Unlucky with the weather.
Dreaded seventeen.
"17 miles on Saturday? No problem. I got this."
Not so fast, Brian. We're not out of the woods yet. After gorgeous running weather last week, humidity returned in a big way. I got my approximately 4 miles in Tuesday night. I skipped an 8-miler Wednesday night after the Revolution game because it was pouring, and then I was scheduled for another 4 last night.
However, I'd hoped to get 8 in, going out at 11pm after we got home from another Revolution game. (It's the playoffs, so we had tickets on consecutive nights) 8 on Thursday night worked well for me last week, and set me up for my very nice 13.1. With rain in the forecast on Saturday morning, I even contemplated going for my long run last night if I felt good.
Unfortunately, it was about 65 degrees at 11pm at night, with 90 percent humidity, and so foggy that my headlamp did no good at all. I could tell within the first 100 feet that 17 miles wasn't happening and with the thick fog I quickly decided that 8 was even a bad idea. I got in 4,and it was not fun at all.
On Saturday, I'm scheduled for 17 miles. It's supposed to be 66 degrees, 60% chance of rain, and 97% humidity. That's not weather that I'm feeling good about running 17 miles in.
If I have to adjust the plan, I still think I have time. Not that I trust the 10-day forecast very much, but next weekend looks like I'll have lows in the mid-50s. (That's what it said earlier in the week about this weekend, too, though.) I'm scheduled for 18 miles then. Then 13, then 19. That 19 is on October 15, so weather-wise things should be a lot more to my liking then. If I can get 13-15 in tomorrow, then I can go for 17 next weekend and I would feel good about taking the scheduled step-back week and trying for 19 on Oct 15th.
The cool weather will help a lot -- I'm confident of that. Had I not hurried trying for a sub-2:00 half last weekend, which is a pace quite a bit faster than I'm shooting for in the marathon, I feel like I could have (and in hindsight, should have) gotten 17 in then and taken my step-back this week.
Based on my last two years at the Philly Half, I'll probably have exactly the weather I'm looking for on race day. I think I underestimated just how much less I would enjoy training for a fall marathon would be than for the early spring one.
Because I didn't want this post to be a total downer: MORE KITTIES!
(With a perfectly good fleece blanket a foot away, Elizabeth, the cutest, dumbest cat in the world, lies on notebooks.)
(Pooka back in his glory days when he was huge.)And yes, an entry about all the gross and wonderful things I ate at the fair is coming, but the point of this blog is to really complain about the weather and talk about running. Also, cat pictures. Priorities, people.
you do have time. i'm going to try an PR at a half marathon before the philly marathon...
ReplyDeletetotally off topic: i just learned that you can run the boston marathon without qualifying by joining team-in-training. (lukemia lymphoma society) ain't that something? i still have a crazy notion that i'll qualify someday, but i would consider this just for a boston medal.
I don't know...I'd heard that, but I kind of think that even if you get a spot through Team In Training that you should still have to post a qualifying time. It doesn't seem fair that a 5-hour marathoner like me could (to look at this most negative, cynical way possible) buy my way into Boston while someone who's put in a lot more work and run a 3:12 gets locked out.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I'm surprised it even allowed. You don't have to qualify. It's kinda nuts. It's not "real" Boston to me, but if I were marginally close to qualifying, I might consider it. (Not with my 4:40 PR right now!!!)
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