Houston, Here I Come!

I'm currently at the airport waiting for my flight to Houston. It's finally here! I know I haven't blogged much about this race or my training leading up to it. I really didn't follow a strict plan like I did for Chicago, so recapping just didn't seem as important. Despite the more relaxed schedule, though, I ended up having some pretty great runs and felt just as strong as I did leading up to Chicago. Not surprisingly then, this lead me to start rethinking my goals. I was originally going to Houston to watch the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and run the half marathon. But then after the disaster that was the Chicago Marathon, I wanted some redemption, I wanted the race I'd trained so hard for. So I upgraded to the full marathon and after a week of recovery I started building things up again.

My mileage was far less this time around, ranging from about 30-35 miles a week. I also started swimming and cycling more and I started my winter conditioning class with my Ironman coach. I can't help but think this may have contributed positively to my running. I only had about 7 weeks to prepare, so my plan was to focus on the long runs, keep up easy base miles during the week, and nix the speedwork. Interestingly enough, I had some of my best runs this training cycle, especially the long runs. I ran 18 at 9:04 average, on Christmas Eve I ran 16 miles at an 8:54 average, and I peaked at 20 miles with a 9:06 average. On most, I felt pretty strong throughout, actually getting faster as I went. I've tapered for the past couple weeks, hoping to keep my legs feeling fresh. For the most part, I think I'm ready to have a good race. I'm just hoping it's a good day!

I hesitate to put any solid goals out there, because I think I run better when I don't have a lot of pressure on myself. Pending disaster, I know I have a PR (sub 4:31) in me on Sunday. But I would be lying if I didn't have bigger aspirations. I still would love to break 4 hours, and I truly believe I have it in me. But if I run a solid race and push myself, I'll be happy with the outcome. My plan is to just run at a comfortable pace for the first part, and then see where I'm at. If I get to 20 miles and a sub-4 is within my reach, you better believe I'm gonna give it everything I've got : )