Back In It: Myrtle Beach Marathon

Start line at Myrtle Beach MarathonAfter I ran Boston in April of this year, I could tell I needed a break from marathon training. Physically I was tired and mentally I was just done. Over it. Didn't even want to hear the words "18-mile-training-run." 

The break has had the desired effect. I am itching to get back into training. Dying to get on a schedule. Pumped about setting a PR. 

And I get to do it all with my girls. 

Five of us are heading to Myrtle Beach this February. Three of us will run the Myrtle Beach Marathon and two will run the half-marathon. It will be my first marathon without Blair which makes me kinda sad, although I'm not sure he's shedding any tears over it (especially since the race starts at 6:30 a.m.).

I'm gunning for under a 3:40 marathon and yes, 3:39:59 counts. Myrtle is known for being flat and fast. Wind is the biggest obstacle. 

I swore after Boston that I would never run a spring marathon again, the reason being that training in the winter SUCKS. There's always someone around in the summer months who needs to get in a tempo or long run. Winter? Everyone runs their happy little 8 miles on Saturday and heads to the coffee shop as you trudge back out in the wind and cold to run another 7. Saying the words "speed workout" or "tempo run" in January can get you blacklisted from a running group.

But I've got my secret weapons: Christie, Marty and Christine are all training for the Myrtle full so we can do long runs together. Plus, it's ridiculously easy to talk Barefoot Josh, who lives up the street from me, into doing a long run, even if he just ran long the day before. 

Go day is next Monday, November 7th. I'm using the Furman plan again. I considered changing plans, just to mix things up, but I've had consistent results with Furman so I'm sticking with it. (And hoping I can convince my fellow Myrtle Beach training partners to adopt the plan as well.) Getting in the training this month will be a bit of a challenge. I'm traveling to White Plains, NY for the Cat Writer's (go ahead, make your jokes) Conference, there's Thanksgiving, and I've got some Saturday book signings. 

The motto to pull me through? Suck it up. It's not elegant, but it gets the job done. You have my permission to yell it at me if you see me walking on any of my winter tempo runs.

Cheers,

Dena