Change of Plan

In my last post of nearly two weeks ago, I noted that we had both completed a ten mile run in preparation for the Bethel Half Marathon on October 12.  "It has been an unusually steep climb up the slope of this training plan to the summit of a final long run," I said, "Still three miles short of the distance of a half marathon.  But it succeeded in making us confident that we could complete the race in two weeks time."

Now that those two weeks have nearly elapsed, I have reconsidered that confidence.  I ran six miles last Saturday, and three-mile runs twice this week, and after due consideration it has become apparent to me that, while I could complete a half marathon by walking and running at a 13-minute pace, I have no desire to do that.  If I'm going to run a race, I want to do my very best, and there has simply not been enough time for me to adequately train for a half marathon after the layoff this summer following hernia surgery and our trip to Britain and Ireland.  Also, the risk of injury would be too great in running a race that I am unprepared to run, and I don't want to miss the rest of our racing season.  So last night I sent an e-mail to the Race Director asking if it was too late to switch to the 5-K Saturday.  I received an immediate reply:   "Hi Richard! Not too late at all. I will log in and switch you now."  So it is done.

Martha, on the other hand, buoyed up by her silver medal in the Senior Games, will have no problem completing the half marathon despite her own lack of runs longer than ten miles.  For myself, I hope to at least run the 5-K as fast as I did last year, and I am looking at a series of shorter races this fall, leading up to Atlantic Beach this winter and the Crystal Coast Half Marathon on March 7.

It's good to have goals.  But it's good to have realistic goals.

Both the 5-K and the half marathon courses at Bethel are beautiful, mostly on two-lane roads out in the countryside east of Waynesville.  I ran my first half marathon there, way back in 1998, and went on to run it three more times, as well as completing the 5-K last year.  I hope to be prepared for the half marathon next year.  The weather forecast is good, with temperatures expected to be in the low 50s, and we are looking forward to the race.