Friday
Well today was a real test where I'm at with my training: success or bust. I scheduled a 12 mile marathon pace run within the 18 miler. I mentioned earlier that I needed to decide on a marathon pace either 6:30 or 6:40 or somewhere in between. I need to have that confidence to know where I stand, because I've been concerned about being wishy washy with my marathon pace.
It was about 8:30 in the morning when I headed out, and the temperature was 32 degrees not short weather yet, but it did warm up
to 70 degrees for the day. I proceeded on a course that was up and down in elevation to make things interesting. To make a long story short I nailed it, and I felt like I could have dropped my marathon pace to a 6:20 or 6:25. Truly I thank God, because he's the one that's put me where I'm at, and helped me with this run today. I was praising him at mile 12, because I knew I nailed the pace miles, and I really thanked God for the help. I felt so good that I did 16 marathon pace miles. I'm really shocked and surprised because the first 12 miles I was fighting against a 10 mph wind. But it just felt so easy the whole run. For the 16 miles I averaged a 6:30 pace, so maybe there's my answer. I was shocked and surprised, but I really have never tested what I can really do.
I don't know what I will try in Boston, do I even try to drop the pace lower? Do I just try to stay between 6:30 and 6:40? Who knows the answer. Maybe I'll decide when I just start running the race. But I feel real good about my chances being under 3 hours. I just hope the weather is cool.
I think next week I'm going to try to find a gradual long downhill (at least 8 miles) that has a little up hill then another gradual downhill to really be close to the Boston course (probably an 18 to 20 miler).
The rest of the day I took my 2 year old son out for pizza and I ate a foot long meatball sandwich at Fazoli's. Then we went to the park for 2 hours and climbed rocks to the top of the park. It's a pretty steep climb. Then we played on the park toys till 5pm. Wonderful day, my wife wondered when we were coming home. I didn't even sit down and rest the whole day.
(Sasha I love the html editor)
Total 20.2 miles at a 6:38 pace in 2:14.
mile 1 7:04
mile 2 6:32
mile 3 6:36
mile 4 6:33
mile 5 6:33
mile 6 6:31
mile 7 6:40
mile 8 6:28
mile 9 6:29
mile 10 6:35
mile 11 6:38
mile 12 6:30
mile 13 6:20
mile 14 6:44 (went up a major hill didn't try to keep same pace. I went up easy. )
mile 15 6:18
mile 16 6:16
mile 17 6:27
mile 18 7:01 ( Start cool-down miles)
mile 19 7:07
mile 20 7:10
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