So we are getting down to the wire now. Only 5 more long runs to go until Race Day!
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Quitting is not something I do often. I have always played sports and I have always been competitive. Quitting has never really been an option for me, because that’s just not how my brain works. If something gets tough, I keep trying. I’ve always had a pretty strong mentality, at least as far as sports go.
Running, however, is so unlike softball, volleyball, basketball, and all the other team sports. In all of these activities, I was a part of a team. As a team, you work with others to achieve a common goal, and as a team you either win or you lose. If you win, you rejoice with your teammates, and when you lose you work together with your team to train harder, play harder, and work together to come out on top during the next competition. If you make a mistake, your team picks you back up. If you are having a rough game, your coach can replace you with a sub. You’re never really alone, because you aren’t just playing for you. There is no "I" in TEAM. In running, there actually is an "I" and it’s what it’s all about. "How am I going to finish this run?", "I need to go faster if I want to beat my goal", "How am I going to finish this race?". It’s a crazy mental game that only really involves one person. Running you are on your own. By yourself, you work to achieve a goal, and by yourself you either win or you lose. There isn’t even a “win” or a “loss” in running. We have good runs and we have bad runs. Sometimes we try to beat times. If you beat your time, you rejoice with and for yourself, and when you fail to beat a time you work by yourself to train harder to do better during the next run. If you make a mistake, you have to pick yourself back up. If you are having a rough day, there are no substitutions. You either keep going, or you quit. Running came easy to me in the beginning. There really isn’t much to it. One foot in front of the other. Over and over again. Right? Right. But, there is SO much more involved now that I’m shooting for this whole Marathon thing. Running IS easy. It is. But, running 26.2 miles is not. Hell, running 12 miles, 13.1 miles, 15 miles is NOT. Yes, you simply run. One foot in front of the other. Over and over again. But, during more miles than not, your mind is telling you that “You can’t do it”, “It’s getting too tough”, “Why don’t you just stop now? Maybe 5 miles was enough”. Your mind tells you “Your foot hurts a little, how about you stop”, “It’s super hot out, let’s just call it a day”. I have never been a quitter, but during my first ever 15 mile run, I realized why some people might quit this. I’m sure this voice is the reason some people hate running and why they never even make it past mile 1, And, maybe being able to ignore that voice is what separates other athletes from runners. During my first 15 mile run, I not only felt like crap from a bad pre-run food choice, but I just wasn’t having a good run in general. I felt lousy. I just kept pondering why I even decided to train for a Marathon. I wondered if I’d even be able to finish the race. I thought about how embarrassing it would be to not be able to finish on Race Day. All of this negativity, along with my mind harassing me with reasons to stop, I somehow managed to finish this awful run (interject comment about how my awesome boyfriend was running, too, and this was likely the real reason I continued in this misery). To get through it, I thought about how I knew my body could do it, it wasn’t a matter of that. I knew I had trained my body to be able to make it the 15 miles and I knew my body was strong enough. I worked against the mental negativity going on inside my head, and I think that’s the hardest part about running. Some people can push through it, and those who can't push through it don't run. There is an "I" in Running. I set my own goals, I train for myself and by myself (even if I’m not running alone), and I either succeed or fail based on the standards I set for myself. Running is amazing and tough in that way. I’ve realized why so many people hate running, but I also think that maybe they never gave it a chance because their mind made them quit before they could feel the joy of what running really is. There is something to say about a sport that is all about you. You are your coach. You are your cheerleader. You are your own teammate. (And, sometimes your own athletic trainer). Being all of these things, means that you are really all that matters in this sport. You rely on you. So, to wrap up this belaboring: my 15 miles didn’t feel great, but I can tell you that I’m glad I finished it. And how I feel about it, is what matters. I know that I worked hard to push through to the end and I’m proud of that. That’s what sets this sport apart from others. I didn’t do as great as I would have liked. I didn’t go as fast as I can usually go. I didn’t even feel very great most of the time. But, I finished and that counts for a whole lot. And, as long as my feet, legs, and my lungs keep working, I will not quit until I get to those 26.2. Why? Because it is a challenge and challenges are important in life. Because it makes me feel good to push my body to new limits. For so many reasons that I can’t type them all. And, because quitting has never really been an option for me! While running is an individual sport, you often share really great experiences with other people (usually awesome strangers):
