Thursday, October 21, 2010

NIGHTMARE

oh, I hope no one has anything similar to this one!!!
Last nights...

I was running the marathon in Indiana. Jaime and David both were there. For some reason I was running in yoga pants and a cotton long sleeve shirt. Now doesn't that sound light an automatic nightmare? Well, it gets worse! It is raining, and there are HILLS! I started out with a 7:20 pace and it felt great... however all of a sudden there are obstacles on the course!!! OBSTACLES! I mean like you have to run in a single file line, people are stopping to chit chat and I am just freaking out because I don't want to do any of this. I can't pass people on the single line because there is a COP watching us... Next thing I know we get to this point... and it is an amusement park!!! We have to get on a ride to get to the next part. Now, my long sleeve shirt is off and I am just in yoga pants. The entire time I am looking at my watch freaking out and seeing over 9:30 miles and Jaime is telling me to run.. She keeps asking what I am doing, laughing and shaking her head... Thank god I woke up shortly after this...!!!

WORST DREAM EVER! I feeling like somebody was taunting me all night... I am back to being scared..  where is mile 18.2?!?!?!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Lets look back...

I had an amazing 20 miler during my training...

September 4
2:32:12
7:36 pace

Now, I have been stressing about this week leading to the marathon all week. Now, I have not looked back on the week leading to that amazing run until tonight and I would like to share it with you!

Monday
7 Miles 53:32
3 easy
6:48
6:49
6:38
1 easy
Start at 5am

Tuesday
8 Miles
1:02:01
7:44 pace
start at 6:51 pm

Wednesday
Track

Thursday
* I had a note that I was hungover from a date the night before... ;)
8 Miles
1:05:11
8:08 pace
start at 5:55am

Friday - YES I RAN FRIDAY!!!
4 Miles
34:33
8:37 pace
started at 7:03 am

Saturday
Dinner Friday night...Pei Wei Spicy Korean (ate it all) Vanilla Milkshake from Steak in Shake (drank it all) and then a glass of wine (enjoyed it all)
Breakfast... Coffee, Water, Luna Bar

Temp 76* 89% Humidity

20 miles
2:32:12
7:36 pace

So as you can see, with as much as I worked myself that week, I still managed to get this stellar run in!! This gives me loads of confidence that I can do this again on Saturday!

"To do your best, you've gotta believe in yourself. There is a functional link between physiology and psychology. If you have the confidence to do something, your body will respond. With confidence you can cope with various race day obstacles, but even slight problems are magnified if you lack it. Achieving goals -- long training runs, consistent mileage, increasingly faster times in speed workouts and races -- builds confidence, which results in  further improvements in performance. Reflect on these successes as you approach a race and during it to keep your confidence strong." (quoted from The Competitive Runner's Handbook)

Just get me to mile 18.2

All I want is mile 18.2, because then I know my favorite distance is left... only 8 more miles and then I am DONE!!

18 miles is nothing compared to 20 or 22 right?

This is my thought process on this marathon. 18.2 and I am DONE!

Sounds crazy right? It is the only thought that has actually calmed me down yet!! ... well besides my 6 mile tempo run I decided to do 3 days before my marathon...

Ok, this is Penny officially freaking out...

"Stay with each situation until you feel your anxiety drop, worry systematically and intensely... and humorously. Make your scenarios crazy and outrageous. Creative worrying is a way of desensitizing yourself to worries....."

and here is what I am doing to relieve the stress... enjoying a nice hot mug of tension tamer!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Do I really have to taper?

Well, I did my last long run and now it is tapper time. Lets get this marathon over with so that I can get back to running! I haven't even started tapering yet and I already miss running! Jaime better hide my running shoes, because they may accidentally be used more than they should!!

Today I had 15 miles on the schedule. It was supposed to be 7 miles easy 8 miles at goal marathon pace. Well, I have no clue what my goal marathon pace is or should be anymore. So I just figured I would do 15 miles at whatever pace my body kicked out. Now, I have had a knee issue for two weeks now. I fell very hard on the knee cap and pretty much had to take the last 2 weeks off. I have taken almost an entire bottle of Motrin in these two weeks. Of course I attempted running through it all. I even attempted and accomplished a 21 miler with the pain! Of course there were plenty of people telling me not to do this, not to do that and blah blah blah and one particular individual said I was insane... well... just a little bit about me...(only a runner would understand me and my decisions right now)

Yes, I am crazy. Yes, I am stupid. Yes, I have issues. And No, I do not care what you have to say, because I am going to do what I want!!!!

Today's run felt better than any run has felt in the past 2 weeks, so it made me feel so much better and happier. I did the 15 in 1:58:00. It wasn't exactly easier in the first 7, I just maintained my pace...

8:23
8:09
7:56
7:53
7:54
7:53
7:51
7:53
7:49
7:40
7:40
7:51
7:48
7:50
7:42

For the marathon I think I am going to aim for a 7:40 pace and see what happens. I did not start this run until 9am and it was hot! I was also out late last night indulging in way to much wine. I was pleased with this run with all of those factors!!

With the sun shinning so bright for those 2 hours, it left me with some god awful tan lines. So went straight to the pool to lay out for an hour to get rid of those ugly lines. I also bought new shorts yesterday!! I loved them. These will be my marathon shorts!!! Now, I have to decide if it is going to be sportsbra only, or wear a top...

The shorts are Nike, black with pink accent and have the built in boy shorts.