Just Admit It

It's time for me to just admit it. I'm not in as good of shape as I was in last year. I won't be in PR shape for any of this fall's races, either. There just isn't enough time to cover the distance between where I am now and where I was last year. So here I am accepting reality and living with the consequences of the decisions I made to become sloppy with my diet and to sleep in and thereby reduce my mileage.

But there is time to have an outstanding winter ultra season. There is time to get in shape for a Mountain Mist PR. There is time to get in good enough shape to have a very strong 50 mile debut at Lookout Mountain.(See how I've already given up on Dizzy?!? I may never run 50 miles at that race.) There is time to get in shape to show up strong at Black Warrior. I know what I have to do. Clean up my diet and run more disciplined. Simple.

And... There is time to pick out a spring marathon and sub-3 again. Why not aim for sub 2:55 this time? Any recommendations for a good, fast, reasonably accessible on a budget spring marathon?

Reality hit me today on the track. I totally bailed on my workout. I was planning to do a combo workout... 4x200m fast, 2x2mile tempo, and 4x200m fast. I did not make it. I did 4 very consistent 200m repeats at 37 seconds. Then, I did a 2 mile interval at 6:28 and 6:29. I thought I was dying, though. I knew that there was no way I was finishing today's workout. I did one more mile at 6:32 and decided to recover a bit and try the last 200m repeats. I did one. One. I ran it in 41 seconds and kinda don't remember the last 20 yards or so. I don't remember hitting my watch, so it may have been faster or slower. I just remember standing next to the fence near the finish line on the track. That was my cue to just cut off the workout. I should have been able to nail that workout, but I don't think there is any doubt that I gave it all I had.

Maybe it was the 85 degree heat? Maybe it just wasn't my day?