, I've heard it.  Of course at times I'm able to blow it off, but then after a bad run, self doubt rears it's ugly head.  That is where I've been for the last couple of weeks.  Fighting off my own demons and just wanting the waiting game to be over!!

I've had a few great runs, and I've had a few bad runs...not too many in the middle.  Right now, one week into the taper, I'm feeling pretty good.  My last long run was great.  I had energy and speed.  Three days later I was able to run text book perfect mile repeats at a 6:47-6:43 pace, so I was quite pleased.  I'm kind of going into this marathon blind, which has it's goods and it's not so goods.  I haven't run a race since January 2011, which I took kind of conservatively.  I know that I had an outstanding base last year, my base this year, is only 5 months deep.  But, I'm running faster and stronger this year; I just don't know if my endurance is as developed as last year.

I've spend HOURS and yes, I mean HOURS plugging in numbers, reviewing data, searching out marathon calculators and plans.  I was planning on running with Adrian for the entire race, but now that she's trained and seen her BQ times, she's going for it.  Which means I've got a new plan...sheer determination.

I thought about running with the pace groups, but they run even splits the entire race, I don't run that way.  Austin is hilly, I have to take the uphills at the front of the course more conservatively and use the down hills to my advantage.  I found this great plan, called the Marco Plan which is based off of target heart rate.  I don't really track my heart rate too much, but the paces are accurate.  It gives splits for a negative run.

Using my mile test and 1/2 marathon from last year, I took the data and plugged it into Cool Running, McMillian, and the Marco Plan.  They all came up with the same projected finish time of 3:44 (mile test) and 3:41(1/2 marathon).  Then I took the course, charted the uphills looked at my Garmin data and came up with my own plan.  When to conserve speed and when to go open throttle.

I've memorized the splits, the have to times, the uphills, the downhills, I know this course backwards and forwards and can probably run it in my sleep.  Now I just have to wait, and ponder, and visualize the finish.  Keeping myself plugged into the I can's versus the "you should've's".

Right now I'm more worried about surviving the taper than I am running the marathon...

Tracy