I really enjoy running races because I always have positive experiences with the other athletes (and spectators, too)! Once you get past the pack at the Start Line, and you start to settle into your pace, you often end up running near similar paced athletes for the entire race. There is a certain camaraderie that develops during these long miles. The journey somehow bonds you with these other runners, even if sometimes you play a little bit of cat and mouse along the way. I always seem to make "friends" in this way, even if we never exchange a single word the entire voyage. In my most recent race, the Charles St. 12 Miler, I had two specific runners that I ran nearby for most of the race. There was some back and forth as to who was in front and who was trailing. We struggled up the same hills, we got to experience the same spectators cheering us on with their funny signs, and we were a part of the same "battle". In the end of the Charles St. 12, both of these runners came up to me post-race. The one runner came over to shake my hand and tell me how I helped her get through those hills and that she tried, but couldn't catch me in the end. The other one simply nodded his head and said "great run". Running next to these runners, where we all have the same goal in mind (to finish-maybe in a certain time), is truly an awesome feeling. We are silent motivators for other runners, just as they are for us. We participate in an event that is similar to all involved, but also very different. Just one of the many reasons that running is awesome! Don't run? Try a 5k! Maybe you'll get to experience this awesomeness. I'm just about halfway through training for my Marathon. Let me just take a moment to say "Hooooraayyy!"
Oddly enough, my short runs are the ones I dread the most. Why?
One of the trickiest issues I’m working on now, is what to eat/not to eat before and during long runs. Towards the end of my Half Marathon training, when I got up to 9-12 miles in my long runs, I started having some stomach issues. I would feel fine during my run, but once I stopped running, my stomach would be irritated for several hours post-run. Sometimes I would even get sick if I pushed myself particularly hard during a run.
Many people have the intentions of working out while on vacation. They make sure they pack their running shoes. They make sure they pack some socks. They make sure they pack a variety of athletic clothes. The only thing they forget to do is actually take these items out of their suitcases and actually use them once they get to their destination.
I'm not saying I have ever in my life actually put my athletic gear to work while on vacation, until this past weekend. This past weekend I went to a bachelorette party weekend at the beach. I was there Thursday through Sunday, which meant in order to stay on track with my Marathon Training, I had to do a run Thursday as well as Saturday. Thursday was easy enough because I got my workout in early in the morning before I left for the beach. The tricky one was the Saturday long run. I knew I'd be low on energy and that it could be tricky to motivate myself but, I made it work. Thursday night, we ended up taking it pretty easy and we didn't drink very much. Since I knew I would get plenty of sleep that night, I decided to do my long run Friday instead of Saturday. This worked perfectly because it got the run out of the way. I felt more relaxed because I knew that if I wanted to sleep in Saturday, I'd be able to because I already got my run in for the weekend. Would it have been okay to skip the run? Definitely. I would have gotten by. But, for me it made me feel a lot better about my training. I was already messing with my body by eating out constantly and drinking alcohol every day. By making sure I got my run in at some point, personally, it made me feel like I didn't stray completely off track and that I'd be able to get right back into the swing of things after vacation was over; the eating habits/lack of hydration would be the only minor setback. Anyone can find the time on vacation to get a workout in if they really want. For me, it worked quite easily because I enjoy running and I was especially excited to run at the beach. It gave me new scenery to enjoy and it was fun to see all the other runners/dog walkers/etc. up and moving around so early. Things that can help:
As of yesterday, my Full Marathon training began. Lucky for me, my training plan has Mondays as a rest day!
I’m finally back in action (well, kinda). It’s been 3 weeks since my last post so let me give you a recap of what I’ve been up to.
