Columbus Marathon: Weeks 1-7

Time to revise the goal? Maybe not just yet...
After this week, I will have 6 weeks of hard training before the 3-week taper that ends with the Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon on October 16.  To say that the first seven weeks of training have gone well but for a few bumps would be like equating the final flight of the Hindenburg as a good flight but "a little bumpy" on final approach.  (That might be slightly overstated, but that is sort of what it feels like right now)

Most of it is self-inflicted.  I am about 9 pounds above my ideal racing weight, largely due to the food free-for-all I've enjoyed since the Boston Marathon and my undying love of beer.  (I've stated previously that I'll go on whatever training diet I need to, but I will never give up beer).  Life has gotten in the way of parts of my training schedule, and there have also been a few times where I just flat out did not want to run.

And then there was the apple incident.  No one ever wants to get injured, but someone training for a marathon definitely does not have time for it.  A couple weeks ago, I managed to step back onto an apple that had fallen from our apple tree - on a hillside, no less - and slipped and fell right onto my tailbone (and my pride, too, I think).  While I apparently escaped breaking anything, it has hurt ever since.  I skipped a week's worth of runs until this morning's easy 6-miler, and then went to my chiropractor this afternoon.  I can already feel the difference, as I have been able to sit in my office chair for more than three minutes without tears.

Yet with all of that, the last seven weeks have been pretty good.  I've gotten to do a lot of stuff with my family and friends, including seeing some of the best sights that Wyoming, Colorado, and even Utah have to offer.  There is still beer-infused kickball on Mondays, and I have some pretty memorable moments with my step-daughter.  I may have to revise my training goal at some point...but I'll never have to revise my priorities.

Looking back at the 16 weeks of training for the Boston Marathon also gave me some perspective.  I had some off weeks then, as well. My most significant weeks of training were Weeks 8-14.  I think I was in better shape at this same point in that training, but I also had a lot more work responsibilities then.  So I won't go revising my goal just yet.  My new Boston-qualifying time of 3:15:00 would still be pretty darn nice to get, even though I don't plan on trying to get into Boston again anytime soon.  But it sure is good to aim high!