First off: A heartfelt thank you to those of you who have already donated to the cause, to raise at least $2,300 to build one home for a family in the Philippines through Gawad Kalinga. If you haven't already, please consider doing so, or consider getting with friends, family and co-workers to collectively make a contribution. Click here for more info, or look under my links at the right of this page.
Thanks in advance!
As of yesterday, July 1, it's been 30 days since the Rock n' Roll Marathon in San Diego and my 4 hour, 6 minute, 28 second personal record for 26.2 miles. It's still on my running watch, or rather, was, until today, when I cleared off all the saved mile splits.
And as of Monday, recovery time is over, and the ramping up toward the Bank of America Chicago Marathon began. That's the thing about getting ready for an event like a marathon -- there is such a long build up that it's easy to get distracted. The event is too far away, yet, the date will arrive way too quickly.
Enter the training calendar. Talk to most people who are getting ready for something like this, from Olympian on down to a recreational runner like me, and they'll tell you that you have to be able to manage your time. If it gets away from you, that's time for training (or whatever else you may have planned) that you'll never get back. I don't mean that you have to be so regimented that you can't be flexible, because life does happen, and life is mostly unexpected.
But, as I read somewhere recently, it's better to plan your priorities and get them taken care of first as best as you are able so that you can meet the challenges of those unexpected events.
That's what the training calendar helps me do. It's like a coach in that it lays out what to do and when to do it workout-wise. And I like what 400 meter runner and Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner says, "Have a plan."
By following that plan, and modifying it as needed as my fitness allows me to (I can either adust it if things are going to0 easy or too hard), I'll get to race day knowing I have a lot of training in my legs that will carry me the distance. My first and second marathons, I had no idea if the training I did would work. By this one, my eighth, I think I have a fairly good idea when to push and back off, and have committed that to the training calendar.
Of course if it just stays on paper, it's worthless, so a fair amount of self-discipline is needed. For me, the source of that discipline comes in various ways. One is the desire to do as well as I can on event day. The other is that I'm not just doing this for me, but for a family -- for a community, really -- in the Philippines that will benefit from what you and I are donating in terms of our treasure through ANCOP Foundation USA.
And finally, and most importantly, it's this: God has allowed me to run as far as I can, and if you knew how sickly I was as a child, not to mention that I also was a little bowling ball of a kid until sixth grade, well, it's a blessing I really want to use to praise Him and thank Him for bringing me through all that. The fact that I can also use this to try to help others inspires me to stay true to the task.
So what's the calendar look like this week?
Monday: Easy 6 mile run or rest (did 7 miles, because I didn't run Sunday, and did 8 on Saturday instead of 5 miles)
Tuesday: Cross train at the fitness center at Cal State San Bernardino
Wednesday: Tempo run on the bike trail in Rancho Cucamonga, 2 miles easy, 4 miles at or near planned marathon pace, 2 miles easy for a total of 8 miles (it was hot, but I rode a tailwind for the middle 4 miles to push the pace ... whew!)
Thursday: Cross train at the fitness center at Cal State San Bernardino
Friday: A 10K (6.2 miles) race in La Palma (near Knotts Berry Farm), just to see where I am fitness-wise. The race entry said "flat and fast" ... we'll see ... Update at 11 a.m. Friday, July 4 ... Yeah, that 10K in La Palma was flat and fast ... ran it in 48:38, which comes out to a 7:50/mile pace ... a lot faster than I thought I could go for that distance ... God is good! ... Later thoughts @ 6:30 p.m. ... according to Coach Greg McMillan's calculator, that means I could, with smart and good training, run a 3 hour, 48 minute marathon ... Hmmmmm ....
Saturday: Easy 12 miler at Bolsa Chica State Beach with the GK Heroes team
Sunday: Easy 8 miles (or rest, which means I would run on Monday)
Week 1 is well underway ... Chicago, here I come ...
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