Chicago Marathon Training: Preview

Marathon training technically began three days ago, and I've done a lot of thinking as far as where I want to go from here. Crushing the sub-25 goal required a lot of hard work and dedication, not just in training, but also on race day. Pushing that hard made my race day experience very different; the race part was really uncomfortable, but the glory thereafter was amazing. I love the time I got, and the experience I had, but I'm not sure how I feel about making that whole "actually racing a race" thing a regular thing. 

Anyways, where this is leading: 
I signed up to run another marathon because I want a time that better reflects my abilities. Also, peer pressure-- all the cool #10KTuesday kids are doing it. ;) 


First Marathon (Flying Pig, 2014):

• running experience: solid two years of 7-20 miles/week
• distance running experience: four months (ATC Fall Half Training Program-- and my first three half marathons)
• motivation: hey, that last half was pretty fun... and everyone else is doing this marathon thing, maybe I can too!
• got injured (grade II calf strain --> two months in a boot) before training started
• 14 week long training plan (from total rest to marathon)- mileage only, no real workouts
• trained solo, basically using the SundayRunday crew to parts of my LSDs and first training partner, Jessie, for any mileage I could get on the other six days
• total mileage: 442
• pace: ~11min/mi (doc told me I could train after strain had healed, but to go SLOW)
• longest run: (1) 21.5mi
• original goal of 4:45 slipped to 5:00 by race day- couldn't stick with the 5:00 group, though, and finished in 5:16:28 (12:05/mi)

I could totally take "ridiculously photogenic guy" down with this shot.
Guess that means I could've been running faster, right?

Flying PIg was everything a first marathon should be, but I know I can do better than a 5:16. There's a LOT that's different about this time around.

Take 2 (Chicago, 2016)

• running experience: five years, with the past three at 1000+ mi/year
• finish out hybrid L2/L3 ATC Peachtree training plan until race day
• after Peachtree, pickup with the ATC training plan (mileage, LSDs, speedwork- similar to what I've been doing)
• run pretty much every training run with a partner (Brandi!!!)
• also get support from ATC training program and the #10KTuesday crew subgroup (J&C are also training for fall marathons, though they're using the Hansons method)
• time goal: ______

Yeah, I know I left that blank. Honestly, I don't know what I want that to be yet.

With a 2:00 half, rules of thumb say I should be able to do a 2:00 x 2 + 0:10 = 4:10.  The ATC indicator chart has me at a 3:48. That seems insane, but a 23:37 5K also sounded insane until about two months ago. I put down 4:30 on my Chicago registration, and I'd be absolutely thrilled with that. 

I wrote these down in December 2015. So far, 2016 has been preeeeeetty amazing.

The idea of running a 9:00 for anything more than a 10K (and, honestly, somedays even a 10K) seems beyond me right now- not physically, but mentally. I don't want to run that fast. It's hard to run that fast. Why would I want to be miserable for four hours when I could be reasonably content for four and a half hours? 

...because maybe I could break 4:00.

...and maybe I could beat Jerry's 3:59:21.

I think know I can. 

I just don't know if I want it badly enough.