Friday, September 7, 2012

What's Up September Races?!

It's September. How did that happen?!  I have a feeling this month is going to go by quickly.  There is A LOT going on!  September is probably my favorite month.  I love Fall weather.  I love new beginnings (starting a new school year at work, a change of season from hot to crisp, change of wardrobe).  I love racing in the Fall.  And my birthday is September 27!

I'm (we're all!) still waiting for real Fall weather, although there have been a few cool, and amazing mornings recently!  School (work) has already started. My birthday is in less than 3 weeks. And I'm running four races this month!  Woah!  Yes, four. More than I've ever run (raced) in a month, or maybe even a two month period.  But I'm excited! And I have a plan.  I always have a plan. For everything.  My boyfriend loves it. Or maybe he hates it....

Anyway....here are my upcoming races!

Sunday, September 9- NYRR Bronx 10 mile
Sunday, September 16- Philadelphia Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon
Saturday, September 22- NYRR 5th Ave Mile
Sunday, September 23- NYRR 18 Mile Tune-Up

That's 42.1 miles of racing this month.  So far this year, I've raced 52.8 miles. Over 7 races. And 8 months. So this month is going to be awesome, tiring, and great training. And tiring. Again.

But, here's my awesome plan for each race.  Let's see how well I can execute them....or if I decide to change my plans completely!
Bronx 10 mile: I want to run this at marathon goal pace or slightly faster.  Somewhere between 8:00-8:20 pace would be great.  Then I plan to run 4 miles home for 14 miles that day.  After I finish this race, I'll be qualified for the 2013 NYC Half Marathon AND the 2013 ING NYC Marathon!

Philadelphia Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon: Again, run marathon goal pace, or slightly faster. 8:00-8:20 pace. (The last half marathon I ran was Brooklyn, in May. My time was 1:43:23 (7:54 pace) and that felt really hard.  I have REALLY high hopes that after running some longer runs, a half marathon will seem....easy. Or at least...easier.)  I plan to add an extra 3 miles on to the end of this race for a total of 16 that day.  Also, while comparing the Philly Rock 'n' Roll half map and the Philly Marathon map, it looks like I'll be running a good portion of the marathon course at this half!  I'm excited to see what it's like before the big day!

NYRR 5th Ave Mile: Sprint my little heart out.  As fast as I can.  Hopefully for only around 6 minutes.

NYRR 18 Mile Tune-Up: I'm excited for this race. I think it'll be a really great indicator of what to expect for the Philadelphia Marathon.  I'm hoping to run this around 8:30 pace.  If I can do that, I think I'll be good for Philadelphia since it will be a lot less hilly than 3 loops of Central Park!

Recently, I've come to realize that I don't race a lot, compared to a lot of other people (with September being the exception!). And the reason for that is because I really hate not PRing. I'm a PR snob. I admit it. But, I've also come to realize that I don't need a new half marathon PR right now.  My focus is on the Philly Marathon, and what will prepare me best for that. Since this is my first marathon, I'm hoping my plans above make sense.  I don't know.  Tell me, does it?!  Maybe I'll end up running one (or more) of the races above faster than I planned. Or way slower. And that's okay.  If I end up with a PR because I feel great and know I can do it, I'll be super excited.  But I'm not going to push it just for that. I want to get to the starting line of the Philadelphia Marathon feeling strong, confident and ready to run my heart out.

Check back for four race recaps this month!

So tell me, what races are you running?  Are you a crazy planner like me so you plan your desired paces? Or are you more of a glow-with-the-flow person (unlike me) and just wait to see how you're feeling on race day?  How's your training going?

2 comments:

  1. I need to add more miles to the Bronx race too. Ugh I really wish I didn't "have" to do it but I want to run the NYC Half!

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    1. Haha that's how I feel too! Although I haven't raced since the Queens 10k so maybe it'll be fun. Certainly cooler!!! Are you qualified for NYC Half after tomorrow too? Have a good run!

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