Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Already looking ahead

So, the comments are unanimous, so I guess I'm accepting my new PRs with no more reservations! It's still hard to believe though. The 8K time is a 5:45 improvement. Although I've never stopped being a runner, at the time I ran that 41:57 I was kind of at my "low point." I didn't keep a log back then, but I was probably lucky to crack an average of 10 miles per week. I hadn't run a marathon that fall, so there was nothing to keep me even remotely motivated. I was just finishing up school and so was very busy, of course. And then last year around this time is when I started getting serious again.

So anyway, I've mapped out my target races for the first half of 2008. It looks pretty similar to last year. Once again I'll be heading down to Louisville for several races, since the race scene around here shuts down from December through February. I'm skipping the Indy Mini in favor of the Derby Mini, so I'll be completing the "Grand Slam," as they call it (Triple Crown + Derby Mini/Marathon). I am very excited to return to the Derby Mini. It's probably my favorite race, and one of the first I ever ran (1998). Running it 10 years later seemed fitting. This will be my fourth time running it overall. I'm also hoping to break my longest-standing PR of 1:50:57 (1999). And then five weeks later I'll be racing my seventh marathon in South Bend, Indiana. Although we apparently didn't make it into the River to River Relay, I still kept this on the schedule because it fit so well, and I've heard good things about the race, not to mention it's CLOSE.

Once again the main goal will be to go sub-4, but some tantalizing opportunities have opened up with this latest slew of PRs. I plugged the 36:08 8K into McMillan and got the mind-boggling marathon equivalent of 3:33. So of course now I'm daydreaming about a BQ. Obviously I need to ramp up my mileage and put a lot of work into my endurance, but that possibility is soooo...tempting! It might not be realistic, but I can't deny that I REALLY want to try. I've pretty much been looking at the calculator results and salivating ever since Saturday. I'm such a dork.

I've scheduled both a 10-miler and a half for early spring (with another 10-miler possible in later winter), so those will likely be my deciding factors. They are both obviously better indicators than an 8K. If I can improve my endurance enough to achieve comparable results in the longer races...well, then. Things could get interesting. I can't wait to race again!!!

4 comments:

DawnB said...

Mir, you are doing well, looks like its your turn to shine. Congratulations on your PR and winning 2nd in your age group. Keep those PR's coming.

Sunshine said...

"I can't wait to race again" What a mantra!
I see you are a capricorn. Is that rare among bloggers? (I am one too.)
So happy birthday coming up after Christmas.

Al Durham said...

Congrats on the PR. Your race schedule for next year looks good. You should get some friends together and do the Dances with Dirt - in Indiana. It would be a good way to introduce you to trail running.

jen said...

Congrats on the PR and AG place! It sounds to me that the course was accurate- face it Mir, you rock! :)

Sounds like a fantastic season of races coming up! I love that you are doing your first race again 10 years later. Very cool! I think you could do very well in the marathon based on your recent improvements- set your goals high and go for it!! :) Sub 4 is definitely yours, but I think BQ is within reach. Keep up the good work!