The Stone Cat Post

The Stone Cat Marathon is this weekend. Am I ready? I have no idea. I know I can do the distance, it's just what happens to me mentally and physically along the way that will be interesting to find out (I’ll be on the edge of my seat!). I've never done a trail marathon before and I don't really know the course (although those who have done it in the past have given me excellent intel about what to expect). I have, however, done several road marathons in the past and if I had to run a road marathon this weekend based on how I feel about my training now, I wouldn't be feeling very prepared. I’ve finally figured out why and I think it has to do with how my long runs went. Let me preface this by saying that I realize road running and trail running are two different beasts and what I’m about to describe may just be consistent with trail running and trail racing in general. (I will let the experts weigh in on that, though - something I probably should have asked BEFORE I started training for this marathon, but (for next year) if anyone has any thoughts on long run training for trail racing vs road racing, I’d love to hear them.)

I’m still getting used to training on trails I guess, but the long runs just didn’t seem…right somehow. It had nothing to do with the fact they were on trails - that was the highlight! It has more to do with how consistent (or inconsistent) my running was during the course of the run. I logged a bunch of 18-20 milers, but most of them weren't consistent - stops between laps, slower paces, feeling draggy and slow on hills and just in general… Somehow I think I would be feeling more confident with a handful of solid unstopped long runs with a few miles of faster paces mixed in which is how I trained for the road marathons for which I felt pretty prepared and had decent results (for me). It all comes down to my greatest race fear, which is that I will have heavy, slow legs early in the race from which I can’t recover and it will be a battle of will to the finish. Funny I should have that fear, because it actually happened to me about 10 or so years ago during a marathon and I’ve been haunted by it ever since. I don’t remember my specific training plan for that race, it was something generic - but I do have a vague recollection that I had never fully engaged in the training (if that makes any sense) even though I covered the miles. Kiiiiind of how I’m feeling about my training this time. Who knows, I was new to marathons then and probably went out too fast without realizing it, but that old feeling is rattling around in the back of my mind mingling unsupervised with the usual thoughts of inadequacy - a toxic pair. I've spent a good deal of time in this life battling some inner demons and I don't want those bastards ruining this race experience for me.

I know all races can’t be perfect, I just wish I felt a little better about the training going into it.

That said, here’s my plan:

I will take it easy on the first lap and then bring the noise for the second if I can.

I will worry about myself and not what everyone else is doing.
I will have fun.

Now for the good: Pete will be there cheering me on. Tim and Chris (my brothers from another mother) will be there running the marathon, too. Ian and Chuck are going to burn up the 50-miler. A whole host of Trail Monsters will be fanned out across the course at aid stations (some sober, some not). My post-race meal will await (pepperoni pizza from Portland Pie and a whoopie pie - two pies, too perfect).

Afterward, I think I’ll take a week off and re-group, maybe do a little planning for the upcoming year. Right now, my two goals for 2010 are - run a lot of trails, have fun.