Best ever? Not yet
Before I jump the gun and call July 2011 the best running month ever, I want to get through this entire training cycle first. I was ready last night to call this month the best ever, but what if next month is even better?
There’s a lot of running to do between now and Oct. 15, so what I want to do is take a moment to reflect on this month and then keep my eyes on the big prize — the Baltimore Marathon. My goal is to not have “best ever” months, and I can certainly hand out the “best ever” awards later.
I set two race PRs in the 5k and the 5 miler. I haven’t had two race PRs in a calendar month in four years.- Overall, I’m a lot faster. Out of 22 runs, 12 of them were under a 9-minute mile pace. Last July I ran 20 times with just 5 of those runs under that pace. Up until the past few months, I haven’t paid much attention to my everyday pace from an overall perspective. Now that I’m paying attention to it, I want to go faster. I really like my new slow.
- One of those faster runs included a double-digit 10-mile training run in flat Ohio, definitely one of the best long runs I’ve ever had.
- I ran down a mountain.
- I did two doubles (running twice in a day).
- I ran 122.5 miles — the third highest mileage month ever, just 2.2 miles off September 2010. My highest mileage month was October 2007 when I ran 133 miles.
Looking ahead to August, I’ve established some mileage goals that I have never hit. Besides the mileage, I want to continue getting faster and stronger — it’s quality and quantity continuing to come together.
This week will be a cut-back week before what I am anticipating will be three very intense weeks. In two weeks I am running the Lynchburg Half Marathon. I will set a very specific goal for this race as I will treat it as a test of where I am physically. I am beginning to have some thoughts of what I want to do for Baltimore, but I need this race and the next several weeks to come together before I get specific about the marathon.
For the last full week of August I have written down a goal for something that I’ve never done — 40 miles. All told I have a goal of 140 miles for the month. How I get to that number is much more important than just hitting that number.
I am embracing what I have put in front of me, but as always I will change my goals if I have to.
Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Sounds like a great month!
Great month…to date!!
Congrats on your July. I'm running the Baltimore Marathon in October too (my first - super excited). Continued good luck with your training!
You can still call it the best month so far. I'll just call it that for you if you're too scared to. July was your best month so far. There. Okay?
Being overall faster is the greatest reward of the comeback I think!
I appreciate it. It was not about being scared; it was more about sticking a flag up and giving July an award. I am a long way off from needing to do that.
Wow that is an awesome july, you are so cool for looking forward and using this as an opportunity to motivate yourself even more…especially in the summer when everyone is being lazy
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