Digging Deep for Chicago

It's that time again. Each time it comes on suddenly. First, I have plenty of weeks to train for my planned marathon. And then it's late and I'm not putting on enough mileage and I'm behind where I think I should be and I pull out my training schedule from my last marathon and it seems woefully inadequate to bring me to a stronger faster 26.2 miles come race day. This is where I find myself yet again.

Mile 16 or so, 2013 Steamtown Marathon

I will run the 2014 Chicago Marathon on October 12th, an intense, running-filled, glorious, achy 15 weeks from today. Chicago will be my 7th marathon and I'd think I'd have this figured out by now. But here I am. 

I often find myself days before a shorter race contemplating my race strategy, panicking just a bit and, of course, berating myself for not taking this particular race more seriously. And while not optimum and probably a key reason why I'm not more competitive, I have a strong enough base to "wing it" and survive on all race distances up to and including a half marathon. 

There is no winging it for a full marathon. Not for me, anyway. Strategy and training plans must be sorted out now and my legs must cover the 400+ miles that lie between me and marathon day (and yeah, I just added up the miles in a customized training plan and it revealed an astounding 400 miles over the next fifteen weeks).

My 10.1 miles in the Brooklyn heat this morning felt sluggish. Uninspired. Somewhere deep down shines a bright gem of strength and motivation and love of this wonderful sport that I know will pull me through the training miles and set my toes on the starting line in Chicago. Now to dig deep and find it. Training starts tomorrow.