2012 USA Olympic Marathon Trials HoustonJan 9, 2012 by Alissa McKaig
Being slightly more aggressive
Being slightly more aggressive
Being slightly more aggressive
The Olympic Trials Marathon will be my third marathon, and I have to say I enjoyed the training this time around more than the other two build-ups. I am not sure it was for any one reason, but for a variety of reasons that came together and made for an enjoyable marathon cycle.
This time around, I was not training alone. I still did many of my workouts singularly, but I had teammates out there going through the same pain at the same time. That was certainly nice and encouraging. It can mean a lot, and be the difference between a good workout and just a mediocre one, to look up and see a friend working hard and grinding through a workout that is tough for you too. I know that I drew strength from my ZAP teammates, and I hope that they were able to derive some from me as well.
This marathon cycle was different and fun in that I got to experience a different training venue. ZAP moved south for the winter to FL and escaped the snow and ice in Blowing Rock. The change of scenery was really good for me.
However, I think that my favorite part of all was being slightly more aggressive with the training and my mileage. I did more miles than I ever have, and Pete, my coach, switched up some workouts. We added a few workouts with slightly more emphasis on speed that we haven't done before, but also added some workouts that were longer and forced me to focus differently. I enjoyed being pushed out of my comfort zone a bit and finding that I can handle more than I would have thought.
I am excited to race in Houston! I know that it is going to be tough, but it will be fun to mix it up with the best and see how it all goes down.
More athlete blogs for Olympic Marathon Trials
This time around, I was not training alone. I still did many of my workouts singularly, but I had teammates out there going through the same pain at the same time. That was certainly nice and encouraging. It can mean a lot, and be the difference between a good workout and just a mediocre one, to look up and see a friend working hard and grinding through a workout that is tough for you too. I know that I drew strength from my ZAP teammates, and I hope that they were able to derive some from me as well.
This marathon cycle was different and fun in that I got to experience a different training venue. ZAP moved south for the winter to FL and escaped the snow and ice in Blowing Rock. The change of scenery was really good for me.
However, I think that my favorite part of all was being slightly more aggressive with the training and my mileage. I did more miles than I ever have, and Pete, my coach, switched up some workouts. We added a few workouts with slightly more emphasis on speed that we haven't done before, but also added some workouts that were longer and forced me to focus differently. I enjoyed being pushed out of my comfort zone a bit and finding that I can handle more than I would have thought.
I am excited to race in Houston! I know that it is going to be tough, but it will be fun to mix it up with the best and see how it all goes down.
More athlete blogs for Olympic Marathon Trials
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