Playing Catch Up

I haven't posted for a while, so I wanted to give a quick update on my training this past week and also talk about my race this weekend! The 17 miler in the heat two weekends ago seriously kicked my ass, but in a good way I think. Last weekend we decided to take it easy and "only" run 12 miles, partly because I had my sorority's annual Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser to get to that morning, and partly to recover from our last long run. It felt pretty good, and we even kept up a 10something pace! I think my body is adapting to longer runs better than before, which gives me some much needed confidence. We still have the big 20 miler next weekend, but then the wonderful taper begins! I really can't believe marathon no. 2 is just 3 weeks away! Yikes! Speaking of, I have great news - I decided to get my folks plane tickets to come down to Santa Barbara that weekend to be my fans : ) Every runner can attest to the difference it makes to have friends and/or family out there supporting you and cheering for you during a race, so I'm super happy that I get to share this experience with them.

My non-running schedule has remained pretty hectic and it's been hard to be consistent with training, but I did get in some good-quality short runs, including one on my 5k loop that was my fastest time yet on that route! While I really would like to be following my 5-day training plan to the T, I think the most important thing for me is getting in those long runs on the weekend, and I've made sure I fit those in. For me, at least mentally, the most important part of training for my first marathon was overcoming the 20 miler. Once I did that, I felt completely ready to take on 26.2, so I'm hoping it will be the same for round 2 and after next weekend I'll feel ready to go!

Moving on, this weekend I have my third half! On Sunday I'll be running the Big Sur Half Marathon, which is renown for it's gorgeous course along the Pacific Coast. I'm heading up to Monterey early tomorrow morning and meeting my mom, who's driving down from Sacramento to watch! I really just want to enjoy this race, take in the beautiful scenery along the way, and remind myself why I love running. The weather is supposed to be in the 50s which should be great for racing. Of course I still have goals, but I'm going into this with a relaxed attitude and what will happen will happen. Mainly, I just want to finish by 2:30 at least. This is totally doable and a safe goal for me, but faster is always better, too. Honestly though, my time will probably depend on the course. As I've mentioned before, I do NOT do well with hills, so if I encounter a lot on Sunday, you can be sure it will be reflected in my time. It should be a great weekend though. I'm excited to see my mom, get another medal, qualify for Half Fanatics, and visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium : ) So now I'm off to bed because it's far too late and my alarm always comes far too soon! Wish me luck!