/pause freaking out.
I’m three days away from my 9th half-marathon, nearly six years since I began running at least one half-marathon a year. I’m also about 10 days away from running my 9th marathon, just over five years since I began incorporating running marathons in my life. Thanks to my friend procrastination, I’m finally setting my goals for those two races and also, I still ask myself why I keep registering for these things!
My best (personal record) 13.1-mile completion time is 2:36:39 from last year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas. That’s an average of about 11:57 min/mile pace. My best marathon (26.2 miles) time is 5:43:38, also in 2009, was attained at the Inaugural Hard Corps Marathon @ Camp Pendleton Marine Base. That one had an average pace of 13:06 min/mile. Longest marathon by myself? 7:01:06. Seven hours. That’s like, someone’s work day!
So, I’m not exactly the speediest runner — in fact, I often do run/walk intervals (run 6 minutes/ walk 1 minute) at all of these endurance races… Does that still count as a runner? 🙂
Anyway, why do I keep doing this. I guess I’m trying to prove (to myself) that it can be done. Though, in five years, I’ve learned that it can be done wrong (that 7-hour marathon was due to the lack of training!) and it can be done right (I’ve done the most training leading up to the Hard Corps Marathon in 2009!) And yet I want more!
I want to eventually finish a marathon in or around five hours before I turn 35! I want to be able to run a marathon alongside my sis Minel (who really shared this madness with me!) without slowing her down (or me dying in the process) — essentially, to finish a sub-5 hour marathon with her. Then, maybe before I turn 60, I would like to qualify for the Boston Marathon, finish it in a respectable time and live to tell the tale. ^_^
But back to this month and setting goals… This year (or the remainder of the year), I shall classify them into one of the five “A’s” — Awesomesauce, Amazing, Alright, Acceptable, and Ay-yay-yay; the final “A” being the worst-case scenario.
Dodge Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles 1/2 Marathon
October 24, 2010 (Los Angeles, CA)
Awesomesauce: 2:15:00
Amazing: 2:25:00
Alright: 2:35:00
Acceptable: 2:40:00
Ay-yay-yay: 3:00:00
Notes: If I were honest with myself, I would most likely finish just over the acceptable mark (my guess would be around 2:45ish). But since I often sell myself short when running, and I need people to tell me that I’m actually stronger than I am, so I should really believe that I can finish between Amazing and Alright. LOL. I have to keep in mind, though, that LA will be somewhat of a hilly course. 🙂
35th Annual Marine Corps Marathon
October 31, 2010 (Arlington, VA/Washington, D.C.)
Awesomesauce: 5:25:00
Amazing: 5:30:00
Alright: 5:35:00
Acceptable: 5:45:00
Ay-yay-yay: 6:00:00
Notes: DC will be flat — according to my friends who have done it in the past. Looking at their course map, though, it looks like there are some inclines up until 8th mile. Realistically, I should be able to finish within or around 5:40. Ideally, I’d like to do Amazing but really closer to Alright. We shall see. ^_^
/resume freaking out.
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