This is the time of year that people start thinking about next year’s race season. Depending on the individual race, you sometimes have only days, hours, or minutes to sign up. In other cases, impulse takes over and you sign up for something after an “I could do that” moment.
I’ve had one of those moments. And after you have them you get a “OK, time for the next level” sense of euphoria, followed by complete panic. Then you calm down thinking “you have enough time and you’ll have a solid plan so stop worrying.” All this back-and-forth made me quite tired.
So some background as how I came to this moment. Last year after only a few months of training with my coach Ben Bartlett I had an amazing race at the Iron Girl half marathon, which is a brutally hilly course. It wasn’t amazing in the sense that I ran as fast as I could have run. Instead of pushing myself to a PR, I stayed with a friend who was in pain from an injury (you have to have priorities in life). I had a great time, didn’t get injured and suffered no ill effects after the race. [This started my downward delusional spiral.]
When registration opened, I immediately signed up for the 2014 Iron Girl half marathon. Matter of fact I was on the TriColumbia website before the fixed the registration page bugs. Now that I have the IG half on my schedule, my coach has it included on my long range training plans. Upside, I’ve started training earlier than last year and I don’t have the intense marathon training schedule that I had this time last year. Nor am I injured (thankfully!) so when I registered I did it knowing that I will be strong for the race and perhaps PR my marathon time at this race. [I’m getting to the part of where delusional kicks in full tilt.]
After I registered I started thinking: “since I raced well last year on solid training and I’m in better shape now, I probably could race the Frederick half marathon the following weekend and do the Titanium challenge posted on the TriColumbia website.” [See where the delusion is taking hold?] “After all, my goal is a 50K run (not race) in June so this would put me in a good position for that. Plus it’s “almost a full marathon” if you don’t count the 6 days in between the races.” [OK, now fully in the grasp of not only delusion, but alternate reality.]
So to be a good delusional citizen living in an alternate reality I registered for the Frederick half. Fortunately, I live on the outskirts of this alternate reality so I made the decision not to enter the lottery for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler, which is one of my favorite races. I can’t do them all.
I also made a public declaration by putting it on my Facebook page. It included a statement to my coach: “OMWord, what have I done? Benjamin Bartlett – time to talk me off the ledge again. LOL” [Proof my delusion may only be temporary…until I register for the June races.]
Time to STEP up my game!! It just got real!!