Did You Get The Memo?

MDRA is putting coversheets on all its TPS reports from now on.

I realize that Office Space reference may not hit home with all of you, but I bring it up for a reason. Managing a successful marathon is a lot like running a successful business.

Running a 5k? Heck that's like running a lemonade stand. Good marathon runners have as many policies and rules as a well run small business. But like a good business these policies allow for flexibility to cope with change.

As a marathoner, the more analytical and professional you are over your first 20 miles, the more likely you are to have an enjoyable last 6.2 So I would recommend spending the final week and half of your marathon coming up with your own personal marathon policies.

Make you own memo. Below are some policies I would put into my own marathon.

I will not look at the forecast until 72 hours before the marathon.

The folks I did all my 20 milers with are my training partners. They are not my race partners. I will run my own race, no matter how good or lousy my friend feels.

The only agreement I will make with a friend is, in a marathon, neither one of us is obligated to run with one another at anytime. If we end up running together, it is more by chance and choice than obligation.

When I visualize the marathon between now and October 7, I will take the time to consider picture every possible weather condition. Just because it was cool and tonight doesn't mean it will be either of these things in ten days.

I have three goals in mind, a high goal, a medium goal, and a low goal (my low goal in every marathon is to finish). I will decide 30 minutes before the marathon starts which goal I should shoot for.

I will start out the first five miles at goal pace and then evaluate how I feel. I will adjust up or down between my three goals according to how I feel. Repeat at miles 10 and 15.

Between mile one and mile 20, every time I think "I feel awesome! I'm going to pick up the pace," I will make myself SLOW DOWN (unless I'm at miles 5, 15, or 20 and have made a policy-based decsion to go for a higher, pre-established goal).

On each hill between the Sculpture Garden and St. Thomas, I will focus on maintaining a consistent effort, not speed. At least three people should pass me on each hill.

At each mile I will remember something to be grateful for.

If you are a social person, you may make a policy to talk to a new person at every mile.

If you are like me, you may not like socializing and meeting new people in a race (races may be the only place where I finally stop talking). So my policy is if the guy running next to me wants to swap life stories or has decided his job is to "pump the crowd up," I will slow down, and let him run from me, rather than try to race away from him.

Have a policy about the water stops. Walk through them if you want to use them as a break. If you want to get in and out, make it your policy to find other places along the course to take it easy. Marty recommends taking a break every 7 miles. Take a whole mile off, and slow down about 10 sec over that one mile, and then return to your previous pace. I have tried this and it works really well for me. Again, it keeps from being tied to one pack of runners and being swayed by how they are running.

Everytime a wave of runners passes me over the first 15 miles I remind myself, "If I keep running my race plan and manage each mile well, I will pass over 75% of these people in miles 21 through 26.2."

No matter what, never forget: any day you can run is a great day for a run!

Any other policy suggestions?