keyboard rust buster

For the fact that out of all my marathons, which is really the highlight of these blog posts, my neglect to recap my first marathon major, Boston 2012, I take to these keys to try and regain a bit of familiarity in how to write because I have a second chance to recap the oldest marathon in the world once more. 

for 16 weeks I have sustained a solid cycle of marathon training that will culminate this Monday in the first ever non April Boston Marathon that has ever been run. 

I don't need to explain Covid to anyone, and if anyone reads this decades later i'm sure everything that has been upside down and unprecedented since March of 2020 will surely be aware as well through the history books. But all that to say, that is why this is happening now. 

Boston was, still to this day, the hardest thing I ever did in 2012, given the high heat. Thought i would never go back, or at least not until much much later. But the nice ring of 125th, the unique October date, and having a good base from the last few years of consistent running, well the time was right to go back. 

a few notables for this race, come Monday: 
    

    -this will be my 10th marathon

    -this will be my only second repeated marathon (charlotte in 2010 and 2011)

    -i've never PR'd more than 3 times in a row. Monday is the chance to make it 4 PRs in a row

The last marathon cycle that brought me a PR of 2:50 was the fist time i ever used a coach and a given training plan. This time I modeled my training off of it, but allowed more flexibility. My overall mileage was a bit lower, but I think I'm still in the same shape, hoping better, than I was given the compounded build that really only had a spring with some lighter running that came between the two cycles. 

Today I just finished my last real run until the race. I'll do a little shake out Sunday but that will be very short and sweet. Yesterday I had my last little "workout" and I was a bit upset how my legs didn't feel that great like I thought they should given the taper. But today, my legs felt light, crisp, fast, and my body felt strong and my breathing and heart rate easy. 

I look forward to taking it all in, and coming back to write about it after I'm done. 

-Daniel