Heading Out

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I missed giving updates on my training the last few weeks because I was running through the hills in Brittany France. Now it is the day before the Eau Claire Marathon and I’m packed up and ready to head to Eau Claire. Taking a vacation a few weeks before a marathon may not be the best training, but I just have to believe I am ready. I appear to have also successfully avoided a growing number of sick people around me. A friend and mentor of mine pointed out this was a great way to kick off a summer of running. I like that thought. Already in April I'm ready for a marathon so there must be many good runs ahead this summer, including Sunday.

Last 20

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Today I did my last 20 miler before the Eau Claire marathon. It went well, but it wasn't quick. I've been struggling with a pain in my glute that flares up any time I try to increase my pace. It happened earlier in my training when I started working in speed work so I had to back off. The weather has changed and I've been feeling good so I've tried to increase my pace and sure enough, the pain is coming back. I was a little apprehensive of today's run because of this, but keeping it slow and steady seems to have kept the pain at bay. I'm certainly not looking at a PR for this marathon.

Phone. Off.

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I rarely run with my phone on me but since I was in an unfamiliar town and running alone, I squeezed it into my water bottle pack. Well, when I finished my run I discovered I had butt-dialed an acquaintance four times. Although we don't talk on the phone, at least she was someone I could comfortably phone and apologize. We did have a chuckle, but my lesson is if I do carry my phone, it serves the same purpose off.

Scoping the Course for Bumps

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Tomorrow I'm going to scope out the Eau Claire Marathon course. I'm not running another 20 until next weekend, but I'll check out what I can and then will find a good 12 miles of the course to run. I'm less worried about boredom on the course than I am about where the hills are. I'm desperately trying to improve my relationship with hills. My goal for this marathon is to not use any hill as an excuse to walk. I've found myself in previous marathons thinking "I don't like hills, I'm tired, so I'll run to the hill and walk it." Well, any bump in the road turned into an excuse later in the marathon. I want to take the bumps out of it this time!