As with every December and January in Maine, the races are light and the weather is harsh. Add to that the hectic scheduling that is the holidays and you suddenly find yourself with little motivation to keep running.For some of us, we just have to be more creative and focused.
My first run of the year was a wholesome 14-mile trek through snow-filled roads in Yarmouth, setting the bar for what I hope will be a strong running year. Last week was also the first time I logged over 40 miles in a single week since the Maine Marathon, another sign that I'm putting myself back on the training track. With 8 weeks to go to Hyannis 2010, the time to start focusing has to be now. With a mix of some old and new ideas, I have planned out the next three to five months of races and training, starting (obviously) with January.
Hyannis Marathon Training
January will encompass the 4-8 week mark prior to the race. At this point I will only get in 3 really good long runs (16, 18, and 20 miles) before 2/28 but they will go a long way in getting my legs acclimated to the 3 hours of pavement-pounding on the cape. Yasso 800s will be my speed workouts combined with a few races along the way (I'll elaborate on what my Yasso 800s are later in the week). In the meantime my mileage should increase to roughly 55/week by the end of the month which should line up with my target of at least 60 miles on the week of the Somesville Run.
Races in January
Frozen 5K, January 10, 1:30 pm, Scarborough, ME. Though I originally intended this as a 'maybe,' I likely will not be running this. Sunday afternoons are not convenient for running races as it pushes up against a prior running engagement (and a fun one, to boot).
Frozen 5K, January 10, 1:30 pm, Scarborough, ME. Though I originally intended this as a 'maybe,' I likely will not be running this. Sunday afternoons are not convenient for running races as it pushes up against a prior running engagement (and a fun one, to boot).
January Thaw (4.5-miler), January 16, 10am, Belgrade, ME. I ran this one in 2008 (finish photo above) and finished under an 8-minute pace for the first time in a road race. I missed it in '09 but will be returning to it this year. It's a small scale run done on quiet rural roads but the hills are rolling and provide a decent race challenge.
Set the Pace 5K, January 17, 11:10am, Camden, ME. This one was moved from the original January 1st date due to bad weather. Because of this I will not be running it, as I have prior plans for that day.
January is a tough month for me on many levels but this year I have a decent amount of running confidence and momentum - a sign that 2010 could be a very good year.
