i know they say the taper is the most excruciating part of training, but i don't really see what the big deal is. to be honest, i have welcomed this taper with open arms. i am so. over. training. already. i think part of me is avoiding thinking about the marathon because if i think about it too much i'll waste soooo much energy getting too excited. seriously, i remind myself it's this weekend and i get all giddy and start clapping my hands and making squealing noises. i'm really really excited. i can see the city in my mind, filled with crowds and music and runners. i'm afraid i'll get myself so excited, i'll exhaust myself.
and yeah, i'm nervous. i'm anxious. i don't think i trained nearly enough. i'm not in as good of shape as i thought i would be at this point. but there's nothing i can do about it now. i've made my bed and now i just have to run this fucker knowing at the very least that i never, ever, quit any of my long runs. even when i was exhausted after a long day of work. even when monstrous hills lay before me. mentally, i'm ready. physically?? we'll just see. but if this race is a mind over matter thing, i have a fighting chance.
i've waffled on whether i'm going to run another marathon after this. part of me doesn't think i'm really cut out for this much endurance. 16 weeks of training is a long time, and you all saw me fall off and get back on the wagon several times over. it's hard for me to remain dedicated and focused for that long. but having gone through it, i now know it's really not THAT bad. the next time around, i would definitely be smarter. and based on my ability to bounce back even after what seemed to be the longest of hiatuses, i think i could totally do better the next time around. and it's that thought that makes me want to run another.
what would i do differently? a lot. i wish i was in better shape all around. i'm probably the only marathoner to gain weight during training, and it ain't muscle. my diet would be good one week, crap the next. then good, then crap. and lord knows, a good strength training regimen would have done me worlds of good. also, next time around, i think i'd like to run with a training group. i think it will help make me more consistent. and in making my workouts more structured. i was so lax with my schedule sometimes that intervals turned into tempo runs, tempo runs turned into easy runs etc. but also, i'd like to be surrounded by "like minded" people. i love my family and friends, but they make slipping back into my drunken couch potato ways all too easy. and they have no interest in my training. it would be nice to talk to a real live flesh and blood person about that kind of stuff. it can be hard doing it all on your own.
so i guess in a way, i'm glad this training is over and i get to wipe my slate clean again. and with this being my first marathon, i'm excited to just be doing it! to have gotten this far at all. maybe i'll be the very last person across the finish line, but i don't care. i don't care if i have to stop and walk. and i know i'll hit parts where i will not want to run another step, but i won't stop. i never have. i know for a fact that i WILL cross that finish line. i know for a fact that i will have the freakin' time of my life!!!!
see there i go again, getting too excited!!!!!!!
10 comments:
I hate when I feel like I want to write a really long comment, but, oh well.
If it makes you feel any better, as of yesterday I had run 658 miles and biked 500+ plus in the past 14 weeks and gained about 3-4 pounds. (plus, I can write that here and I don't need to blog it since everyone will see it!)
My two cents...wait until a week after the marathon to decide if you want to do another one. No sense in wasting energy on that question now.
It is a mind game. And, if the going gets tough at any point during the race think of it as 26 - 1 mile races. You know you can run one mile. So run one mile. Take a water break and then run another. After you string a few together you'll be closer to the finish line and your confidence will be back. And then you will realize that you cannot NOT finish. Those last 200 yds in the finishing chute make everything that happened beforehand so WORTH IT.
You can and will make this marathon all your own - don't forget that.
I have absolutely no pearls of wisdom since I have yet to go down this path, but you WILL rock this mo-foer!! No doubts chica. Could've, would've, should've . . pffftttt. You. ARE. ready!!
It's okay to be excited. YAY!! I'm excited for you!
Most articles and books on marathoning say that it's better to be a little under-trained than to be over-trained for a race, so I think you'll be fine entering the race with the training you've done.
But I think you and I are very similiar because with both marathon programs I did, I welcomed the taper like a long lost lover. Of course, the danger for people like you and I is to scale back too much during the taper -- don't make that mistake. Just reduce your mileage by about 20%.
First, the marathon is not my distance; I can't imagine running that long and for that amount of time. Well, I can imagine it, but then I imagine myself dying and I don't like doing that.
I must be weird. I love the discipline of training. I have my little chart on the wall of what I'm supposed to do every day and I really enjoy sticking a little star on each day's accomplishment. Yes, I'm a kindergartner, what can I say.
I'm close to a half-marathon; HMers don't get much of a taper, nor do we need one. But I'm already figuring out how I can keep up the mileage after the race. My next half isn't until April. I suppose I could train for five months, but that's probably overkill.
Can't wait to hear how it goes for you!
I gained weight training for my firt two marathons too. I promised myself that this time would be different. I haven't gained but I haven't lost anything either!!!
After my first I swore that I would NEVER do another, but here I am working on my third.
Good luck and remember jut have fun!
You're going to do great. And have FUN!
Ha ha, like you, I gained weight while training. And no, mine wasn't muscle either. It was chips. F**ing chips!!!
And like you- I embraced the taper. Excruciating?! Please! What's so hard about getting home an hour or two earlier and getting to sit on the sofa and eat chips?!
Do NOT worry about having undertrained. The people you read about who stagger off the course are usually dehydrated or REALLY undertrained, or were just already injured. If you get to the starting line feeling like a million bucks and hydrate properly, you'll be fine!
I was soooo scared about hitting the wall around mile 20, but both times, as excruciating and tiring as it was, it was not as horrific as I'd imagined. And if it became too much? I walked for 30 seconds. Or 60. It's not cheating. It's called finishing!
You will do just great and I can't wait to hear all about your experience! No worries about making a decision on others, let this one be your guide!
PS - Love the blog's new look!
Great post, I can really relate to all of that. I actually really miss the excitement and anticipation of my first marathon (also Nike :) ) because it will never be that way again. Sure, I get nervous and excited, but I know I can finish. That first time it was such an intimdating thing, I didn't know if I could. Of course, I did. And you will too. But next time around, if you choose to do this again, it will be much less dramatic. When you finish this thing you will be feeling more proud, more exhausted, more everything than you ever will feel again. So cherish it! Let it consume you. Freak out. You WILL finish this marathon and you will remember it for the rest of your life.
Focus on how hard-core and relentless you have been on the long runs, how you never gave up. Remember how you ran for hours on the treadmill and how much more exciting San Francisco is to look at than the inside of your gym! Remember that there are a lot of people thinking of you while you are out there and cheering you on.
I can't wait to hear how it goes. I'll hopefully see you out there, and I will scream my head off and even jump in and run w/ you if you want. Good luck and have fun. :)
I'm so excited for you!!
You've done so awesome and I've greatly enjoyed reading your blog while eating ice cream as you're out there kicking butt! You're seriously such a motivation!
Your countdown says 2 days and I'll be hoping during that time that you rock as hard out there as you have getting through training!!!
I was also wondering you said you ate kinda crappy (which also you aren't the only person who gains weight during marathon training, in fact out of the 5 people I can think of off the top of my head that has marathon-trained, all of them have gained weight and they also didn't think it was muscle) but what kind of food did you eat and did you think it impacted your running? What about drinking... alcohol/soda? I see huge impacts on my running if I down even only a cup of either... seems a little too significant almost.
Anyway enough rambling :)
GOOD LUCK, YOU CAN DO IT GIIIIIIIRL!!!
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