I’ve run a lot of marathons (100, to be exact), but I don’t think I’ve ever had one that’s going to require so much from me physically and mentally as the one I’m running on Saturday, the Utah Valley Marathon. It’s realistically my only crack at qualifying for the 2013 Boston Marathon and I’m injured right now. As I like to say, though, PR or ER!
Utah Valley is a fast, downhill course that matches up well with how I run. I’m heavier for a runner (about 200 pounds) and I’m pretty good on the downhills. I’ve run quite a few of these courses and I know the right and wrong way to approach them. Ordinarily, I’d expect a blazing fast time on this course. I’ve run it twice before (albeit only as an official, sign-carrying 3:40 pacer) and I know what to expect. Both times I ran it, I thought to myself, “Man, I wish I could be flying down this hill!” Now, I get my chance. Kind of.
I’ve been battling a hamstring/piriformis injury for close to three weeks, and while I’m pretty close to being over it, it’s still bugging me a little bit and it flares up. I’ve run maybe 10 miles since May 20. I’ve done a fair amount of spinning on the stationary bike at the gym, but I just haven’t been running.
Like I said, though, this is my only chance at qualifying to run Boston next year. I love Boston. Love, love, love Boston. I’ve run it the past five years and it’s the only reason I train to run fast. I can’t imagine not running it. I don’t even want to think about it, because I just can’t imagine not being out there running the race next year. It’s my reward to myself for getting up at 4:30 a.m. all year and taking care of business before I go to work. The last 0.2 of that race, on Boylston, is my favorite bit of running all year. When I saw Boylston during the race this year, I got teary-eyed, because I knew I might not be back next year.
In the past, here’s when I’ve qualified for the Boston Marathons I’ve run:
2008: I qualified in October 2007, back when registration didn’t close until February or March.
2009: October 2007, waaaay before the 2008 race (there’s an 18-month qualifying window).
2010: October 2008, waaaay before even the 2009 race.
2011: January 2010. This was a little later in the game, but still, it was nine months before registration opened and still even before the 2010 race.
2012: December 2010, again, before I’d even started training for the 2011 race.
And here we are, June. Registration opens in September, I think, and probably won’t stay open long. This is a fast course I’m running on Saturday and if I don’t make it, I don’t even know how I could find another race to run. The one longshot in the back of my mind was the Santa Rosa Marathon in late August, but it’s the day after my high school reunion, so that’s not happening.
I’m fast enough to get it done on this course. I need to go faster than 3:10, and I think on a decent day I could go faster than 3:00 on this course. But no matter what I do, it’s going to hurt. I have zero confidence that my hamstring isn’t going to flare up.
So, my race strategy goes like this: I’m going to listen to the right mix of music pre-race to get myself as worked up as I can mentally. It’s going to be my day. It doesn’t matter what I should or shouldn’t be attempting. I’m going to do it. I need to be in a zone and out of my mind. I’m pretty sure I can do that. I’ll be thinking of all my friends I’ll only see if I can make it to Boston. I’ll be ready.
I know to keep it under control and pace myself right. After 100 of these marathon things, I know how to do that. I need to lock into the right groove, which I can do.
And then, I just need to be prepared for the pain. It’s going to hurt. It’s going to hurt bad. Downhills do a number on your quads. My hamstring in my right leg is going to hurt bad, too. I’m hoping I can physically and mentally fight through it so I don’t feel a need to limp. I’m going to do everything I can to not feel sorry for myself for the pain I’m going to feel during the race because I’ll feel even more sorry for myself if I’m not in Boston next April.
I’m hoping that there’s some way I can fight through that initial hurt so that it more-or-less just turns into a burn that I deal with. I don’t think I’m really going to seriously injure myself, but I think this race will take me a full month to recover from. The longer I hold on, the stronger I’ll be for the finish mentally. When I run a marathon, I’m in good shape if I’m on target at 20. Because at that point, I tell myself I’m not going to left a foundation of 20 solid miles go to waste over a measly 10K.
When I’m 21 in, that’s even more the case. Then 22, and 23. In my last marathon, I went from running 9s with a limp at mile 22 to telling myself to finish strong and running sub-7:30s the rest of the way. Sub-7:30s won’t get it done Saturday, but I once again proved to myself I can run through pain if I want to and I can put the hammer down after 22.
I don’t normally go into races with this much on the line for me individually, so I’m excited about the opportunity to really lay it all out there. There’s no way it’s not going to hurt a ton, both during and after, but I have no doubt I can get this done. I’m going to have to beat myself up like I never have before and I can’t wait to find out what I’m made of. I sure hope it’s enough!
Amy says
WOW! Good luck. It sounds like you’ve been doing a great mental training, so hopefully when your body wants to give up and collapse, your mind will be prepared to push you through! Hopefully you’ll both PR AND stay out of the ER!
Rachel says
Good luck! I had a hamstring issue the day I BQed at Santa Clarita and somehow pulled out a fast one; I’m hoping you have that same type of hamstring cooperation for 26.2 miles!
Brandon says
If anyone can do it, it’s you Sam. I’ll be thinking of you on Saturday!
Deirdre @ Oh Well Whatever says
You are strong, you can do this. Can’t wait to see how it goes. Good luck!!