DID IT – SUB 3!

I am very proud that I have been able to come back after Anna. On Sunday I ran the Twin Cities Marathon in 2:58:30, finishing 14th.

I’m in the middle of budget season at work and prepping for the Championship season for NHS XC, so won’t recap the details. Highlights included:

Running side by side with Michelle, a long time TNC athlete, and Kristy, her sister through about mile 15.

Stride for stride even though I have 1/2 of the leg length that they do 🙂

Seeing my “herd” cheering section!

An udderly great day all around.

Being able to hug Leigh, who crushed her first marathon as a TNCer. 3:19! That BQ came easy for her! She is someone who ran… what… 18-19 minute 4ks in high school?

And… she was walking pretty normally afterwards!

I felt strong the second half of the race. Sort of. In one way, strong in comparison to those around me… I can tell I’m a marathoner that has logged a lot of miles in a lot of training cycles.

I definitely did not feel lean, though, or strong in the performance-strong sense. As in, I know there is much more to give, much harder to push, and my body can get so much stronger.

The elite tent afterwards and how the 20 minute massage/stretching session helped me be able to walk again! I am definitely not as strong as I once was. I used to be able to race a marathon and then go out for a mile “shake out” later that afternoon. That’s crazy.

Now… the thinking begins. Do I feel strongly about chasing goal #3? Or… am I willing to go all-in again for the marathon (I worked hard, but I was definitely not all-in for this one, as was evident by my nearly-complete lack of strength work the last 2 months)?

Would it even be at all possible to get down to 2:44 again? I’m 34 now. 2 kids. Balancing 3 jobs. But, I have flexible jobs that allow me to train hard… a VO2 that’s crazy high (post coming on a test in Sept)… and if I think I might shoot for a 2:49 at Grandma’s, why not just shoot for a 2:44? If I don’t shoot it, I know I won’t get there… I won’t find myself at the peak of a mountain unless I aim to climb it!…

… most importantly… am I willing to give it what it takes to get there?

Or back to goal #3, Is a potential National Championship title at the 50k what I want?

idk…

Genuinely curious: How do you set goals? 


How long after an A race to you start planning for your next race/goal? 


Any thoughts on the above questions I’m posing for myself?