Looking back eases my mind

Ever since March and the injury during the Shamrock Half Marathon, I've been questioning myself a lot in how I prepare for events. At times in the past five months, I have felt like I should just do 5ks and 10ks and not worry about 13.1 miles ever again. Other times I have felt extremely confident.

Heading into this weekend, I keep thinking about the two weeks in July that I couldn't run very well due to my tail bone injury. After getting to 20 miles in a week before the fall, I simply could not do a long run two weeks in a row. But in the five weeks after that, I have felt the best I have felt in a long time even if I can't seem to ever lose the 5 extra pounds I want to.

To help ease my mind a bit about this weekend, I went back and looked at my training for the previous two half marathons. I added up the mileage for the 10 weeks leading up to race week so I could see how I've done this summer. In the winter of 2007, when I set my PR at the Shamrock Half, I ran 193.8 miles in the 10 weeks before, logging four 20-plus mile weeks. This year for the same race, I did much less with 139.8 miles with three 20-plus mile weeks. It's no wonder I got hurt, even if I was in good shape after marathon training at the end of 2007. So in the past 10 weeks for the Rock 'n' Roll Half, I have logged 201.6 miles, with six runs of 20 miles or more.

That really surprised me. I felt that my training in the beginning of 2007 was better than what I've done recently. I probably had better quality runs then, but getting in the extra mileage is important too. If I hadn't missed those long runs in mid-July, I would likely have 220-plus miles.

Another interesting note about miles is the fact that at about halfway through the Rock 'n' Roll Half on Sunday, I'll pass 100 miles for the month. It'll be the most miles in a month this year, and it's the first 100-plus month in almost a year.

Final pre-race thoughts
There's no question that I'd love to set a PR this weekend, but my main goal is to enjoy myself. I've said it recently, but running has become fun again and all that matters to me on Sunday is to go out there and just do what I can do. I'm not going to get flustered if my pace falls off, and I'm not going to get overly excited if I start off quicker than I plan. The weather may play a role and there's nothing I can do if it's crazy hot or if it rains. All that's left now is hitting the start button on my watch and then seeing what happens! Look for a race report sometime Monday ...

The biggest Shamrock variable: The weather

Things are looking good for Sunday. There's a chance of rain on Saturday, but it should be out of here by the time the Shamrock starts. Since the race starts at 7 a.m., it begins in the dark thanks to the daylight-saving time change. Last year it was clear and it was beautiful to see the sun rising over the ocean. Temperatures for Sunday should be in the upper 30s/low 40s at the start. Cool, but perfect for running. It shouldn't warm up too much that early in the day either. Sunday's forecast high is only 51.

Last year's race started in the mid-20s and may have hit 30 by the end of the race. It was also very windy the second half of the race. It was quite miserable actually. It had warmed up a bit in the week's leading up to the event, but race weekend was freeeeezing. It actually flurried a bit the day before. I'm looking forward to starting in some old gloves that I can discard and maybe chuck an old T-shirt as well. I figure after a mile or two, I'll be comfortable in short sleeves. The gear will be a race-time decision.

As for Saturday, if it's raining, I'll likely skip the 8k or run part of it and go back to my hotel. I don't want to risk getting hurt by slipping, exposing myself to bad weather, etc. We'll see what happens.

In the morning I'm planning a final race tuneup by waking up a little earlier and getting about a mile tempo in. Race day is a little earlier than I'm used to and I've had a hard time this week adjusting to the time change. I've also been tired from four days of covering the CAA tournament. (You know, this year's George Mason, could be George Mason ...)

As far as what happens after this race, I'm still waiting until after this race. I'm not really budging on those thoughts. Part of me wants to rest, part of me wants to do something "big" soon and part of me wants to sign up for a big race for later in the year. We'll see how 13.1 miles of all out running feels.

Pre-Shamrock thoughts

In just a few days, I'll be headed out on a 13.1-mile quest. My thoughts before the Shamrock Half Marathon are all over the place.

While there's part of me that feels like I've done a lot of half marathons, the reality is this is only the second one I've done with a racing frame of mind. My first 13.1 event in the summer of 2006 was used as a long run to get ready for the Virginia Ten Miler. I surprised myself by finishing in less than two hours. Then came last year's Shamrock in which I went out with a goal to beat my 2006 time and get as close to 1:45 as I could. This past summer I did the Lynchburg half marathon again, but that was really a long run in my marathon training. I wasn't really thinking about racing.

So what does that mean for this weekend? I would love to beat my time from last year. I have logged fewer miles in the past three months than I did last year, but I've been more consistent with building my mileage. I also have the marathon experience, which I think has really helped with maintaining being in shape. This year I had to recover from an injury, which hurt my miles, but gave me extra time to get over whatever the marathon did to my body. I do weigh a few more pounds than last year at this time, but I feel really good.

