Race Expectations

With the Oakland Running Festival this weekend, and me attempting to complete my 4th marathon in the last 4 months (10th overall), some expectations come into play. I feel like I am on a good pace to continue improving my marathon time. here are my last 3 finish times:

Dec. 4:40:41 (5 min. PR)
Jan. 4: 29:13 (11 min. PR)
Feb. (50k Ultra) 7:19:34 (14 min PR)

As you can see, improving each time I go out is a goal of mine and has been a pattern as I continue to train harder and get faster. But am I setting myself up for disappointment by trying to finish faster EVERY time? I did have a fun run last October dressed as Michael Jackson finishing a half marathon 13 or so minutes slower than my PR, but I was in costume so it was easy to slow my pace and have fun.

This race is more challenging (in terms of topography) than my last two marathons (Sac. CIM and PHX Rock n Roll) so it will be an uphill battle for the first 10 miles. Over the last month, I have definitely worked in some more hill training so I feel prepared, but it will still be a factor none-the-less.

So, what is the time goal for the Oakland Running Festival? 4:20 — with a more realistic approach being 4:25.

I'm pretty good at judging what my body is ready for, but I tend to set the goal a few minutes faster to motivate me to reach beyond what is expected. I'll keep you posted with status updates via Facebook.

An extra thank you to the Oakalnd Running Festival Race Director Gene Brtalik for inviting me to participate and promote the race through Pure Fit Radio.