Boston: 2015 vs 2016
As I inch closer and closer to April 18th, the 2016 running of the Boston Marathon, I can't help but reflect back on last year. Man, the lead up to the 2015 marathon could not have been more different than these last few months have been.
I went through the training cycle leading up to last year's marathon nailing paces, acing long runs, and feeling exceptionally confident in my marathon distance running abilities. I had given up a lot of other activities (yoga, lifting) which would lead to me feeling weak, but I wouldn't fully realize this until after the marathon. My once ambitious goal of going sub 3:10 was seeming much more achievable as I boarded the plane to Boston.
But as any marathoner knows, you only have so much control when it comes to those long distance races. Sure, I could've stayed off my feet and not walked 10-13 miles per day in the 2-3 days leading up to the marathon - but then I would've missed filming this gem. And I could've packed more conservatively, bringing options for all types of weather even though the forecast was looking perfect (should've remembered that New England April can be all over the board). Ultimately, whether due to decisions I had made or factors out of my control, Monday came and went and I didn't have the race I had hoped to. Although I was upset, I came to terms with the results and was grateful to have run well enough to re-qualify for this year's race without having to run another marathon.
Heading into 2016 I was coming off a rough 50k in October and was having a much harder time than expected getting my legs back. I felt slow, sluggish, heavy, and uncoordinated. Not to mention continuing to feel sore and worn down (especially in my feet). Nevertheless I hopped into marathon training in January feeling optimistic and motivated. And, like they always do, things started to click back into place. The legs perked back up, my speed started to climb, and my mileage began to increase.
And then the stress fracture happened. I knew pretty quickly that my 2016 redemption plan was going out the window. But I was faced with an even scarier possibility: that Boston might not happen at all. Worst case scenario was 10-12 weeks of no running recovery (which would've taken me through the beginning of April and caused me to miss Boston) and best case scenario was 3-4 weeks of no running recovery and then a solid 2+ months left to train.
For once (physical therapists and other medical professionals tend to be the worst patients) I followed my own advice and stayed off my foot, opting for pool and bike workouts instead. And it healed! The running resumed, slowly but surely, and my fitness began to build. With the help of my #bostonboundbabes crew I got a 16, 18, and 20 miler all in during this training cycle - which I was seriously doubting was going to happen.
And now here we are, just a few short days out from the race, and quite honestly I'm not sure what to expect. My fitness level feels good, my legs feel good, and my foot feels 100% healed. How does that translate to Marathon Monday? If I had to guess, these would be my A, B, and C goals:
A: everything goes perfectly and I surprise myself running a sub 3:20.
B: I have the race I think can happen and comfortably run a 3:25.
C: the fitness isn't there for 26.2 miles, the wheels fall off and I run a 3:31.
Here's what I do know - this year I'm going into Boston with much less pressure on myself, much less stress to hit a certain time goal, with a crew by my side that has made this whole process amazingly fun, and with the overall goal to enjoy every step of that magical race.
So here's to the best day in Boston - Patriot's Day, Marathon Monday, Monday April 18th. At 10:25AM EST I'll be racing out of Hopkinton with a huge smile on my face.
