Just ask Deena

What does Deena do?

I came up with this little motto this week to help challenge me to be a better runner. So when I want to wimp out during a long run or on a particularly hot day, I'll just ask myself, what does Deena Kastor do in these situations?

Deena is an Olympic marathon runner. She is an elite. I can't compare myself to that caliber of runner -- she can run a marathon in less than half the time I can -- but I can be motivated by her success.

In that spirit, I am going to try to abide by a training plan for the Grandma's Half-marathon in June. In my three previous half-marathons, I've never followed a plan. I've always run between three and five miles on weekdays, followed by a long weekend run. Through experience and research, I've realized that I will never improve as a runner if I stick to the same routine for every race. So I'm going to mix things up a little for June.

I'm running a half-marathon in a few days with Ben and my buddy Naomi. It's too late to pull out fancy tricks to do well. But I'll try to not be a major slacker during the race. My hope is to come in under two hours. I won't be disappointed if I run slower than that. It would be nice if I set a new PR for myself, though. That's what Deena Kastor would do.