Thursday, September 17, 2009

The Unknown

I am fearing it now - "The Unknown." What is "unknown," you ask? Whether or not I can run the Twin Cities Marathon at the pace I want to. The problem is, I have had nothing to test my training with, other than training runs.

When I figured my training plan I based it on a 1:33 half-marathon I ran in the spring. In case you don't want to go back to that post, I basically started out too fast and figured, "what the hell, let's see how long I can hold this pace," and I held it pretty much the whole distance.

The thing is, the pace that I have been training for and actually training above (faster than) on tempo runs seems so daunting to me only because I have never tried to run that pace for over three hours.

So here is why I can run this pace.

When I ran that half-marathon in the spring I was training for a marathon but at a considerably slower pace than I am now (I was preparing to pace MS & LF in the Minneapolis Marathon.)

I finished a successful and fast triathlon season this summer and rolled right into this marathon training, so I am more fit than I would have been in the spring.

No illness or injuries up to this point, no missed training.

I have been running fast. Faster than I have in the past.

The only reason I can't run this pace is that I am having a hard time getting my head around the fact that I actually can do it. And that it might hurt doing it.

Here is the dumbest part of this - I am having doubts while I am in the middle of hard training and right before taper. This is the worst time to be evaluating anything regarding race day.

I will just have to trust in my training and continue to work the plan for now. Race day will come soon enough and all questions will be answered then. Any encouragement is appreciated.

3 comments:

Charisa said...

This happens to me a lot. Not sure if this will work for you - but it does for me. Try to STOP THINKING about anything other than what you are doing RIGHT NOW. So if you are running - don't think about the remaining 11 miles, think about how you feel right now. Probability that you feel fine is pretty high. Your head can play so many tricks on you - turn it off and just let it happen. You'll be amazed at how much you can do :)

Court said...

yes, I have something to say about this: go for it! You've done the work, you're on track. I agree, this isn't the time to be rethinking goals based on how you're feeling. Just look at the numbers, review your Garmin spreadsheets. It's all there... you're ready! Just please wait for me at the finish line. k, thanks.

Lisa T said...

What's the worst that can happen? You go out too hard and blow it? Sometimes you have to take that chance in order to find out just how great you are. Think of what you do in the rest of your life and the great things that probably wouldn't have happened if you hadn't taken a few chances. Now- get your head out of your ass and go run fast.