Coming to Grips With My Athletic Mortality

Coming into 2013, I had one tentative goal: finish the Peoria River City Marathon in 2013 as a runner. I was looking for a repeat performance from 2000 and 2001, adjusted for age. I was thinking “sub 4 hours”…maybe “sub 3:50″?

Then I started to ramp up the training and reality has reared its ugly head. I simply don’t have the body to handle the mileage necessary to run those times. Other, more efficient people can run such times with few miles, but not me. I did my best marathon running when I was running 50 miles a week or more and when my 5K was just under 21 minutes. I’ve run under 20 minutes, but I didn’t do my best in the marathon during that period.

Reality: best “over 40 years of age” marathon running: miles: 50 a week (or more), 5K time: 21:00.
Now: 13 years older, and while I am approaching 50 miles per week TOTAL, many of those are walking miles. That isn’t the same.
My runs this week: 3, 10, 6, 14 = 33 miles. Walks: 3, 3, and something today (10?). I have time to build that 14 to 20 before the end of April and perhaps that faster 10 can become a 12.

My cross training: weight lifting (and, of course, the walking).

No, I do NOT have a “runner’s body”:

So, even if I manage to shed 5, even 10 pounds, the goal of running sub 4 hours is probably delusional.
I should probably develop a contingency plan to either
1. Walk ALL of the marathon (I have time to get my long walk up to speed) and aim for a conservative 5:40 or
2. Run/walk all of it (say, 9 minute run, 1 minute walk) and aim for, say, 4:30, or even 4:20 (10 minute per mile pace).

Along the way: hopefully by the start of March, I’ll be comfortable enough with my “long” runs to start having a few “spandex chase (aka 5K/10K) on Saturday, long run on Sunday” weekends. I am not there yet.

But this “comeback” has been far harder than expected; it is a tricky balance between “training as much as I can” and “staying out of the doctor’s office”.

Fall goals: we’ll see how May goes. If I can build up to it, I might try a road marathon in the fall (Quad Cities) or perhaps a road 50K (Chicago?). The trail 50K’s are ok, IF the course isn’t muddy. Muddy courses hurt my knees.

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