Training for a marathon is like painting a picture. You start with a blank canvas, with lots of space and white and dreams of what you are going to put on that canvas. I feel like I have not had a lot of time to get a marathon together as I really only started in the middle of January. BUT Coach Justin told me back then "If anyone can do this, you can do this." And then he told me this week "That is about as fast as we would EVER build an athlete up to the mileage they need for a marathon!" Okay, at least he is honest. And I appreciate him not telling me that at the start or my heart would have skipped several beats! The beauty of working with a professional coach, they not only take care of your body, but they take care of your head too.
My canvas is almost done. The deadline is looming and I am just adding that little bit of color and maybe some lines here and there. I am in the stage of LESS IS BETTER!! Justin's advice this week has also been "DO NOT second guess your training and do a crazy long run or a crazy hard run because you feel like you have not done enough. You have done the work...now you rest."
I have read everything about this course. Every. Thing. And from what I can make of it, alot of the day will be strategy. Two thirds of the effort comes after the half way mark. This means...don't go out too fast!!! Which will be tricky as the first several miles are downhill!! (who decided this was a good idea, start with a downhill, end with three hills, one right after another....) Those hills are a killer as they are in the last few miles. When asking Justin about it he says "Well, its a marathon. ALL marathons are hard. This too will be hard. The hills just make it interesting and seperate those who have paced themselves correctly, and those who have not." Actually, that is his advice for pretty much every event I enter!! To top it off...it has been 30 above in Boston this week. Nice. I have not even ran in shorts yet this spring. Let's pray for a cool, cloudy day on the 19th!!!
Today I had a great run. The kind of run you want, here and now. I want at this thing! Real. Bad. My legs felt light and fluid and everything clicked. The workout was 7 x 1 km. And it is super windy here today so my 1km splits cannot be trusted as I was FAST with that wind behind me!!!
5 comments:
Enjoy the rest period -- Boston, here she comes!! :) :)
I sthat a masterpiece inthe making I see there? Rest. No thinking. Just be.
"The beauty of working with a professionsal, they not only take care of your body, but they take care of your head too."
Such a good quote, except for the typo. But that was yours not mine I copied and pasted. :P
Oh and like your coach said the hardest part of the start is pacing. It is sooooooo hard to pace yourself because of all the excitement, hype, the # of people around you. You will feel like your floating for the first 5k or so it feels so easy. You are so ready!!!
HI Kelly - you don't really know me (!), I'm a friend of Julie's who just read your blog! I just wanted to say that I really hope you have a great time out in Boston - it's certainly something I'd like to give a go at some point, sounds fantastic! Certainly sounds like you're ready to rock an' roll and you've done all the work - so go give 'er and enjoy your day :)
Look forward to reading all about it afterwards
Cheers
Cath
Love it!!! Look out Heartbreak Hill!
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