Hanging up my running shoes

[CheapRunnerMike]

We be tapering like this all week...

 

[ZellyB]

Ack, sorry about the tooth! I'm impressed that you only missed one run after that!

You guys are SUPER speedy now - that's got to feel good!! Good luck with your taper madness

Thanks about my tooth. Luckily the pain was temporary and I don't get the permanent crown until after the race! I do feel good going into the race. Physically that is, mentally is another story.

We be tapering like this all week...

How did you get that video of me???

 

[ZellyB]

The slow but inevitable descent into Taper Madness

​

Happy Halloween and welcome to my race insanity post. This post has bonus craziness because I’m sleep-deprived after staying awake to watch the Chiefs finally get off the losing schneid and beat the Broncos last night! We are T-minus 5 days to marathon race day and while I’d actually been relatively calm last week, this week the intensity is definitely increasing.

So, first let’s talk goals, K? You see again each goal accompanied by a precise prediction of the likelihood of success as measured by our crack statistical team (aka me in my delusional state)

Goal D- Finish (97.22%)

Goal C – New PR (89.35%) ~13:33 m/m pace. My previous PR is a 5:55:14. Here’s the thing with me and marathons. I’ve run 5 marathons now, but 4 have been at Disney, where I do not care about finish time because I’m all about the experience and pictures. So, my PR came from the Bass Pro Marathon back in 2014. I’d had a horrible training year with repeated injuries and so I was undertrained and still battling an IT band problem. It was a brutal race and honestly one I was just happy to finish, so I feel good that I can beat that time this year since it’s been SOOOOOO much better with training on this cycle.

Goal B – 4:59:59 marathon (54.97%) ~11:27 m/m pace. This has been my primary goal for this race all year. My last long run was 22.5 miles in some hot temps (I think it was around 84 or so when I finished) and I struggled mightily at the end of it. That run concluded with an overall pace of 12:37, so a pace like that clearly won’t get me a sub-5. But I’m obviously hoping that race day adrenaline and hopefully better temps - (more on this in a moment) will get me to this goal. The 20-mile training run I had a few weeks before that with better weather had me at an average 11:00 m/m pace, so I think I do have it in me.

Goal A – Something miraculously less than 4:59:59 (4.55591%) ~pace?????. So, yeah, who knows? It’s possible right?

My biggest worry right now is that the temps are going to be on the high side for the race. Seriously, fall??? It’s been in the upper 20’s/low 30’s for lows the last few days, but starting tomorrow, temps steadily start climbing again. Current race day prediction is for temp around 59 at start time climbing to around 75 or so by the time I hope I’m finishing. UGH! That’s too warm. But, it is what it is, and there’s still some chance it might lower some before then. We are still 5 days out and they have backed off some on the highs in the last day or so. Definitely looking like a tank and short kind of day though – so we’ll have future race clothes post to come.

So, strategy!! Unlike our PoT half where I was taking a go-for-broke approach, this race is one where we are planning a more cautious approach in an attempt to hit my sub-5 goal. We’ve been pretty comfortably running long runs in the 10:20-10:30 range and it feels like a relatively easy pace, but not one that I think is sustainable for me for a marathon. We intend to do :90/:30 intervals and try to hit between 10:45 – 11:00 for as long as I can maintain that. Ideally, I maintain it for the whole race, but if not, it certainly gives me some cushion to slow as we get into the last miles and still hit my goal. The race has a tendency to be pretty crowded in the first couple of miles, so we may well just run those at a nice slow pace and wait until it clears a bit to settle into our intervals, but that will be a race day decision.

So, there you have it. I’m only going to get more and more crazy over the next 5 days, so that may all come spilling out on this journal, or maybe I’ll just bottle it up inside and explode in one gigantic crazed mess on race day. Only time will tell.

Hey, it's Halloween. I had to put something creepy in here!! And, in honor of Halloween and Facebook rememory machine, I present to you, two Hobos (one dejected and one apparently ticked off about something) – circa 2008.

Hobos

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

I hate to get all #math on you, but technically your 'A' goal has a higher probability than your 'B' goal. At least a few decimals I'm thinking...

 

[DopeyBadger]

If I went all #math and took your recent HM PR of 2:11, I'd have a guess for your marathon. But something tells me you wouldn't believe me if I told you. What's the temp + dew point at the beginning and end of the race? You'll crush it, I know it.

I hate to get all #math on you, but technically your 'A' goal has a higher probability than your 'B' goal. At least a few decimals I'm thinking...

 

[ZellyB]

I hate to get all #math on you, but technically your 'A' goal has a higher probability than your 'B' goal. At least a few decimals I'm thinking...

Don't make me get @Keels in here!

