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Interview: Lanni Marchant on running STWM

Chicago Marathon
Chicago Marathon
Lanni Marchant runs the 2011 Chicago Marathon

With less than a week to go before the running of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, top Canadian marathoner Lanni Marchant has announced that she will race. The 29-year-old from London, Ont. will once again join Krista DuChene on the start line and will attempt to chase the Canadian women’s marathon record.

We spoke to Marchant about her decision to tackle STWM just two months after her heartbreaking finish at the world championships in Moscow.

Canadian Running: When did you start thinking about running STWM?

Lanni Marchant: I had been thinking of running STWM off and on since I had to start walking in Moscow.  My coach, Dave Mills, thought it was a great idea, but understood the need to bring my body (and mind) back slowly. I took my time to make my decision to run a fall marathon, and Alan [Brooks of Canada Running Series] was beyond supportive of me needing time to finalize my plan.

CR: Are you planning on working with Krista DuChene towards the Canadian record?

LM: Krista and I have chatted about working together again. We both know we are still in good shape and will likely come up with a game plan when we get into Toronto.

CR: What’s the proposed pace?

LM: Right now there is no guaranteed pace. I know my engine is good, and I feel confident that I can run PR pace… but I have definitely learned too that things can change rather quickly mid-race. I will stick to my A, B, and C goals and just listen to my body on race day.

CR: You ran a half-marathon just last weekend. How’d that go?

LM: It went really well. It was the Middle Half in Murfreesboro, TN. I kept it really controlled and did a portion of it as a tempo.  During this mini-block of training I have tried to combine my long runs with some races to help give me company for harder tempo bits.

CR: It’s a tight turnaround from running a tough August marathon to STWM in October. What sort of advice would you give to others that decide to take a break and then reload for another marathon after a tough one like you had in Moscow?

LM: It was important for me to make sure my mind and body were both ready to go after it again. After a marathon build, regardless of how the race goes, you expect your body and mind to go into a bit of a lull. I had the benefit of no pressure during this mini-build (I hadn’t committed to do anything yet), which I think helped me get my mind wrapped around the long miles again.  I think that’s key. If you make the decision to do a quick turnaround marathon, just make sure you don’t put any extra pressure on yourself. Just run! Get in the training, get in the rest, drink a beer, and remember that at the end of the day your family and friends are going to support you.

I do think it’s important to have fun with it. This mini-build has been a lot of fun for me. If there were days that I knew it was going to be tough to double, either because of work, travel, or because I wanted to be social, I would get in the mileage in a single run and not feel guilty about it.

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