Racing has never been my thing. I love running so much that saying that I love running is an understatement. But racing? Meh. I could really take it or leave it. There’s a different feeling that comes with races, and I’m sure it’s mostly the after effects of running competitively for the entirety of my adolescence, but I sense this pressure to impress, and it overwhelms my self-critical mind.mple A, I raced this weekend! I ran the 37th Annual Sap Run, which crosses the 8.5 miles, all straight down Rt. 7, from Swanton to St. Albans, VT. As usual, I was overthinking it for several days beforehand and was super on edge, especially because I hadn’t participated in a race since October. But it went okay. It definitely hurt, but probably because pushing the pace for 8.5 miles is different than seeing how fast I can go for 20. The miles ticked by fast, which I also accredit to marathon training (8.5, that’s it?). I am still waiting on an official time but based on my watch, I kept a faster pace than I had planned to, so I was happy. Plus there was a maple candy stand right next to the finish line. All finish lines should have that. I think the scent actually grabs you and pulls you in like some kind of maple gravity.

Four weeks out, nothing is too new in training. My race plus a warmup and cooldown were my “long run” this week, followed by the usual little bit of speed work, little bit of easy running. Next week is my last long run and from there, it’s all downhill. It’s crazy to think that we’re less than a month away from marathon day!

Until next time!