Lies, Damned Lies, and the Damned Liars Who Tell Them

OK, that's perhaps a bit melodramatic for the new year....

In a "recent" post, I wrote that the first indication that my training is dropping off is a reduced volume of blog posts.  I'm happy to say that hasn't been the case this time around.  I'm about to begin my sixth week of training (or is that have just completed my fifth week of training?), and each week I've hit each of my keys runs and have worked out at least four times.  Most weeks I've hit five workouts, and on Christmas week I hit six.  Right, I was a bit bored at the Florence, SC, Courtyard....

So I lied.  I can hit my workouts and not blog about it.  Not that I'm taking pride in that....

With a bit over two and a half months left until ING, I can say with confidence that this training is going better than any other to date.  There's still a lot of time -- not to mention miles to log -- until the last Sunday in March.  But I'm cautiously optimistic that I've found a program and lifestyle that can support this type of training.

So, no new year's resolutions.  No out with the old, in with the new (per se).  No cliches, like lists (as one example) for this my first installment of 2009.

But I'd like to briefly review what's different this time and how that's affecting this round of training.  Because so much is different at the start of 2009, and it's likely that I'll be able to run a four-hour marathon as a result.

So, a quick review (yes, I lied again; forthwith find the cliche known as "list"):

• Realistic training program -- as much as I like the Furman FIRST program conceptually, I found the three challenging runs per week to be daunting, especially as training entered the mid-to-high double digit runs on the weekends.  For this training, I'm using a program focused on two high-quality runs per week and several additional days of light jogging or cross-training.  I'm getting in the workouts but don't feel like I'm burning out.
• Realistic runs -- I'm working diligently with this training to hit my marks and not push the pace even when I feel like I can run faster.  There have been exceptions -- my speed work at the Courtyard in Florence, for example, when I ran 800s instead of 400s and 7:30 pace instead of 8:00 pace.  What?  There was a guy waiting for the treadmill....  For the most part, though, I'm getting into an easy pace and sticking with it rather than attempting to max out the workout.  This will be good for me.
• Eating well -- probably not tons better than in the past, but well enough.  And not obsessing about it.  I'm trying to stay focused on food as fuel, and while I'm probably eating more bread in a bottle than I should, at least it's carbs.  Right?
• General fitness -- thanks to Laura, I'm more focused on core strength and stretching than I have been with past programs.  I'm still not where I want to be, but I'm noticing increased strength on long runs and am finding my recoveries to be quicker than in the past.
• Accountability -- certainly my life has changed a lot in the past year, a circumstance that has made blogging difficult in the extreme at times.  But as I enter 2009, with the hopes, dreams, goals, and resolutions that come with the new year, I find myself happily in relationship with a runner.  Laura has dreams and goals.  I have dreams and goals.  They're not identical.  She wants to run a sub-55:00 10K.  I want to run a sub-4:00:00 marathon.  But we're in this together and providing encouragement, support, and guidance to each other along the way.  The power in that should not be underestimated.

On this last point, a final note that speaks to what Laura has to teach me and provides a highlight of yesterday's run.  First a bit of background:  I'm not a particularly "smart" runner.  Often I like to find my pace and meet that throughout the run.  That habit is reinforced for both good and bad by the Garmin.  At any step I can glance at my wrist and see my pace.  I have the annoying ability to hit a reasonably quick pace early in a run and can often maintain it.  The downside is that the pace is too often faster than the run calls for.  I suspected yesterday that my run could be quick.  But at the outset, I remembered what Laura has been saying consistently for months:  ease into the run and let your last mile be your fastest.  

And yesterday I did just that.  I forced myself to ease into the run.  Instead of hitting a pace that put me at 70-80% of my max heart rate, I stayed closer to 55-60%.  It's hilly out here on the westside.  But even on the hills, I forced myself to take an easy stride, slow down, and manage my heart rate.  As I ran up Deering (2+ miles), I glanced at my watch and saw that I was "running" a 13+ minute pace.  If I had seen this pace on past runs, I would have sped up, thinking I needed more speed to be able to run faster.  Yesterday, though, I relaxed.  I knew I'd run faster later in the run.  And I did.  Long story short:  I hit my marks for the run, and my last mile was 2-minute pace faster.  By the end I was running with a long, comfortable stride that I felt I could maintain for another several miles.

Yes, this training is different.  For all of the reasons listed above, I have a chance to run a 4-hour marathon.  Not least because all of the above lead to a new reason:  confidence.  Thanks to consistent training and my partner's love and support, my confidence grows weekly.  It remains to be seen how this comes out, but could there be a better way to begin 2009?