18 October 2011

The Agenda

Next up will be Rock n Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon on December 4.


the Strip at night.

I plan to not have any fun and have it be all about the running... unless I can convince Dolvett (one of my newest Twitter followers...and my phone wallpaper) to let me and THE Blonde Ponytail and that Shut Up and Run girl pace him :) you do know I'm kidding about the 'no fun' part, right?

He's so smiley because he just realized who we are ;-)
Yes, Dolvett... WE want to pace YOU.

I will finally begin incorporating speedwork into my workouts so that I might actually gain some... errrr... speed. And I think my PowerCranks will be seeing some regular action, too. Let's see if those puppies make a nice difference.

I have a time goal, and it isn't simply sub-2... BTDT even if the race officials didn't know it ;-) Thanks, Road Warrior... I couldn't have put it any better... you're a genius with words! I'm not saying what the new goal is yet because really no one cares but me :P  but I'll be steppin' lively every Tuesday (or thereabouts) in attempt to quicken things up.

A 5K Turkey Trot is likely to happen along the way... Thanksgiving does happen before December 4 and I would like to test out the fruits of my speedwork labor. My time goal for that is 24 minutes flat. HA! I just made myself choke on my drink :P But seriously... 24 flat. That would be a 4 minute and 52 second improvement over my 5K PR from last Thanksgiving. Okay...scratch that. Let's go for an even 5-minute improvement... let's make that time goal 23:52... why the heck not? I hope AM from Feet in Motion is hosting her race again this year... I had so much fun doing it last year :)

And... I am going to participate in the Oakland Marathon Relay again in March 2012. Such a cool thing... it's part of the Oakland Running Festival. If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, it's definitely worth checking out. I'll be really ramping up my speedwork in anticipation of that one. I am hoping to have improved my pace by 2 whole minutes per mile over the same distance (Leg 2) as last year. HA! I sure hope someone in my house knows the Heimlich Maneuver... now I'm choking on my food!

But all of these little things are merely a part of My Big Plan.

Yes.

A full marathon.

Sure, sure... some of my readers do these alllllll the time. And okay, okay... some of my readers think I am totally loco and wonder where all the cute kid stories and granny's gadgets videos have gone.

The first group... you are all rockstars! You win the Multiple Marathon game :) The second group... I love you, too! Please don't worry! All that stuff is still here... I gave you some yesterday! There will be more soon... I promise :)

You may be wondering, "Gee, XL... which marathon are you going to do?"

*drumroll*

I am still undecided.

It was going to be Avenue of the Giants. I was convinced this was The One. But I've heard some things...things that make it less appealing :( ... sort of like seeing your hot new boyfriend pick his nose and eat it.

Now it's looking like Eugene.

Tell me, people...


which would you do and why?


If you've done either, what did you like or dislike about the race... course and other?


I'm looking for a "happy birthday/PR" course for a marathon on either the last weekend of April or the first two weekends in May...any other suggestions?

26 comments:

  1. Let me know how the speedwork (power cranks) works out. I've been also trying to improve my turtle-like pace with some short sprints and the occasional frog hops (no laughing). So far it's not had a huge impact so I'm on the lookout for better options ;)

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  2. Too bad I'm not on twitter (well, technically I am but not really). The possibility of Dolvette being a follower almost makes me want to start tweeting!

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  3. Anxiously awaiting the answer to your questions.

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  4. I did the Eugene Marathon last May and loved it! It's a beautiful flat course with TONS of spectator support. And you can't beat finishing on the Hayward Field Track. The only negative is that last year's race t-shirt really sucked. But I complained about it, so hopefully that will be rectified by next year.

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  5. I haven't heard anything about the Ave of the Giants, so I can't weigh in on that. I think you should run Eugene (cuz I'm going to run it too), and bring your BFF Dolvett with you (pretty please?)...

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  6. I dont have any marathon locale suggestions...BUT, I did want to say WOO HOO! Great goal for a marathon...and an even GREATER goal to do a full marathon! Can't wait to read about your progress!

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  7. I haven't done either, but you're going to kick ass at whichever marathon you choose...GO YOU!

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  8. My Hubby ran Eugene in 2010 and LOVED it. I was a mere spectator at the race (one of the few races we haven't both run). I was able to run a couple of blocks and cheer him on at miles 0, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 13 -- or some crazy combination like that. The course is very flat, and does some loops that make spectator appreciation very easy. It's also BEAUTIFUL in Eugene, and there are some excellent vineyards not too far away...

