Leading Ladies Logo |
I am smack in the middle of my taper for a road marathon I
am doing a week from Sunday, August 19th. It is called Leading Ladies and is an all
women's marathon in Spearfish, S.D. If
you have been following the blog, you may be saying, "So what's the big
deal? Isn't this like marathon number five or something for you this
year?" The answer is yes it is, but there is a big difference here. This
is a road marathon.
To say that a road marathon and a trail marathon are alike
because they are both running 26.2 is like saying that an ostrich and a
hummingbird are alike because they are both birds. The mentality and approach is completely
different.
A road run is all about time. It is about goal times and
pace per mile and hitting splits. This
is especially true because the purpose
of running this marathon for me is to get a BQ time (a qualifying time for the
Boston Marathon). This type of run
requires focus, concentration, and continuous internal monitoring. I often run my road marathons on courses in
beautiful locations, such as the canyon I will be running down in South Dakota
next weekend, or the similar canyons I have run down in Utah or in the desert
of Arizona. However, unless I drive the course the day before, I won't notice
much of it. My focus has to be on the
race itself and my splits. If I start thinking "Oh look, that is really
pretty," the next thing I know, I have slowed down and slipped off the
pace that must be maintained for that BQ time. In addition, road running carries with it the
chance of "failure." To not get the BQ time will be a
"failure," because there is a clearly defined goal that must be met.
A trail run is about responding to the experience and working with the course.
When running a trail marathon, time and pace are incidental in some ways. The
terrain determines the pace per mile more than any self-imposed idea of what the
pace "should" be. Of course, most trail runners have an idea of their
overall goal pace, but there is no pressure to maintain even splits as one is
hiking steep slopes, slogging through mud, or picking one's way through toe-snagging
roots. Focus is required in many cases in a trail run, especially if the
footing is technical, but it is an external focus, and there is often time also
just to appreciate the beauty of the experience itself. I will often take time in a trail run to
appreciate the view. That is not to say that I am not competitive in a trail
race or that I don't care about my time.
It is just that trail races are more often framed in terms of a
"good race" or a "bad race," rather than in terms of
success or failure.
Thus, given those two paradigms, perhaps you can see why I
am having a case of pre-race jitters. I mean tapering is always bad enough, but
the added pressure of a road marathon is something that I have not experienced for
a while. Plus, I have not had a successful road marathon since 2005. I attempted one last year but had a DNF
because of a knee problem at 19 miles. Granted, when I quit, I was on pace for a
solid BQ time, but the road to Boston Marathon Heaven is paved with the hopes
of runners who say "I was on BQ pace until mile..."
Thankfully, what I hope will save me for this marathon (and keep me from becoming a complete mental wreck) is
the trip itself. What I didn't mention
before is that I am not in this venture alone! I am taking three of my favorite
"leading ladies" on this adventure with me: Leslie (my trusty partner
in ridiculousness), Janet (you might
remember her from the Martian Marathon post ),
and a new friend, Linda, who has already endeared herself to me by making me
this most awesome pillow case for our racing/camping adventure. Mine is covered with runners!
The Leading Ladies: Leslie, Linda, Janet, and me |
Besides the marathon itself, I am attending a writing
workshop the day before the race (the race director, Elaine Doll-Nunn, is a writer), and we are planning a side trip to Mt. Rushmore on the
way up. Plus this will be Janet's first time "camping," and even
though we are "camping" in camping cabins, that is sure to be an
adventure as well. The trip is 1150 miles,
each way, so there will be many opportunities for
ridiculousness. We leave on
Thursday. I hope you will follow
along...
I am looking forward to this adventure. I'm sure the race scenery will be beautiful and my camera will be with me!!! I won't be worried about my time for the 1/2......you may pass me!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a camper, either.......not since childhood. I married a man who likes his Holiday Inns!!!
What, no tents??!!!!?? Have fun, the four of you. Good luck Lori!
ReplyDeleteI hope that you all have a wonderful time! Can't wait to hear about it!
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to this and all the ridiculousness we get into! We are going to have a great time :-D!
ReplyDeleteI'm so looking forward to this adventure, camping cabins and all! I'll feel like I am in a Holiday Inn compared to my usual tenting! My biggest challenge might be climbing into a top bunk! Lori, you've got this in the bag! We'll drive the route before or after so you can enjoy the scenery. I'm with Linda.......a photography adventure No time goals for me. I want to enjoy the route and take pictures of waterfalls! The RD said to not worry about the time limit, so I won't!
ReplyDelete