Here we go again!
In 10 weeks, I will be running my second half marathon – the Baystate Half Marathon in Lowell, Mass.!!
I admit, I was pretty psyched with how my first half went, both in terms of my training and my performance on race day, but it was a little lonely. This time around will be a totally different experience because I’m running with a group of friends! The Falmouth Road Race showed me how fun (and anxiety relieving) it can be to go into it with a group of running buddies, even if you all end up running alone at different paces.
Our group for the Baystate is fun and diverse and includes a few half newbies, some marathoners and a couple of us who have run this distance before. Some of us are hoping to do our long runs together in a few weeks if our schedules align, which is easier said than done, since we’re all busy mommas trying to squeeze training in however we can. But either way, it will be great to be able to hold one another accountable.
I would love to run a sub-2:00 race this time, which means training to run at about a 9:00 pace. Keep in mind that I ran my first half at a 9:28 pace, so perhaps I’m shooting for the moon a bit here, but that’s why they call it a goal, right? However, I keep hearing that this is a “flat and fast course” (although, really, don’t they all say that?) and it IS a well-known Boston qualifier, so maybe it’s true?
Anyway, running with friends surrounded by beautiful fall foliage – with the promise of beer and snacks after – sounds good to me!
My training plan is kind of cobbled together from a bunch of different sources, including Hal Higdon’s Novice 2 and Intermediate Plans, as well as my first half training plan. Like before, it is really important to me to maintain my cross training (namely Body Pump and boot camp), which means I am only running 3 days a week max for anywhere between 17-21 miles total per week.
Thankfully, I don’t have a Disney vacation to plan around this time; just a quick weekend getaway, plus two other races that have been on my calendar for some time: the local 5K where I earned my first medal (and came in third in my age group) and the Tufts 10K for Women, which just happens to fall during my taper.
At first I thought the Tufts race was perfect timing, but then I realized that I am probably going to have to make a decision. Do I go all out for the 10K and try to improve on last year’s time of 54:38, or do I hold back a little, knowing I am running 13.1 the next weekend? And do I push myself on the 5K to try and get that elusive sub-25 time? Hmmm ….
So here’s the gameplan …
Tempo: 1 mile at a comfortable pace, 3 miles at 10K pace (8:35)
Pace: Run at half marathon pace (9:00)
R&R:Rest and Recovery Run (AKA Easy Run)
5K Pace: 8:10
First two runs of week 1? Check!
Do you like running/racing alone or with friends?