Marathon Goals & Race Strategy
TWO DAYS!! Or as the clock reminds me, less than 44 hours!
Today I headed to the BOA Chicago Marathon expo which was just amazing. In the past I have run small, local races with expos that I could be in and out of within 20 minutes. I was really impressed with the expo and it helped to drive my excitement level even higher.
I was most excited to visit the Team PAWS booth to pick up my "1 More Life" patch that I earned for going above and beyond the fundraising goal. The swag was also pretty great, as my cheer team gets free shirts, a cheer pack and wrist bands to attend the after-party. I spent way too much money on official Chicago Marathon gear and did not stop by all the booths that I wanted, but it was a success.
Even though this is not my first marathon, I am still new the marathon so the nerves are starting to set in. I think my nerves are worse than my first marathon. The first time around, I did not know what to expect. I knew it would be hard, but now that I know just how hard it really is, I am starting to feel butterflies. To cope with this, I have decided to focus on my race strategy and goals. Hansons sent out a race strategy email a few days ago that I will follow to the best of my ability. Whether you follow the plan or not, these are some great tips. Here are my goals and strategy, in no particular order:
1. Do not go out too fast! I am notorious for this (as are most), but I truly saw the benefit of sticking to my goal pace during my half marathon and I reaped the benefits in the later miles.
2. Take 20 minutes off my previous marathon time. In an ideal world, this would happen, but if the race does not go my way, I am still committed to donating $2 for every minute I shave off my time and that is important regardless of my overall time. I know I am a slow runner and most people are finished while I still have another hour, hour and a half to run. That does not mean that I have not trained my ass off and 20 minutes off my time, no matter what that time is, is fantastic.
3. Stick to my tempo pace, within a +/- 10 second range. I do not need to bank time in the early miles as I will pay for it later. I have tried this strategy before and it does not work for me. I want to hold to my tempo pace until mile 20, and pick up the pace if I feel good. I did this in the half marathon after training with Hansons and I got faster at the end. I would like to have the same experience, but if I do not, I want to hold steady to my pace.
4. Enjoy and have fun! Focus on the environment, the signs, the other runners for inspiration. I chose this marathon for a reason. My first marathon had virtually no fan support and I needed it during the difficult miles. Even though this will be so large I may feel overwhelmed, I should enjoy it because never in my life will I have this many people cheering for me. I plan to use this for motivation a good chunk of the race before getting focused the last 5-6 miles.
5. Use mantras and the meditation breath I have been practicing every day to help me through the mental struggle. I plan to remember what Luke Humphrey (from Hansons Running Coaching) says:
Even if followed 80% of our training plans, you are vastly more prepared than the majority of competitors in your time groups. Why, because you’re running more mileage, more pace oriented work, and training to get better (not just survive).
Lastly, know that it's going to be tough. It better not be tough the first half, but that last 10 miles to 10k will test your mental strength and physical ability. Accept that discomfort. In fact, welcome it, because what you are doing is tough. This is an opportunity to prove to yourself that you can overcome whatever life throws at you. I actually relish in this aspect. Knowing that it's going to get hard, and how am I going to react to overcome? That's what is exciting. Seeing yourself break through self imposed limits.
I am ready. I have put in an amazing amount of work the past 18 weeks. I did not run a 20 miler, I did not taper for 2-3 weeks, but I put my trust in this plan and myself and I will follow it through. My legs may get tired, but my will to finish will be greater than anything else. I saw that part of myself last year during my first marathon and I know it is in me. I have faced some hard life challenges the past few weeks, but I know what strength lies in me and I will finish this!
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| It's happening! |
Today I headed to the BOA Chicago Marathon expo which was just amazing. In the past I have run small, local races with expos that I could be in and out of within 20 minutes. I was really impressed with the expo and it helped to drive my excitement level even higher.
 |
| My mom's first race expo! |
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| A most worthy cause |
1. Do not go out too fast! I am notorious for this (as are most), but I truly saw the benefit of sticking to my goal pace during my half marathon and I reaped the benefits in the later miles.
2. Take 20 minutes off my previous marathon time. In an ideal world, this would happen, but if the race does not go my way, I am still committed to donating $2 for every minute I shave off my time and that is important regardless of my overall time. I know I am a slow runner and most people are finished while I still have another hour, hour and a half to run. That does not mean that I have not trained my ass off and 20 minutes off my time, no matter what that time is, is fantastic.
3. Stick to my tempo pace, within a +/- 10 second range. I do not need to bank time in the early miles as I will pay for it later. I have tried this strategy before and it does not work for me. I want to hold to my tempo pace until mile 20, and pick up the pace if I feel good. I did this in the half marathon after training with Hansons and I got faster at the end. I would like to have the same experience, but if I do not, I want to hold steady to my pace.
4. Enjoy and have fun! Focus on the environment, the signs, the other runners for inspiration. I chose this marathon for a reason. My first marathon had virtually no fan support and I needed it during the difficult miles. Even though this will be so large I may feel overwhelmed, I should enjoy it because never in my life will I have this many people cheering for me. I plan to use this for motivation a good chunk of the race before getting focused the last 5-6 miles.
5. Use mantras and the meditation breath I have been practicing every day to help me through the mental struggle. I plan to remember what Luke Humphrey (from Hansons Running Coaching) says:
Even if followed 80% of our training plans, you are vastly more prepared than the majority of competitors in your time groups. Why, because you’re running more mileage, more pace oriented work, and training to get better (not just survive).
Lastly, know that it's going to be tough. It better not be tough the first half, but that last 10 miles to 10k will test your mental strength and physical ability. Accept that discomfort. In fact, welcome it, because what you are doing is tough. This is an opportunity to prove to yourself that you can overcome whatever life throws at you. I actually relish in this aspect. Knowing that it's going to get hard, and how am I going to react to overcome? That's what is exciting. Seeing yourself break through self imposed limits.
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