It's been a while since I've written and personally it's been a bit of a tough month with lots of tests and doctors visits to try to explain why my heart rate averages in the 190s when I run- regardless of weather, distance or pace. The verdict is still out but more results should be back this week and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it is something as simple as my HR monitor being miscalibrated. In what was either a very stupid or very smart move (verdict is still out on this one, too), I didn't ask any of my doctors whether I could keep running because I was scared they'd say to stop. So, with no doctors (including a Boston marathoner) telling me not to run, I've been continuing with my marathon training. Running is always such a great thing, but it's been such an invaluable source of stress relief over the last few weeks.
Independent of it being a great outlet, my training has been going far better than I could have hoped or expected. If you would have told me this spring that I'd be running as strong as I have been this summer, I never would have believed you. Great runs include, but are not limited to, several 7 mile runs that turned into tempo runs and several pace runs where I came in under my original 9:40 planned pace. My long runs have been the most rewarding. Last weekend I ran 14 miles in 9:59 pace with the last few miles coming in at 8:37, 9:00 and 8:23. Yesterday I ran 15 hilly miles in 9:55 pace with the average pace for the three five-mile loops coming in at 10:17, 9:54 and 9:29. Not only were my long runs strong, and fast (both should have been 10:30 pace or slower based on planned marathon pace), but both capped off the highest-mileage weeks of my running career.
Based on all of this information, I'm wondering if I'm either running my long runs too hard (I feel strong at the end of them, obviously) or whether I'm undershooting my goal this fall. The marathon also isn't until October 26th which means I still have 2 1/2 months of training ahead of me. Currently, my easiest goal would be to come in sub-4:30, but I would be very happy with a sub-4:15 and ecstatic with a sub-4:00. However, they're very different goals and if I'm going for a faster marathon pace then my pace and long runs should be a bit faster. Any advice?
