Training Update, AKA My Lofty Notions for 2015

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Well, as ya’ll* know, I finished the P.F. Chang’s marathon a few weeks ago, and even though I didn’t hit my goal or set a new PR, I still finished with a respectable time for someone of my running caliber.  Thus, it’s now time to set some new goals and start working toward those, with Coach’s help, of course.

For the near future, I’m working my way through all of the City of Peoria Runners’ Series races, and I’ll hopefully continue to place in my age group and/or set some personal bests in those.  For example, the Super Day 10K race was held this past Sunday (before the Super Bowl), and I maintained an average 8:22 pace (52:52 total), good for a 10K PR and 3rd in my age group.**  The series has another six races through mid-June, and I’m planning on running each of them, ranging from a standard 5K to a trail run to a half marathon.

As far as my 2015 marathon planning goes, I’m tentatively eyeing the Marine Corps Marathon.  The MCM takes place every year in October in and around the Washington D.C. metro area, and I’ve wanted to run it for a few years, but things keep getting in the way.  Since it’s a hugely popular race, you have to enter a lottery in March, and if your number gets drawn, you pay race registration and you’re in!  If that doesn’t pan out, I’ll look for another marathon in the late fall, sometime around late October-early December time frame, potentially the Gilbert marathon**** or even the Tucson marathon again.

Although MCM would be super fun, since it’s incredibly scenic, it would allow me to honor the military personnel (past and present) in my life, and I’d get to see Toni and Juliet, it might be a bit hilly to help me accomplish my next full marathon time goal.  If I hadn’t been sick a few weeks before P.F. Chang’s, I’m pretty sure I could have beaten the 4:00 mark, so in my next marathon, that’ll be my “good day” goal.*****  My “great day” goal will be 3:40, which happens to coincide with the standard ladies between the ages of 35 and 39 must meet in order to qualify to run the Boston Marathon.  Coincidence?  Maybe not.  We’ll see how that goes.

I’d prefer a fall marathon, as I’m also starting to entertain notions of attempting another 50 miler, perhaps at Aravaipa’s Coldwater Rumble in January 2016.  The group offers a few other 50 mile races and there are other running companies out there that cover the distance, but Aravaipa is so great, I hesitate to venture far from them, particularly for an event of this distance.  It’s also nice to find an event close to home, so you can sleep in your own bed before and after the race, and it helps to recruit spectators, since they know they don’t have to drive too far away to watch you lumber around in circles all day long.  Since the Coldwater Rumble also features a 100 mile distance, there will always be other runners out on the trail while I am, and the staff will be ready to go whenever I happen to wander by an aid station; that’s part of the incentive, too.

Chris and I both are also already signed up for the Ragnar McDowell Mountain Trail race for November 2015, on a team our buddy Matt put together.  We have some returning folks (Chris and I, Jen and Bryan, and Jake), some folks who were at McDowell last year but in different capacities (Matt was on another team and Keeli was our race photographer), and one who is new to Ragnar but is a great addition nonetheless (Matt Keeler, Jake’s brother).  It should be fun!

Later!

Amy

* Technically, singular.  All ya’ll would be plural.

** Halfway through the year, I moved from the 30-34 age group into the 35-39 age group.  Here’s hoping that I’ll keep getting faster as I get older, or at least until natural attrition due to age-related causes sets in!  Fingers crossed!

*** “Enduring” is probably more accurate terminology

**** If they can get approved by the City of Gilbert to offer a full marathon distance.  I ran the half in 2014, and it was great – a fast, flat course with amazing volunteers.

 ***** As in, “if I have a good day instead of a great day, this will be my goal.”

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