Run, Baby, Run!

I know you're all anxiously awaiting my Physique 57 v. Exhale post and, I swear, it's coming soon. In the meantime, though, my awesome l'il sis - let's call her Little Belle - ran the San Diego Marathon on May 31 and qualified for the Boston Marathon in April. Woohoo! Here's the scoop:

GB: Generally speaking, how did the San Diego Marathon compare to the New York Marathon? Any major differences?
LB: I think the San Diego Marathon is typically known as a faster marathon than NY. San Diego has a few noticeable hills, but the end of the race is mostly flat. NY, on the other hand, has hills pretty much throughout (bridges are tricky!) and a difficult finish. San Diego definitely felt faster to me, but I also trained much harder this time around. On a side note, runners that prefer the cold should be wary of San Diego. We lucked out with a cloudy day, but it can get hot there.

GB: Your goal was to qualify for Boston, and you made it. Did you know throughout the race that you were on pace to qualify?
LB: My (incredibly awesome) coach gave me a race plan with goals for the 5, 10, 15 and 20 mile markers. Because of the pre-established goals, I knew I was pretty much on target the whole race. The "scary" thing was that the race plan was counting on a negative split (meaning faster splits as the race progresses). So, while I knew I was on target at any given point, I also knew I had to go faster make the next goal. By mile 23, I was fairly confident that I was going to make it.

GB: Were there any points where you got nervous about the time?
LB: At the half, my time was 1:50:25, which seemed fairly frightening. But I decided that since it was within the goal markers my coach had provided I was ok, and just concentrated on the plan instead.

GB: Did you do anything differently to prepare this time?
LB: This time around I trained with a team, which I think made all the difference. Without the team, I definitely would not have done all the speed workouts and the hill workouts. At the end of the day, those are what make you faster. I also ran several more 'long runs' this time. Last time I did one 18 miler and one 20 miler. This time I did 2 18s, 1 19 and 2 20s. I wouldn't necessarily suggest this tactic, as it definitely puts you at risk for injury more often. However, it was definitely a confidence booster and confidence approaching the race is nearly as important as training.

GB: What are your goals now for Philly and Boston?
LB: I haven't really established any time goals for the Half Marathons I'm running this year (NY, Philly and Disney). My only real goal is to get you to run one! As for Boston, it's far enough away that I'm not thinking about it yet. But knowing my competitive side, I'll probably go for a PR. (That's a Personal Record).

GB: Any advice for wannabe marathoners?
LB: If you want to run a marathon, but are nervous or doubtful, I'd suggest training with a team. I've trained with and without a team and it really helps to have coaches who really know what they're talking about, as well as teammates who are in the same boat as you. Personally, I've had great experiences with Team in Training, so I'd definitely recommend that to anyone who is interested.

Congratulations again, Little Belle! As for me running a marathon, I've got my eye on the half marathon in Disney... I'll keep you posted.

-Gym Belle-