In no order (ok, they’re in order) of my fav pics of the week…
First pic is actually me (thank goodness the Garmin 410 makes my wrist look skinny; and who noticed I shaved my legs?). And last photo is my motto this month-been a tough one. If I could play you Katy Perry’s new song “Roar” in the background I would…inspiration.
Filed under Lessons Learned, Obstacles, Training
July kicked off my unofficial marathon training for the Marine Corps Marathon. I say unofficial because I don’t ever really follow a plan 100% or even 80%. And in the beginning of training I just wing it. Lately, I’ve had a lot of social/personal commitments that have kept me from doing my normal long runs on Saturday mornings (and a lot of mid week runs). I’ve had to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. By that I mean, skipping runs or cutting them short or not being able to fit them in at all. Last weekend, I had a 3 hour window to run in West Virginia. It was 2pm and a downpour outside. Still, I had to get it in. I had to modify my route and break my run up into pieces just to get it done. I was all sorts of anxious about it driving to the trail in the rain. But when I was done, I was proud that I went outside the comfort zone. Also, some spectacular that happened on last weeks long run (brace yourself) – I ran Garmin-less for the 2nd half of the run! What?! I know! I never run Garmin-less, I feel like days could pass by and I’d still be running if I wasn’t wearing it. But because of the torrential downpours; I had to return to my car and leave the Garmin behind so it wouldn’t get soaked. And let me tell you – I ran really well without it. I did note when I left and when I returned and luckily my trail had mile markers so afterwards I was able to calculate my pace. And I used mapmyrun for elevation and exact mileage. Not bad at all being with the Garmin. No stress over pace or heart rate. Now, I won’t be doing that again anytime soon (lets not get carried away). But now I know that I can do it. And perhaps I’ll try to make one long run a month Garmin-less.
Filed under Goals, Lessons Learned, Races, Training, Uncategorized
What I felt like the 48 hours following the marathon.
I was on cloud 9. Loving life, proud of my accomplishment, bragging, rewarding myself for my Boston Qualifier. I was excited when anyone asked me how the marathon went. I’m pretty sure I squealed a few times, or at least I did in my head. I was at a good place not worrying about my next race, not worrying about a taper. All I was focused on was being proud of my accomplishment. And recovering. I knew I needed a few days to let my body heal. I let myself eat bad food and be a normal person for a few days.
What I felt like a few days after the marathon.
Then a few days passed. And I found myself missing my training schedule. Missing the daily accomplishments as I crossed runs off my list. I was missing looking forward to a race and getting anxious/nervous about it. To most non-runners, they think I’m crazy. Maybe I am, but I actually missed being in training. I couldn’t just jump back in because I had injuries that needed to heal. I had to let myself recover or I’d be injured for a while and really out of commission. My body needed to rest. And I knew if I tried to push it, I’d just end up disappointed in my workouts.
At almost 2 weeks since my Boston Qualifier Marathon, I decided I need to let myself be OK with not training year round and that taking a break is normal. I’d typically jump right back into training for my upcoming race in May (half marathon). This time however, I decided to make it a fun run. I’m not going for a PR or to win any race categories. I deserve to run a few races a year that let me enjoy the run. So that is how I plan to cope with the post marathon blues: to let myself enjoy running and take it easy this summer and not let running overpower my life. I’m looking forward to a fun run. And will try to make the most of my free time by doing more yoga, pilates, and spin.
Filed under Goals, Injuries, Lessons Learned, Training
Girls Just Want to Run 