The last few weeks have been amazing. Being able to run again (pain free!!) has been a breath of fresh air...for both myself, and maybe even more so for Nic. I am quite the biatch when I can't run, so saying that my mood has been a lot better in the past 2 weeks would be a complete understatement. I feel like myself again.
I feel like my new plan is a good one. I am really just focusing on building back my endurance and getting my legs used to running for a long period of time. I've taken out all speed work, but you can bet that I will be making a few of the mid-distance run into tempo runs just to get the legs kickin' again.
This plan really hinged on how I felt on last Saturday's run. I planned to go out for 10ish miles, but when I had time, I decided to stretch it out to 12. You guys, when I walked in the door, I had the biggest grin on my face. Nic knew it would be a good day the instant he saw me. Pretty sure I did a post-run happy dance.
So - here is my re-modified training plan for Fargo 2011:
This is only a plan, and if I feel like changing things up a bit, I will. But I feel that this is doable and smart.
Other training will include lots of stretching and core work. I work at the Y every morning from 5:00-8:00 so I have plenty of time to get in some good stretching, ab work and upper body strength training. I am laying off most lower body strength training as I am 95% sure that that was the culprit of my knee issue. I might do some lower body lifting, but all will be very light weight and absolutely NO DEADLIFTS!
So there it is. My goals for the marathon haven't changed too much:
Goal #1 - Finish under 4 hours. I think I can still pull this off - I just can not let myself start thinking negatively. Having so many people there running the race that I know will help (I hope!), and I know my personal crowd support will be there cheering me on.
Goal #2 - Finish under 4:16:26. This is my marathon PR set in Tulsa. I let myself cave to negative mental games by mile 7 or so. I walked too much using the crappy weather as an excuse, stopped to use the bathroom twice when I never needed to, and just gave up way too early. Beating this time should be easy.
Goal #3 - Finish and be happy dammit! Hey - I was injured for three weeks. Finishing the marathon should be an accomplishment in itself. Set my sights for the Twin Cities Marathon and move on.
Fargo Meet-Up!
I know there are quite a few people running the half or the full and I think there are some plans to meet up after the race to celebrate everyone's PRs. So - if you are running, do you want to meet up for a drink after the race? Let me know and let's get something scheduled!
