26 Days Until 26.2
26 Days Until The Steamtown Marathon!!
I was talking to a friend this morning and she asked, " How are the legs, are they used to 20 miles now.?"
I laughed because you might just think that...
But yeah they are not.
I woke up this morning sore and so tired. I mean I was yawning for a good hour after I woke up and shuffling around our apartment like a zombie. I wanted anything and everything to go right back to bed. But I had to work at 8:30, I knew it would be silly to try to change my schedule and just suffer through it. Plus, work is a little bit crazy for the next 4 weeks, that I just cant afford to be out of the business more than my two days off this week and what I schedule myself coming up.
So I grabbed my coffee and made it to work. It was tough because I never sit at my job, I stand eating, so my legs were a bit sore. But it felt good to keep them moving. I usually don't do a shake out run on this day, I take the day to rest and recover and with work today, I had to go grocery shopping after, clean our apartment, and do laundry, fitting in some time to run or walk or bike, just wasn't having it. I still managed to stay moving all day, so I count that as an active rest day for sure.
Besides my legs being sore, my body was too. My back and sides and stomach. Not sure from out I was running or carrying that water pack on my back the whole time, but just sore. I am still debating if I will carry the water pack. I have trained every long run with it and it has helped me. I fear if I don't bring it, I will psych myself out and keep second guessing if I needed it or not. I can get crazy like that. Plus if I decide to toss it, well it was only 20.00 dollars. Plus, I am hanging that bad boy up to dry after the marathon. I have many scrapes and bruises and lots of chaffing from that evil, saved my laugh so much thing.
Despite being sore, I can tell this run, my body is getting used to it. I felt pretty good all day once I got going, my energy stayed up a bit, I think a lot of it is in my head. But I am in that stage where all I can think about is what life will be like after the marathon. What it would be like to just come home from work and not be exhausted, be excited to run a little bit with no plan in place or just lay on the couch and not feel guilty about running. What it would be like again to sleep past 4:00 on a Sunday?!! Or not schedule a long run in my week and just play it by ear?!
Or what it will be like to get on the bike and not do the rolling hills and just go for it?
Who am I kidding though?? I have been training for almost 5 months now. My life is changed. I love the routine, I love having to look forward to rest days and I love having my days mapped out. I am sure after my two week rest of running, I will come up with a new plan, but it fears me a bit with what I will be like after the marathon. I can say I will not run 20 mile training runs after the marathon for a lonnnnnnnggg time, if ever again!!
But hey, let me get to the marathon first!!
And god am I so excited for that. James and I booked our flights, I have the PTO request taken, our hotel is booked and our car we are renting. We are flying into Philly on October 9 and driving to Scranton where our hotel will be. We are staying in Scranton from the 9th-13th and then the 14th we are staying a day in Philly and I want to be very tourist that day. And earn the right to eat a full Philly cheesestake haha. We have plans to visit with lots of friends, our old college and my old jobs too. I am excited for the cooler weather and just being away on vacation with James for a while. We have gone on trips together, never flew together and never this long of a trip. It will be our first official big trip together since I moved here 5 years ago. Kind of sad isn't it.
I am pumped to go to the expo before the race, of course finish the race and be with my friends and family. My mom and Aunt, Uncle and Poppy will be coming down the night before, which I am hoping will settle my pre-race nerves. Having family here will mean everything to me. The only person who has ever been at a race of mine is James, this is all new to them. It gives me chills just thinking about it and well as you can assume, super emotional.
But like I said, let me just get through these next 26 days with no injury, whatever ounce of energy I have left in me and forever grateful I decided to change my life by taking on this journey!!
I was talking to a friend this morning and she asked, " How are the legs, are they used to 20 miles now.?"
I laughed because you might just think that...
But yeah they are not.
I woke up this morning sore and so tired. I mean I was yawning for a good hour after I woke up and shuffling around our apartment like a zombie. I wanted anything and everything to go right back to bed. But I had to work at 8:30, I knew it would be silly to try to change my schedule and just suffer through it. Plus, work is a little bit crazy for the next 4 weeks, that I just cant afford to be out of the business more than my two days off this week and what I schedule myself coming up.
