Trust the Training

It's t minus 8 days until my next race, the big Silver Comet Half Marathon. It will be the second time I run this particular race and I love it because the course is beautiful and flat. It's also one of the only races that encourages Halloween costumes, so every minute is entertaining - you never know what you'll see along the way!

Because I've done this race before I decided to try a different training schedule. It hasn't worked out very well - I lost my motivation because I started training too far in advance and I realized something I knew all along - I really don't like running that much. This particular routine had me running 5 times a week and for someone like me who likes to change it up a little it was torture. In the last three weeks of training I switched back to my traditional training routine, which provided some mental respite, but it felt like I was giving up on something - getting faster.

I let that go (kind of) in favor of completing the training and the half in one piece without injury. However, in the past couple of weeks I have been comparing my performance on training runs to how well I had been doing last year. I've been slower, in more discomfort and generally less confident this time around. As recently as yesterday I was already talking myself down, justifying a poor performance in next week's race because I haven't been eating as well, training as well, been as mentally into the race, or feeling as good about my current training plan. I was lowering my expectations (which is usually my answer to being satisfied).

Today I went into my last long run before the race (10 miles) knowing it would be hell. I just wanted to get through it. But, something crazy happened - it felt good! It was the best long run I have had in the last 12 weeks - the only one that felt strong - and the timing couldn't have been better. As I powered through mile 9, I reminded myself that this is what I'd trained for. It didn't matter how weeks 3, 4 or 5 in the plan felt, I'd be READY in week 12. I spent the last mile in shock that I felt so ready for the race after just having told myself 18 hours earlier how crappy it was going to be.

I know I'm not going to break the land speed record next week. I probably won't run a PR, but whatever happens, I'll be ready, because it's what I've been preparing for. It only took me 11 weeks to actually believe the training would work....go figure.