If I went all #math and took your recent HM PR of 2:11, I'd have a guess for your marathon. But something tells me you wouldn't believe me if I told you. What's the temp + dew point at the beginning and end of the race? You'll crush it, I know it.

No. I wouldn't believe you.

T+D at beginning is 121
T+D at end is 139

 

[run.minnie.miles]

Our weather must be experiencing your taper crazies... we have snow flurries right now! I wish your warm weather and my current weather would merge.

Like I've mentioned, I think this will be a BIG race for you! So excited!

 

[SarahDisney]

Oh, the taper crazies.

Based on my totally non-scientific observations from reading here, I think the C and D goals are extremely heavily achievable, B is fairly heavily achievable, and A is somewhat heavily achievable. Just stick to the plan and hope the weather participates, and I'm sure you'll do great!

 

[JulieODC]

I am suuuuper late to the party - but good luck!!

 

[michigandergirl]

I think even with the warmer temps you'll have a PR and A & B goals are highly probable. This isn't based on any math (I hate math) - just a hunch! Good luck!

 

[ZellyB]

Our weather must be experiencing your taper crazies... we have snow flurries right now! I wish your warm weather and my current weather would merge.

Like I've mentioned, I think this will be a BIG race for you! So excited!

I wish they would merge too. They keep upping the forecast. 80 for a high. Boo!

Oh, the taper crazies.

Based on my totally non-scientific observations from reading here, I think the C and D goals are extremely heavily achievable, B is fairly heavily achievable, and A is somewhat heavily achievable. Just stick to the plan and hope the weather participates, and I'm sure you'll do great!

Welcome to my crazy. I welcome your non-scientific observations and hope you are correct!

I am suuuuper late to the party - but good luck!!

Thank you!

I think even with the warmer temps you'll have a PR and A & B goals are highly probable. This isn't based on any math (I hate math) - just a hunch! Good luck!

Hunches are welcome as well! Thank you.

 

[ZellyB]

Time to help ZellyB decide what to wear for the Race!!

OR - how ZellyB came to realize she has WAY too many running clothes (in pictorial form)

​

OK, so now I present to you my options for clothing to wear during the 2017 Bass Pro Marathon. Temps will be low 60s at start and nearing 80 by the time we finish. BOO!!! But regardless, I'm going to kick butt on this race, I've decided, so I need to look my best doing so. I do have a favorite, but won't tell you so I don't sway the voting. Here we go:

#1 - InB Hummingbird 6" shorts and pink tank


#2 - InB C3PO/Cinco de Mayo mash-up tank and black linen sparkle skirt


#3 - InB Fish Tank and Aloha 6" shorts



#4 - InB Calavera 6" shorts and blue tank
[URL='https://flic.kr/p/ZY69d7']

#5 - InB Sunflower tank and royal blue sparkle skirt


#6 - InB Ella tank and royal blue sparkle skirt


#7 - InB Sunflower tank and white linen sparkle skirt (yes there really is a skirt there - should have used a different backdrop )


So, there are your choices. Also feel free to suggest different pairings if you like. Think of me as an electronic paper doll and you can move things around as you see fit. Cast your votes, folks.[/url]

 

[run.minnie.miles]

I thought there were 3 options... kept scrolling “oh a 4th option!”.... repeat to SEVEN awesome options! Serious running wardrobe envy!
I need to study more before I cast my official vote. Too many great choices!

 

[SarahDisney]

I think the big question is shorts vs. skirt.
If you're going shorts, I like the first one - the pink top and hummingbird shorts.
For skirt, I like either of the two tops with the blue skirts.
... But really, they're all good options

 

[xjillianpaige]

my top two are the cinco de mayo outfit & the sunflower top with blue skirt!

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

The choices just kept coming! wow...

I suppose we know what the latest weather forecast is looking like, no chance of sleeves for this one! I like the aquarium look btw...

 

[Sailormoon2]

Well my personal preferences are the first photo and the sunflowers with blue bottoms.
However since it is Bass Pro-maybe the fishes??

 

[FredtheDuck]

I'm a fan of option 4!

 

[DopeyBadger]

I'd vote for lightest in color and material for maximization of feeling comfortable on the course. So light blue top with white skirt?

 

[Ariel484]

Okay, so first of all - totally feel you on "having too many running clothes." I've been trying to cut back significantly, good thing InB somewhat holds its value!

Calavera shorts have the good vibes from your Half PR (I think you wore those for that race, right?) so maybe repeat those to keep the good mojo flowing? Otherwise I like Fish Tank/Aloha (glad you posted that combo because I have trouble matching Fish Tank to stuff) if you want shorts or Sunflower/blue skirt if you want a skirt.