Horsetooth Half Marathon

Tomorrow is the 19th of April. My 3rd annual Horsetooth Half Marathon is coming up in the morning. This race was the first half marathon I had ever run, and probably my all time favorite race. I can still remember the days leading up to both of the other ones. 2 years ago, I went out for my Saturday run before the race and cramped up, freaking me out and causing me to drink about 3 bottles of Powerade Zero the night before and freak out. I also remember consuming a Red Bull, and a Spike before reaching the starting line, lol. Last year, I went to the packet pickup, and drank beer for 3 hours with fellow runners, probably left the 30 seconds that I finished behind my PR somewhere at the Miramont Fitness Center's FAC that was going on. I've logged around 7 miles this week, but some bike and eliptical time. The race will happen, it may be my slowest half ever, but I'll finish it. As will the full marathon here in 15 days. But that's another story for another time.

I've come to a realization in my life. After being a fairly serious runner for about 2.5 years, having run 2 marathons, 5 halves, and countless 5 and 10k's, that at this point, I'm not a high mileage guy, at least not right now. When I ran and was successful in my first marathon, I ran around 45 miles a week, but I also used an exercise bike, an eliptical machine and weights to cross train. After RNRAZ last January, I used those things less and less, and by the time I was trying to get ready for Chicago last summer, I was pretty much just running and doing nothing else. At my current weight, my legs and feet just don't like it. My toes are still bothering me, as are my left knee and IT band. The old routine for me was to get up @ 5, lift by 5:30, nothing major, just some muscle building. Then I would get 5 or 6 miles on the road at lunch, maybe pick up another 2 or 3 after work, then an hour or so on the bike or eliptical, then off to shower and refuel. Good cardio and lower impact. My long runs on the weekend were easier for me, and I stayed healthier. The allure of being a 70-80 mile a week runner has really gotten me in a bad spot, and really, to be a good marathoner, a person doesn't need to run that many miles. The time will come, when I want to be a sub 3 guy, or around there, that I will have to run those kinds of miles, but hopefully my body will be prepared for it by then.

I know some people will chime in and say that miles don't cause injury, that intensity does. Well the simple truth for me is that I can't (or won't) run 9:00 miles for 75-80% of my training. I like to run fast, and feel that I am running easy, and when I do those kinds of paces, I feel out of whack, unnatural. And I also feel like when I run slow, that I am very heavy footed, that my turnover is very slow, thus I am pounding on my feet and knees.

I have this half tomorrow and the full in 2 weeks. The Steamboat Marathon is in 7 weeks, and my base is still very good, I just need to get the running part of it going again. Lots of long weekend miles, shorter miles during the weeks and lots of bike time is what's coming up for me. But when I get ready for Denver in October, it'll look a little different from a training standpoint. I think the Daniels' plan will still be used, but we'll probably set the max mileage at 50 or so, instead of 70.

Good luck to all those running this weekend. Especially those of you in Boston, have fun, but not too much.. Leave it all on the course.