53 Days to Boston

Shit. There are only 53 days before Boston. My math tells me this gives me 43 more days of training, plus a 10 day taper. This includes a mini-taper for the New Bedford Half on March 20th. The past few weeks have been crazy. I've thankfully fit in most of my long runs and been consistent on other workouts, but am missing my normal diet of midweek long runs that I feel are key to success.

So what to do with 43 days left? I'm hoping for a 20 this Sunday (last Sunday, it was so cold, I skipped our group run in favor of warmer afternoon temps). Since the weekend is my only real free time, I'm going to have to double up tough workouts, with my tempo runs on Saturdays from now until April. Given my schedule, my best hope is to aim for 6 more weeks at 50 to 60 quality miles a week. It's not the cycle I wanted for Boston, but the perfect cycle doesn't necessarily guarantee a perfect race. Here's hoping talent, a solid base and a smart race strategy get me through.

Besides a hope and a prayer, I do have some things on my side. I'm not injured (knock on wood) besides the regular winter/training aches. I've been running a lot of hills, including self-flagellation on Maple Street at least once a week. I've been consistent about speed work, which is always my weak point. I'm almost at race weight, so I don't have to waste energy thinking about diet. Most importantly, I don't feel like my life depends on my Boston performance. This has been a recovery year, and it is unrealistic to expect a banner performance. Would I like a PR? Absolutely. Will I be devastated if I don't get one? Nope. I'll enjoy the party, and enjoy my first Boston experience.


Run On.
S