(no subject)
Time: 1pm
Miles: 5
I had a fantastic run today. I LOVE FALL... it's my favorite time of year and today was just perfect out. As I ran on top of fallen leaves I started thinking about how far I've come in this whole thing. Back in April when I started, the weather was still chilly and fall seemed so far away, and now summer is gone and I'm still running and the marathon is only three weeks away. It feels pretty good. Anyway, I wanted to try something today... I know what it feels like to do run/walk from start to finish, and I know what it feels like to run fourteen or fifteen miles straight and THEN walk, and then try to start running again - it's agony. I know I want to use run/walk in the marathon, but I know I won't want to walk right away after the first mile (even though Jeff Galloway says do it right away!) because I don't want to look like a wimp. So I wanted to see how my legs would feel to walk after four miles of running... I figure I can run four miles or so then start the run/walk process. I walked for one minute after four miles today and my legs felt fine... and my fifth mile was my fastest, most comfortable mile, so I think that's when I'll start the minute of walking each mile in the marathon.
It's not good that I'm not doing a long run this week but oh well. I'm psychin myself up for the 21-miler this coming week! I think I'm going to do it on Wednesday (and perhaps skip my class that night) and run it in Burlington because I know the area better and I know where there's less traffic. Only 20 miles are scheduled (only! haha) but I'm going to go to 21 I think so I know what THE WALL feels like, and see how it is to push through it. I'm a little nervous!
I was talking to my mom about the marathon on the phone last night and she made me feel really good. She told me how she's been telling people about it and how she gets all emotional just thinking about it. She has really changed her tune! When I first said I was going to run a marathon, she said "I'll eat my shorts if you run a marathon." That was even before I started training at all, so I didn't really blame her. But even when I had started and was up to 8 or 10 miles, she still didn't believe me. She didn't take me seriously at all until very recently... and it feels good to be proving her wrong! Once I'm done I'll say I told you so, and then thank her for the support, and I will definitely thank the two people who believed in me right from the start, Dave and my dad. They never doubted me!
I was thinking today how I'm going to pray every night from now on for the weather to be perfect come October 10th. Cool, a bit overcast - but no rain - and a slight, continuous breeze. I'm telling you, if it's unusally hot, I'll be really upset! Even today, it was barely seventy degrees, but I was sweating my butt off because of the hot sun beating down on me! And rain would just really suck. Anyway, I'll still pray for good weather, but more importantly, I'm going to start praying to actually make it to marathon day without an injury or something else happening that would stop me from participating. I would be so devastated after all this work! And I truly hope I don't have any knee or stomach problems the day of the race. The entire week leading up to it, I'm going to think about nothing but how I'm preparing my body for what I'm going to do. I'm going to stay really hydrated and eat lots of carbs and protein (and no junk food! and no alcohol!) and get a lot of rest and take ibuprofen every day. I think I've decided what I'm going to wear on marathon day... I think I need to get some Body Glide just in case (where do I buy it, I wonder?), and I want to get a small fanny pack I can wear (the belt thing I have is way too big). I'm getting really excited... I'm really relieved that my attitude has gotten back on track. It sucked feeling so discouraged for awhile there! The 18-mile run really boosted my confidence, and now the race is actually getting close, which is cool.
Alright I'm done rambling... I worked tonight and now I'm going to spend some time with my Davey :) and head to bed. Not sure if I'll run tomorrow. I might sleep in and work out and go to work, or I might sleep in and go shopping and go to work. Sunday I have to work and then go to Al's confirmation and act as his sponsor. We're understaffed at the Bistro right now and so everyone has extra shifts... I work FIVE shifts next week and that is just too much! This is probably the busiest I've ever been and I'm sure I'll be crazy stressed. 18 credits, writing for the paper, running, and working... it's too much I tell ya!
And that's all for now. Night night.