Oh, the pain

In case any of you in my small group of regular readers out there were under the impression that this marathon training thing is easy, let me clear that right up. It is REALLY challenging. Sure, I've been telling you that the runs are going pretty well. Sure, I've been good about sticking to the training schedule. And sure, I ran 13 miles last Saturday and managed to beat my goal time of 2 hours and 10 minutes. But it is NOT easy.

Last week, the training program really upped my miles. I ran six on Monday, three on Tuesday, six on Wednesday, two on Friday, and thirteen on Saturday, for a total of 30 miles in one week. That's what I used to average in a month. On Wednesday, I felt tired and sluggish. My pace was really slow, and I did not want to keep running. I think there are a lot of factors to how any given run feels and how well I perform. What did I have to eat in the last 24 hours? How much sleep did I get? What's the weather like? How well did I stretch? All these factors coalesce, and I might feel great or miserable. On Saturday, I could tell a huge difference in my energy level from the week before because I had eaten well. However, my quads were killing me for the last four miles because I need to strengthen and stretch them more.

On days, or even on certain miles of a run, when I feel like quitting, I rely on my mind more than my body to get me through. I imagine having Bob or Jillian (from The Biggest Loser) at my side pushing me to keep going the way they push the contestants on their show. I imagine that I'm actually in a race and that any cars or people I see along the way are there to cheer me on. I think about how far I've come, how I can hardly believe this is me running this far, how amazing my feet, ankles, calves, knees, and thighs are for carrying me, for moving me forward. And, like I mentioned last week, I rely on the strength of God and think about how much He has blessed me. If I can do this, I think anyone can. Like so much in life, it really comes down to putting your mind to it.

P.S. I'm still sore from Saturday, and I'm walking around like I just got off a horse. Hopefully a good stretch, followed by today's five miles, and another good long stretch will help ease the pain.