One week to go and the waiting game is in full swing. The last two weeks before a marathon can be very looonnngggg. Less running, more energy, less sleep, more thinking. I used to dread the last couple of weeks before a marathon but I am learning to embrace them more and more, realizing that these two weeks are the most important of my entire buildup. Rest is the secret. I'm not afraid to share that because I want to see every guy at the Olympic Marathon Trials breakthrough and if I can help play any part in that than I will.

I constantly remind myself that resting takes confidence. Anyone can train like a mad man but to embrace rest and to allow all the hard training to come out takes mental strength. Rest can be further complicated by the process of not feeling particularly good when you first back down. I have had some pretty trashy workouts before major marathons but none worse than three days prior to this years Boston Marathon.

I traveled to Boston 4 days before the race. Three days prior to the race I woke up at 6 am Boston time (3 am California time) to do my last pre-race workout, which consists of 2 miles run at marathon pace then 6 descending quarters. Coach Mahon always had us do this workout before all our major marathons and I like it so I have stuck with it. Anyways, I headed out the door and ran my tempo in like 10:10 for 2 miles and it felt all out. My initial thought was, 'I am so screwed.' Of coarse I convinced myself it was just because my body was still asleep on California time before I began my 400s, which didn't go any better. I remember jogging back after that workout thinking that even though I had the worst workout in marathon buildup it really didn't change anything for me, after all I had run nearly 65 minutes for a half marathon 4 weeks earlier. Lucky for me my confidence comes from my God not from my workouts. This doesn't mean I never have moments of wavering confidence it just means that when I do I realize its because my confidence has shifted to coming from my workouts not my Papa. I'm learning to do a better job of keeping my eyes set on Him, the only one who gives me unwavering confidence. 


More athlete blogs for Olympic Marathon Trials