So I grabbed my coffee and made it to work. It was tough because I never sit at my job, I stand eating, so my legs were a bit sore. But it felt good to keep them moving. I usually don't do a shake out run on this day, I take the day to rest and recover and with work today, I had to go grocery shopping after, clean our apartment, and do laundry, fitting in some time to run or walk or bike, just wasn't having it. I still managed to stay moving all day, so I count that as an active rest day for sure.
Besides my legs being sore, my body was too. My back and sides and stomach. Not sure from out I was running or carrying that water pack on my back the whole time, but just sore. I am still debating if I will carry the water pack. I have trained every long run with it and it has helped me. I fear if I don't bring it, I will psych myself out and keep second guessing if I needed it or not. I can get crazy like that. Plus if I decide to toss it, well it was only 20.00 dollars. Plus, I am hanging that bad boy up to dry after the marathon. I have many scrapes and bruises and lots of chaffing from that evil, saved my laugh so much thing.
Despite being sore, I can tell this run, my body is getting used to it. I felt pretty good all day once I got going, my energy stayed up a bit, I think a lot of it is in my head. But I am in that stage where all I can think about is what life will be like after the marathon. What it would be like to just come home from work and not be exhausted, be excited to run a little bit with no plan in place or just lay on the couch and not feel guilty about running. What it would be like again to sleep past 4:00 on a Sunday?!! Or not schedule a long run in my week and just play it by ear?!
Or what it will be like to get on the bike and not do the rolling hills and just go for it?
Who am I kidding though?? I have been training for almost 5 months now. My life is changed. I love the routine, I love having to look forward to rest days and I love having my days mapped out. I am sure after my two week rest of running, I will come up with a new plan, but it fears me a bit with what I will be like after the marathon. I can say I will not run 20 mile training runs after the marathon for a lonnnnnnnggg time, if ever again!!
But hey, let me get to the marathon first!!
And god am I so excited for that. James and I booked our flights, I have the PTO request taken, our hotel is booked and our car we are renting. We are flying into Philly on October 9 and driving to Scranton where our hotel will be. We are staying in Scranton from the 9th-13th and then the 14th we are staying a day in Philly and I want to be very tourist that day. And earn the right to eat a full Philly cheesestake haha. We have plans to visit with lots of friends, our old college and my old jobs too. I am excited for the cooler weather and just being away on vacation with James for a while. We have gone on trips together, never flew together and never this long of a trip. It will be our first official big trip together since I moved here 5 years ago. Kind of sad isn't it.
I am pumped to go to the expo before the race, of course finish the race and be with my friends and family. My mom and Aunt, Uncle and Poppy will be coming down the night before, which I am hoping will settle my pre-race nerves. Having family here will mean everything to me. The only person who has ever been at a race of mine is James, this is all new to them. It gives me chills just thinking about it and well as you can assume, super emotional.
But like I said, let me just get through these next 26 days with no injury, whatever ounce of energy I have left in me and forever grateful I decided to change my life by taking on this journey!!
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Wow... Very inspiring! I learned to run four years ago and did 5ks but nothing more. I had a dream of doing a half marathon but canadian winter came alig with my dislike/fear of running outside in ice and snow and I stopped running and never really got back into it... Sigh.... Now I have this right hip stiffness that now pains me at times if I walk long distances.. Ugh... Anyway.. Enough about me.. Huge congrats on your training. Best of luck going forward. Don't be too afraid of the after, I'm sure you'll find another goal to reach for!
ReplyDeleteThank you!!! Get back into girl! You will do great! 5k's are a big deal and sometimes my favorite distance to run!
DeleteGetting so close! I am so excited for you and I can't wait to hear all about it.... I'm so glad we've been taking this journey at the same time. After I get through my marathon, we should celebrate. :)
ReplyDeleteMe to Nanci, it is has been great to be able to talk and relate in real life! Oh we are soooo celebrating after yours, you can bet on that one!!
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