PPM Goals 2011

Previously.

So, I have discussed at length here my mindset, my training, the balance I try to maintain, etc.  No need to revisit all that.

I have been accused already of sandbagging my performance expectations, but there are a variety of measures that make it clear that I am not quite where I was last year physically.  My miles are down (unless you count airline miles), the personal performances I see on various courses and workouts are slower, and I have spent significantly less days at higher altitude.  And, perhaps most importantly, it is an odd year.  As in it is 2011.

But – whatever. 

I am where I am.  I can’t change that.  I can only execute as well as I can with what I got on race day.  Physically, I might not be as strong coming to the line as I have been, but I can look to play the cagey vet.  To that end, the key lessons that I wrote in last year’s post really apply.  For me to have my best day, I need to go with all of those … and maybe a few more (and so picking up numbering from last year)

7.)  You will see guys you expect to be with and want to race.  Be very careful …  in other words, I need to run my own race.  I am not going to outright say, “let all those guys go” because there will come a time for me to race them and going with them and picking a good fight will be the right thing.  But chances are that is a bit later in the race than earlier.  The temptation for me to race from the gun will be there but I need to run that first part with my head – not my heart.

8.)  Remember the Double.  In 2008 I ran the Double.  My Ascent on day 2 was horrible, probably more because I was mentally fried than physically beat.  I recall facing the mountain at the start of the Marathon and feeling its weight.  I was incredibly aware of the task ahead because I had encountered it in full force (including a blizzard) the day before. But a funny thing happened when I got to the top.  I was very able to run the down very strong (my best descent ever, including a change of shoes – arguably it helped that it was cooler temps too).   The key lesson here:  I look to reach the top pretty damn quickly.  In other words, I don’t think there is a huge difference in what I do for the ascent in the Marathon and what I could do outright.  But that, I think impact my down a bit more.  The first three miles down last year were tough – and effectively put a big dent in my chances at a sub 4:30.  I have come to think that had I gone up maybe even a little slower, say 2:50, I would have been a bit stronger to pull off a sub 1:40 down.  I have to mused on what this is, but I think given my state I will look to be a bit off on the Ascent, with the goal of digging a bit deeper on the down.

9.)  Hydrate and eat on the down.  I have sucked at this ever year and I think I need to be a bit better at it to ensure strong performance all way through the race end.  Of course, this starts before the down, but I think I feel so crappy on the down I tend to neglect it … and hence make it worse.

So, finish goals.

D.)  Finish.  Sounds ridiculous but there is that situation where all the shit goes wrong and just getting home is the very very real possibility.  I don’t want to get so cocky to think that this is a given.  It is a possibility that I can be walking a lot of this if I jack myself with a fall.  Yes, I will be wearing the gloves.

C.)  Sub five hour finish.  I go back and forth as to if this is the most realistic expectation for me given the year I have had or if this ought to be an easy outcome.  Of course, there have been years (odd years) that this has been the outcome.  I might just need to be thankful if that is the case.  There have been times when 3 hours up has been a real bear.  Other times it has been easy.  We’ll see.
B.)  Sub 4:45 finish.  Getting more challenging of course.  This smells like a 2:50-2:55 up with a 1:50-1:55 down.  On paper that seems really easy compared to what I have done, but then again … I am not what I have done.  There have been times that those times have been pretty hard. 
A.)  PR.   This is sub 4:30:52.   There was a time when I thought sub 4 was something I could do.  There is a part of me that still thinks that could happen, but I also see where that really is for me.  But I still think I could put together a day on the mountain unlike I have ever had.  This would surprise the shit out of me, but I am ready to go for that and fight for it.  Particularly from Barr Camp down when the voices get really loud in my head.

Again, no place goals.  Those are dependent on what other guys can do – which I can’t control and how I perform – which I can.  Ultimately, I have the goal to win the whole damn thing.  Pretty unlikely of course given who is lining up, but maybe those guys will go off trail at the Cirque or something for a few hours. 

I feel the masters group, outside of the top ten is very competitive this year (and in fact, I suspect there may be a master or two in the top ten other than Matt and Bernie).  For what it is worth, it is sort of silly that I won that category last year – I was technically the third master, but ended up with a much larger trophy than Bernie (I was 12th, he was in the top ten).   It is hard to determine if I end up in that spot again or not (actually will make a men’s masters poll a bit interesting).  Good performances result in good times which in turn result in good placings.  I will work on the performance piece, using competitors to drive that, and the rest will fall into place.

In any case, come Sunday it is time to suck it up.