Richmond Marathon This Saturday
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Alrighty friends, the time has arrived. The Richmond marathon is this Saturday and yours truly will be lining up at 8 a.m. on Saturday in Wave 1 under bib #915 for what will be my 9th marathon.
For most of my training I've been ambivalent about my goals for this race. Should I go for a PR? Pace a friend? Run for fun? (Ha ha ha -- totally kidding with that last one.) But now that the time is near and the weather appears to be cooperating (38 degrees at the start), I've decided. I'm going for it. Going for a PR. Therefore, anything under 3:29:45 is a win. Here are my goals from best to worst case scenario.
- Run a 3:25:00
- Boston Qualify - 3:45:00
- Run under 4 hours
- Anything over 4 hours indicates I ran into serious trouble so the goal then just becomes "Don't die."
I've been training at a 3:20:00 plan and while I've done well, my training has been sporadic with the trip to Italy, the 24-hour Hinson Lake Run, and I was sidelined two weeks ago with a pulled glute/hamstring and missed some runs. I don't think I can run a 3:20 and I'm not even going to try. I'm hoping a 3:25 is within range. My goal is to hold a 7:45 pace while not thinking about holding a 7:45 pace because even saying it aloud sounds damn fast and freaks me out.
It seems every other runner in Greensboro is running Richmond this year which is AWESOME. Although it's a big race, it's surprising how often you can bump into people on the course. Seeing a familiar face can make you think you're just out for another long run back home, no worries, no pressure.
As usual, the Sole Sisters will be forming a caravan. Everyone has killed their training plans this season and I'm betting a lot of PR's are going to be broken this weekend by my girls.
As for me, I'm ready for this race to be over just so I can STOP EATING. You wouldn't believe the quantity of food I've consumed this week. This. Must. End.
As for all of you, I'm concerned. What will you do when you no longer have my blog posts about my running times, my injuries (both real and imagined) and my whining about how I'm sooooo tired of marathon training to look forward to?
Lucky for you, I've signed up for Crossfit Sessions. Blogs posts about how sore I am, how I think I hurt my shoulder, and how I'm sooooo tired of lifting heavy things, coming your way soon!
Cheers,
Dena
