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| Boston Marathon 2014 Runner's Packet |
"You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you." - James Allen, Author of As a Man Thinketh
I've been telling people all week I didn't feel ready for Boston. Running a marathon is physical, but the mental aspect is even more important. It is difficult to be successful at this distance if you don't feel you're ready.
My program for this Boston has included a lot less running and more cross training. My focus really was the National Paratriathlon Championship in Austin at the end of May. I wanted to be healthy and recovered so I could compete well there. That meant my longest run was only scheduled to be 16 miles.
I know from looking at Iron Man training programs that the longest run for most of them is 16 miles. I still think of myself as a runner, so it is hard for me to believe I can run 26.2 miles on race day with my longest run of only 16 miles. I know I should trust my coach and my training.
The training has been going well. My legs feel great and I am not nearly as tired as I've been in past years. Still I did not feel quite ready.
So this Sunday I decided to lengthen my long run on Sunday just a bit. My coach had a 3 hour run of 16 miles on the schedule. I decided to lengthen it just a bit to 20 miles. That is an important mark for me. I always say if I can get to 20 miles, it is just a 10 K to the finish. I can walk it if I have to.
The plan today was to also to get in some hill work. The Boston course is downhill for the first 10 miles and then there are another 10-12 miles of rolling hills. The big hill "Heart Break" hill is at mile 23.
My coach suggested recently I get a GPS watch and today I was going to use it for the first time to be sure I got in my 20 miles.
Well things did not start out well when it took 30 minutes for the watch to find a satellite. The signal kept cutting out. The pace was wildly off. It was anywhere from 5:52 to 15:50 minutes per mile.
The good news is I got in two stretches of hill work. About 30 minutes early in the workout and another 30 minutes late in the run. That helps me to feel ready.
Since I just did a 15 K last week I have a good idea of my pace. The 3 hours and 45 minutes I ran should be about 20 miles. My ankles and feet really hurt. I wonder when I do these runs how I will ever run for almost 5 hours on race days with these shorter runs are so painful.
The truth is no matter how much I run and prepare, marathon day will be a long painful day. It takes a strong will and desire to push through the pain and fatigue. The mental prep I did today, makes me feel like I am finally ready and it's a good feeling. Boston here I come.
**********************
Chris
Wodke
Founder
& Manager Team CMT
www.run4cmt.com
Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a two time participant of the
Boston Marathon. She was the 2012
National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division. In 2013 she qualified as a
member of the Team USA Duathlon Team. She will compete in 2014 at the Age Group
World Duathlon Sprint Championship in Pontevedre Spain .
She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.
Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 145 members in 29 states. We also have members in Australia , Canada ,
Vietnam , Turkey , Finland
and Iran .
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org
CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.
Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.
Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.
Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.
Additional
symptoms may include fatigue, sleep apnea, breathing difficulties and hearing
loss.
Additional Link
Running, Running and CMT,
triathlon, triathlon and CMT, athlete and CMT, cycling and CMT, paratriathlon,
challenged athlete, Team CMT, Running for My Life-Winning for CMT. Hereditary
Neuropathy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth.
CMT and running, CMT and
triathlon, CMT and athlete, Charcot-Marie-Tooth and running,
Charcot-Marie-Tooth and triathlon, Team USA
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