Upcoming Races

I have some races coming up. You'd think I might actually train a bit to get ready for them, but it seems my training is more suited for getting ready for GluttonFest 2009. At least the races coming up soon are short: I have a sprint triathlon this Sunday (Fishers Triathlon), and a 5K the following weekend (Cancer-Free Lungs). But I really need to focus on October, as I have the Monumental Marathon on 11/7, with a mini-marathon two weeks prior (10/17). I'm not worried about the mini, but I don't think I'll be breaching 1:40. I'll be lucky for a 1:45. Or even 1:48.

It's been hard to put the time in, but I started riding my bike to work to make better use of my commute. It has helped me with my duathlon performance, as I have placed in my age group in all three this year (3rd in Energy2Action (May), 2nd in Blacksnake (August), and 3rd in Tri-Indy (August)). If I put the time in, I might get a win. Sad, but my VO2 max numbers show a potential
(with lots of training time) for a sub-3:00 marathon.

Time. It's hard to make time to train. The afternoons are impossible, as the kids get home from school, and the whirlwind doesn't cease until after 8pm. I was running at lunch, but I really don't have enough time to run and stretch; if I can't get at least 40 minutes on the road, I won't even bother. That leaves early morning. I have been running a bit before work, but getting up at obscene hours to run remains a challenge. If I hadn't already signed up for the Monumental Marathon, I wouldn't even worry about it. But I have, and with less than two months to go, I still have a chance to redeem myself by getting back in the game and putting forth the effort to beat my marathon PR of 3:39:56. I learned some things from the Flying Pig Marathon that will hopefully help my next marathon: adequate rest, pre-race meals, and race nutrition.