Complete or Compete?
I've been mulling over this for the last few days after completing the Yasso 800s last Saturday. I was curious what the Yassos would indicate as a finish time for the Freescale Marathon in February, based on my current level of fitness. I ran them just about at 95% VO2 max and they were painful. The good news was they indicated an approximate 3:45 finish time. The bad news was that I hurt for a couple of days. More than the hills workout, much more than any distance workout.
The question before me with the Yasso data is whether to run to compete or run to complete. Many coaches or advisors preach to just finish the first marathon, regardless of time. If I hadn't seen Oprah's marathon time (4:29:30) on one of the other runner's blogs, that would have been fine. So I started with a goal to get back into shape and lose weight to a goal of running the distance challenge and finishing a marathon injury free, to beating Oprah's time to now a sub four-hour marathon.
Other trials and pace calculators put my finish time between 3:45 and 4:20. Given the other variables that can happen between now and then, plus race day conditions, I think the time will be between the above numbers.
It's time to quick moving the goal and get back to the original reasons why I'm doing this. Get in shape, finish a marathon and not get injured so that it prevents me from further training. And oh yes, beat Oprah's time no matter if I have to puke ten times in the last five miles.
If I remove all of the emotion from the decision, I should be able to look at the training, listen to my body and go out and produce the best time for my fitness level at the time. My fitness level will definitely be better than it is today, and the time will be the time.
After spending the last couple of days with ice pads, massagers and sports cream, it's time to get to the next level sensibly. Throw out what doesn't work, put back in what does while still researching, reading and trying various training/nutrition methods out that may benefit the end result.
To get to the next level
- Drop weight by stoking the fire (metabolism) three times per day, including short runs and walking.
- Listen to the body and insert rest days when neccessary.
- Cut out bacon and cheese from the diet.
- Cut all refined sugar from the diet.
- Keep Galloway's run-walk program. 1-mile run to 30-60 second walk
- Increase mileage +10%/ week.
- Since morning running doesn't work for me, insert Yoga back into the morning routine.
- Increase core strength.
- Ice the knees after stressful workouts and long runs.
- Soak the legs after long runs.
- Stretch after each run.
- Feed the body immediately after the workout.
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