Success by Failure

Goal Time: 2:19:00

Finish Time: 2:21:28

I'm calling this post "Success by Failure". It was not a successful venture today in terms of hitting my goal time, but like any running event that a runner enters, there are several goals. The ultimate would have been to come across that finish line in less than 2 hours, 19 minutes. It was not meant to be today. And although that may be failure to reach a goal, another goal was accomplished. "Staying in contact". That was what I kept repeating to myself when it became apparent I would not reach my goal time. Although I wasn't completely sure I wouldn't until the final mile, I had hints that it would be difficult as early on as mile 8 or 9. I knew I was falling behind in time, but today was successful because I was "staying in contact" with my goal time.

2 minutes, 28 seconds is a lot of time, but consider this. 21 seconds faster per mile over the next 8 miles would get me to my goal in the marathon. Of course that is no easy task, but here are some facts that I considered when thinking of today as a whole:

1. 
   
   I just ran eighteen (18) miles six days ago. My legs barely recovered from that training run.


2. 
   
   In addition, I ran a hard five miler on Thursday.


3. 
   
   The first 3.7 miles of this race (Just a Short Run) was a nightmare for the 30k participants. All 30k runners started 1/2 mile behind the 5k runners/walkers and half marathon runners. In a few minutes we caught up to that "wall" of runners and walkers and we probably zig-zagged an extra half mile going in and out of those folks. Not the best situation.


4. 
   
   I broke a few runners rules leading up to this length of a race. I did not taper my training at all. I meant to punish myself at this point (5 weeks to go). I inserted this race in place of a 20 mile training run, and actually 'raced' this race. I also took body glide and gels with me, and left them in the car. What an idiot!


5. 
   
   All those things considered and I narrowly missed my goal time speaks volumes for me. It doesn't guarantee a BQ time, but I'm confident that with 5 weeks to go, I'm still in the neighborhood. It's definintely possible and I proved that to myself today.

Sure, it will be difficult and I've got a very tough 21 days in front of me, but I'm going to work hard and give it my best shot. Had I come across the line another 2 minutes later, I doubt I'd feel this way, but knowing that I stayed "within 2 minutes" of my goal time and that was the secondary goal, I failed as well as succeeded today.