This is THE week of fear! I almost didn't want to write this blog or my actual mileage for tomorrow's upcoming long run until I'm done - so that is exactly what I am going to do. I will post my actual mileage on Saturday. Yes, I totally do all of this on purpose - I know that's the insane part. Ok - so last week’s long run was brutal and I think that I have been trying to forget it, which is why I haven’t written anything this week (though I did send a recap to my boyfriend – who I am sure must be getting tired reading about my running ridiculousness, but that’s love). We ran another 13.11 on Saturday – yeah no big deal right?! Sure if we didn’t race a half marathon the Sunday before. Ohhh yeah - maybe our route also shouldn’t have been unbelievably hilly or we should have driven it before so we realized what we were in for (to mentally prepare or change it to another route)– those are all things to consider. It also would have helped if I was taking my medicine so that my stomach wasn't killing me for most of the run.
We hit a huge hill at about mile 10 and all I wanted to do was cry or yell or something so I just grunted – alot, which is pretty unlike me because I like to run keeping up the pretenses of having a united front. Anyway we planned one thing well – our post run brunch at Market Market in Rosendale. An egg sandwich with cheddar, avocado, and cilantro on semolina with pico and a ginger beer will make a tiresome run much more manageable.
Thus far this week I have logged 15.7 miles and it is looking like it will be a 30+ mile week once all is said and done. My strategy for this week was to get all my running workouts done in the beginning of the week (Mon, Tues, and Wed) so that Thursday I could focus on core training and have two days "off" to prepare. Yesterday I treated myself to a pilates mat class - some people drink; others go shopping; I switch my workout schedule up. The class was awesome and even though it had been awhile, I felt strong and love loved not having shoes on and focusing on a specific area - breathing and articulating through a movement with precision. Sometimes with running all my energy is spent maintaining a forward momentum so I felt somewhat free not having to focus on just going.
There is so much planning involved in training it is unreal. This is why I do it though: I didn’t want to run a l l day on Wednesday. I even stayed at work late because I didn’t want to get my running clothes from my car. When I finally decided to suck it up and get changed and go out (in shorts and a tank top- yay!). It was amazing. I did some midtown loops and then ran uptown. My starting goal was 4 miles but I modified that to 5 because I was so enjoying being the sunshine. I finished with 5.6 and that was really because I had looped back to my car and it was about time to head home. For me it was an easy run; I didn’t look at my pace and I just ran what I wanted to run. I needed that. My run on Monday blew and spin class on Tuesday kicked my butt.
I have been averaging 27-28 miles per week for the last few weeks. Basically that translates to I am hungry all the time. I am trying to space my meals at two-hour intervals and am drinking lots of water – still no coffee | no refined sugar | limited diary. I have fruit in the morning in my smoothie and then veggies as the major meal component the rest of the day. I won’t lie I won’t give up dark chocolate – I don’t care - it makes me so happy. I know that my diet is the reason that I am feeling so strong running. Next week marks the halfway point! Halfway to Vermont! It feels like training is never-ending – everyday is preparing for something else, but my goal is in sight and just making it this far is an accomplishment.
To everyone running this weekend – run hard and you will get there.
”A little kingdom I possess, where thoughts and feelings dwell; and very hard the task I find of governing it well.” -Louisa May Alcott
10 weeks of training left = 10 more long runs (or ten more Saturdays of running the entire morning and not wanting to do much else) – so yes I am 8 weeks in. I know that when I write that, it doesn’t sound like I am excited (or that this is fun), but I am excited and sometimes it is fun. I have a love|hate relationship with my long runs because I don’t really look forward to them, but I am learning alot about myself on them (and I love writing the distances on my training calendar and crossing them off my list). I guess the question why just keeps popping into my head. I was asking myself this yesterday morning when I woke up at 6:50am (which was really 5:50am –because of daylight savings) – why is this important|why do i want to run today? My answer is there is really nothing that makes me feel better from the inside out and the feelings of pride that I have about my running truly fuel the desire and passion that I have for the way I want to live my life. I think this is also about a commitment that I have to myself and the people that I love – they (you) believe in me and in turn I believe in myself. I am thankful to have so many people who understand why I do this and who support this dream I have that sometimes seems to take over the logical part of my brain. Talk to me after I race and you will feel it too.
I ran the Celebrate Life Half Marathon yesterday. I ran it in 2:05:45 with the final 5K time of 28:26 – 9:10 splits - this is happy news! Why you ask? Because I ran half my goal distance yesterday and I felt amazing which means that my training is paying off and I am running stronger. Yesterday showed me that I am exactly where I need to be; that my mind and my body and working together and that is all I can ask for. This is huge! But don’t let my excitement fool you into thinking that the whole day went smoothly because it didn’t. With daylight savings comes tiredness; with unseasonable weather comes an uncertainty of what to wear (which was in full effect yesterday); with a race that you haven’t done before also comes not knowing where to park. You see where I am going with this right? We arrived at the start 3 minutes before the race started (and the only feature on my garmin that was working was the stop watch – so every mile we were figuring out our splits). None of that mattered though when we were running. It was beautiful out and we just ran – for all that goes into it, the days when it is just that simple it is worth everything else.
“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the tunes without the words - and never stops at all.” -Emily Dickinson
