Feeling optimistic

This weekend I'll be running the Bacchus marathon, a totally fun event and I won't be looking at my garmin.  This time last year I was upset about not being able to do my autumn marathon because of family commitments.  When I was off work sick, I managed to enter 3 marathons in the space of a week, and then got my place for London marathon confirmed a week later, which has had the effect of this wonderful year of running where I have already completed 4 marathons, and 43 miles of running at thunder run.

However, this blog was started because of my goal to qualify for Boston marathon, which requies me to run a full marathon in 3:35 or faster.  When I spoke to a running coach about how I would get there my pbs for 5k/10k/half/full were 24/52/1:59/4:33.  He said it was possible but would require work, and to be in with a chance of going for a 3:35 marathon, I needed to have a 22 minute 5k, a 46 minute 10k, and a 1:38 half.

I haven't raced a half since this years spring marathon training, where I got a pb of 1:43, but my 5k and 10k times are now 21 and 44 minutes respectively.  With over 6 months to go until London marathon when I get to run from the good for age start, I'm feeling very optimistic that I'm going to meet my goal, and indeed exceed it.

Vo2 max monitors on my garmin suggest a 3:15 marathon is achievable.  Last year I turned my September half marathon pace into my April marathon pace.  I'm sure I can do that again, but as always will exercise the caution necessary for winter training.  With no races planned after my ultra in October, I can really start building the base now, and clocking into marathon pace.  I certainly remember 8:30 feeling tough this time last year, but now it's my easy run pace, so marathon pace of 7:30; it seems scary now, but I'm going to go for it.  As always the pace for race day will come from how well I've trained, but training toward a 3:15 will certainly build me up well to get that BQ and be on the start line in Boston in 2016