edging closer to another full marathon? what's this "edging" crap -- that's only fun in bed ;-)
I wasn't nervous about running 14 miles two weeks ago. In my head I think of a 14-mile run as sustainable fun. I could run 14 miles every other weekend indefinitely, without pain or worry. Afterward I felt like I could've run faster or farther -- I looked forward to more running!
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But add two more miles to that total and I'm anxious the day before. I couldn't fall asleep, my bowels acted up, my foot tightened up, I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it. A 16-mile run is something we do on the path toward a full marathon, and in my experience I haven't enjoyed running full marathons, so ... I start wondering why I'm doing this.
Tod and K say I build these towers of worry inside my head and there's no reason for it. I've completed every long run I've started, no matter how much it hurts, no matter how grumpy I get, no matter how ridiculous the weather -- we did 23 miles in a fuckin' tropical storm last September! I've finished every race I've started. Over time I've been getting faster and more experienced. I don't even have to train for half marathons anymore.
So why the worry for 16 miles?
Perhaps the worry is why I need to keep doing this. I need to conquer the worry. Train for another full marathon, and then another, until I get over it and it becomes part of my life. Or maybe I'll always have stage fright while training for a full marathon, who knows. But I wouldn't be attracted to this goal if I thought it was easy.
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Anyway, the run was pleasant enough, given the August humidity. I listened to a bunch of Planet Money podcasts. I kept well hydrated, I took a pinch of salt halfway, and managed to average just under 10 minutes per mile, the same pace I ran two weeks ago when I did 14 miles.
Burned 2189 calories, according to my watch. This is the longest run I've completed while wearing my Forerunner 305, so I can't say it was my fastest 16 ever, but I'm not in pain and I could've run farther, so ...
OK, let's do 18 miles in two weeks.
And -- FUCK IT -- I'm gonna sign up for the 2009 Philadelphia Marathon today, instead of "waiting to see how the 18 miles goes" because that would just set me up to be anxious again two weeks from now. FUCK IT, the 18-miler will go just fine, as will the 20, the 23, and the 26, so just get over yourself and sign up today, Mr. Bug.
So there.
-----
But add two more miles to that total and I'm anxious the day before. I couldn't fall asleep, my bowels acted up, my foot tightened up, I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it. A 16-mile run is something we do on the path toward a full marathon, and in my experience I haven't enjoyed running full marathons, so ... I start wondering why I'm doing this.
Tod and K say I build these towers of worry inside my head and there's no reason for it. I've completed every long run I've started, no matter how much it hurts, no matter how grumpy I get, no matter how ridiculous the weather -- we did 23 miles in a fuckin' tropical storm last September! I've finished every race I've started. Over time I've been getting faster and more experienced. I don't even have to train for half marathons anymore.
So why the worry for 16 miles?
Perhaps the worry is why I need to keep doing this. I need to conquer the worry. Train for another full marathon, and then another, until I get over it and it becomes part of my life. Or maybe I'll always have stage fright while training for a full marathon, who knows. But I wouldn't be attracted to this goal if I thought it was easy.
-----
Anyway, the run was pleasant enough, given the August humidity. I listened to a bunch of Planet Money podcasts. I kept well hydrated, I took a pinch of salt halfway, and managed to average just under 10 minutes per mile, the same pace I ran two weeks ago when I did 14 miles.
Burned 2189 calories, according to my watch. This is the longest run I've completed while wearing my Forerunner 305, so I can't say it was my fastest 16 ever, but I'm not in pain and I could've run farther, so ...
OK, let's do 18 miles in two weeks.
And -- FUCK IT -- I'm gonna sign up for the 2009 Philadelphia Marathon today, instead of "waiting to see how the 18 miles goes" because that would just set me up to be anxious again two weeks from now. FUCK IT, the 18-miler will go just fine, as will the 20, the 23, and the 26, so just get over yourself and sign up today, Mr. Bug.
So there.