I got my April work schedule this week, and I saw it. Carmel Marathon weekend, blank. I didn't ask for the weekend off but I had it off. I'm scheduled to work the weekend before on Easter Sunday and the weekend after which is Derby Marathon weekend, but Carmel Marathon weekend was blank.
My brain started racing. Could I do it? Could I be marathon ready in 9 weeks? The distance was not an issue but if I was going to run a spring marathon, I wanted a Boston qualifying time.
Buoyed by my weekend 10K, I started typing in my 10K time in all the race prediction calculators. It would be close. My current 10K time put me at anywhere between 3:53 and 4:00. It would be very close. But... I reasoned... I have 9 weeks. 9 weeks to improve and build a distance base. Just maybe...
Never mind that my longest run to date was 10 miles. Distance has never been an issue for me. It's the pace. Surely I could get two or three 20-milers in over the next couple weeks, then hit a quick taper...
That was my thinking going into the week.
Sunday 2/19 - Rest. Walked around the mall some with my daughter to loosen up my legs after Saturday's race.
Monday 2/20 - 3 miles on the county road. It was HOT! Almost 70 degrees in February. I didn't feel like running as I was tired from working overnight but it was a beautiful day and I felt like I should get a couple miles in.
Tuesday 2/21 - 6 miles on the hamster track. The temperature was still very nice but it was gray and overcast out and I didn't feel like fighting traffic out on the road so I ran indoors. I didn't really feel like running but once I got started it actually turned into a very good run.
Wednesday 2/22 - 13 miles. I had it in my head that I was going to run 15 miles today.
I missed Run Club on Tuesday because I went to watch my daughter cheer at Center Grove's last away game of the season. I decided to try and combine the speed workout with a long run. Speed work was 2 mile warm up, then 400 x 2, 800 x 2, 1200, 800 x 2, and 400 x 2 with a 400 jog in between each interval. This accounted for the first 8 miles of my run.
I think I would have been fine if I had just stopped there. However, since I had in my head that I was going to run 15 miles, I was running north on the Monon from the Y. Had I run 7.5 miles north, I would have had no choice but to run 15 to get back. Instead though, I turned around shortly after 6 miles because I was still doing the interval portion of the workout then and I didn't feel like sprinting over the overpass on 146th St. After 12 miles, I was just DONE. Like ready to walk back to the Y done. I did run all the way back though, then went south a little ways on the trail to make it 13 even.
Well that did it. After that run I decided I was NOT going to run the Carmel Marathon. 6-10 miles have been enjoyable to me. This was not. I don't want to run 3-4 hours at a time once a week and that would be what I'd have to do to prep for Carmel. Plus, the 500 Festival half is 2 weeks after Carmel. I've run a crappy race at the 500 Festival the last couple times I've done it because I'm always coming off a marathon. I'd really like to train for a half marathon this year. To get a PR on the 500 Festival course would be awesome as this is the race I've run since childhood. That would be the new plan. Once I decided that, I was at peace again.
New spring plan... train for a half PR. I could also run some more road races and work on dropping my 5K and 10K times. If I continued to race over the summer and build some miles I could consider a fall marathon. I also realized that if I ran a fall marathon BQ attempt, that would be for Boston 2019. In 2019 I would be 50 years old on race day. If the BQ standards don't change this year that buys me 5 more minutes and I am convinced I still have faster times in me still.
That's the new plan. Problem solved.
Thursday 2/23 - Rest. I woke up feeling like I'd been run over by a truck.
Friday 2/24 - 1 mile. It was a gorgeous day. 70 degrees. Not kidding! Except, just as I was ready to go out for my run, it started storming... with lightening. Run got moved to the hamster track. Then I felt terrible. Legs were like lead and I was sweating like crazy just 2 laps in. I went for a mile and threw in the towel. Thought I'd try the stationary bike instead. That was no better. Made it a mile then called it a day.
Saturday 2/25 - 7 miles. Remember 70 degrees yesterday? Well, it was snowing this morning. No shit! Went to the hamster track and felt great, like I could run miles and miles. It was a good run.
30 miles this week and a new running plan for the year.
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