We bought new bicycles last weekend. They are cruisers suited to bike around the neighborhood and go out for coffee. They are comfortable bikes. They are easy bikes. I have already named my bike. Tortuga. It means tortoise; slow and steady and relaxed and comfortable. We went out for a smooth, easy 5-mile ride in our neighborhood last Sunday.
This coming Saturday (November 4, 2017) is the Revel Canyon City Marathon. It’s a downhill race. Yesterday, against my best judgment, I signed up for it! If you read my Chicago Marathon Race Report from a few weeks ago, you know that I ran injured. I couldn’t give it my full effort. I had no choice but to take it easy. I trained hard for it until my bicycle accident a week before the race.
So now, almost a whole month after the Chicago Marathon, I have my chance to go all out. I feel like I have recovered fully and am ready. My heart-rate is flirting higher by a few beats but I’m chalking that up to the heat here in Arizona. I need 3:40 to qualify for Boston 2019 and I need another 5 minutes of buffer. I feel like I have 3:35 in me especially on the downhill track of the Canyon City Marathon in Azusa, California.
The first 13 miles of the race are straight downhill. My plan is to bank a few minutes (which is never a good idea) and then hang on for dear life to finish under 3:35. There are two uphill portions at mile 17 and mile 20 which will test my mettle. If I arrive relatively fresh at mile 17 and take it easy during the uphill, I may have a chance. It will depend on what shows up after that!
The weather calls for rain and a gentle head-wind of around 7MPH. The temperature will be in the 40s. I’ll freeze my ass off for the first few miles. Joy! If you are interested in following my progress, you can track me here!
I expect to drive my Tesla on Friday and arrive into Azusa at around 4PM (including 2 or 3 stops at charging stations). I’ll pick up my bib and some pasta for dinner. I’ll prep for the race and go to bed early. On Saturday, I will be up at the crack of down to catch the bus at around 5AM to get to the starting line at around 6AM. The race starts at 7AM on Saturday, November 4.
I hope to run the race under 3:35, go back to the hotel, take a shower, eat something and then drive back home. It all sounds like a crazy plan but I can pull it off!
Oh, and check out this official SixStar Certificate that arrived by email last week. Cool, right?
