All About LA

January 2016 – All About LA!

Soon after my last race in October 2015, the UTMX 100k, I decided that the LA Marathon was going to be my next race and possibly my “A” race for 2016.  I told my coach, Chris Vargo, that I really wanted to break 3 hours and after a 3:01 at a tough Boston course in April, I felt my body was up for the challenge.  However, after months of mountain running with basically no speed work, I had a lot of work to do.  Fortunately, I had time on my side.

After a week off in mid-October, the calendar was set for mainly street running.  Chris started the ramp up easy but intense.  6 days per week filled with Tempos, Fartleks, Hill Repeats, Progressions, easy miles, and long runs.  In November I averaged 55 miles per week and December 62 miles.  The long runs were starting to get looonnnggg with tempo workouts (i.e., easy 10 miles, 8 miles at goal marathon pace, 2 miles easy, etc.) and progression type workouts scattered in between. 

I took a bit of a break when my brother-in-law and sister-in-law came into town over the holidays.  I ditched the roads and headed to the mountains.  Guy, Natalia, and I ran Brown, Echo, and Inspiration Point multiple times and Guy and I had a chance to run from Chantry to Lake Avenue (part of the AC100 course) the week before Christmas.  It was so nice to be in the mountains again after 2 months of solid road training.

However, the respite didn’t last long.  Starting December 30^th through the end of January, I will have taken only 3 days off.  62 miles per week in December jumped to 75 miles a week in January.  Besides the workout type runs, I’ve had a few double’s and multiple 20+ mile long runs with 23 miles being the longest and I’ve done that twice.  January will be the most miles I have ever run in a month – over 300!  (I ran less miles training for AC100 miler in August)

With the LA Marathon 3 weeks away, I’m feeling anxious.  My goal of 2:55 (6:42 per mile) feels lofty but attainable.  I’ve definitely put in the time and I’ve done the work but now I need to focus on the mental side.  I know it’s going to hurt, that’s a given, but do I have what it takes to fight through?  You would think that after completing a 100 miler and a few 100k’s, running a marathon would be easy.  26.2 at an easy pace is not difficult but trying to run at such a high intensity for such a long time is going to be the real challenge.

 
Whatever happens on Valentine’s Day, I know that I will have given my all.  I can’t wait…