Before you declare me crazy, delusional or just plain stupid, let me offer the following explanations:
1. Runners have been telling me for months, "If you can run 10 miles, you can run a marathon." Well, I can run 10 miles.
2. The people I pace with at my Team in Training meetings are all training for the full marathon. It would be fun to complete the race with them.
3. If I can't complete all 26.2 miles--even if I can't complete 13.1--it's not like the Marathon Police would throw me in jail. There's no negative consequence awaiting people who don't run the full thing. In fact, plenty of people walk/run it, and I think that is a terrific accomplishment.
4. I've decided that I don't look miserable enough in my current race photos (see my Run for Row 5k glamour shot above) and figure that after a 4+ hour run, I'll finally perfect the "miserable grimace nausea" look.
5. Miserable looks aside, I simply love to run.
In addition to increasing my mileage goal, I've increased my fundraising goal. To read about WHY I'm running and WHO I am running for, please visit my fundraising page by clicking here.
Cool, Jorie! When is your race? I've entered the 2010 Tokyo Marathon lottery--hopefully I'll get in again this year. This race, I'm trying to qualify for Boston, (3:45 for my age group) which means I'll have to drop THIRTY minutes off my last Tokyo time. I think I can do it though. My first half marathon I ran in 2.15 minutes and my second half marathon I ran 1:48...I think I can do it. Anyway, if I don't qualify for Boston--I would like to at least NOT take 15 minutes to run the last two K!! The conditions in Tokyo were miserable last year and my hip flexors froze (my stride was about a short as an old lady on a walker). We have to run a race together when I get back to the States! This is such a cool adventure--I know you are going to kick asphalt. XOXOXOX
ReplyDeleteKelly, you are a SPEED DEMON! Wow, what incredible times. We could be in a race together but there is absolutely no way I could keep up with you--I can go quick in 5ks but for distance running I am slow. Still, it would be fun to start out together and party at the jazz breakfast or whatever afterwards.
ReplyDeleteMy first half marathon is Dec. 13 and the full marathon is Jan. 31 on South Beach in Miami. The first half is apparently easy and flat and the weather conditions usually are perfect for running that time of year--if you want to qualify for Boston it would probably easy for a super-speeder like you to do the marathon in 3:45. Me, I'm still assuming I'll average 10 minutes or so a mile for such a long race. Maybe in a few years I'll pick up speed (I've shaved off about a minute from my usual pace since March) but by then you'll be a super-elite runner. :-)
Ha! No super elite for me! Are you doing any kind of speed work? I have to work really hard to not go out too fast--I have made that mistake at almost every race I've run except the Ome (oh-may) 30K. Ome is a beautiful race--I wish you could come to Japan for it--it's really hilly and with beautiful views. It runs through some small towns and people line the street and hand you pieces of chocolate, little Japanese bread snacks, slices of lemon (my favorite during a race), and I saw a little kid handing out slimy browned pieces of peeled banana. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm confident that you are going to do VERY well at your half and full marathon. A ten minute pass throughout a full marathon is one hell of a respectable pace. Power to the people. (I still want to get you in a pair of Asics! Are your new shoes still dreamy?)
My new shoes are rocking my world. I was planning on taking today off and I just couldn't! Had to get back in them. My feet are FLAT. I tried on Asics and they simply didn't fit well.
ReplyDeleteI do speed work a few times a week. It's definitely helped. But I am not sure I'm made for speed. I feel like I could go steady forever--man did I enjoy flooring it, though, at my 5ks!
Lemon slices and Japanese bread handed by adorable children sound so much more wonderful than Powerbar running gels.
I don't know how I'm going to pace myself at the marathon. Hearing that gun shot makes my pulse start pounding. I finished the first mile of my last 5k in 5 minutes, then had to recover by trotting slowly for the next mile, and ran at my comfortable, normal pace for the third, finishing at 27:56. (Which is probably what I would have ended up with if I'd ran at my usual pace the whole time!)
I might have to take a sedative marathon day!
I have a 10k next month--should give me a little practice in pacing.
When is the Tokyo run? Is the the Ome?