Sunday, August 26, 2012

"I'm not lookin' at you dudes, I'm lookin' past ya"

Just a quick update to confirm that the crazy mileage I'm logging this summer hasn't killed me ...

1)  I can't run the Boston Marathon for 2 years (insert sad face)  
I've qualified for Boston three different times, but never under the new time limits.  But I've been training pretty hard this summer and am fairly confident I can do it at Wichita in October ... but we'll see.  However, this week I started looking at the registration dates for Boston and it's only open from Sept 10-21.  Problem: My race is October 14th.  The 2013 Boston Marathon will be sold out before I even run my qualifying race.   If I qualify, my time would still be good for 2014, but the week before Boston in 2014 is Michael's 40th birthday.  I'm sure we'll have a trip planned for that so I won't be able to do both.  So ... here's to 2015!!!  I was disappointed at first, and if I had never been fortunate enough to run it before, I would have been really bummed.  But like Jay Z says, Boston - "I'm not lookin' at you dudes, I'm lookin' past ya"!  Project 3:09 was never really about Boston (it's just that if I qualified we had decided to go).  It was always about finding out just how far I could push myself if I dedicated to training for one marathon.  And so far ...

2) Project 3:09 still on track
Well actually, this is the shakiest I've been so far in training when I've written something like this.  I would be less than honest if I didn't tell you the wheels are starting to wobble a little.  I'm NOTORIOUS for peaking a little too soon in training.  It's 100% my fault, but I just get excited and push myself a little too hard too early.  Typically I'm in peak physical condition about 3-4 weeks before the marathon ... and then start a slow downhill slide toward race day.  So this time I've really tried to guard against that by running much slower on recovery days.  But some of the typical little aches and pains are starting to creep in.  It's nothing serious ... and this portion of the Periodization Training is supposed to be the toughest.  So we'll see.  I just want to make sure that when I toe the line at the Prairie Fire Marathon in October, there's nothing stopping me from my best marathon.

3) Most humid run EVVVVERRRRRR!!!
It has been really dry across the Midwest this summer, and thus, humidity levels have been super low - which has been awesome for training.  But on Sunday morning, between thunder showers, I ran my 12 mile recovery in 95% humidity.  The picture on the right is me literally ringing water out of my shirt.  This is actually the 4th picture I took trying to capture the outpouring of bodily fluids from my shirt - and every time it was the same.   Ton's of water hitting the floor (yes Michael, I had a towel down).  I'm not saying there was a ton of sweat in my shirt, but I later bottled and purified it and there was enough to send as relief for 7 African villages.  Anyway, the point is I was really sweaty.  Have a great week.
... be great today!  

13 comments:

  1. Sorry about Boston! I know that is not cool but you are fabulous runner!

    Love the sweaty pic! I had a run like that a couple of weeks ago. I was dripping all over the place.

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  2. 95% humidity is just gross. It's hard breathing when the air's not exactly in a gaseous state any more. And it's hard rehydrating. I'm dreading summer.

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  3. There has been plenty of 95% humidity days in these neck of the woods. It made for some really wet runs!

    I see you qualifying for Boston more than once in the couple years. You'll be there again!!

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  4. I sometimes think a long term goal like that works out better in the end. So you will have an awesome 2015 Boston! Your training is amazing! I will probably die a very slow and painful death in that humidity. Keep it going!

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  5. I am confident you will qualify! Good luck for 2015!

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  6. Bummer about the scheduling conflicts for Boston Marathon, but yea you shouldn't worry, you'll run it again. At least you've already ran it once, which is more than like 99% of the runners out there lol

    And wow on that humidity, that looks awful!

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  7. You'll qualify, Jim! Sounds like you're being smart about the current goal, too.

    I am SO glad I no longer live with that kind of weather.

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  8. Qualifying will be a fun challenge!

    And I am SURE Michael will want to spend her 40th birthday in Boston anyway going to Red Socks games and whatnot, ;) so 2014 could still work. ..and ya never know..maybe 2013 won't be sold out in October.

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  9. I'm glad it's not just me who can feel a chastising from my wife before it even happens.

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  10. Pull back on those those long runs, they are leaving you fried. Take an extra rest day. The LAST thing you want to do is get to the starting line in KS overtrained and all this training you've done is out the window. An extra rest day would be the most beneficial thing for you right now!

    Um, those shorts are nasty. So glad I don't deal with that humidity anymore. You must get to Colorado soon and do a marathon to know what I'm talking about! :)

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  11. Ugh, I've had runs like that too, where I come home completely drenched. Yuck!

    Bummer about Boston, but I agree with the others -- you will qualify again!

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  12. It almost looks like your pulling a spatula out of your shorts.

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