Catching Up

As my marathon training has continued over the past several months, I’ve thought often of writing about what’s been going on.  I realized a while back that I hadn’t written in this blog since my race recap from Boston last year.  Wow, almost a full year since I’ve set down to projectile vomit my thoughts into words.  Tricia has asked me every couple of weeks when I’m going to write again.  I haven’t really had a good answer for her, but here’s a go at it. 

So, 2015 turned out to be a pretty good year.  I didn’t accomplish all of my goals, but here’s a quick recap.

1.    2500 Miles – 2,091 Miles.  I came up a couple hundred miles short on this one.  After being a hundred or so miles ahead of schedule when I got to Boston, I quickly lost this momentum and ran only 135 miles in April, 65 in May, 81 in June and 103 in July.  I guess you could say I took some time off. 

2.    A New PR in every distance – I ran 1 full, 1 half, 2 10k’s, and a couple of 5k’s.  Taking time off definitely decreased my chances of succeeding at this goal.  I did however PR in the 10k and 5k. 

3.    Help someone else achieve a PR – I’m going to call this a success.  When 2015 started, Tricia and I had just started dating and she appeared to have no interest in running.  After sitting at the finish line in Boston waiting for me to get there, Tricia had an itch that she needed to scratch.  She decided to run her first 5k, then another faster, then another one even faster.  She ran her first 10k and then her first half-marathon.  I told her from the beginning that I was going to do my best to stay out of her training but that I’d be there every step of the way.  I can only hope I did a good job of staying out of her way while encouraging her and giving her accurate, solid advice.  We’re still dating, so I guess I did. 

 

4.    Re-Qualify for Boston – DONE.  CHECK.  Man ‘o man, was it good to check this one off the list. 

5.    Cross-Training – Yeah……I got off to a horrible start with this one and never got back to it.  Training for Boston was intense, I took time off, and when I did get back to it, I had a lot of work to do just to get into running shape. 

Now, let’s take a look at 2016.  My only goal for 2016 is to run faster than I ever have.  Considering it’s such a small, little goal for an old guy, I think this is the only one I’ll have for the year!  Haha!!!  Actually, I’m also carrying over the 2,500 miles goal to this year also.  Had I not taken off so much time last year, I would have destroyed this goal.  I need to achieve this once in my life, just to say I did. 

One thing I’ve done to help with these goals is enlist the help of a coach.  I reached a point last year of thinking I had gotten everything out of my body that my knowledge of running would allow.  I’d questioned and studied all I knew to and was beginning to run out of answers.  I asked a lot of the people that I run with who are working with coaches about their guy/gal.  I even asked those that don’t have coaches if they’d considered anyone and if so, who and why?   Everyone had their guy or gal for a reason and made compelling arguments for why I should consider them.  While I was in line at Whole Foods getting lunch one day, I see Susan Wenner.  Susan and I chat running every time I go in and I mentioned to her I was considering a coach.  Before I could finish my sentence, she says ‘Oh, you have to go with Scott!’  I could physically feel the enthusiasm with which she said this and for the most part, my mind was made up.  Scott Wietecha would be my first choice to work with if it was an option. 

Scott is easily the Nashville area’s most decorated runner: a professional runner, Olympic Trials qualifier, and 3x winner of the Rock n’ Roll Country Music/Nashville Marathon, I think Scott knows what he’s doing.  After a few conversations, we started working toward an April 18, 2016 peak date.

Back to running fast, I started working with Scott in late September and immediately ran 45 consecutive days.  Wow, that wasn’t what I had in mind, but I quickly remembered why he’s even involved.  He’s the coach, I’m the athlete and I need to trust everything he suggests I do.  If I buy in fully, I may be able to improve on the hard work I’ve already done.  After a day off, 53 more consecutive days to finish up the year.  In December, I ran a 5k and PR’d by almost 30 seconds.  My last 5k PR came the week prior to Chicago in 2013.  I like this as a good sign.

2016 has started off extremely well.  In February, I ran the Cedars of Lebanon Half Marathon as a training run.  I went in with relatively low expectations and while I was hoping to PR, didn’t expect it would be by much considering the course.  After 13.1 hilly miles I had a new PR by just over three minutes.  WHOA!!!  Coach, whatever you’re doing, it’s  working!!!  A month later, I ran the Tom King Half and ran another minute+ faster.  I like this trend and hope to keep it up.

I’ve been given the chance to run Boston again, 21 days from now.  I’ve work extremely hard for the past 6 months and feel like I’m in the best shape of my life.  I told a friend last night I thought I was a better runner now that I was in my 20’s.  Granted, I didn’t run a lot in my 20’s because I was busy with other things.  But, while I know I’m more committed to it, I also feel I’m stronger both physically and mentally.    

I’ve said for a long time now that I want my best performance in the marathon to come on the world’s biggest stage.  I’ll never have the opportunity to run in the Olympics or even the Trials.  I’ll never compete for prize money at one of these big races.  But, that big stage still awaits for all of us.  Mine just happens to be on Patriot’s Day and I’m taking a whole sack full of grit and determination with me, along with 6 months of hard work and fitness, and I’m going to find out just how good I can be on one day.