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  9. I wish I was doing a marathon so I could tell you! I can't even run 3 miles without stopping. Boo on me.

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  10. My husband did Avenue of the Giants as his first. Here's what I recall from him. Pros: beautiful; small. Cons: last 1/4 of the race was uphill; it's 2 out-and-back loops, so there's really only crowd support at the start/half/finish. A lot of people also had trouble getting to the start in time last year, but we stayed about an hour away and arrived an hour before the gun, and there were no issues.

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  11. I'm glad everyone in the universe got name checked except me. Makes me feel even more homesick from 2500 miles away sitting on my hotel bed trying to stay connected to my normal world. Though the sheets are 400 thread count. And the Gerolsteiner sparkling water is FREE.

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  12. JUST 24 flat? You've got a faster 5k in you. :) (Faster than 23:52, even.)

    Yay, Oakland! I'm excited for the half. :)

    You ladies & your Dolvett obsession. Sheesh. :)

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  13. Oh, goodness, he's so nice to look at.

    You have so many fun things coming up! :)

    With my VAST marathon experience (all of one!), I'd suggest one that will have good crowd support. The one my brother and I did was well staffed, but there was barely anyone cheering on the sidelines, and that last 13.1 miles was REALLY sparse.

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  14. I did the Eugene Women's Half Marathon as my first back in August of 2010. Eugene is beautiful and mostly flat. The energy of the cheer sections are spectacular and I would definitely recommend Eugene as the city to hold your first 26.2. It will be one to remember!!

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  15. You are going to rock a full!!! Oh boy though I might run a slow half at RNR Vegas if I was running with Dolvett...I mean why would you want that to end!?

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  16. I've heard Eugene is awesome. My hubby and I have some friends out there that we'd love to visit. We'd love to run the half someday.

    I'm taking on my first marathon next year, too... probably Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN in June. I'm also putting Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon on my calendar later in the year.

    I'm looking forward to reading about your training.

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  17. No marathon experience but I have heard nothing but great things about Eugene. I have no doubt you'll do great no matter which marathon you choose!

    And you know if you get Dolvett to RNRLV I will kick myself for not registering! (I am giddy that I can now call him a follower!)

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  18. I have a friend who did Avenue of the Giants and though it is a relatively "small" marathon, she loved it and thought it was very pretty. I think it depends on if you like a big marathon (I do) with lots of support along the way or if you like a smaller, more scenic race where you can get in touch with your inner self more. Your bud, the rower woman from your past, PR'd at Eugene so I'm guessing you may want to beat her butt!! :)

    Take each race as it comes and don't get too far ahead of yourself. You will get faster, you will!

    :)

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  19. Hands down Eugene!!! Because I will be there with a sign just for you! Waylon is running it and so are many other bloggers. Do it!! yay! Wahooo! Also, dang, every time I come here, your blog is getting bigger and bigger and you have more and more comments for me to scroll through before I get to comment. don't forget me when you get all big and famous. ;)

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  20. I can't wait for your recap!!!!!!!!! and I love your gadjets ;P lol

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  21. There are a bunch in Ohio during that time, Dunno if you are looking to travel or not

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  22. I say go big - pick a race and/or location that will be really fun and memorable. I decided to do my first full this year, so I wanted it to be a full blown big deal somewhere with lots of crowd support and a course and scenery that would keep me interested (not too flat and boring). So I picked Pittsburgh, May 6th. I need to travel 2500 miles to get there, but it is where I'm originally from, the crowd is supposed to be amazing, and the sites in the different neighborhoods will keep me going for sure.

    I start training in a few weeks and will have to steal some tips from you.

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  23. Eugene. I want to run that race so bad! You are going to be awesome! Maternity compression tights and all! Hugs!

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  24. I So wish I were running that one with you! I'll run on the beach in FL instead. :)

    Turkey Trot 5k prediction: 23:46. Yes ma'am! I'm expecting to see that exact number by the way. It's a lucky number, I promise. ;)

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  25. D-train will chase us won't he?!!! IF not, you bet I will chase him! You'll have to distract Coach tho! maybe jump up and down with your MC bra??

    Eugene is your bitch.

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  26. Newport beach marathon in oregon. June 4th. Point to point made for marathoners. Haven't been there but will be there in 2012.

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