It's been two weeks since I wrote a blog and as I sit here right now I'm not 100% sure what I'm going to write about, so let's see where this takes me.
To start Saturday was my 21 mile run. I was nervous about the run, but not as nervous as last year. I wish I had been! It was the hardest run I've had in a long time, by far. I started off the run at a pace faster than I should have and ended up hitting a wall at mile 19. Mile 19-21 were tough, and by the end I was completely exhausted and it would have been a struggle to make it the full 26.2. Could I have finished? Yes, but not in the time I want. I started off training knowing that my 2011 time was 4:32, my goal in 2012 was 4:15. Once the training got underway my new goal became 4:00. Saturday made me realize that although it's attainable, it's going to be very difficult. I have 3 long 18+ mile runs under my belt, and I did fantastic at all of them, but for some reason this 21 miler really kicked my ass.
I spoke with my coach during my training run this past week and he wants me to come in around 1:55-2:00 at the halfway mark. I came in about 2:02 this past weekend, but that included stopping at the water stops and chatting for a bit. I'm hoping I can cut out that time and conserve some energy to get me over the last 5 miles of the run. I know the adrenaline of race day adds to the excitement and I know having family and friends out there on the course and others tracking me from a far will give me some extra drive. I'm really hope to see a lot of my friends out there that day, I'm going to need you guys to push me along the course and help me achieve my goal.
And, in the case that I don't meet my 4:00 goal, here's what else I need from everyone. Remind me of how far I've come. Remind me that my original goal was 4:15 and anything less than 4:32 is in improvement from last year. Remind me of all the times I blogged about how great I felt and how much I talked about everything I've overcome. Remind me of how I inspired some of you to start running and how I'll continue to push some of you toward running a 5k, 1/2 marathon, or even a full marathon. Most of all, remind me that all those extra hours away from my Paige were for a good cause and for setting a good example.
Finally, leading up to that day - remind me that I can do it! Say some prayers, and send me some good vibes. You have all probably read things about me you didn't know before and got to know a lot more about who I am and what makes me tick. So, here's where I admit, I love to be the center of attention, and on Marathon Monday I'll take as much of it as you want to throw my way.
I'm glad I had the rough end to Saturday's run. It reminded me that I'm not a pro at this and I have a lot to work on. I know not to get too confident, but I also know I can get through, I just need to be smart!
I want to write more about two very important people that have made this journey with me this year, Katie and Amy - but I just got completely distracted by finding out that 3 Doors Down is coming to the area in May. I can no longer focus, haha. I'll dedicate a blog to them later in the week.
As of right now I'm 183. I want to see the 8 become a 7 before Marathon Monday, but I'm not sure that's going to happen. More on that later....
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