Boston Marathon & Runner's Superstition

-
As the Boston Marathon approaches, my heart races faster and faster with excitement. My mind is punching numbers and trying to figure out how I'm going to run this race. First, I looked back on my previous marathons.

2007 Marine Corps Marathon: 3:19:12 (ran a 6k two days before)
2009 Boston Marathon: 3:10:58
2011 Marine Corps Marathon: 3:11:12
2012 Shamrock Marathon: 3:20:40

For my first two marathons, I was running track in college. This covered my speed work. All I had to do was increase my long run. I just wanted to not stop for my first marathon, and I finished in a decent time. I definitely started out too fast, but I was happy. For Boston 2009, I did all my long runs at 2 hours, coming back faster, and one final 2:30-3:00 long run. Speed work was covered by 10k track work.

For Marine Corps 2011, I was recovering from an eating disorder and doing speed work and long runs with my ex-boyfriend. We were racing...and I won by a few seconds. I was cold the entire way. I was dead in the last 8 miles.

For Shamrock 2012, I was injured during training and took 2 weeks off, missing a 16 miler and a 18 miler. Most of my long runs were done super slow (with my boyfriend now who wants to run under 4 hours, so all the runs were done at 8-10/mile pace). I wasn't doing much speed work or hills, if at all. By race day, my leg was finally feeling better, but I had digestive issues pop up and had to use EVERY single port-a-john on race day. Ugh. Definitely felt like my worst race.

When I went to register for Boston, I forgot that I ran Marine Corps 2011, so I used my 3:20:40 qualifying time. That put me in wave 2, corral 1. Part of me wants to start with wave 1, but part of me thinks it will be good to HOLD BACK at the start a little. It will also be nice to start in the front of a wave rather than in the middle of a wave. I'm just nervous about the 10:20am start time...having a flight at 4:00pm and all. I better run fast!

In any case, I've had a lot of solid running for this marathon. You can read it all on my training blog: http://invictus.fastrunningblog.com/

I am aiming for a 3:10 marathon. The energy at Boston is amazing. I paid for flights and a hotel room for my boyfriend and myself. I'm glad he will be there to cheer me on/support me. My friend and training partner, Jack, said he might be up that way for work that week and might be able to come watch me too! I'm stoked. I'm slowly getting to know more local DC-MD-VA runners, so I hope to run into a few of them at Boston as well.

I'm practicing running in all types of weather, all clothing options, and all kinds of fuel. Beer is not an option. I'm thinking oatmeal-banana-PB-chocolate for breakfast or an egg white-feta-spinach wrap or a banana and PB. I'm thinking salmon and veggies and some rice or potatoes the night before the race. Salads for lunch. Might have a few Clif blocks before the race, take a gel at mile 13 and another at mile 20 (tri-berry and jet blackberry from Gu) with water, and alternate water-Gatorade starting at mile 3 or 6, depending on how hot it is or is not. I hope it is warm enough for shorts!

Healthy tapering...
- Change my "off" day to Sunday again. Gets me in the groove for Boston week and will please God.
- No more alcohol until after Boston.
- Go to work only after I get 8 hours of sleep each night (Hello 8am mornings! Goodbye 6:30am mornings!)
- Last day of speed work no closer than 10 days out.

As far as superstitions go...
- I'm sleeping in my Red Sox t-shirt that I bought and ran in at Boston in 2009 every night until the marathon (it will get washed, no worries)
- Wear my black Smart Wool socks for luck.
- Wear my light blue Nike sports bra, marathon shorts or black capris, technical tee, long-sleeved Navy cross-country team shirt (if it's cold enough), and Goodwill sweatshirt and gloves (if I'm planning on dumping them)
- Cut my toenails 7 days out.
- Listen to my pump-me-up mix before I leave the hotel
- Eat Sour Patch Kids the night before the race
- Brush my teeth for a fresh, minty mouth

Runners are all crazy...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Race Recap: Four Courts Four Miler

-
Image
Yesterday I ran my third race of the year at Pacers' Four Courts Four Miler in Arlington, VA. Race Prep I've slowly been adding a few more speed workouts, mostly just shorter intervals (I did my first 2x1600m this week), and bumping my long run up to 12 miles each weekend. For the most part, I'm eating healthier and sleeping in until 6:00AM. The night before, I ran 2 miles, picked up my race packet, climbed one route at the gym (what can I say? I didn't feel very energetic), and went to Shooter McGee's in Alexandria for a not-so-healthy dinner. I had 3/4ths of a beer (Kona Longboard) and a lobster crab cake sandwich with fries on the side (one of the few non-red meat items on the menu...no red meat on Fridays during Lent). After falling asleep at the dinner table, my boy finally agreed to go home. I was in bed by 11:30PM. Pre-Race The weather was perfect for racing--low 50's, slightly cloudy! The race didn't begin until 9AM, so I was able to sleep
Read more

Shoulder Surgery Recovery: Wrapping Up Week 5

-
Image
Physio Update: Yesterday, I had my third physical therapy session . I’m happy with my progress so far—increasing my range of motion slowly with the pulley and table slides! Dr. Dan added some dowel exercises (I use an old shower curtain rod at home). The exercise looks like a bench press, but my non-op arm is doing all the lifting and the op-shoulder is along for the ride. At home, I like to do a set of 20 pulley pull-ups, 20 pulley punches, 10 floor dowel bench presses, 20 table slides, and 20 scapula squeezes followed by a set of 30 body weight squats and 10 lunges (front + back, each side). I try to do three full sets at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with one set here and there throughout the day. Here is an image of my shoulder flexion progress from day one of physical therapy to now (14 days of progress): Exercise Update: I think the lunges, squats, and banded side steps help with blood flow and getting my heart rate up/allowing me better range of motion. I think I overdid the bik
Read more

Thank You: Running

-
Image
Dear Family and Friends, Thank you. Thank you for making me into a better runner than I ever thought possible. Without your support, guidance, or inspiration, I don't think I would be where I am today. I'm not sure if running would be such a big part of my life. I'm not sure if I would have the confidence I feel when I run. Mom and Dad , thank you for always supporting me. Thank you for buying me running shoes, bringing me to the podiatrist when I got injured, and letting me enter 5k's in high school. Although you both thought I wouldn't be a good runner after my first day of practice, you let me run. Thank you for coming to my races, putting up with my stinky smelly clothing, and making dinner. Thank you for driving me everywhere. Thank you for buying me my first workout log and my first watch. Thank you for the Gold's Gym membership that first summer when you didn't want me running alone in the summer heat. Thank you for doing some group cla
Read more