Registered. It's ON! I was on the fence about doing the Sham in 2022. Firstly because I have work drama that is unresolved. But I've decided that regardless of how that goes, I'll spend the money to do the race. That means registration and hotel.
The second issue was that this year they changed the course. I believe that course change along with very strong winds and an open course contributed to me not making my target time (though I did PR). And by "open course" I mean that there were points where we had to cross streets. Obviously that means a slow down and stop. The 2022 course is back to the old course (so far) so that's goods for me as my training is more like the actual run (out and back without stops and without a hell of a lot of turns).
As for training; if you followed me last year then you know I got into MAF training with stellar results. I'm into year two and still getting more benefits. As noted in a previous blog I'm not nose breathing which is a great indicator of my overall CV condition. It's also a nice way for me to gauge my effort without having to look at my phone or watch for pacing.
Also since I am now running over 100 miles per month (hey I'm not elite!), which previously only happened in the late stages of my training, I'm going to train differently this training block. Starting in Jan I'll be doing about 130 miles per month with 13 mile long runs. I don't usually get to 13 miles until Feb but the way I feel now, I think I can do that without injury. Avoiding injury is key. Why January? Holidays mess up eating and other habits so I don't want to commit to a schedule.
I also do intermittent fasting (16-8) and holidays will mess with that. Also getting in Blackjack hours is something to work around. Playing late nights is better for EV (expected value) due to less people at the table, but ruins sleep. If you're at a hotel with a 11AM check out, this can be very problematic.
Another problem is the increased cost of training. Last year I was able to stock up on older model sneakers via Burlington and Marshalls. Well they have squat for inventory now. Apparently the brands are keeping these items to themselves this year. I'll likely need to replace a few sneakers by race day, though my race sneakers are still good to go (hopefully they don't disintegrate due to lack of use). I'll be checking two brand's outlet stores to see if I can get bargains but I don't look forward to paying 50%+ more for these sneakers again.
So it's on. Let's see if I can PR.
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