Fall Race

Well it's that time of year. It's August, and I have already paid my dues for the Rock and Roll San Antonio 1/2 marathon. I had thought this year would be all about someone else, but as we get closer it looks like that is not going to be the case. So the question is what am I going to do this year? This isn't my first race like it was a couple years ago, so just finishing is not a real accomplishment. It is not by far the longest distance that I have ever accomplished, not to brag but I did finish a marathon last year (we won't talk about that). So what am I going to do with this event? I think that the only logical decision is to set a time goal for myself. I made the mistake of doing that in my first race, and hobbled across the finish line in severe pain (lesson learned for my first marathon). But I am a more mature runner now. I have learned from my mistakes, and perhaps this is what I need in order to push myself. It would be so easy at this point to just show up and jog through 13.1 miles with out really taking training that seriously, but what joy and accomplishment would that bring me. This settles it, I need a time goal. I'm thinking somewhere in the area of 130 minutes. Thats 2 hours and 10 minutes, or just under an average pace of 10 minute miles. Yes you can laugh it up, but that would be a serious challenge for me. Sure I've done sub 30 5K's but we are talking about doing that 4 times and then running an extra 1.6 miles at the same intensity. I know that there will be men, and women there that will finish a full marathon in just over that time, but they never weighed in at over 450lbs either. The really cool thing about doing that is that in the final stretch I should be able to see the elite athletes zooming past me in there convoy as they jet off to the finish line (because of the way the course is laid out, and the wave start). Yup sounds like I have a goal, now I only need a plan...