This is my 4th marathon and my 2nd within 4 months. I ran CIM in December and I wanted to qualify for Boston but I was injured the 3 weeks leading up to that marathon but I definitely wasn't ready to hit the mark of under 3 hours. BUT that didn't not stop me from trying. I went out in the first 3 miles under 7 minute mile pace and I slowly faded till the half marathon at 1:39 and that's when I decided to shut it down and try my luck at LA Marathon.
My training was more consistent but I never got the speed I wanted. I ended up hitting a 70 mile week 6 weeks out from LAM so I decide to take the next week super easy and did strength training. Ironically the strength training ended up flaring my knee with what appeared to be the same injury before CIM. I decide to take a 2 week break but I still feel hurt so I see a friend about my knee and find out that it was runners knee and he gave me some exercises to help. The pain subsided but my knee is still super sour and weak in the leading weeks before the marathon. The goal for LA was now to PR and finish. My first two marathons I did not properly train for them. I really just ran them so my PR was 3:51:36. Here is the break down of my race:
Pre-race it was nice finding some familiar faces from Koreatown Run Club for me to relax and talk with before the race started. I lined up with the 4 hour 40 minute pace group because that was the farthest up I could get.
I realized that the 3:20 and 3:30 pacers were around 10 minutes off their marks since I finished with the 3:20 pacer.
I only stopped at around mile 2 to pee but otherwise I ran the whole way and I didn't cramp. At every water station I made sure to try to take 2 big gulps of water while running past any water station so I'm sure that tributed to me not cramping during the run.
Looking at today Wednesday 3/20 I'm feeling some sourness but I'm oddly able to run and move pretty well. I think these are just good signs that I can do more. Looking at my mile splits I'm pretty even throughout my entire run. I'll continue to aim for sub 3 hours but for now I don't have any marathon plans for the future... yet.
Right now I'll continue to find my joy in running, eat properly, and try to build up my speed.
I only stopped at around mile 2 to pee but otherwise I ran the whole way and I didn't cramp. At every water station I made sure to try to take 2 big gulps of water while running past any water station so I'm sure that tributed to me not cramping during the run.
Looking at today Wednesday 3/20 I'm feeling some sourness but I'm oddly able to run and move pretty well. I think these are just good signs that I can do more. Looking at my mile splits I'm pretty even throughout my entire run. I'll continue to aim for sub 3 hours but for now I don't have any marathon plans for the future... yet.
Right now I'll continue to find my joy in running, eat properly, and try to build up my speed.