Monday, July 17, 2006

Plans Made

OK, a good training session, despite the early heat. I was a little late getting out of the house and that didn’t help. It was almost 7 when I began my circular route of the park. I was feeling good though and I was soon into my routine pace with no strain or pain. I made the 6.25 miles in 81 minutes, or just less than 13 minute miles. (12.96) I could have gone for more without a problem, but with a heavy duty heat forecast, I took the easy way out and said it would be “safer” if I were to stop now.

Now I have to visit the Portland Marathon website and enter this year’s event. Doing that makes it easier to stay motivated as I will have a very valid reason to train; I don’t want to waste my money! This year it’s $85 and if you divide that by 26.2 miles, it’s still pretty cheap entertainment. And at the end of the day, I will have accomplished what less than 1% of the population has ever done; I will have completed another marathon race. No, I didn’t win the big prize, but I will have accomplished what I set out to do and nothing is better than that!

(Later) All set. I have my registration and we have a hotel room. And there are 75 days left to train. Plenty of time, even for a first timer. And you don’t have to be really fast to complete a marathon in a less than embarrassing time. Last year I had 13:35 minute/mile pace and there were close to a thousand people that were slower than that. 15 minute miles are considered a brisk walk; some finishers were up into the 23 minute mile pace. I have set my personal goal to be 10 minutes faster than last year…which means a 13:10 average.

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