2012 Sub-3:00 Marathon Goal Thread (Read 6867 times)

This looks like a great group of folks--- I'll join the conversation, looking to better 2:53 at Boston.

~Doug

Hey Dirk, you might wanna put your post in the 2011 thread.   (I got your result in there already.)

Baystate 2012  <2:35

Second verse, same as the first...

I am out - I am running Houston - I have had a major shift in life - Maybe mid-life crisis, maybe gaining a shred of common sense.  I have given up way too much the last 8 years in a relentless pursuit of running.  Some of the sacrifice good, some not good.  In the past I would  read all the time of people unwilling to run more than x miles or cannot do more than x miles a week and thought many of those people were weak.  Now I realize they are just wise.  I think I have spent a reasonable amount of quality time with my kids during this time, maybe the activites were not as diverse or active as I am tired from running.  My time with my wife has suffered.  My volunteering for church has been solid.  My time I have available for friends has been weak.  My time I have available for things I love to do other than running - Non existent.

I may have went overboard in my reversal of activites.  In the last 8 weeks, I have not matched up my calorie intake well with my activity output and have gained 25#.  I think I have this well balanced currently.  I will ramp back up to 50-60 miles per week average running (1/2 previous) and embrace all the loved activites I have ignroed for 8 years.

I have started to play racketball and volleyball again - Theses types of activites bring me joy.  Near future will be downhill skiing, weight lifting, snow shoeing, cross country skate skiing.  I am almost giddy at the thought of these fun activites.  Why do I need to run at all?  Weight control, fitness and ... I am an aerobic animal - this needs to be fed.  Eventually I hope to be able to take joy out of running much fewer miles per week, right now it feels half-ass and unsatisfying.

I hope by Spring (May-June) to find a way with 50-60 MPW to break 3 hours in a marathon.  I look forward to do 50k-100 milers for fun as a mid-packer.

This has been coming for 2-3 years.  June 2009 FANS24 race of 147 miles ... if I had not made the US 24 hour team - I would have started then.  The acitvities I love are numerous and diverse - I let running become a mean spirited task master for too long.

I am only looking at threads or forums every week or so - But I do check my messages about every other day - If you want to get my attention, go running with me or drink a beer with me -  drop me a line. 

Have a great 2012

I was hoping to get sub 3 in 2011.  However, I was undertrained for both attempts (Boston, CIM).

I ended up not really going for it.  Well, for CIM, I still held out a slim hope that there might still be a chance after running a 1:31 1st half, knowing the 2nd half would be easier.

I ended up getting 3:02 in both cases.

I signed up for Napa Valley Marathon in Mar and will try to achieve my sub 3 goal.

Oh, good grief! If I can sort things out with my dumb leg I plan to go at it again in the fall, probably in NYC. Otherwise you might as well count me in for the 2013 sub 3 thread.

 

MTA: Thanks Clive.

This morning I got my reminder that registration for NYC opens on Jan 2. I think I'm going to pass and forfeit my guaranteed entry. I'm just not feeling the love for the $266 registration fee, all the logistics, and pinning a firm date on this fall's (hopeful) sub 3 attempt yet.

Right now the plan is to run Boston as a glorified training run (sub 3:30), see how I'm feeling, and take it from there. Last winter I believe I peaked 4 weeks before Boston. I'd like to keep as much flexibility as possible and run a course that suits me when I'm ready to attempt a sub 3 or at least BQ. Right now I can't know when that will be so just put me down as Fall/TBD.

This morning I got my reminder that registration for NYC opens on Jan 2. I think I'm going to pass and forfeit my guaranteed entry. I'm just not feeling the love for the $266 registration fee, all the logistics, and pinning a firm date on this fall's (hopeful) sub 3 attempt yet.

 

Right now the plan is to run Boston as a glorified training run (sub 3:30), see how I'm feeling, and take it from there. Last winter I believe I peaked 4 weeks before Boston. I'd like to keep as much flexibility as possible and run a course that suits me when I'm ready to attempt a sub 3 or at least BQ. Right now I can't know when that will be so just put me down as Fall/TBD.

I am thinking about doing NYC as a training run before CIM next year.  I know it is expensive but I want to do it once.  Kind of a thing on my list.

But NYC is probably not the best race to go sub-3.  The bridges are probably not much fun to cross.

Please strike me for Houston.

I'll still run it, but it will just be a training run for Boston. No way am I in sub-3 shape now. I can't complain -- what do I expect when I throw in a 100 miler during my training window?