Trial run

This weekend's long run was a test for me. I hadn't done a real long long distance in a few weeks & was getting a little worried if I'd be able to make the 1/2 marathon next week. (I'd only done just over 6 miles last weekend, I was sick the weekend before, then the week before I only did just over 8.) My big worry isn't that I won't be able to finish the 1/2 marathon, but how long it would take me to finish. The Houston 1/2 marathon has a 4 hour time limit & I really want to be able to finish in at least that time (preferrably less). So yesterday's long run was going to be my test.

The route was both shorter & longer than I wanted (the 1/2's were supposed to do 8 miles, while the fulls were to do 16 or 18 miles) so I modified the route to suit my needs, figuring it would be close to about 12 miles. As I started at Memorial Park, I just walked until I hit Memorial. That's when I started my interval timer & did my 3:1's. It was much hotter out than I would've liked & I wasn't feeling as energetic as I do when it's colder, but it wasn't too bad. I had my stopwatch going, too & told myself I'd go as far as I could on my proposed route, but if I hadn't gotten to my turn-around point within 2 hours, I'd turn around wherever I was at that point & make my way back to the park. Thankfully, I made it to my self-imposed 1/2 way point in plenty of time & was on my way back before I hit 2 hours. My next goal was to make sure I made it back to the picnic table at the pool in the park before the 2nd two hours were up.

By the 3rd hour the sun was getting pretty high in the sky & was beating down on me. I felt myself getting weaker & I could feel the heat sucking the life out of me. Every time I saw the littlest bit of shade, I made my way toward it. At one point a woman came out from an apt. complex & started walking behind me. She would not pick up her feet as she walked so they made a scraping sound against the sidewalk with each & every step. I wanted to turn around & scream "PICK UP YOUR FUCKING FEET YOU BITCH!!!"

Sorry. I get cranky when I'm hot.

I kept waiting for my timer to go off so I could start running again & get the fuck away from her & her scraping shoes. Unfortunately, I was so hot & tired that I could only manage a sort of a "trot" & it seemed that every time I sped up, she sped up & I just couldn't get away from her. After about 20 minutes, she finally turned down a different street.

THANK GOD!!

I was so happy when I finally made it back to 610 because I knew the park was close & soon I'd be done. It was about that time that I said "fuck it" & stopped the interval timers & just walked. It wasn't even a fast walk, more like a regular stroll. When I finally finished, I looked at my watch & it said 3:55. Sweet! When I got home, I mapped out my route & it turns out it 13 miles. What a relief! If I can do 13 miles in less than 4 hours in November, I will have no problem doing that or better in January.

Now on to my next worry... the San Diego Rock & Roll Marathon. I was on their website & found out there are cut-off points at mile 13.4 & 19.2.

Participants not upholding a 17:26/mile marathon pace at mile 13.4 mile will be rerouted to the finish line and complete an 18 mile course. Participants who do not uphold a 17:26/mile marathon pace at mile 19.2 will be stopped and transported to the finish line.

Fuck.

I know I'll be able to make the 1st cut-off. I get just over 4 hours to get there. No problem there. But I know I can't keep up the pace long enough to make the 19.2 mile cut-off. And I'll be damned if I'm gonna let anyone take me off the course.

This sucks. I really want to do this marathon but I do NOT want to go through all the work & fundraising, travel all the way to San Diego & NOT finish. That would be too heart breaking. So it looks like I may have to just do Alaska again. But I know I can do Alaska. I've already done Alaska.

Do you think it's possible for me to improve enough in 8 months to where I could actually finish?

I need to start getting serious about working out again.