Chicago Marathon Training: Goal Update

We are exactly one month out from race day.

In 30 days, I will be here. (well, somewhere waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back there)

At this time last marathon training cycle, I:

• had only two runs over 13.1, the longeset of which was 16mi
• said 16 mi run had an 11:45/mi average pace, felt awful the last two miles, and left me wondering how the hell I would ever do ten more miles on top of that
• was convinced I had a tibial stress fracture (and almost laughed out of my doctor's office with a "it's just shin splints, honey, have some BioFreeze")
• had a single midweek run that was over 7mi
• had a max 7-day mileage of 38 to-date

This time, I:

• have 8 runs over 13.1
• am averaging under a 10min pace for all my LSDs
• feel so strong
• regularly have two midweek runs at 8+ miles
• have a max 7-day mileage of 54.6 to-date

Yeah, I'll raise a glass to that.

Flying Pig was my first marathon, and my main motivation was just doing a marathon to do one, because other people were doing them, because Jerry had wanted to do one, because it was the logical progression of my distance running... I enjoyed the challenge of dedicating myself to something so wholly, but, ultimately, it was just about finishing the marathon. 

This time around, I want it for different reasons. I became a mom a little over nine months ago, and, in so many ways, this marathon is my way of proving that parenthood hasn't changed the athlete part of me. It's my way of continuing to believe in myself and that confidence that running gave me when I first really started back in 2012. It's my way of challenging myself each day, with specific workout, not just "garbage miles", with a harder, fuller plan, not just a single 20 mile run. It's worked.

I'm in a really, really great state of mind. I'm so much stronger than I was in 2014, in so many different ways, the biggest of which is my confidence. 

feeling BO$$

With a LOT of long runs under my belt, and only one more "new distance" to hit before race day, I've been doing more thinking about my goals for race day, and have an update on what I want:

90% Goal: 4:30

50% Goal: PR by an hour.

Flying Pig was 5:16:28. I want to hit 4:16:28 in Chicago. That's a 9:47/mi pace. Based on my last few long runs, this is totally within my abilities. A 9:47/mi is really close to my typical training pace, so, with race day excitement, a taper, the knowledge that this is the last long run on my schedule for the foreseeable future, and cooler weather, it should be pretty easy to manage. 

So proud.

Perhaps this should be a 90% goal with training run times like that, but, I've got to factor in weather, bathroom stops, hydration stops, and all the other things that haven't been included/haven't affected my times so far. 

This new goal means that starting with the 4:30 pace group may not be ideal. If I stick with them until 13.1, then I'll have to run 9:10s on the back half of the course to average down to the time I want, and that's a bit ambitious. I wonder if they'll have a 4:15 pace group. I wonder if I should start with the 4:15 if they have one... 

Whelp... there goes that plan... :P 

We'll see how the 22mi goes next weekend, when I'm not restrained by RL obligations; I'll make the final strategy call sometime after that...