On the Run: Three weeks to go
I am a glutton for punishment. There – I said it.
In the midst of marathon training, I thought to myself, “Self? Wouldn’t it be a grand idea to run a half marathon in the midst of this training madness? You’re already running the miles. Let’s see what you can do.”
And with that, I let my fingers do the walking and registered for the Virtual BAA Half Marathon. The race window just happens to be this weekend – three weeks before the marathon – which I didn’t necessarily think through when I signed up for the race, especially since I’ve now got to find the time to run.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: training for a marathon is hard work. You run lots of miles and spend lots of hours doing it – more so if you’re a slow runner. (Turtles of the world, unite!)
I include time each week dedicated to the strengthening exercises that Zach and Nami shared with me after completing a running analysis. I feel like I’m getting stronger and maybe a little faster with their help. And I dedicate one day each weekend to long runs. When the distance is fairly long, it’s a good portion of that day.
So with marathon training underway, why not fit in a half marathon? A long Friday night run will give me something to focus on and decompress from the week. My goal is to get 13.1 miles done in about 3 hours, or around a 14-minute pace per mile. With average finish times ranging from one and a half to four hours, I'll be happy with a time somewhere in the middle.
We’ll see if the exercises and tips from the RunStrong team help me to improve from the 17-minute, turtle-like pace I had on my first go-round with a half marathon. Can I do it? Stay tuned to find out.
