And pounding up Heartbreak.
High fives at Wellesley,
And one more (Margarita Clif Shot Block) I'll take. <3
Running long miles for smiles in spring.
These are a few of my favorite things!
When the wall hits,
Or bad hamstrings,
Or my knees are mad.
I'll simply remember my favorite things,
And then I won't feel so bad!
Did you notice her shirt?!? I might have cried a little when I spotted it at the Adidas store on Boylston Street. "Grammy!" she yelled when I gave it to her. "I get to run the Boston Marathon someday!"
ps Want to track me? The easiest way is to text 234567 with my bib# 27613 . You can also look up other runners you're interested in on the Marathon participant website.
Forecast: 65 degrees with a 15mph tailwind. Warm. Not terrible. (Spectating? Hot runners love Freeze pops!!!)
Goal: 4:05. Ultimately hoping to break 4:09 like something fierce. (4:09 was my time in 2015 and 2016.)
If tomorrow had Tuesday's forecast of 45 degrees (!!!!) I would have been competing more with myself, but instead I'm trying to think smart, going for a plan that will get me a time I like with enough in reserves for a beer when I get home!!!
My 20 milers have pretty consistently been at a 9:20 pace. This is arguably faster than they should have been, since you are really supposed to train at *slower* than marathon pace. But anyway. That 9:20 pace includes 65 degree days in February and 40 degree days recently. I think it's a fair estimate.
However on those runs, I've been having serious fueling issues. Gu, my old best friend, now makes me want to projectile vomit. Dates have been gentle on my belly, but useless. Despite eating dates, I keep hitting the wall at mile 17. It's textbook. Muscles store about 1600 calories' worth of glycogen. Running burns 100 calories/mile. IDK. Some people manage to teach their bodies to go without fuel during the marathon but mine was just not interested in figuring it out in 3 out of 4 of my 20 milers. I was debating what to do and found this GREAT flow chart, comparing different fuel options. Thankfully on my last 20 miler, my friend Louise <3 introduced me to the delicacy that is Margarita Clif Shot Blocks and I had a much better run!! I only got to try them out once since that was only 3 weeks ago. Trying new-ish things on race day is generally a no-no but I otherwise do not have a fuel plan that works, so whatevs. I've stocked up, and am ready to give it a whirl tomorrow!
Anyway back to pacing. Let's say I can realistically run a 9:20 pace in 65 degrees. My plan is go to out at a 9:30 pace (including stops for family photos!!) until Mile 20, and then give it everything I've got after that. This is especially important in the first 5 miles of downhill where you're excited, full of energy, running downhill, etc. It's a good time to lose yourself by accident. That would give me the following splits:
5K: 29:30
10K: 59:00
13.1 (halfway): 2:04:30
30K: 2:57
20 miles: 3:10
Then 9:15 to the finish?? --> Mile 26 at 4:05
+2 minutes for 26.2 --> 4:07
Blahhhh not thrilled with that, because if I ran a 9:20 pace, that would be a 4:03. Ok can we compromise and aim for a 4:05? (What I also want is to run a normal marathon that doesn't have Boston weather and terrain and get a better sense of where I'm at physically! Maybe Philly again in the fall? Or Newport? Hmm.)
Meanwhile, I'm trying to be better about eating and drinking this weekend than I did last year. This is mildly challenging on Easter weekend, especially making bunny cake with this kiddo!!
Finally, a loving shout-out to my favorite runner friend and partner in crime Jen for being my expo date and taking sweet Paparazzi photos of me all day Friday!
HAPPY MARATHON MONDAY. LET'S DO THIS!!
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