Just Running

OBJECTIVE
6 - 8 mi. Easy

ACHIEVED
6.18 mi.@ 8:40/mi.

5:07 AM 73F 94% 0 mph

Just my ordinary 6-miler on the Wimbledon Forest loop.  ... rather uneventful ....

I haven't committed to a marathon goal time yet.  But it seems I've been thinking about it nonstop.  I'm convinced a big part of my success in St. George last year was due to picking "the correct" time target (there were other significant factors too: running with Alex, fear of the unknown, weight training, etc.).  I also believe part of my failure in Ogden was due to picking a bad time target.  I just don't know how to pick the "right" time.  I got extremely lucky in STG.  Having said all of that gives the foundation of some of my thoughts while running today.  In summary, I'm having a difficult time envisioning myself stringing 26.2 sub-8 minute miles together.  That's based on how I've felt during recent long runs and even over my shorter runs lately.  I know the weather is going to be much more favorable.  I'll also have the benefit of a taper.  There will be race day excitement.  But I won't be running with Alex or Jonathan like my other marathons.  I haven't been weight training this cycle.  Mentally I still have questions about my IT band.  I also have the recent bad experience of walking it in at my last marathon and 30K.  This is acknowledgement of weakness and "makes it okay" to shut it down if I'm not having my best day.

I still don't know exactly what my goal time is going to be but expect it to fall somewhere between 3:40 and 3:20.  There's less than 3 weeks of hard work remaining before training shifts to the nerve whacking taper.  I'll find my goal over that time.

PRE RUN
1/2 Clif bar & water

POST RUN
chocolate milk, multivitamin, water, & GrapeNuts w/skim milk