Thursday, April 14, 2022

4 Days until Boston: Final Update

With 4 days left to go, I am in decent shape. The cortisone shot worked, and the SI joint pain is usually 100% gone, but I do feel it from time to time when walking around. Thankfully not while running. It's a huge improvement from where I was 2 weeks ago.

Last Sunday, I ran 15.1 miles with 9 at marathon pace (5 miles MP, 0.5 mile easy, 4 miles MP). The marathon pace miles averaged out to 7:36, and I wasn't even trying to go that fast. This pace felt somewhat easy, which really surprised me. Since I hadn't run fast or long in two weeks, this run made really sore for the next three days. It's only today that I am feeling un-sore, and still not 100%. Thankfully, I had a PT appointment today and he was able to loosen up the tightness in my hips, hamstrings and calves. 

Training cycle reflections
Between Covid and my SI Joint injury, I had 6 weeks of solid running. I was able to run a 20 miler and two 18-milers, so I think that puts me in a decent spot. I kept up with my strength training, ran hilly routes, did some track workouts, and things were super consistent for 6 weeks. 

After the six weeks, I took 9 days off for injury, and the first day back was a 2-mile test run/walk. So in essence, it was 10 days with no running, three weeks out from race day. That's definitely not ideal, but I think that over the past week I have been able to remind my legs what it's like to run. My plan is to take tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday off, with a short shakeout run on Sunday. I don't want any lingering soreness on Monday. 

My race plan
I looked at my splits from Boston 2018, and I have to say I am impressed with my former self! I was very steady until the last 4 miles, when I ran out of energy due to not having fueled since mile 11. I don't think a course PR is out of the question, so I am going to try and run similar splits as I did in 2018, except with less of a slow down at the end. I fully expect I will slow down, but hopefully a little less than 4 years ago!

Many runners are saying that the weather looks ideal, but it's still going to be a little warm for me. (My ideal is 35 degrees.) When it's sunny and 55 without shade, that can feel very warm. Particularly since I am not acclimated to it. I am NOT complaining because this is the best weather Boston has had in over 7 years. It's great-for-Boston weather, but warm enough as to where I need to be careful to not go out too fast. It figures that the best weather year is the year I am the least well trained!

I'm mainly going to focus on having fun and enjoying the experience. It's Boston after all. 

10 comments:

  1. It's gettin' real! Have a great race!!!

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  2. Plans are plans and goals are goals, but in the end you get to start and run Boston, so just take what the Run Gods bless you with. Run like a Zebra!

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  3. Good luck to you, and run well.

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  4. Been thru a lot this year but while you can talk about temperature all you want, 2018 was hell with that downpour rain and 30 MPH winds in our faces so I think you have many reasons to believe you can course PR but also many reasons (due to your training cycle not going well) to feel like it won't go the best. Whatever it is, you have showed a lot of courage in this training cycle just not quitting and stepping up the the line.

    I know you will give it all you can and at the end of the day, you need to be proud of that and I hope you will be because I think the rest of us that follow you and love you for the blog and the person you are, will appreciate the good you bring to all of us who care, to see you do what you do and all you have personally accomplished!!

    I know I'm proud of you and I'm sure many others are as well!!

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  5. Good Luck in Boston. I enjoy your blog. Your version of too hot is funny - I live in South Florida.

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    1. Yes sometimes I think Elizabeth should be signing up for the marathon in Antarctica bc that would be ideal for her lol!! Just busting Elizabeth!!

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  6. Good luck! I"ll be watching tomorrow (from home) and cheering for everyone. I hope you have a great time!

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