It was all the way back on April 24th that I declared I was going to run the Boston Marathon. Bold - perhaps foolish - words for someone who has never run a marathon. Admittedly, I got caught up in the emotion of the race, and even after giving myself a few days to think about it felt it was something I could do.
Not long after that date I signed up for the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon being held on November 13th. Clicking that button got me excited all over again. I was confident I could shave off the 10 theoretical minutes I’d need to qualify.
I researched some training plans and quickly decided to go with Hal Higdon’s Advanced Marathon II. I’ve used his plans twice before for half marathons and was very happy with the results, so selecting this one was easy. Despite this, I felt there was something missing. Hal recommends some strength training, but doesn’t get very specific. Enter Greg S. and his recommendations, and I think I have a more complete approach.
The last 6-8 weeks have consisted of nothing but maintenance while I await the official start date of my plan. All this time “off,” combined with unrelenting heat and humidity, has done a number on my motivation and confidence level. As if that weren’t enough, I’ve also been battling some discomfort in my left hip, stressing about the pending sale of my home, and moving into a new house the past four days. I’m exhausted, both physically and mentally, and doubts have surfaced.
Am I capable of pulling this off?
Tomorrow marks my first day of training, and just in time. I will follow the plan and give it everything I’ve got, hoping the structure will snap me out of this funk. Tomorrow is a new day.
I was just talking to Kym Klass earlier this evening (who is doing the 1/2) and just realized it is probably getting close to time to start training since I will be doing the full again this year. Your have just verified that for me.... off to make a decision... what plan will I use!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your race and your BQ!
Thanks for mentioning my strength training recommendations Drew, and I hope they work for you. Hal's Advanced II is a tough plan, and I based my system for this fall around it as well. There are very few junk miles in the plan (which I like), so it makes nearly every day mean something. Best of luck on reaching your BQ; I'm confident you can get there.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your training!
ReplyDeleteThanks, all. I know it's going to be tough, but if it were easy everyone would do it, right? ;)
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