What’s Next?

So I’ve got to admit something. Ever since the L.A. Marathon back in March, I have been running without any real goal or purpose. I thought I’d be able to just run. Run for fun. Get better. Drop a few pounds. But truth be told – I don’t like running enough to just run for the fun of it. To be successful at this running thing I *need* that goal race on the calendar.

For the last few weeks I’ve been struggling with this. I pulled together 3 40 mile weeks. I was ready to pull together a fourth. If I had, I most certainly would have crashed and burned on the Streets of San Francisco*. I realized last week that something is really out of whack. I’m paying for races like they are going out of style, but I’m not performing anywhere close to where I was a year ago. Then it occurred to me – an old saying from my early days in Management Consulting - “Plan the work, then work the plan.” What plan?

So here goes – I’m going to lay the foundation for the rest of the plan today. My goal race will be the Bishop High Sierra Ultramarathon. Fifty something (either kms or miles – I haven’t decided yet) in the beauty of the Sierra Nevada. May 21, 2011. 42 weeks away. Assuming that there will be a 20 week training cycle leading up to my attempt at 50 something, that leaves 22 weeks of training/racing. Which means enough time for 2 half marathons, or one marathon and a few weeks recovery. Time to search Raceplace for some viable options!

This does mean that the L.A. Marathon 2011 may be a bit suspect now – it depends how it works in. I’ll know more in a week once the whole plan is laid out.

* Special reference for us 50 somethings. Who remembers what actor got his big break alongside Karl Malden in that TV series?