Well I thought that the taper was supposed to begin this week, but I guess all they meant was that I just wouldn't be running another 22 miler, because my training plan still called for 36-44 miles! After last Saturday's 22 miler I was pumped and motivated for the marathon, and now it seems to be all I can think about! It is coming up, and I hope that you are all there to take part!
Marathon Day:
After the marathon, starting at about 3:30, my sister is having a cookout at her house in Brighton. All friends and family are invited! Please email me for details (flash100h@hotmail.com.) There will be drinks, burgers, and more! Please come - I look forward to celebrating with everyone!
Training:
I started off the week with some slow runs to get the legs moving, and they did help to work out some kinks so that I was ready for Tuesday's big track workout. Working out the kinks seemed to work, because I had my BEST track workout of the year! We had a ladder / pyramid workout, running a 400, 800, 1200, mile, mile, 1200, 800, 400 at 5k pace, with half the recovery between each interval. This workout is my least favorite of all of the track workouts, so after the long run on Saturday, I was not planning on a great workout. I started off a little stiff, but I got stronger with every interval, not only killing my splits in the first half, but also running even faster for the second! Here are my splits along with my goal times:
| 400 m | 800 m | 1200 m | mile | |
| Goal Time | 1:50 | 3:40 | 5:30 | 7:20 |
| 1st Time | 1:42 | 3:30 | 5:21 | 7:03 |
| 2nd Time | 1:36 | 3:26 | 5:18 | 6:58 |
I did end up taking a day off on Wednesday to rest my achilles, and then covered 11 miles on the Newton hills on Thursday at a comfortable pace. It is unbelievable to me that 11 miles has become a comfortable, mid-week run.
After a day at the gym Friday, and my first sports massage on Saturday, I was ready for a nice short / long run on Sunday. This was supposed to be 14-16 miles at a relaxed pace, so I decided to chance it and left my water belt at home. It turned out to be a poor decision, and starting around mile 7 all I could think about was water. I opted to cut my run just shy of 14 miles to return home for a tall Gatorade. Lesson learned: hydration is mandatory for the long distances. I won't be skipping any water stops on marathon day!
Inspiration:
This week I sent in my honor cards to Dana-Farber. Dana-Farber sends everyone 4 honor cards to honor those who they are running for. These 4 people have helped to make me the person I am today. I am going to put my 4 stories below:
William Flaherty (my dad)Why he inspires me: I spent a lot of time with my dad growing up. My parents used to split my sister and me up on the weekends - I guess we were more manageable that way! I would usually end up with my dad, playing soccer or basketball in the morning, and working on the boat in the afternoon. To me, my dad was a living example of the sayings "You can do anything if you put your mind to it" and "Hard work pays off." He worked very hard to have a life that both he and his family could enjoy, and I wanted to emulate that. It was my mission in life to make him proud. I hope he would be proud of my my efforts for DFMC in his name.
Joan Woodcock (my grandmother)Why she inspires me: My grandmother was the epitome of style. She was an athlete in a time when being athletic wasn't as popular for women, dominating any golf course with elegance and grace. On one of my last visits with her, the summer before I started college, she told me to follow my dreams and not just study what others thought I should study. She said I was going to do great things. It was my grandmother that inspired my to study literature in college, and why I am doing a job that I love today.
Leslie Hall (my mother-in-law)Why she inspires me: Will and I had only been dating a few weeks when he introduced me to his mother. I was (of course) very nervous when meeting her, but she put me at ease right away, letting me know how excited she was that Will brought me by, and that she hoped that I would come back to visit soon. She was so excited to see us get married, and worked hard to be healthy enough to come to our wedding and enjoy watching her only son get married. Will is one of the most caring, thoughtful, and sensitive men I have ever met, and I credit that in part to his mother. I am thankful to have had her as part of my life.
John Rodrigues (my track coach)
Inspiration Update:
No comments:
Post a Comment