It’s Going Down at Phoenix!

Gaaahhhh!!!! I started this a few days ago and had no time to publish. I’m quickly scribbling stuff before I head off to the airport.

Because of work, I was focusing on getting through the week day by day. I wake in the morning and try to do my best to get through a rather long laundry list of responsibilities. I didn’t have time to stick my head up and look at the horizon.

January Training

It went pretty well! I had a 20-mile training run that was a HUGE confidence booster. I needed to hit a 9 mm pace and I nailed it!

Aside from one run that I skipped because I was feeling ill, I completed all my training runs. Some of the workouts I didn’t quite nail the pace, but overall I feel rather good that I did everything that I could do. I worked hard and didn’t shy away from pain.

Leah and I spoke on the phone to discuss this training cycle and goals for Phoenix. Before CIM, I had a couple of key races and training runs that all very clearly pointed toward what I was in shape for, so I was 100% confident in the pace I set out. I know what my plan is and I’m pretty sure about it, but I really would have loved it if I could have raced a half before Phoenix. Having an additional data point is not a bad thing. At this point, all I know is that I put in the work and what will be, will be. Barring the unexpected and bad luck, I’m in a good position to do well.

The Ridiculous

I will be wearing a brand new pair of Vaporfly 4% – my precious. I had been saving them for this race. I know they say no new things before a race, but they never had such ridiculous delicate shoes before. I kinda feel like my “old” Vaporfly doesn’t have the same bounce as it did before.

Drinking beet juice like it’s my job – don’t care if it’s a placebo. I am trying to control ALL THE CONTROLLABLE VARIABLES.

If runners care about every little ounce that’s in their shoes, then I can care about every ounce that’s on top of my head. I got a haircut. Seriously. Okay, I needed a haircut anyway, but I got it this week instead of next because you know, every ounce matters.

I understand that I’m a bit crazy, but  because of my work schedule and personal stuff, this is my last shot at attempting a BQ for a long long while. So, yeah, I have a lot of eggs in this basket.