As soon as the calendar turned to the month of September, things got real. I'm running the Detroit Marathon on Oct. 20, and holy crap -- it's time to get serious. That's not to say I haven't been training or following a plan -- I have -- but I've found there's always a point during marathon prep where it's like a switch flips, and the workouts and long runs are numbered, and damnit, there's an urgency to make everything COUNT.
For this marathon, I went back to a friend who has coached and guided me through numerous marathons and other races, including the PR summer of 2006, as I affectionately call it in my mind, when everything clicked and we both got more and more excited with each race and corresponding PR leading into the mother of all races for me, the Chicago Marathon. I set a 14 minute PR, broke 3:10 and felt unstoppable! Injuries unfortunately sidelined me off and on for years, and I tried some other things as I tried to claw my way back. I always found myself thinking back to what he had taught me, though, and the training he had guided me through. As a result, I went back to him and June and asked if he could help me again.
If there's one thing I've learned through my training experiments over the years, it's that enthusiasm and belief are critical. Without them, there's doubt, and running becomes a chore. My friend has always believed in me and has made running FUN, always lending a word of encouragement no matter how blaaah a workout may go.
We started off in June and he told me bascially this: Forget the runner you were, and what you've done before. You're starting from scratch. Do what I tell you, even if it looks a bit crazy, and this just may work.
My number one strategy for "starting from scratch" was going Garmin-less. My friend lives at altitude and is a stud runner himself and has always had me do the majority of my runs by time and effort. Up until a couple years ago, I didn't have a Garmin. All of my PRs -- marathon included -- were run Garmin-less, as was all the training leading up to them. However, in recent years, I'd become OBSESSED with mileage, pace, etc. Turns out that's the express route to crazy town -- at least for me. And the switch was definitely needed. I ran all June and July without a Garmin, and my gawd, it was BLISSFUL. Try it some time.
My friend was also honest with me: I have lost a lot of the turnover I once had. In theory, this helps you run more efficiently. Lose your turnover, it becomes harder. So, June and July were dedicated to getting it back. My first time on the track in a year was to do just a couple of 200s and 400s -- and untimed, just to get the feel of them and not be worried about time. It was PAINFUL. I put on my racing flats for the first time and my arches screamed. My hips and hamstrings felt like they needed an oil can to get moving more quickly. I remember emailing my friend after. "That felt so awful," I said. "Don't worry," he told me. "It will get easier."
So, every Tuesday, I've headed to the track in the early morning for workouts that have increasingly grown longer, but always kicked off with several 200s. I admittedly feel like an old lady doing these. But the times are coming down, even if it's sometimes ever so slightly, and I'm seeing glimpses of my old body and ways of running (sorry, I can't totally forget about the runner I used to be!).
My other workout of the week is typically a long tempo -- my NEMESIS. Something about tempos has always messed with my head. First of all, I used to always run them at more of a 10K-type effort -- and without a Garmin. Then, I started doing them with a Garmin...and WAITWHATAMITOOSLOWOMGTHISHURTSHOWCANICONTINUEOW! (Just a glimpse into my crazy brain during a tempo.) Yes, I can sometimes lack focus...and that's kind of critical for running long. I need to work on it, because I know tempos are what will help my fitness the most. It's just that sometimes, they also suck the most.
For the rest of the week, my run times have slowly been creeping up, and now I've got my midweek 90 minutes and 60-70 minute runs for the other days. And then, of course, the long run on Sunday.
If I can complete this training, I should be in decent shape to get the marathon done. I'll be honest: I've done 12 marathons and my goal isn't to just finish another one. I want to run strong, not fall apart, and have my training and hard work shine through. Don't we all, right? I'm not like my husband and other people I know, who can all go out for a run and get lost in the miles and then "oops, I got lost in the run ran 12 miles after work and it was so EASY!" I'm pretty aware of where I'm at in a run almost always. I enjoy training, but I like to be done. And the marathon distance never gets any less daunting to me.
SOOO, as training for this month heats up, I'm fully aware that this is it -- this is the time to get it done. I've got a hell of a ways to run next month, and I'd like to run strong, and maybe accomplish a couple goals I've got in my head, as well. ;)
Onward and upward, friends.
