You guys – in less than one week, I will not only be a marathoner times 13, but also a BOSTON MARATHON FINISHER! It already feels so surreal, so I can’t even imagine what race day will be like. But – I bet it will include lots of goofy grins, emotional tears, and “is this actually real life” moments from the minute I step off the school bus to Hopkinton all the way to making that final turn onto Boylston to cross that famed finish line. I get goosebumps just thinking about it, and I can’t wait!
Well – I do sort of have a little Jesse Spano moment going on this week as well.
If you read any of my other previous posts, I don’t think I’ve made it much of a secret that my spring training hasn’t been stellar. Training for a spring marathon is always very tough for me. Every year, I swear I am done with spring marathons (but somehow I still keep coming back for more!). The lack of daylight, constant cold, and threat of snow, makes it tougher for me to stay motivated to run. I sort of just want to stay curled up in bed with a good book and a glass of wine until the sun comes out. This winter, however, was especially difficult for me. Right I finished the Dopey Challenge this past January, I had a surgical procedure to correct my deviated septum. It was absolutely worth it in the long run, but it took me some time to recover. February brought a nasty cold that took me out for two weeks. I did have a decent month of mileage in March, and sort of felt like I’ve been getting my legs back under me finally. Too bad I don’t have another two months to train!
While I am nervous for this course (Newton Hills!) and the fact that I will be a solid back of packer for this one, I really just plan on taking it as no-pressure, long slow run to take in all the excitement of the course. It is very likely this will be my only chance to run Boston. I don’t see a BQ in my cards (unless I somehow can keep running the same exact speed for the next 30 years!) and the charity fundraising minimums are so daunting. I want to savor every moment of this amazing experience.
And life after Boston? I am planning on running the half marathon during the NJ Marathon weekend as part of the BibRave Pro team a few weeks later. I would love to race the hell of it and surprise myself with another sub 2 half, but the reality is I am in not the same shape as I was this fall, and another PR (or close to PR time) is probably unlikely. I am just going to let myself recover from Boston and go in to that race with an open mind, and just see what happens. After the NJ Half Marathon, I plan on wrapping up my spring race season, and looking forward to triathlon season!
How is your spring training and racing season going? I’m linking up with the lovely ladies on Tuesdays on The Run
I hope that you have an amazing Boston experience next week!
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❤ thank you!!
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The years I ran Boston were the only time I ever did a spring marathon. I so feel you on the tough weather for training. Have a freaking blast on the course and soak it all in. It’s the hardest marathon course I’ve ever run but the crowds and everything else are beyond worth it.
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Yikes – I am sort of scared of the course being impossible LOL. Sometimes I am like well how bad can the hills be, I train on hills. Then, I remember how 80% of the field BQed to get there, and they are all way faster than me – and if they say it’s a hard course, I am probably going to die on the hills haha. I am so excited for the experience though!
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My only spring marathon was Big Sur and training for it was tough! As you know, our winters into spring are pretty unpredictable. But I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. I’d give anything to run Boston and it would be just for the experience!
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I sort of swore off marathons after running Raleigh in 2014. It was so hard to train through the winter and then the race was so hot! But i would definitely make an exception for Boston:) Good luck!!
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I’m sure everything will go great! It’s on my bucket list to run a marathon but I’ve never gotten the nerve to do it. So, it is amazing that you are running marathons. I am excited to hear how it goes.
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Thank you!! I believe anyone can run a marathon as long as you take the time to train for it 🙂
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so so exciting! I hope you do savor every moment of it. Can’t wait to hear all about it
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Thank you!! I hope I have good news to report back haha
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I can’t believe Boston is so close – how exciting! Sounds like a perfect plan to really savor the experience. Can’t wait to hear all about it!
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Thank you!! Yes, I want to just enjoy the day (and maybe not die on the Newton hills!)
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I am also training for a fall marathon and it has been tough. Training during the winter is not a good idea. 🙂 I don’t think I will do it again anytime soon.
Have a GREAT race on Monday!!
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Yes – it is so difficult in winter. I’m always like (yay, no heat!) but I forget the lack of daylight and ridiculous cold temperatures make it even harder than the summer in some ways.
Thank you so much! I can’t wait to hear how your marathon goes as well!!
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First things first…Boston will be amazing I’m sure and how cool that you get to run it! I don’t have any hopes of qualifying at the moment…I’ve only run one marathon and definitely not fast enough for that.
I feel your pain about a less than stellar spring training season. I did a fall marathon and then lost motivation to train so December and January were lower mileage months for me. Then I also got a nasty cold in February so that took some time to recover from. March was my first decent month too! Luckily I’m doing a fall marathon, so plenty of time to train. However, I too say I will not keep doing fall marathons- training over the summer in Florida is brutal!
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Full disclosure: I am running on an invitational bib, so I didn’t qualify, either! I still working on trying to inch closer to a sub 4 marathon.
Yes – training for a fall marathon in Florida is SO rough. I used to live in Miami, so I completely understand how rough it is down. My dad’s running club would start their long runs at 4 am to try and beat the heat. I don’t know if I would be able to run as many marathons as I do now if I still lived down there – it is just so brutal.
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I hope you have a wonderful, goosebumps-inspiring race on Monday. What an incredible experience it will be!
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Thank you so much!! I am so excited. I just help the weather improves…every time I look it seems to get worse and worse!
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