Less than 60 days till my marathon!

As you can see from my counter, the Towpath Marathon is less than 60 days away.  In all honesty, I am feeling pretty good about my chances of attaining my goal of a sub-4:00 marathon.  I'm sticking close to my training regimen...logging the miles and doing the hill workouts.  We have 1 more hill workout next week and then we switch to track/speed workouts for 5 weeks.  I have noticed my pace on mid-week runs is creeping down to the 8:30 range and on my long runs, I find it challenging to slow my pace to the 9:30 range.  I attribute this improved speed to my diligence on the hills.  I owe some of this success to my running partner too.  Having a partner of very similar ability has been a great motivator.  We challenge each other every week on the hills.  Our clinic coach usually provides a range for the duration of these workouts; 3-4 repeats for half-marathoners, 4-5 repeats for marathoners. With a partner, we encourage each other to do that 5th repeat, even when our coach says 4 is enough.  Although we only run together twice/ week, we share each training run on Runkeeper/Facebook and offer congratulations to each other with every post.  I find these posts also provide a level of accountability.

Another reason, I feel optimistic is because of the other things I am doing right this year, as opposed to last.  I have altered my diet to include more protein, including a post-run protein shake after every run.  I take glucosamine sulphate every day to keep my joints healthy. I watch my electrolyte intake more closely, especially since this is a very hot and humid summer in Southwest Ontario.  I have also, unintentionally, improved my diet over the past few months.  I thank Ted at "You Don't Have to Run Alone" for this.  In the past, I generally felt that runnning provided an excuse to NOT watch my diet and a way to purge myself of my "dietary indulgences".  Although, my diet is by no means perfect (I love chicken wings and beer), I view these types of indulgences as a treat that can only be enjoyed in moderation.  I have two daughters that are vegetarians and although they have not convinced me to adopt their food choices completely, I do try to have at least a couple of vegeterian meals each week.

This year, I am maintaining a stretching regimen and core workout schedule too.  I must admit however, that as the miles build, I feel pretty stiff when I wake up in the morning!  Hopefully, the mileage, correct pacing, improved diet and hydration, and the core work/stretching will keep me injury-free leading up to my big race.

We are approaching the mid-point in our training and I am happy that my motivation is still strong.  As you marathoners know, the time commitment to training is fierce and can drag as time goes on.  I have many different sources to motivate me (in addition to my running partner) and find that on any given day, I can find someone or something different to get me going.  I run with several running groups and, on some days, I am simply motivated by their choice of running route.  One group is called the "Social Running Group" and meet weekly at a restaurant after a 4-6 mile run. (baby-wipes and spray-on deoderant are must-haves!)  I have several customers that run, so a business meeting can end up being a discussion about running.  Sometimes a kind word from a neighbor or a toot on the horn as I run by is all I need to keep me going.

I think podcasts are an exceptional source of motivation.  Not necessarily because I learn a lot from them but more becasue these are people like you and I, sharing the running experience.  I listen to many podcasts and I can say that these 3 are consistently my favourites:

The 20 Minute Runner with Roland from North Carolina
Running from the Reaper with Nigel from the UK
You Don't Have to Run Alone with Air Force Ted who might be moving to Alaska

I encourage everyone who runs to check these out and others.  You can find a whole list at:

http://www.runningpodcasts.org/

Finally, a plug for a small marathon in Ohio.  This year, we chose the Towpath Marathon in northeast Ohio on Sunday, October 10, 2010 in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This event showcases some of the most beautiful segments of the historic Towpath Trail located between Akron and Cleveland. The Towpath Marathon is one of few marathons that take place in a national park, and many consider it a unique specialty race due to the setting, fall foliage and crushed limestone surface.

The Towpath Marathon was established in 1992 to introduce the Towpath Trail as a new recreational amenity and to promote the establishment of the Ohio & Erie Canalway. Since its inception the Towpath Marathon has grown to become one of Northeast Ohio’s premier marathons, attracting an average of 1,200 participants and 3,500 spectators from more than twenty-seven states for a weekend of outdoor festivities and athletic competition. Described as “one of the most beautiful race courses in America” by Runner’s World magazine.

...gotta do 18 miles this Saturday...wish me luck!

Still running to feel young...