Friday, September 24, 2010

It All Comes Down To This

And so the training that started way back in November of 2009 has come to a close. It all comes down to this: MARATHON TIME!

This morning I went out for the last training run before my race and although it was not particularly confidence inducing I am still happy with the fact that I made it this far. When I was forced to stop training for this very marathon last year due to a myriad of injuries, not the least of which was a calf muscle strain, I vowed to take things more slowly and conservatively on my next attempt. In short, mission accomplished.

Not only did I build my mileage slowly throughout the year I also managed to set some major training milestones. All that is nice, but the thing I am most proud of is the fact that I WILL be at the starting line and I DID NOT miss significant time due to any injuries. Sure, I had to take a few runs off here and there, and I definitely needed a break as September came about, but never did I go a whole week without putting some training runs into my log. Since the beginning of January I have completed 1727.5km (1073 miles) and that almost doubles all of last year's mileage. Additionally, in the eighteen weeks leading up to this race I ran 961.85km, just about the same as my total 2009 mileage and it doesn't include the race yet! Suffice it to say that I am very pleased with this progress and am already looking forward to turning this base into more speed next year.

I truly believe that the conservative (read: slow) approach coupled with a solid weight training foundation are the reason behind me being here. My legs are still weak, but that runner's knee on the right side that I lived with for two years has finally gone away. I have a long way to go as far as leg strength goes, but I know now that I will be able to make it to the point where I can start training not only for distance but also for speed (ie. BQ!).

Anyway, this morning I ran 8km and it was OK at best. I still feel lethargic and my legs feel very heavy, but I'm guessing this is expected because of the virus that put me on my back for three days at the beginning of this week. I hope that two more good sleeps will allow me to run with a little less effort come Sunday morning. Although I have little hope of running anywhere near 3h30m for the marathon, I still believe I have a shot at coming in around 3h35m. The weather forecast right now for marathon morning is looking absolutely perfect: low of 9C, high of 14C, winds from the West at 5km/h, and no humidity! I just hope the weather people got it right for once.

Next time I post I should be able to call myself a marathoner. Can't wait!

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2 Comments:

Blogger Bert said...

Good luck on the day - here's hoping for great weather!!

September 24, 2010 at 9:43 PM  
Blogger Ace said...

Rock on! Getting to the starting line is a major accomplishment, especially considering all you've been through. Enjoy each step, the run is the reward!

September 26, 2010 at 1:49 AM  

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