running: the dawn

In order to keep wild imaginations from running loose for too long, it’s time for my big announcement…..

Several people have inquired, “What now?”  All of this training/blogging was for me to try to run the San Diego Marathon in less than four hours.  Now that I’ve crossed that off my goals list will I continue the blog?  Will I switch topics?  Will I fade into the inter-web-space history?

The answer? One word:

BOSTON!!

It is time to step up to the plate of what I really want.  I want to qualify and run the Boston Marathon.  In order to be allowed to run the Boston Marathon I must run on a certified course and finish in 3:40:59.  I’ve been running off and on for the past 6 years and in the back of my head I’ve always harbored the word “Boston.”  As in “Someday I’ll go for a Boston qualifying time,” you know, when I’m more fit, faster, lighter, older, wiser…and the list goes on.  There’s a million excuses to not put that goal out there.  It’s so much easier to just be content with my current success and move on.

But the truth is, I’m not going to be satisfied with that.  It’s only been a week since I crossed the finish line basking in the success of my run and the feelings have faded.  In the place of the excitement is a constant desire to see what I am capable of now.  If I work just that much harder, could I do it?  Am I ready?

I know that I’m ready to try!  So, mark your calendars for the Grand Rapids Marathon on Sunday, October 17 2010, 8:00am (eastern)

Now…being realistic…I’m not sure that I’ll be able to cut off those 18 minutes in the time that I have between now and October.  But no matter how many marathons it takes me to qualify I know that BQ’ing is now my running goal.  I plan to train towards that goal and hold myself accountable to that.  Along those lines, check out the postcards that the Grand Rapids folks are using:

Love it!

It makes it seem like a higher calling or something…like lives depend on your commitment to the training process.  I’m definitely going to print this off and hang it somewhere I can see it every time I go out for a run.

Speaking of running…I have been spending the past few days figuring out my running life for the next few months.  Here’s the general idea:

• Take two FULL weeks off after San Diego as per: Ryan Hall.  Hey, he’s a world-class marathoner and he doesn’t run or do anything active for two weeks after he’s put in an all-out effort.  One week done and I’m almost half way through the second week…Hopefully I won’t go crazy as a result of these 14 days without running.
• Spend five weeks doing “recovery” and “base building”.  For me this means working back up to at least 40 miles a week and very very minimal speed work (what can I say, I’m pretty excited to get back to the track).  One of the best things I did for myself this past training cycle was build up my mileage gradually and put in some nice slow long runs before I added the intensity of high mileage and speed work.  I want to ensure a nice injury-free season.
• Starting July 25 I enter into the 12-week training process.  I will once again be following the Pfitzinger 12 week plan found in the book Advanced Marathoning.  There were a couple of the marathon-pace runs and two long runs that I wasn’t able to fit in this last time.  I think that I will be able to stick to the plan a little better and hopefully that will help me to not fade away at mile 24…

I must say: Thank you!  Each of you that have been with me through this journey, I can’t thank you enough.  Whether you comment, email, text, or just read, it’s your support that has encouraged me to keep going even when I wasn’t sure I was capable.  I look forward to sharing the next stage of my running journey with you all!  So now…let us commence:

the Quest to Qualify