9 miles. Not too bad right? If you're not in the midst of training for a marathon, 9 miles sounds bad, but when 17 is on tap for Saturday, 9 sounds pretty good. Remember I ran pretty quickly on Monday and Tuesday. I had also had a long work day, so I was already dragging. I grabbed a balanced snack (graham crackers with peanut butter and raisins- water on the side) and headed out in to the beautiful weather. I quickly realized that my legs were not functioning. It felt just like running in 90 degree heat. The effort was there but the output was not. I think my first 5-mile split was 11 minutes 42 seconds, and it didn't get much faster from there. I'm pretty sure some people walk faster than I was running.
I always tell people the worst part is the first mile. Well I still had that same thought 3 miles later. And still 2 miles after that. I considered stopping short of 9 miles and saving some for today. While initially the thought of stopping early sounded appealing, I reminded myself I had fueled for a longer run and I just really wanted to not run for a day or two. So onward I went. All I could think about was how much I didn't want to be running and how tired my body felt. This has me a little worried for race day. But then I thought this was probably a good experience for me to have. 26.2 miles is quite a distance to run, and I'm bound to run in to these thoughts at some point during the race.
How did I handle it? I finished. I just didn't get the same satisfaction or enjoyment that I usually get. I didn't appreciate the little things going on around me because all I could think about was finishing. I missed out on the sunset. I didn't observe the astronomy group that had their telescopes set up. The smells of all the restaurants were making me nauseated. Mal had texted me a picture of her dog at their neighborhood bar. Casey had called. I guess I felt my run was making me miss out on what the world was doing. In the mornings I don't feel that way. Most people are sleeping while I run, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.
Our team coach Brandi must be able to read my mind, because today she sent out an e-mail highlighting the importance of easy runs and a slow pace as part of the recovery process. I wouldn't classify my easy run experience as easy but the 'easy' pace was definitely there. I also sought advice from my marathon expert- Casey. She told me to listen to my body so that I can avoid injury. She also reminded me about the importance of sleeping and eating.
The highlight of my run was again chocolate milk. The best part- my fiance had surprised me by already having it mixed up and waiting in the fridge :) My body is tired today and I have been a zombie. I have nothing but respect for new moms. I find that I don't remember doing things or saying things. I even left my pager sitting on the table at home today. Good thing the only page I missed happened to be someone I called ;).
So to end on a happy note, because I believe you should always end on a high note, let's discuss fundraising. You all have helped me raise over $2,000! I'm in the top two fundraisers on our DetermiNation team. That is so crazy that you all helped me beat my goal by $500. And to think, the race is still well over a month away. There is still plenty of time to continue to spread the word.
Shout outs for people who have recently donated:
- Karen
- Jim & JoNell
- My parents- bless their hearts- they were waiting to "help" make up the difference. They didn't have to :)
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