So I have this time staring at me in the face - 1:44:23. I'm ready to try and beat that, but if I fall short it's no big deal. Like last year, this event is really a springboard for the rest of the year. I've managed to stay in decent shape through the winter, and this gives me a chance to perform well all year.

I guess my pre-race thoughts are just mixed right now. I'm doing the "Dolphin Challenge" this weekend by doing an 8k on Saturday, but I have no intentions of running that hard at all. In fact, it'll be my slowest event ever I hope. For now, it's time to rest and try to clear my mind.

Pre-race excitement

Tomorrow morning I'm running in my first race since the marathon. I'm pretty excited about it too. Having dealt with being sick, being injured and slowly getting back into shape, this will be a good test for me before the half marathon next month. It's an 8k, and I've only done one other 8k before (plus two 5 milers - close enough, right? Except I can have totally different PRs).

I'm not really setting up any specific goals -- I just want to be able to run a nice steady pace the whole time. Not having run a race for three months is a pretty big gap considering what I did last year, so I'm eager to test it all out. If I set a PR, that'll be nice, but I'm not really worried about that.

I weighed myself today and am mad at myself for letting a few pounds creep back. It's kind of odd with increasing my mileage and seeing the weight go up, too. I know that it's actually common for that to happen, but it's frustrating all the same. I've been doing great with getting focused on running, but no so good when it comes to food I guess. Plus I'm at this age where I can tell things are starting to change too. I know, I know, you're saying that I'm only 29, but I can really tell that my metabolism is changing and that I can't just eat what I used to. I'm mad at myself because I was so determined after the marathon not to gain weight back, but it's just like last year all over again. I guess I have to lay off the goodies at work and get back to eating apples instead. :)

Final pre-race post

So this is what the day before a marathon feels like? I can't get back to sleep, so I decided to get up and stop rolling in the bed. I'm not really nervous -- I'm just ready for it to be race day. It feels like the few theatrical productions I've been a part of -- I know my lines, but I just haven't performed in front of an audience yet. The cast: 5,000 other people, and we're probably all thinking the same thing this morning.

Anyway, I went to the race expo yesterday and quickly dashed away $100. I finally bought "The Stick." I've been wanting one for a while, but it's hard to track down in stores and it's generally more expensive online. When I got home I immediately rolled out all the knots in my body. I was surprised at how tight my legs actually were. I also bought a Christmas ornament with "26.2" written on it, and I finally bought a couple of racing stickers -- one with "13.1" and other other with "26.2" on it. I purchased a funny running shirt related to running with my dog, and I bought a yellow hat that reads "Running is cheaper than therapy." It'll match my yellow shirt well. I'm still trying to figure out if I actually like yellow ...

I must say I was a bit disappointed in the crammed feeling of the layout at the expo. If I wasn't quickly moving along, I was in somebody's way. I can only image what today or tomorrow morning will be like. If organizers want to continue to grow the numbers, they'll have to find a bigger place for the expo, or utilize the Omni's space better. Think about it -- 5,000 marathoners, 6,000 8k runners, 1,000 children running the kids race and dozens of expo workers/volunteers alongside hotel workers. Many of those people bring at least one other person, so you're talking about at least 25,000 people filtering through small spaces in a short time, except for there being no one at the Times-Dispatch booth. :-)

The weather is still looking nice and cool for tomorrow. I'll probably be starting with gloves I nearly wore out last year and likely tossing them to the side a few miles in. So there's another $20 or so I'll have to shell out again soon for running. The few miles I've ran this week have certainly helped me adjust to the drastic weather change and it'll make running this winter seem a little better than last year.

Before I leave, I just wanted to say a quick thanks to everyone for their support since I started this blog in April. From the comments to the emails to those I know personally who talk to me about running, I greatly appreciate you being there for me. After tomorrow, I'm not sure what'll happen with my postings. With this post, I've started bolding key words. Not sure why... just trying something new. Who knows if it'll last. My subtitle will have to change and I'm sure for a few weeks I won't be 100 percent focused on running. I'm hoping for a few short races before March's half marathon, but I'll discuss all that later. If you feel compelled to say "good luck," I won't yell at you. I'll know that you really mean "have a great race."

Pre-race Paranoia

For the first time since one of my first races, I am experiencing being paranoid. If I've had a slight pain anywhere, I get worried. Then it'll go away. I woke up earlier than usual this morning thinking about race day. While I'm sure I'll have no problem waking up on time, there's part of me that thinks I'll somehow sleep in too long. My usual race week diet -- heavy on the fiber the first couple of days -- has me thinking I have stomach issues, when I know I don't. I've gotten ready for a big race before, just not a marathon.

Anyway, a quick check on the weather. The forecast for Saturday has gotten colder every day this week, which is fine with me. Lows are forecast in the mid-30s and highs now in the low to mid-50s. Accuweather has a forecast high of 53 Saturday. Weather.com says 56. No matter what you look at, it'll be nice and cool -- perfect for running.