Recovery time is over and it's now back into hardcore training mode. (Hmmm...does that mean giving up wine and chocolate?) The goal: Winthrop Marathon in WA on September 26th. I'm hoping to use it to qualify for Boston 2011 where I'd love, love, love to go...gulp, sub-3 hours. There it's out there. My BIG dream.
My best marathon effort to date is 3:18 at the Big Island Marathon in Hawaii way back in 2005. That was also my last marathon. I've been sidetracked by muscle tears, triathlons and cross-Canada bike trips since then, but now I'm injury-free and ready to get serious about running again. My plan is to, hopefully, have an amazing, PB run in Boston and then "retire" from road running, get a dog and focus on ultra running. I've decided that road running is too hard on my body with all its imbalances and deficiences, but trail/endurance running seems to agree with it so I might as well give ultras a go.
Today, I did a steady 45-minute run on roads and trails. I've just started training with a heart rate monitor so don't yet have a good idea as to what is "normal" for me, but it's fun to track. I'm going to record my rates for a couple of weeks and see what trends emerge. Based on my limited observations, they tend to run higher than average, which could mean dehydration or iron deficiency according to Dr. Dave. Both of which are entirely possible since I drink way too much coffee, not nearly enough water and eat no red meat. I am going to try increasing my iron supplement and water intake. (The coffee is non-negotiable; I must have it!)
