Forgetting the Last Marathon

"You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming." - Frank Shorter

After training for and running the Viriginia Beach Shamrock Marathon last March, I think I'm ready to try for another. Va Beach was my first marathon, and possibly the most painful experience of my life. I'm not afraid of not finishing, or of not finishing fast enough...I'm afraid of doing anything that hurts that much ever again. At the same time, I know I could've trained differently...over a longer period of time mostly, with more pull backs in mileage and a shorter taper (3 weeks was just too long, I lost focus). So this time I have my eye on the marathon in Myrtle Beach in Febuary. If I decide to do it (still thinking about all that pain), I'll start the first week of November.

But more than that, I am keeping this blog as a training log. I hope it will help me learn how to do things better, and that it can be a way to connect with other runs and trade tips.

I'm feeling good about my running of late. In a normal week, I run a 5 milers outdoors on the weekend, and hit the treadmill at the gym 5 times a week (usually at lunch). On the treadmill, I usually do 4 miles a day, plus one speed or hill workout a week. I've increased my speed from even 12 minute miles (my pace during Va Beach marathon training) to 10 to 10:30 minute miles, and 11 miles on my 5 miles LSD. I'm not fast. But I'd like to get down to 10 minutes on the LSD and 9:30 on the treadmill.

Also, I am going to add in some strength training. It's hard to find the time to do all the running I want and strength train too, but I'm at least going to do some nightly push-ups and sit-ups and see what I can work in at the gym once I start marathon training, since I won't always be able to fit my run in at lunch and could focus on lifting instead.

So that's my running story, for now...