Track run = no fun!!

Yesterday was speedwork on the track as part of the marathon training. We had to be there at the God-awful time of 4:45am and somehow I got up and out and there on time!! I am quite proud of myself for showing that much dedication so far. Yes, I know it was only day #2 of training. Bet you were sleeping! Lucky you. So anywho...out I went and got to the track.

I found the pace group I was with on Saturday and we were told to do 6 400's, with a recovery break of 60 seconds in between each one. No problem I think to myself, an easy 1.5 miles. Um, no. We ran each 400 at a pace about 3 and half minutes faster than our normal speed. It sucked. By the third lap I was seriously questioning why I thought I was strong enough to do this crap. But I kept pushing. For the 5th lap I joined up with a pace group that was one level slower. It was easier for me but still a challenge. I was pretty discouraged and cheated myself out of the 6th lap and skipped it. I am still mad at myself for not pushing harder.

Thanks to the mind of a much wiser and more experienced runner, I realized that though my pace may be at 10:15-10:45 for a 5k or 10k, my marathon time will be closer to 12:00 or so. There is no way in hell I can keep up 10:30 for 26.2 consecutive miles. So I have come to accept the fact that I may not finish this marathon in under 5 hours and my goal for my first is just to finish, preferably with no to very little walking. My first marathon (January 13, 2008) will be for fun and the experience of running Disney.

After that, I can begin to consider qualifying for Boston. Yeah, right.