Post-race, I had a pain on the outside part of my right foot. It didn’t feel too bad right after the race, but I knew a break from running was needed. I had been planning to take a week off, regardless, so it worked out well to take time to rest my foot. I didn’t do any running, or really any other physical activities, for that whole first post-race week. I heated my foot, iced my foot, soaked my foot in Epsom salt, and tried to rest my foot as much as I could (along with the rest of my body). After exactly 1 week, I got the itch to run again. Billy and I were at the beach, and I really wanted to go for a run in DE. We planned to do 3 easy miles, but about a mile and a half into it, I had to stop. The pain in my foot started hurting again and I didn’t want to make it worse by continuing the run. To try to keep my spirits up, we took a nice barefoot walk in the sand, back to our hotel. At this point, I was starting to feel a little sorry for myself. I didn’t want this minor pain to affect my training for my marathon in a few short months, not to mention the Color Run 5k I had planned to do with my sisters and friend. At exactly 2 weeks post-race, the day of the Color Run came. I didn’t run at all after the beach, in hopes that resting it would help again. My foot felt much better before the race. During the race, it felt sore and after the race, it felt worse. At this point, I was feeling even more sorry for myself. I just wanted to be able to enjoy running again! Since then, I’ve just been doing some arm and leg workouts at the gym, riding the stationary bike, and treating my foot with ice/heat/soaks. I attempted 3 miles on Monday because my foot finally felt 100%, but no such luck-it still started hurting once I started running. I finished the run, but at this point I have to figure out what to do from now on. I have a 10 miler in 3 weeks, and in 4 weeks I start my training for my Marathon. I am just keeping my fingers crossed that if I keep treating and caring for this injury, it will get better and I will be okay to continue my running. While this wasn’t my most uplifting post, I will end it by saying that this is just an obstacle in my running adventures. I will still be doing everything I can to stay on the pavement this summer and I encourage everyone else to get out there, too! Woah! Race Weekend came and went so quickly! I am currently still in recovery mode. I am lying in bed. Feet propped up. Ice on my legs. Neosporin on my toes. I would consider myself quite a mess right now. It felt very strange not to wake up this morning for my usual Tuesday run around town. Instead, I just ran some quick errands. And, by “ran” I mean hobbled and by “quick” I mean slow as molasses. Good news is, today is my day off and I’m going to let these legs and feet be as lazy as possible for the rest of the day.
My race results: 1:43:41 (pace of 7:55 minutes per mile) 12th out of 193 in my age bracket of 20-24 year old females 75th out of 2,415 females 374th out of 4,103 overall Alright, let’s rewind and talk about my exciting adventure at the Frederick Running Festival: Race Day Eve Unfortunately, I worked all morning on Saturday (the day before the race). But, once I got off, I met up with Billy and we headed to Frederick to check out the Expo. Honestly, there wasn’t much to see at this one and we just got my shirt and headed out. Then, we went and walked a little bit in Downtown Frederick. Such a beautiful day and so many activities were going on! I forgot how cute Downtown Frederick is! There was the drum line from the high school playing in the streets, a child magician putting on a show outside of one of the restaurants, and there were people everywhere just enjoying the first weekend of May! Eventually, we decided we should get some food and we decided to go to Glory Days, which was closer to the area our hotel was in. I know that there are probably foods that would be ideal to eat the night before a race, however, I wasn’t in the mood for any of those. I chose a bacon cheeseburger. Oh boy, was it delicious. I also had a side of mac and cheese (that’s got some carbs in it, right?) and a side of broccoli and carrots (I didn’t make ALL bad choices). It was really tempting to order a beer, because Billy’s beer was eyeing me up the entire meal, but I didn’t go for it. I just sipped on my water and focused on hydrating. Race Day Morning 5am came pretty quickly on Sunday morning! I felt like I got zero sleep because of all the nerves and excitement I was feeling all night. But once that alarm went off, I was up and blasting some pump up music (I’m sure Taryn-my partner in crime for the race-was overjoyed by my morning beats). I started by eating my pre-race meal: cinnamon raisin bagel with honey and peanut butter and a banana. Then, a quick shower to wake me up followed by some light stretching. By 6:30am we were at the starting line and ready to go. Billy saw us off, and then Taryn and I made our way to the corral. At this point I was so full of nerves, I was chilly, and I was super excited! I wanted to beat my Baltimore Half time of 1:57 and I was shooting for around 1:51. I felt really good and when we finally started, I was definitely in my running “zone.” Race The scenery in Frederick was so beautiful and the weather was so perfect! I made a new PR of 1:43:41. It was WAY better than I expected. Not only did I finish well, there were a few encounters during the race that really made the whole