I needed 20 miles yesterday.
The Lehigh Valley Marathon is in 3 weeks. I hadn’t run over 17 consecutive miles in one run. My awesome fellow bloggers and my family keep telling me that I have the base and will do fine in the marathon – But I needed 20 strong miles… for me!
I got them!!!
Here is the breakdown:
- 20:02 miles
- 8:53 pace
- 1659 elevation climb
- 1 excited runner
I ran at the same park my friend Neill and I ran 10 miles the day before. It was raining and in the 70’s when I started at 6:30 AM. I ran a 5 mile stretch of road that allowed me to hit the “zone” and be back at my car for a gel and gatorade. I took some advice from comments on this blog last week and muted my iPhone. No coaching from my app. No mileage. I just ran the way I wanted to run.
Other than the fact never walked, I am encouraged that I finished strong (last mile was an 8:35 pace) and my elevation climb was almost 3 times my previous high.
So I now look toward Lehigh Valley Marathon with a bit of excitement rather than dread. I wonder after yesterday, might it be possible for me to qualify for Boston at this marathon? I had let that thought go a couple of months ago as the heat of the summer set in. Now, maybe…
Finally, THANK YOU. Outside of my family, this blog and you who choose to read it each day is what keeps me going in this journey. I am so glad I started it 8 months ago. Your comments, suggestions and encouragment means so much to me, you will never understand.
3 weeks to go. It isn’t over yet. But I am looking forward to my race for the first time.
278 to Boston 
So glad it went well…and that it put you in the right frame of mind for the race! You are exactly where you need to be!
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Thank you!! I am finally starting to believe that. 🙂
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Yay, congratulations!!! Sounds like a wonderful weekend.
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Thanks! It was a major confidence booster!
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Congrats on the great weekend. Glad I could be a small part of it. 1/3 to be exact. I felt really good about my last mile with you on Saturday until I read this. LOL. You’re gonna do great at Lehigh Valley.
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Thanks Neill! Our Saturday run made all the difference with my Sunday run. Huge confidence booster! I just didn’t remember all the hills. 🙂
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Great job! Best of luck with your race!
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Thank you! I appreciate it!
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Woo Hoo! What a great boost, both physically and mentally- well done!
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I appreciate that!! I can’t express how that run helped. 🙂
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Yay!! Awesomely done and I am so happy for you!! 🙂
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Thank you so much! It was a big confidence booster. 🙂
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That’s amazing! That pace for that distance on a training run is a great sign your training is working.
Your marathon is a week before my half. I’m looking at you, man, for inspiration. 😉
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All the best for your marathon! Seems like you’re ready for the distance at any rate! What is the BQ time for you?
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Thanks. I feel better about the race. To qualify I have to run 3.30 (8:00 pace). I did my half at 7:57 in February, but 26.2 miles is intimidating.
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I’m not sure there is ever a point you can reach where 26.2miles/42km does not have some form of fear of failure attached. It is simply a long way and some days you can’t go that far, or at least not at the pace you want. We train to reduce that likelihood, and in the training we must trust!
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Great point. Thanks!
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