Race Strategy

Their it is, their is what my race strategy for the marathon is going to look like. Not sure if that will be 16 miles in, 22 miles in or if all goes as planned, then that is what I will look like at 26.3 miles in the medical tent. I am going to go out hard and just hold on for as long as I can until the wheels fall off. The training numbers say that I should be able to run a 3:04 (7:03 per mile pace), and in my last half marathon I ran a 1:27 (6:40/mi pace). So the fact is the only thing that is going to hold me back is myself, and I have an oppurtunity to run that 3:04 and qualify for Boston in the process. Lofty goals considering that just 3 years ago I started running. However going big is the only way I know how to do it. I do not fear failure and that can be both a curse and a blessing. Their are 3 ways this can turn out, I can do it, I can come close to doing it, or I can blow up and end up crawling or worse, not finishing. Since I put this marathon on the schedule and my training has increased, so have my expectations. And with that comes pressure to put up or shut up. I enjoy the pressure, I enjoy putting my goals out their for people to see and scrutinize. I don't care if I fail because not one person can ever call an attempt at something a failure in my book. Toeing the line and taking a shot is what this thing is all about. I don't train to lose weight, or meet new people, or travel to different places. Sure those are bonuses that come with the journey, but bottomline is that I am out to acheive my best at everything I do. If I don't get that 3:04 the sun will rise and set the next day regardless. I can live with not reaching my goals as long as I put my best foot forward. For me all I care about is racing, I absolutely love it. I like the pressure, I like the nervousness, the unsettled stomach and I love crossing the finish line and feeling that something was accomplished that day regardless of the result. So from the minute that gun goes off 6 days from now at 7:30 am I am just going to go hard. Now with that hard effort comes the inteligence to know what would be foolish. Foolish would be running a pace that I know I can not hold for 26.2 miles. That is where the training and the experience comes in. And to be honest I don't have a lot of experience at this distance. But I am aware that I have the ability to shut my mind off and just go. And go I will. So If you see on the news some guy who happens to be in a big smoldering pile at mile 20 of the Providence marathon next week, don't worry I will be satisfied.