experience even more memorable: SID Apparently, every year the same elderly man starts the Frederick Running Festival. His name is Sid, and he doesn’t just start the race but he starts it holding an American flag. He runs to honor fallen soldiers. I didn’t get to see him start the race, obviously, because I was in the corral waiting to start myself. I did, however, get to see him along the course. I remember hearing someone say “Thanks, Sid. We really appreciate what you do!” followed by several other people expressing their thanks and admiration for what this man was doing. I was on the other side of the mix of runners, but I caught a glimpse of Sid and heard him replying to each of the runners who thanked him. It was a really neat part of the race and it was cool to get to run near him for that part of the course. BAT GIRL & COURSE CHEERLEADERS I wore my Batman shirt for the race, and I am so glad that I did. Throughout the entire course, anytime I passed a group of people cheering, I would hear “Keep it up, Bat Girl”, “Hey, look mom it’s a girl Batman”, “Ohh there’s a little Batman, too”(I eventually saw who big Batman was and realized why I was the little Batman), “Go Batman!”. It’s a neat feeling that strangers will cheer for you even though they have no idea who you are. I think it’s really awesome that people cheer on all the runners and I hope they know how much their cheering and their signs help us get through all those miles. One of my favorite comments from this race was from a female police officer who was standing around the 10 mile mark. “All that’s left is a 5k. 5k’s are easy. You could do a 5k hungover!” I laughed out loud at that part and it definitely helped me press on, knowing that she was right, there was only 3.1 miles left! In addition to the strangers cheering, a friend, who was also running, had her daughters hold a sign for me, too. They were with their dad at different points of the race, and they were so adorable and cheered for me (even though they had no idea who I was). Their sign and their adorableness definitely brought a smile to my face throughout the race and I appreciate their cheers! After the race, it was great getting to meet these little supporters for lunch. FRIENDLY CO-RUNNERS In a race, you usually start out in a big herd of people and then it eventually thins out. You end up running near the same group of people for most of the race (well I do, until I sprint past them in the end…hehe). Even if I don’t always talk to them, I feel like we kind of develop some sort of bond just from running the same course and going through the same experience together. There was one guy, however, who made my day and I bet he doesn’t even know it. He was next to me at some point, took out his headphones, and said “Bat Girl, you’re a tough one to shake”. He apparently had been trying to pass me for most of the race. We were around mile 8, and I had a cramp, so I told him that now would be a good time to pass me. His reply was “Are you okay? Do you think you can hang in there?” I assured him I was going to be fine, and as we went up a hill and I started sprinting, I told him that if he wanted to pass me he was going to have to go fast up all of the hills. Next time we got to a hill, I saw him speed up! I smiled a bit because I felt like I had inspired him. It felt good to help someone out, and to hear them think I was tough competition. The best co-runner was Taryn. She is my best friend, and this was the 2nd half marathon for both of us. We don't run together, but we do start together. I basically just talk a lot at the starting line and say obnoxious things to her in order to keep our minds off of being nervous. We give a final high five, and then we go off on our own. This race was another fun race that we were able to take part in together and seeing her so excited and proud of herself at the end was such a great experience. I know I was feeling great, but knowing that she was also pleased with her race made my day even better! I look forward to our next race together! THE BEST BOYFRIEND EVER I can’t leave out my favorite memory of the race: being able to see Billy multiple times throughout the race. He would appear at different segments of the course to wave and take pictures. It definitely helped motivate me along the way because he helped me train and he did all of my long runs with me. Just as he helped me push myself during training, he helped do the same on race day. After the race, he was at the finish to give me a big hug and try to help me hunt down some beers (unfortunately Frederick couldn’t give out the free beer until after 11am due to a new rule). He made my day and I am thankful to have his support (and he brought cupcakes, soooo that part was fantastic too)! Overall, you can probably tell I had a great weekend. It was such a fun race and I am very proud and excited about my performance. My quads are a little sore and I lost a toenail. I have a bit of recovery time ahead of me this week, and then I need to get back at it. Next up on my race calendar: 5/18 The Color Run 5k in D.C. 6/14 The Baltimore 10-miler 8/9 (Possible Charles Street 12-miler) 10/18 The Baltimore Full Marathon ß SUPER NERVOUS FOR THIS ONE! Ahhh! Running a race is such an incredible experience, and I hope to inspire more people to give it a try! You will be amazed by what your body is capable of when you put your mind to it. |
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