ONE DAY OUT - 2015 PORTLAND MARATHON PREVIEW

Finishing the Vancouver Marathon in 2014. I won't have to worry about rain on Sunday? Bonking? That's a different story.

Well, the day is almost upon me. My third Portland Marathon and fourth ever 26.2 is just hours away. I'm a little more prepared than I thought I would be earlier in the summer so that does feel nice. My training wasn't the greatest, but I think I have enough base miles and experience in me that it shouldn't be too big of a problem. For a blow by blow of the course, you can read my 2013 race preview here. The course is identical again this year so I'm not going to waste your time with all that unless you want to refresh your memory.

The smile is lies. All lies.

Overall, Portland isn't too difficult of a course. I've heard people call it "hard," but I know it could get a lot worse. Basically you have a flat first mile, two miles gradually uphill (which I never feel since it's the beginning), two miles downhill (weeee), then eleven miles that are relatively flat. There is a challenging bridge climb at mile 16.5, then it is pretty flat until 22. One mile downhill, a short bridge climb, then flat to the finish. The only hill of any significance in my mind is the bridge at 16.5. The downhill at mile 22 is also pretty steep and never feels as good as it sounds.

My strategy this year will be again to stick with the pacer. Last year I ran with the 3:25 pacers, who were going to fast, and that kind of shot my race. This year I'll try to stay with the 3:35 group. Hopefully they go the right speed (8:22/mile) and I'll just be able to zone out and let them pace me so I don't have to think about it. I know it'll feel too slow at the beginning, but I just have to try and trust the process. The last two marathons I started quicker than anticipated and it came back to bite me in the ass, so time to try the other route.

Hopefully that'll get me over the St. John's Bridge feeling pretty decent. I remember feeling pretty good that first year, although I started to hurt shortly after the bridge. Luckily I was in good enough shape not to slow down very much. Last year I was already almost shot at the bridge. So hopefully I can get there feeling more like that first year and have a similar finish. We'll see. If on the off chance I'm feeling good once I'm across the bridge, I'll let the reigns go. I highly doubt I'll feel good enough to start running faster, but I won't allow myself to even entertain the thought until I'm up and over that bridge.

Some inspiration for you.
Plotting starting with the
3:35 pace group, falling
off pace a bit in the 20s,
but still getting 3:39.

All this week I have had people asking me about the marathon. Eventually the topic turns to my goal time and then comparing it to last year. When everyone hears that I'll finish somewhat slower they get this concerned and disappointed look on their face. First of all, I'm sorry for running 26 miles at 8:20/mile (let's hope!). Second, I was in super good shape last year and motivated. I was at the tail end of three consecutive marathon training cycles without much of a break and really on top of my game.

This year, my body broke down trying to transition to my fourth consecutive training cycle. I took some time off and when I came back I was slower and not nearly as motivated. I've seen what it's going to take to get really fast (sub 3:20s) and I don't have the drive in me. I'm not blessed much natural talent so it would take so much work to get down there. And I just don't love running that much. So running a 3:02 to qualify for Boston? No way. That dream, if it was ever a dream, is out the window.

So that leads me to where I am today. Last year a 3:40 marathon put someone in the top 11%. I should never feel bad about finishing in the top 11% of a major marathon. All told, I like where I am physically. With some work maybe next year I can get back to trying for a sub 3:30. Maybe not. We'll see. If I'm still running I'll call that a victory.

Last year I ran a 3:33. Maybe with a cooler day I get that 3:29, but it was not to be. This year the weather looks exactly the same, so my comparative results should be similar. If you plug in my time from the Corvallis Fall Festival Run this year and compare it with last year on the McMillan Running Calculator, it gives you a potential marathon time of seven minutes slower. I feel I gave the same effort each year, so it was a good comparison. And funny enough, when I add that to my time last year it lines up exactly with the goal I was floating in my head.

GOALS:

"A" Goal: 3:39:59 or less. Given my current level of fitness, getting in the 3:30s would be a great time. I wish I as quick as last year, but that is not the reality of the situation and trying to run like I was would be a recipe for disaster. It is still a great time and in the top 11% of finishers. This is 8:22/mile or quicker.

"B" Goal: 3:44:59 or less. This was going to be my main goal for most of the summer but in the last month or so I decided to shoot for a sub 3:40 instead. Should I miss my "A" goal for any reason, I can be satisfied with this time. To achieve this requires a 8:33/mile pace over 26.2 miles, no laughing matter. Barring a total meltdown I would like to get this time or better.

"C" Goal: 3:59:59 or less. I'll lead with the fact that no matter what, as long as I finish, I have something to be proud of. Doing a marathon is no joke. So if I blow up on my way to a 4:15, there is no shame. However, I can have a mini-blowup and still be under four hours. So if the race doesn't go my way for whatever reason and I'm really struggling, I'll adjust my goals and go for the popular "sub 4" mark. This is 9:07/mile or quicker.