Archive for September 10th, 2008

Jeez (or is that geez? anyway…) this marathon plan thing is finally nearing the end stages, today’s Sept. 10th and the big day is Oct. 12th.  Amazing how time has flown.  I just realized that all the LT workouts are over and done with, no more tempo runs for the duration of the plan and today, because I switched weeks 3 and 4 to accommodate PDR, was the next to last major interval session (“major” in my book means longer than 600s, which are pretty easy compared to 1000s and over).

Today’s workout was 10 miles w/ 4x1200s @ 5K pace w/2 min recovery between.  It was a really nice morning, 65 when I got out at 8:15, so already a big improvement over the sweaty 1000s from last week.  Warmup was 3:35 miles (puts me at the primo spot in the park for 1200s), then the intervals, then cooldown was a tired 3:13 home.

As usual per intervals during this plan, today’s goal was 7:15 pace and that’s about how it shaped up (a little better, actually).  Splits, by pace: 7:12, 7:12, 7:06 and 7:15, for an average of 7:11.  Felt good about it, but wished I had a limo to drive me the last 3:13 miles back.

Getting a little sentimental already about the plan ending and the marathon approaching.  It’s been so nice to be in training limbo all this time, the big race like a fuzzy future task on a very long to-do list.  Soon that task will be checked off and with that, I’ve started thinking about Plan B in case it goes south (because I’ve found, no matter what the subject matter is in life, it’s always good to have a Plan B).  Plan B marathon-wise is, if Steamtown is a bust, to do the Philly marathon, provided it doesn’t sell out like last year.

Then there’s Plan C for when the Fall marathon season is over.  I’ve really taken a liking to Pfitzinger’s training methods, since I haven’t had an inkling of injury during this whole training period.  I suspect that’s due to Pfitz’s doling out the hard workouts discriminantly and making those mid-long runs a weekly staple, seems like it all works together to make you strong without taxing you beyond your means.

Anyway, I’ve got his “Road Racing For Serious Runners” and plan to use the the plans for shorter races to get me through the Spring.  That should give me a boost of speed for next summer when I start this Marathon party all over again.  The question at that point will be, which marathon and where?  But before I get ahead of myself, let’s see what the next month brings.

And I’m not sure if I mentioned this (I know I repeat myself all over this blog, but I’m nearing AARP status, so forgive me) that though my plan is to BQ in Steamtown, if I succeed, I don’t actually want to run Boston next year.  Not only for my fear of massive group situations that require boatloads of moolah for hotels, etc., I want to get faster and more experienced before making that big Boston debut.

There is a part of me that says, “that’s stupid, you’re not getting any younger and what happens if you break your leg in 10 places and won’t be able to run again?”  Well then, I’ll be pissed off no matter what, and Boston will be just one more thing I’ll have missed out on.  But enough dark “what ifs?”, what if I have a long, long love affair with running that takes me into my 70s and 80s?  That’s the one I’m betting on.