21 days until Pigs Fly...
...and the Bandit is getting cold feet (not the kind that can be comforted with hand knit socks). I am feeling so apprehensive about this marathon. What the heck is a chubby girl like me doing pretending she can run?
Some minutes I feel like-- I can do this.
Other minutes--I can't do this.
I am so close--months of miles run in the frigid, bitter cold and now I am 78 miles away from my goal. Three weeks. 9 runs...1037 minutes of running. 17.5 hours.
I've already determined what a mental thing this entire process has been. About 75% mental--25% physical. It seems as if the physical is failing me, but then I worry...is it the mental masking itself as the physical? My last run should have been an easy 5 miles mile and I barely hobbled through three. My average pace was 2 minutes slower then it should have been. That's huge. Over the last two weeks, I have been getting slower and slower, my foot and ankle pain, worse and worse. I pop Motrin like it's candy to keep the swelling down. But, damn, so close....
I don't want to have to start all over. Which I will do if necessary. I will run a marathon...even if it takes years. I am determined. But I don't know if I'll love it so much that I'll run two...so why go through all the training again? I am ready to go back to running just to run, not to train.
BUT... Plan B-- fall marathon in Detroit.
WISH ME LUCK!Tomorrow is my longest run, 20 miles. I am not ready. Physically or mentally. But if I run all 20 tomorrow and can still walk after (well at least walk by Monday) then I will be running when Pigs Fly...in 21 days.
Wishing you LOTS of luck. . . and all of those doubts will melt away when you finally do it!
Posted by: Ragged | April 12, 2010 at 09:32 AM
good luck! i am also one of the "bigger girls" who ran a marathon last fall. i had my doubts that i could do it, even as i ran my 20 and 23 mile training run. but no worries, you worked hard for it and you can do it!!! it really is a mental thing. be sure to rest properly and take care of that injury. there is nothing worse (and ironic) than not being able to reach your goal because you worked too hard!!!
Posted by: bockstark.knits | April 11, 2010 at 07:23 AM
Jamie - I'm sure you WILL be a flying pig!
(At least start and run as long as you can...)
Posted by: Birgit | April 11, 2010 at 06:33 AM