33 mile week

This past week was eventful...Scout and I ran 8 miles at 8:47 pace on Tuesday. On Wednesday I got on the treadmill and did 6x 1/2 mile repeats at 7:35, 7:25, 7:13, 7:13, 7:08, and 7:08 mile pace. Thursday was a recovery day running 4 miles slow (Scout got to run off leash to her heart's content). Saturday was our 15 mile day. The weather on Saturday was HOT for the beginning of March (mid to high 70's). Scout and I started off at about 9:30 a.m. I'm not sure if Scout was tired, not feeling well, if her feet were sore, or if she was too hot, but she was dragging after only 4 miles. I brought her back to the truck so she could rest and continued my run. After the first four miles with Scout at 8:45 pace, I ran the next 8 miles at 9 min pace. Once I got back to the truck, I planned on running the last 3 miles with Scout, but it was too hot (she still has all of her winter fur). So we just walked a mile or so on the trail and drank water. When I got back home, I finished the last 3 miles on roads around my house. So, the 15 miles was drug out over time, but done.

It is official...I actually registered and paid my entrance fee for the Brookings Marathon http://www.brookingsmarathon.com/! Reading the course description, I must say that I am a little concerned about the wind factor. When the course director feels it is necessary to point out where on the course you may be exposed to the wind, and where you might have some protection, it makes me nervous. Plus, I bet I can count on one hand the number of track meets we had in SD and ND in April and May where the wind was not a factor, and that is over a 10 year timeframe! So, with 10 weeks to go, I will train to run a 3:30 marathon (8:00 min/mile pace) so if the wind is a factor, I hope to still be able to pull off a 3:45. My friend Heather, a seasoned marathoner (2 hr. 55 min. Grandma's Marathon 2002) told me that if I could run 8x 1/2 mile repeats at 7:00 pace at 1 month out (by April 10th), I will have no problem running a 3:30. So, I'll shoot for that!

Mentally, I need to focus on the long runs right now. In the following weeks, my long runs will consist of 16, 18, back-to-back 10, 20, and 22 milers. If I can get through these, I know I'll be fine. This is where I have struggled in the past, and I know that both mentally and physically, the long runs will be a challenge for me. I love the tempo work, and I love getting on the treadmill and running fast. I get really bored with the long runs, and just keep thinking "I can run faster than this!". This is where I get into trouble. I need to reframe my mindset during these long runs and challenge myself to run a consistent 9:00 pace, slow enough to be able to sustain for 20+ miles.