LA Marathon | Goals

This is it, kids. It's marathon weekend. I've been training for this race since October, registered since November, and all of a sudden, it's here. While my nerves are nowhere near what they were for the first 26.2 mile adventure two years ago, it's still a sense of nervousness.

I'm stronger, smarter, and even a little faster than I was two years ago. I've trained smart (most of the time), have listened to my body on days I could push it and days I couldn't. I've PRed my 5K and 10K during training, a time where it isn't about speed but endurance. And I could have kept going.

So here's where nearly 500 miles of training over the last 500 months come to play: the stadium to the sea.

All weekend, they've been blasting the 10-day forecast everywhere and are expecting near-record, if not record, highs for the weekend. Awesome. Considering the corrals don't start until 7:25 am, that's already a late start if it's going to be that hot. While I'm bearing that in mind, I'm sticking with my original goals for the race. Ready? Here goes.

Goal A: 4:20
My one and only marathon time is currently a 4:58. I was undertrained, not smart, and though I made my goals, I knew I could have done better. In hindsight, I'm not sure I could have... but now? I'm ready. 4:20 is a 38-minute PR (HUGE), and still only a 9:54 mile. I know I am fully capable of maintaining such an average over 26.2 miles.

Goal B: 4:30
But should the heat get to me, there's always a Plan B, right? A 10:17 average mile would get me to a 4:30 finish time, which is still a super-stellar 28-minute PR. Seriously? Also totally acceptable in my head.

Goal C: Just Get Me a PR
And, well, because we always know that race day can throw whatever it wants your way, I'd just be happy with knowing I did better than the first time around. While I know that I'm smarter, stronger, better than two years ago, you really don't ever know what race day will throw at you, and sometimes you just gotta roll with the punches and play the cards you're dealt. If worse comes to worse, a PR is good enough for me!

It's scary putting these out there. It's scary knowing that it's already here, when I thought 5 months would drag on. This has been such a great focus for me, especially as I've ridden the ups and downs of job searching, which has been a marathon all its own. And it's all coming to an end... or at least in 2 days, 26.2 miles. Eep!

Meanwhile, I'll be working the expo on Friday evening and Saturday morning for Sparkly Soul
, so come say hi and get your sparkly goodness! Otherwise, see you on the course, or at an aid tent or the finish line!

You can also track me here - I'm bib #E9137. You can track online, and if we're Facebook friends, my feed will update for me. You can also follow me on Twitter, where my splits and updates will be. Send me some love - while I won't be reading 'em, I know they'll be coming! 

Are you running LA? Spectating? Watching from the comfort of your couch, thanks to it being televised in LA?