Single: This has been a tough week for me mentally. It has actually been the
easiest week work wise this year but running has been front and center in my
mind… I think the race last Sat jarred me more than I first admitted. For two
reasons. 1) Physically, is just took me forever to recover and 2) Mentally, it
really drove home my marathon goal for April 19th.
First, the physical has been strange. So far this whole year I’ve just had
better week after better week of running. This last week however was the first
BAD week. My legs were sore the whole week, I was tired the whole week, etc.
Then Thur I finally felt “good” again and when I got back from my run my left
foot/ankle screamed at me in pain when I got up off the couch. That was the
real reason for taking Fri off. Then as mysteriously as that pain started it
went away and by the end of Fri I was “ok”. My original plan for today was
22-miles with 10 at/near pace. However, not wanting to push my luck I only did
15 with 5 “harder”. I ran the mile to the 1MM then ran to the 10MM and back to
the 7MM then home. MM 2-6 I took hard, with 3 the easiest on the course and 2
and 6 two of the four toughest. These miles weren’t at pace but felt like they
were effort wise again not fun mentally. But overall I was just glad to get in
a decent run after a week of doubt and nagging pains. Mi 15-R1 Avg. 7:20 HR 151
Second, the mental. As I look on the horizon and see the marathon only four
weeks away, doubts fly through my head. I notice that Dave is having a similar
struggle with this one, though for different reasons. My problem is since Sept
I’ve only thought about SLC and I set my aim VERY high. A 2:35 is a 5 minute PR
on a much tougher course. The thing that I think gives me pause is the amount
of effort it took me to “not run MP” at the 10-miler last weekend and the “hard”
stretch today. Granted the race was a tough course but I had good competition and
it was “only” 10 miles. The other thing is that unlike all my other marathons I
really haven’t done track or repeat workouts and in the past these have given
me that mental confidence. So all this being said I’m feeling better about
things right now I just wanted to vent. I’m still planning a 10xmile next
weekend that is my old bread n butter marathon prep and I’ll reevalute then. I’m
sure either way I’m going to run this marathon, I just want to go in there with
my head on straight and something more than these flat tires I’ve been running
on the last week…
Asics DS-Trainer #1: 90 / / Asics DS-Trainer #2: 101 / /
Saucony Rides #1: 91 / / Saucony Rides #2: 79 | 