Sunday, October 02, 2005

My puny marathon training

I'm starting to have some flashes of FEAR about the Baltimore Marathon in two weeks. Yes, I respect the distance (after completing six marathons I can recall exactly what it feels like in those final awful miles) and that's exactly why I'm getting these scary twinges! You see, I've been terribly neglecting my long-long runs lately. I've had all these big plans for fourteen miles, sixteen miles, etc., and instead I've been getting in sixes, eights, and an occasional ten.

My total monthly mileage is on track for me, and my training paces are okay; I just haven't done the mega-long runs that I really need (and recommend to others!) to get myself truly prepared to tackle the marathon distance.

I'm hoping that my low-impact bike training and my swimming time has kept my long-duration aerobic fitness (such as it is) intact, and as long as my legs keep remembering how to do it after 10 or 12 miles, I think I'll be okay.

Baltimore is just my last long training fun run for New York anyway, right? Oh well, "to finish is to win", and if I don't make my 5:40 dream goal for the finish line, I've still got another eighty minutes (seven full hours) to finish the 26.2 miles on October 15.

I mean, how hard can it be? The most complicated thing about running is deciding whether to step with your left or right foot, correct? :-)

Left, right, left, right; repeat until the finish line occurs.

10 comments:

*jeanne* said...

Hey...it may not be NYC...but Baltimore ain't PUNY!

:-)

I didn't train for a full (If I can't stand the heat, I can't train for a fall 'thon...will I EVER do Baltimore Full again? Or Steamtown? Tahoe? Mt. Desert Island?

You'll do your best...and you know HOW!

then ROCK THAT NYCM!

*rsnpn*

Nancy Toby said...

Ah, the problem with indefinite antecedents -- it's my training that's puny, not the marathon, most definitely! Well, I'll leave the title up now, or your comment will never make sense to anyone!

*jeanne* said...

So...what else is NEW????? *jeanne* saying something that doesn't make *sense*?

All mimsy were the borogroves and the mome raths outgrabe.
-Lewis Carroll

*bnvrr*

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

You're a lot more calm than I would be, girl! Is there a half you can switch to or are you just going to tough it out? Be careful not to injure yourself!

:) said...

You'll be fine, Nancy...for goodness sakes, you did a half ironman last year and like you said:

You have already done 6 of these things...what about us marathon virgins getting ready for our firsts!!! EEK!

Dr. Iron TriFeist :) said...

You'll be fine. Baltimore guarantees you'll get in one more long run before New York, plus, you'll get in some long miles at MCM, right? You're body is still in endurance mode from the half IM. It won't forget how this all works.

Recovering Alumni said...

"Left, right, left, right; repeat until the finish line occurs"

I like that!

Anonymous said...

You'll be fine for your "fun run"!!

Dawn - Pink Chick Tris said...

Really??? I've never heard you say this before
"just haven't done the mega-long runs that I really need (and recommend to others!) "

*grins, ducks and runs*

Oldman said...

rather than left right, i always thot it was right left, right left. i'll have to try it your way to see if it works better.

just relax you will do fine in the BM...