Three weeks ago, I registered Tom, my brother Lester and I for the 2015 NYC Triathlon (as a relay team). Although lotteries and my odds of being picked for one are awful, I was still hopeful that we would be chosen. This past Wednesday morning around 8:30 am an email popped up on my phone. I opened the email and there it was...
CONGRATULATIONS! You have been accepted into the 2015 Panasonic NYC TRIATHLON.
I did a happy dance all around the kitchen, whooped a couple of times then posted the joyous news on FB.
Its hard to believe that after years of watching the NYC Triathlon on TV, we're finally going to be in it! I told Tom that when race day finally does arrive I want him to remind me of how excited I was seeing that email. My excitement of opening it up and seeing the words "Congratulations! You've been accepted". I know I'll be nervous jumping into the Hudson river, but I want to remember how fantastic the news felt back on that cold November day. And besides; before we know it, it'll be here anyway.
LOUISIANA MARATHON 2015:
In the meantime, my brain needs to stay focused on the Louisiana Marathon. The hotel is reserved, airline tickets are bought, and I'm up to 20 mile run days...I'm ready for this. In fact, I feel as though I'm ready a bit too early. I'm trying to kick it down a notch and change up my training routine with 8 weeks left until race day. I know, not the smartest idea but 8 weeks is still a far way out.
I bought a FANTASTIC marathon training book this week. I wish I discovered this book sooner. It's called "Mastering the Marathon: Time-Efficient Training Secrets for the 40-plus Athlete" (by Don Fink). Yup, that's me! 40+ year old athlete hoping to qualify for Boston.
What I love about this book is that everything is broken down into an easy to follow plan. The author discusses his "Three Magic Bullet" (TMB) training sessions, which I'm looking forward to doing. They are: Marathon Pacing Session, Long Run Day, and Higher-Intensity Repeats.
Each one of these specific training routines (which he explains in detail) are to be done weekly. The other days can be filled in with either a moderate paced run or a cross training session, which he also explains in detail. And the best part? No "junk" miles. In other words, every run or cross training has a greater purpose.
Since I just bought the book this week, I'm frantically trying to read through it. On Thursday I tried the Marathon Pacing Session which meant running slower than my marathon pace for a certain amount of time, then running at my marathon pace for a certain amount of time, then a cool down. In the book he breaks down how many minutes your supposed to do each type of training according to a 16 week plan. I'm jumping into this at week 8, so we'll see if it makes a difference. But I was able to complete the Marathon Pacing Session according to his instructions.
Since today is a rest day, I plan on printing out a calendar and filling it in with the specific workouts that I need to complete and the time breakdown of each workout. I'm one of those people who needs a pre-planned schedule. Its just how I roll.
Can I say with absolutely certainty that I will achieve a Boston qualifying time? No, I can't. But based on everything that I've read so far, I'm a believer that this book will help me get there. I just have to stick with the plan and continue being dedicated to the training routine, even during the holidays. And of course, as I go along, I'll keep you posted on the last half of my Louisiana Marathon Training Journey.
Here is my "new" marathon training schedule:
Monday: Marathon Pacing Session
Tuesday: Bike 60 minutes, swim afterwards
Wednesday: Long Run Day
Thursday: Bike 60 minutes, swim afterwards
Friday: High-Intensity-Repeats
Saturday: 60 minute moderate pace run
Sunday: Rest day
* The "bike/swim" days can be swapped out for a moderate paced run if I don't feel like biking and swimming. Since it's been so cold here in the Northeast, I haven't been biking outside but I've been taking spin classes instead. I'm trying to maintain my biking and swimming skills for triathlon season.
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